CITY OF ARLINGTON | Grants Management Annual Report 2024 12
The Impact of United Way of Tarrant County – Greater Arlington
United Way of Tarrant County ( UWTC ) – Greater Arlington brings together community leaders and local nonprofits to identify and address issues facing residents in Arlington and surrounding areas . Funding from CDBG allowed UWTC – Greater Arlington to increase capacity while improving their processes , offerings , and the quality of their services . UWTC - Greater Arlington supports the Grant Review Committee on behalf of the City of Arlington . This year , 20 volunteers on the FY23 committee completed over 540 service hours reviewing CDBG , ESG and HOME grants .
Beyond the scope of this funding , this program year , they expanded their economic empowerment efforts by introducing a Reality Fair , in collaboration with Frost Bank and Arlington ISD , for Seguin High School seniors and juniors . At this fair , students were assigned a career and salary and created a monthly budget . They then visited booths to “ purchase ” groceries , transportation , housing and other necessities . Many students were surprised to learn how quickly their expenses added up . After initial budget checks , a line quickly formed at the
United Way of Tarrant County – Greater Arlington Resource Sharing Group monthly meeting on Wednesday May 3 , 2023 , on Youth Summer Activities & Resources at the Arlington George W . Hawkes Downtown Library
“ Second Job ” booth as students looked for ways to increase their income . In most cases , adding additional income was not enough to make ends meet , and the students returned to the booths to reduce their purchases . Frost Bank previously hosted similar events for Fort Worth ISD , but this was the first event of its kind in Arlington . UWTC - Greater Arlington facilitated planning meetings between organizations and provided volunteers to make the event possible .
“ The students thoroughly enjoyed themselves and have talked about it to everyone - teachers , classmates , etc . I would love for them to have another opportunity next year , and the returning juniors would like to do it again !”
— Felicia Haley , AVID Coordinator , Seguin High School , Arlington ISD