Rock ‘N’ Recovery

Last year, United Way of the Greater Triangle and Band Together embarked on a journey to raise as much as possible to support COVID-19 recovery in the Triangle.  

Thanks to your fast action and generous support, we raised a total of $1.1M+ that was quickly distributed as an additional $9,134 to 90+ nonprofit organizations to support COVID-19 recovery efforts in the Triangle. Here’s what a few of them did with these extra funds: 

1. Boys & Girls Club –  The Boys & Girls Club launched a program in 2014 called Academic Intervention Program (AIM), with the goal of ensuring that barriers are removed so that participants ultimately build the confidence and abilities needed to graduate to the next grade level. In 2020, this program became critical for students navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 virtual learning year. The funds received from Band Together helped to bolster the program, which provided students with increased contact with teachers and program staff, 1-on-1 daily support for students who otherwise would not have been able to complete assignments, and school supply pick up and drop off for families with transportation barriers.
    
2. CASA – By December 2021, over 250,000 North Carolinians had fallen behind on rent since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. CASA used the additional funds provided through United Way’s partnership with Band Together to subsidize one month of affordable housing for 33 households, ensuring that these individuals and families were able to remain stably housed during unpredictable times.
   
3. Grow Your World – This small nonprofit was able to increase their capacity by using the funds provided through United Way’s partnership with Band Together to hire a new staff person. This freed up time that the Co-Founder and Executive Director then used to co-create a county-wide virtual tutoring program for 5th-12th graders alongside a coalition of other Orange County youth-serving nonprofits.
   
4. Inter-Faith Food Shuttle – The Food Shuttle used these additional funds provided by United Way and Band Together to distribute nutritious meals to COVID-19 patients experiencing homelessness who had been discharged from WakeMed into local hotels. As of December 2021, the organization had supplied individuals with over 500 bags containing five meals and snacks.  

Big Plans for 2022: 

United Way and Band Together, along with support from Coastal Credit Union Foundation, partnered again for the third year and brought the Mighty Giveback benefit concert to the Triangle in October 2022. The concert featured Turnpike Troubadours as the headlining act and all profits raised from this event supported 11 Triangle nonprofits focused on increasing access to affordable housing so that the Triangle can be a home for everyone. To date, the two organizations have raised more than $2.1 million since 2020 to support anti-racist initiatives and COVID-19 recovery locally. To learn more, visit www.bandtogethernc.org.