Programs
We have signature programs that make a direct impact in the community.
By bridging the gap between our impact goals and the current state of the community, we can allocate our full efforts to the areas that need us the most.
Day of Caring
Day of Caring is United Way of the Yampa Valley’s signature volunteer opportunity.
Day of Caring is a half-day event that connects volunteers with projects for nonprofits, government, and low-income individuals in the community, hosted by United Way of the Yampa Valley since 1998. Every spring, individual and corporate volunteers join forces to share their time and talents on projects at nonprofits across the Yampa Valley. Volunteers who participate in Day of Caring gain first-hand experience in how giving back to their community through work that saves labor costs and allows nonprofits to invest their efforts where they make the greatest impact.
Volunteering is essential to keeping our community connected and supporting local causes. You can change a life with your time and talent when you volunteer with United Way of the Yampa Valley.
Community Thanksgiving Dinner
United Way of the Yampa Valley hosts an annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner on Thanksgiving Day.
We were able to provide to-go meals to over 600 people in 2023, and brought together volunteers from all parts of our community. It’s heartwarming to be a part of a tradition that truly captures the spirit of giving and gratefulness.
Holiday 365
In 2020, United Way of the Yampa Valley transitioned from hosting the Holiday Exchange Market.
Our Holiday Food Card Drive is designed to help alleviate holiday stress by collecting local grocery gift cards to provide a week’s worth of groceries. In turn, families and individuals are able to purchase meaningful gifts for loved ones or take care of a needed expense. Thanks to our generous community, we gave out $25 food cards to 1,171 locals in need in 2023.
“The Food Card program put on by United Way of the Yampa Valley this holiday season was not only an incredible success from the position of a provisioning organization, but all feedback received from our recipients pointed towards the same general conclusion. The simplicity and effectiveness of the program in terms of necessary client information to register on our end and the gratitude on theirs respectively made the program well worthwhile.
“The ability to reach out to and collect information from our client base with minimal effort allowed us to cover so many of our community members- a huge perk given the dramatic increase in needs this year with the pandemic. In that same vein, the minimal contact required kept everyone at a safe distance at all times allowed us to distribute within the comfortability level of everyone; our team and clients alike.”
-Reid Petersen, Integrated Community
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is an early literacy program introduced to Routt County by United Way of the Yampa Valley’s leadership giving group, Women United.
All children in Routt County from birth to age five can sign up to receive a free age-appropriate book each month mailed directly to their home. Children that live outside of Routt County are eligible for this program through the Book Gift Program. Gift the love of reading and help develop language and comprehension with the Imagination Library.
Moffat County Imagination Library is ran by Connection 4 Kids.