Through two new funding initiatives, the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley is providing $250,000 to more than twenty area organizations. With these grants, United Way is supporting programs and initiatives that provide mental health services to young people and veterans.
All of the grants are provided through the UNITED for Mental Health initiative, as part of United Way’s Youth Mental Health Innovation Grant and United for Veterans’ Mental Health Grant.
Some of the recipients include Dieruff High School’s Paws Place, a space for students to recharge and receive counseling services; Touchstone Theatre’s Building Bridges Program for Bethlehem students with social, emotional and behavioral difficulties; and Battleborne, which assists veterans and first responders in underserved communities.
A grant will also fund one of WDIY’s Youth Media Program shows – YANA LV (You Are Not Alone, Lehigh Valley), which explores a variety of topics related to mental health from a teen perspective.
United Way CEO Marci Lesko highlighted the organization’s dedication to addressing the “growing need for mental health services for everyone in our community.” She expressed excitement to support prevention and intervention-based solutions.
The need for mental health care is increasing nationally. The U.S. Surgeon General has deemed the state of mental health among youth as the “crisis of our time.”
In the Lehigh Valley, 39% of youth report that they feel depressed most days, and 40% of adults report symptoms of depression or anxiety. 25% of seniors say they feel isolated. The suicide rate in our region is 34% higher than the state average. Carbon County reports the highest suicide rate among veterans in Pennsylvania.
With intentional investments, United Way hopes to play a key role in solving the crisis we’re seeing locally and beyond.
