Local Programs Supported by United Way of Smith County

We provide comprehensive dementia care navigation and caregiver support services for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Services include case management, care planning, memory screenings, counseling, support groups, respite (Day Club program), safety interventions (Project Lifesaver), and ongoing education for caregivers and professionals.

This program offers residents impacted by home fires, tornadoes, floods, and other emergencies immediate, flexible financial support. Disaster survivors have autonomy to secure safe lodging, purchase food and clothing, replace medications, and address urgent needs in the critical hours following a disaster, which is one of the most effective ways to stabilize households after a disaster.

Pediatric Mental Health

The program serves pediatric patients experiencing anxiety, depression, and ADHD—with lack of insurance, language barriers, and financial resources. All patients are initially screened during routine visits and then are connected to licensed pediatric counselors who provide ongoing therapy and behavioral health interventions. Medication management is coordinated collaboratively between the physician and behavioral health team.

Chronic Disease and Wellness Management

We serve uninsured or underinsured families needing medical, dental and mental health services. For those with chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, depression and anxiety, or dental decay we provide the highest quality care, including lab and x-ray testing, medication management, routine follow-up visits, counseling, and comprehensive dental care at affordable prices.

Direct Assistance supports Veterans, transitioning service members, and their families who are experiencing financial hardship. The program provides emergency financial assistance for critical needs such as housing stabilization, utility payments, and transportation so individuals can maintain safe living conditions, access healthcare, and remain employed. Financial instability is a leading contributor to stress, isolation, and mental health challenges among Veterans.

Court Appointed Special Advocates

CASA recruits, trains, and supervises community volunteers representing the best interests and needs of assigned children through consistent, one-on-one support by regularly interacting with children, monitoring safety and well-being, and communicating with caregivers, teachers, therapists, and caseworkers. Without consistent advocacy, their educational, medical, and emotional needs may go unmet within an overburdened child welfare system.

Teen/Aging Out Foster Youth Program

The program serves youth ages 14–21 who are at risk of aging out of foster care; without family connections, life skills, and resources necessary for long-term success. Services focus on life skills development, education, employment readiness, housing, sound decision-making, and meaningful connections. Youth who age out face increased risks of homelessness, unemployment, substance use, and unresolved trauma.

Early Education is the Foundation

The program serves families with young children and child care providers, with a focus on those working with at-risk populations. We provide evidence-based teacher training, developmental screenings, classroom observations, and individualized guidance. We strengthen early learning environments to support social-emotional development, early literacy, and positive behavior to ensure that a child is school-ready.

Growth and Support

Our Growth and Support program, formerly Help Me Grow, promotes early childhood development and family well-being. We provide developmental screenings, parent support and education, autism education, Brain Gym therapy, and connections to community resources for families with young children.

Funding for the Children’s Miracle Network at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances comes only from designations. Select this agency as one of your recipients to provide financing that allows children to receive fast and safe medical care comfortably. Funding locally has allowed for the purchase of state-of-the-art NICU incubators, a Certified Child Life Specialist program, top-of-the-line vision and hearing screeners, pediatric designated x-ray machines, support for pediatric specialists, special training and education for nursing staff as well as special needs families and so much more!

Child Abuse Intervention

A comprehensive, trauma-informed program serving children ages 0–17 who have experienced sexual abuse, physical abuse, domestic violence, neglect, drug exposure, human trafficking, or exposure to violent crime, along with their siblings and non-offending caregivers. CACSC also facilitates coordination among multidisciplinary partners—including law enforcement, child protective services, medical professionals, and prosecutors—to ensure an effective and streamlined response.

Community Education

CACSC provides age-appropriate prevention education to children, equipping them to recognize unsafe situations, respond effectively, and seek help from trusted adults. Parents, caregivers, educators, and community members are trained in recognizing and reporting child abuse and promoting internet safety. The Trauma-Informed program trains youth-serving adults to identify and respond to the effects of trauma on behavior and learning.

CWJC’s Employment Readiness Program is all-inclusive life change. During a 12-week semester, students attend classes two days a week or three nights. Women receive support and encouragement to develop a career plan, identify how to overcome barriers and pursue employment. The skills they learn equip them to become successful at work – leading to financial well-being and self-sufficiency.

Clinical and Supportive Services

The Clinical and Supportive Services program provides trauma-informed counseling and advocacy to survivors of family violence and sexual assault, with a focus on non-residential clients who often fall outside traditional shelter-based services. Services include individual and group counseling, case management, safety planning, and coordinated referrals, delivered by licensed clinicians using evidence-based approaches.

Crisis Intervention

The East Texas Crisis Center’s Crisis Intervention program provides immediate, 24-hour response services to survivors of family violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and other violent crime. Services include a 24-hour crisis hotline, emergency response, safety planning, and advocacy for individuals in acute crisis situations, including high-risk, high-lethality cases requiring immediate, specialized intervention.

Housing

ETCC’s Housing Program provides short-term rental assistance to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault as they secure safe, stable housing after exiting shelter. The program offers financial support, including rent, deposits, and move-in costs, to reduce immediate barriers to housing. Case management is provided during shelter stay and as part of discharge planning.

Fresh Produce

ETFB’s Fresh Produce Program provides a reliable source of fresh fruits and vegetables to our partner agency network and the low-income neighbors they serve. 18% of East Texans within our service area, including approximately 26% of children, are food-insecure and at risk of hunger. A nutritious diet, including fruits and vegetables, is crucial to the health and development of all individuals.

Tyler Resource Center

For low-income families, the challenge is not just getting enough food but accessing the right food to stay healthy. Food-insecure households are more likely to experience poor health, depression, and chronic diseases like heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. The food bank’s role is in promoting access to the nutritious foods individuals need to truly thrive.

The Carnegie Hall Link Up curriculum introduces fourth- and fifth-grade students to instrumental music and orchestral performances. It offers a comprehensive music curriculum aligned with state and national standards and allows students to participate in live orchestral concerts and practice learned skills. All students, regardless of background or socioeconomic status, access high-quality music education and live orchestral performances.

The Girl Scout Leadership Experience is delivered through the Girl Scouting in the School Day model in partner middle schools where girls participate in weekly Girl Scout sessions led by GSNETX staff in place of their PE/Health class. All program supplies, memberships, badges, and opportunities such as spring break, family, and summer camp experiences are provided to participants by GSNETX.

Ex-Offender Re-Entry

Reentry provides job readiness training and job placement to individuals who are currently incarcerated or who have recently been released from county jail or state/federal prison. Few individuals are released with a job waiting for them; we provide temporary paid work experience opportunities and an Employment Specialist to help them find permanent employment. We also offer expungement services

GoodTech Academy

GoodTech Academy, a specialized vocational training facility, serves to bridge the digital divide by providing accessible, affordable technology training to adults, particularly those facing barriers to employment. The academy, in unison with Goodwill’s basic, cultural, financial, and digital skills development programming, serves as a launchpad for individuals looking to start careers in Information Technology (IT) or improve digital literacy.

Re-Habitat serves low-income seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities, helping them live in safe, healthy, and accessible homes. Many homeowners lack the financial resources or physical ability to complete essential repairs, often choosing between basic needs and maintaining their homes. We provide vital repairs for health and safety concerns, aging infrastructure, deferred maintenance, and natural disaster damage.

The program provides nutritious lunches to older adults and disabled individuals who face barriers to accessing or preparing healthy food. Meals are prepared according to nutrition guidelines designed for older adults and are provided through two service models: home-delivered meals for homebound seniors and congregate meal sites where participants can gather for lunch and social connection.

We place licensed mental health counselors directly inside Winona ISD and Bullard ISD, providing professional counseling to students who would otherwise have no access to care. We provide individual therapy, group counseling, and crisis intervention to K-12 students experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and behavioral health challenges, all at no cost to families, during the school day, on campus.

Homelessness Prevention

PATH’s emergency rent assistance program is our most sought-after service, receiving between 800 and 1,000 documented requests each month. The primary objective is to avert eviction for families by providing direct rent payments to landlords, thereby helping them avoid homelessness. PATH is currently able to assist only 5 to 10 families each month due to limited funding.

Transitional Housing

Transitional Housing supports families who need more than short-term assistance and are ready to work toward lasting stability. Families live in PATH-owned houses for 24 to 36 months and pay affordable rent based on their income. During their time, families work with a case manager to identify strengths, address barriers, set goals, build savings, and move toward permanent housing.

We provide adults with essential literacy, GED preparation, English language acquisition, and workforce readiness skills. Services are delivered through accessible classes, small group instruction, and individualized support, offered in community-based locations to reduce barriers to participation. By improving foundational skills, we help participants obtain a GED, gain employment, pursue postsecondary education, and increase earning potential.

Smith County has a nationally-recognized “Scoutreach” program. Local schools: Douglas, Austin, Griffin, Bonner and Boulter provide in-school or after-school programs. If students enjoy the school-based programs, they may transition to a community-based program hosted by a local center. Scouts may eventually transition into traditional Scout units to receive the full benefits of the curriculum.

We’re focused on positive youth development, workforce readiness, and life skills education for youth ages 8–18. Through hands-on learning in agriculture, STEM, leadership, and financial literacy, participants gain practical skills that prepare them for future careers and responsible citizenship. Programs are delivered through clubs, school partnerships, workshops, and experiential events such as livestock projects and AgVenture school tours.

The Texas Ramp Project serves low-income residents with a mobility disability; they and their caregivers can be prevented from leaving their house to secure medical assistance and are subject to injury when they try to navigate steps or a makeshift ramp on their own. We provide free wheelchair ramps for these residents.

This United Way program funds camp scholarships that cover the full or partial cost of overnight respite for qualifying adults with IDD. Respite improves caregivers’ quality of life so they are stronger in all aspects of life, including family relationships, personal health, and community engagement. Participants are building skills for greater autonomy and independence.

The Empower Families program connects foster, adoptive, and kinship families in a supportive community and equips them to provide trauma-informed care to help foster children recover from their trauma histories. The program increases support, practical resources, and trauma-informed skills for foster/adoptive families. All of our program staff are certified parent coaches.

The Hope Kitchen provides meals to unhoused and low-income individuals who are not part of our shelter program. During inclement weather periods, the heating/cooling stations allow them to have a safe space and keep them from congregating in other public areas such as the library.

We provide high-quality early childhood education and childcare for working families. Our program focuses on a hands-on learning approach for school readiness, child safety, and family stability by delivering developmentally appropriate instruction, nutrition, and safe care in a nurturing environment. Services are delivered daily by qualified, trained teachers through a structured curriculum, early learning activities, and social-emotional development support.