United Way Of The Mid-South

United way of the mid-south coordinates the work of multiple agencies to implement the free tax prep / volunteer income tax assistance in crittenden county, ar; desoto, tunica, and tate counties in ms; and fayette, lauderdale, tipton, and shelby counties in tn. This program provides free tax preparation to maximize the total amount of eligible tax credits for low and moderate-income tax filers. The free tax prep / vita program was supported by funding from the internal revenue service, wells fargo, entergy, cummins, regions, and united way of the mid-south investments. Funds were used to support the operation of vita sites, mobile tax preparation, marketing, and volunteer recognition. In the fiscal year ending 6/30/2024, over 9,300 returns were filed serving more than 13,000 individuals. Clients saved over 2 million in estimated refund costs and received over 11 million in refunds.

United way of the mid-south (uwms) has broadened its community impact agenda to include a focus on strategically funding initiatives that promote economic mobility, and financial self-sufficiency for families and individuals in the mid-south service region, encompassing eight counties in tennessee, arkansas, and mississippi. Uwms now hosts, leads, manages, and is accountable for driving the dream(dtd), an unduplicated system of multi-domain human services and support that allows families living in poverty to grow their financial and social mobility. Driving the dream creates a network of support by connecting human service agencies through a shared platform, enabling equitable access to services for the most vulnerable individuals and families. Dtd provides a system that works for families. As the focus of its proactive community impact agenda, united way of the mid-south's driving the dream (dtd tm), is a resilient human services ecosystem that aligns and integrates the local service delivery system to support families living in poverty. Dtd tm is a system of care, comprised of a network of agencies that helps individuals and families navigate the system of needed services, and create a clear path towards economic security. Dtd is based upon an emerging national standard of care, informed by research- based practice, designed to address and alleviate conditions of poverty. This model prioritizes a multi-generational approach to advancing holistic wellbeing. Dtd tm boosts the power of our health, education and employment systems, working closely with communities whose connections to these resources have become frayed over time. Our collective goal is to help families move towards a socioecomonic future of their choosing.