GREENWICH, Conn., February 17, 2016 – Earlier this month, the Greenwich United Way publicly supported the transition of select youth services to the Town of Greenwich at the Board of Estimate & Taxation (BET) meeting. Peter Tesei was joined by Greenwich United Way Board Chair, Karen Keegan and Police Chief, Jim Heavey in BET hearings regarding the proposed Town budget for youth services. The hearing centered on the proposed transition of youth services from the Greenwich United Way to the Town of Greenwich with a new consultant to directly work with Tesei on advancing youth development in the community. The youth services included in the proposal are Juvenile Review Board, Inter Agency Team, and the 1st Selectman’s Youth Commission. The Greenwich United Way will have a temporary replacement to shepherd its flagship Reading Champions program through the end of the current school year in June, and plans are underway to improve and strengthen the program next year.

For decades, the Town of Greenwich and local human service providers have relied on the Greenwich United Way for informed insights regarding unmet needs. In 2002, the Greenwich United Way Needs Assessment identified the need for coordination among local youth services. Based on these findings, the Greenwich United Way established a Task Force to understand the challenges facing youth and help create a solution. Following the Task Force’s recommendations, the Greenwich United Way approached the Town to create a central point for youth services. As a result, the Town agreed to partner with them to share and supplement available state grants to fund the position of a “Youth Services Coordinator”.

“This is an opportunity to celebrate the successful fulfillment of the 10-year shared vision between the Greenwich United Way and the Town of Greenwich to better serve our youth. The Greenwich United Way takes great pride in identifying local needs for human services and mobilizing the community to deliver lasting solutions,” explained United Way Board Chair, Karen Keegan.

The first community-based Youth Service Bureaus were established in the late 1960’s in response to a growing concern regarding issues such as juvenile delinquency, family crisis, drug and alcohol abuse and school truancy. Currently there are 102 Bureaus serving 145 towns across the state. Connecticut Youth Services Association leads, strengthens and supports a unified network of Bureaus dedicated to promoting the well-being of Connecticut’s children, youth and families.  For more information visit: (www.ctyouthservices.org)

About Greenwich United Way

The Greenwich United Way shares part of its name with approximately 1,400 other similar organizations across the nation, although the Greenwich, Connecticut division is a privately incorporated, locally governed, nonprofit agency. As a volunteer driven organization, the Greenwich United Way exists to help identify and address the human service needs specific to the Greenwich community and to create and effect meaningful solutions. Through various fundraising efforts, the organization is able to directly allocate the funds necessary to accomplish this goal.