$235K in expenses

Diaper Bank - In July 2021, United Way of Skagit County launched our Diaper Bank to address a hidden crisis affecting rural families: diaper need. When parents cannot afford diapers, they face impossible choicesstretching soiled diapers longer than safe, missing work or school to stay home with children, or going without other essentials.Our Diaper Bank operates as critical infrastructure for family stability, just like food banks address hunger. Through our network of community partners, we ensure that geographic isolation and limited transportation (common barriers in rural areas) don't prevent families from accessing this basic necessity. Our two-generation approach recognizes that when children have their fundamental needs met, parents can focus on building economic security through education and employment.Impact: In 2024-2025, we distributed 314,108 diapers and 3,615 wipes, directly supporting rural families during their most vulnerable moments and creating pathways to long-term stability.

$70K in expenses

Dolly Parton Imagination Library - Rural children often start kindergarten behind their urban peers due to limited access to quality early childhood resources. The Dolly Parton's Imagination Library directly addresses this disparity by delivering high-quality, age-appropriate books directly to children's homes each month from birth to age five.This program is particularly vital for rural families who may live far from libraries or bookstores. By mailing books directly to enrolled children, we eliminate transportation barriers while creating excitement around reading and learning. Each delivery strengthens the parent-child bond through shared reading experiences and builds the foundation for lifelong learning success.Impact: In 2024-2025, we served 1,880 children throughout Skagit County's rural communities, ensuring that zip code doesn't determine a child's access to early literacy opportunities.

$14K in expenses

Financial People Project - Rural families face unique financial challenges: seasonal employment, limited banking access, and fewer credit-building opportunities. Our Financial People Project addresses these barriers head-on by providing accessible, culturally relevant financial education that meets people where they are.We transformed our program delivery in 2024-2025, moving to an online Canvas platform with materials available in English and Spanish. This innovation eliminates transportation barriers that often prevent rural residents from accessing in-person financial education. Using the proven FDIC Money Smart curriculum, participants master essential skills including budgeting with irregular income, navigating limited banking options, building credit in underserved markets, and creating emergency savings despite economic uncertainty.Impact: Our flexible, multilingual approach ensures that geographic isolation doesn't limit financial opportunity, empowering rural residents to build household wealth and economic security.

$48K in expenses

Health and Income Collaborative Initiatives - Rural communities thrive when organizations work together to address interconnected challenges. United Way of Skagit County leverages collaborative approaches to maximize impact across health and economic security initiatives.Through our advisory role with the Population Health Trust, we help coordinate county-wide efforts to improve quality of life, ensuring rural voices are centered in health policy decisions. Our support of Youth United creates leadership pathways for rural high school students, with participants completing over 100 volunteer hours each to earn varsity recognitiontransforming community service into a celebrated achievement equal to athletic success.We also maintain critical community data infrastructure through our partnership on the Skagit County indicators website, ensuring that nonprofits, schools, and public agencies serving rural areas have access to the data needed to make informed decisions and secure resources.Impact: These collaborative investments strengthen the entire ecosystem supporting rural families, creating sustainable pathways to wellness and prosperity that individual organizations couldn't achieve alone.