To honor the philanthropic mark of Stephen Roell, former United Way of Greater Milwaukee board chairman and retired chairman and CEO of Johnson Controls, Inc., United Way is funding three one-time $25,000 grants to City Year, IMPACT and Meta House.
United Way announced its Steve A. Roell Agency Partner Awards during its annual meeting in February and opened up grant applications to its agency program partners. About 70 agency partners applied, according to United Way, and grant recipients were announced on Tuesday.
“I am honored to have my name attached to these special grants,” Roell said. “United Way invests in over 160 quality programs throughout our region. The collective impact of these programs is truly remarkable. Working together in the areas of education, income and health, we are truly moving the needle on critical issues in our community.”
The three grant recipients offer programming related to education, income and health, which comprise United Way’s main focus areas.
City Year Milwaukee, which has been a United Way partner since 2012, is part of a global organization working to boost graduation rates and steer students in a positive direction. IMPACT, which has been a United Way partner for nearly 50 years, provides services that help individuals rebuild stability in their lives. The nonprofit also offers services to organizations and workplaces in order to help them improve performance and productivity. Meta House, which has been a United Way partner for just over 40 years, supports women working to overcome substance abuse.
In selecting award recipients, United Way targeted program partners that operate with integrity, are effective in delivering programs and services, promote employee engagement within the community, continuously innovate, and value sustainability.
“Steve Roell has made a real difference in the lives of so many people in this community, not only through his work with United Way of Greater Milwaukee but (also) through his work with organizations throughout the greater Milwaukee area,” said Mary Lou Young, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Milwaukee. “The ripple effect of his work will be felt for generations to come.”
