Helping You Make a Difference

United Way of Meriden and Wallingford aims to be a thriving nonprofit with a strong base of community and corporate support. We are the leading choice for directing donations to the most critical causes in Meriden and Wallingford. We are an efficient and effective organization with the highest standards of transparency and accountability.


We envision a thriving community where

 

All families and individuals are stable and have the resources they need to be healthy, safe, and on a path of growth – a thriving community where people care about each other and are engaged in and proud of their community.


United Way does a lot more than raise money! We fund effective programs, stimulate individual and corporate volunteerism, connect people with resources, and work in partnership with others to improve our community.


Creating this community of caring expands our ability to bring people together to impact lives well beyond what we could do with funding alone.

2-1-1

United Way of Connecticut’s 2-1-1 helps people find and access the health and human services they need, including food, shelter, and other basic needs. They assist parents and caregivers with finding the best child care for their families. They serve as a coordinated gateway to services for children with developmental or behavioral needs through programs. They respond in the event of weather emergencies, natural disasters, and family and personal crises of any kind, and they work with partners in the state government, local United Ways, and Connecticut’s communities to implement strategies that can lead to community impact.


United Way of CT’s 2-1-1 serves as a critical resource to support members of our community who find themselves in need of assistance. The free and confidential referral service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 2-1-1, 860-571-7500,

or visiting https://www.ctunitedway.org.


The service is also used as an entry point for homeless individuals and families, or those at imminent risk of becoming homeless, to access an available shelter or housing resource.


1% of your contribution to our United Way is invested in this valuable resource.

ALICE

ALICE, an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, is a new way of defining and understanding the struggles of households that earn above the Federal Poverty Level but not enough to afford a bare-bones household budget.


For far too many families, the cost of living outpaces what they earn. These households struggle to manage even their most basic needs – housing, food, transportation, childcare, healthcare, and necessary technology.


When funds run short, cash-strapped households are forced to make impossible choices, such as deciding between quality child care or paying the rent, filling a prescription or fixing the car. These short-term decisions have long-term consequences not only for ALICE families but also for all of us.


We envision a community where all those who work to keep our local economies running can support themselves and their families. ​

Traditional measures of poverty do not capture the magnitude of people who are struggling financially. Our mission is to make the invisible visible by shining a light on the true number of families struggling in the U.S.


Our new metrics offer a better way to count and understand ALICE, and to ultimately inform policy decisions to affect positive change for this growing portion of our population. Armed with this data, we aim to change the national dialogue about the impact on families, communities, and all of us when financial crisis is the norm for so many.


Click here for the 2023 Connecticut ALICE Report
Click here for the Meriden/Wallingford Report


More information about ALICE is available at https://www.unitedforalice.org/home.

In-Kind Assistance

 Sometimes, the most valuable assistance has nothing to do with money but is a contribution of a product or item that an agency can really use. Each year, United Way collects and distributes computers, furniture, clothing, food, and other items needed by agency programs.


Feel free to contact us if you have other items you think our partner agencies could use.

VITA

You can get your taxes done free with no hidden fees or strings attached. United Way of Meriden and Wallingford, in partnership with HRA of New Britain, offers free tax preparation sites for individuals residing in Meriden and Wallingford throughout the tax season. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program provides low-income workers and families with free tax preparation and filing. The goal is to bring unclaimed tax credits to these individuals and thus to the community.


All volunteers at our VITA sites are IRS-certified and ready to help you prepare your tax return and get you all the money due to you! If your household income was less than $67,000 in 2024, then you are eligible to have your taxes done at local VITA sites across Connecticut, including Meriden and Wallingford, for free.


Appointments are required to drop off tax return documents. Call the HRA appointment line at (860) 356-2000 and make sure to request a site in Meriden or Wallingford. Sites include Meriden Public Library, Wallingford Public Library, and the Spanish Community of Wallingford. If you have any questions about this program, contact our office or visit Tax Return Assistance | HRA of New Britain, CT (hranbct.org).

Last day to file tax returns: April 15, 2025

MERIDEN
 Meriden Public Library
105 Miller Street
Meriden, CT 06450


Hours of Operation:
Tues & Thurs- 5:00 pm-8:00 pm
Sat- 10:30 am-1:00 pm
Appointments: 860.356.2000


Opening Date: January 28, 2025 
Closing Date: April 10, 2025

WALLINGFORD
 Spanish Community of Wallingford, Inc.
284 Washington Street
Wallingford, CT 06492


Hours of Operation:
Tues- 2:00 pm-6:00 pm
Appointments: 203.265.5866


Opening Date: January 28, 2025
Closing Date: April 8, 2025

AND

Wallingford Public Library
200 North Main Street
Wallingford CT 06492


Hours of Operation:
Sat- 10:00 am-2:00 pm
Appointments: 860.356.2000


Opening Date: January 25, 2025
Closing Date: April 12, 2025

With strong support from our communities, we are able to drive measurable and meaningful impact

for those facing hardship across Meriden and Wallingford. In 2024 we...

$421,430

allocated through our Annual Community Campaign to our community nonprofit partner agencies and their enriching programs to serve thousands of people in critical areas of food insecurity, housing, mental health, literacy, childcare, education, and more!

1,760

individuals among 502 families were gifted essential food, clothing, and special items donated through our Annual Holiday Programs: Thanksgiving Baskets, Adopt-A-Family & The Giving Trees

450

individuals with their households and families have received guidance through the PowerUp program and the team of 7 Navigators through their upskilling career journeys to financial freedom.

$46,450

total raised from 2 special event fundraisers, 1st Annual United Way Pickleball Palooza at

Choate Rosemary Hall and 30th Annual NFL Players' Weekend at Ashlar Village, Masonicare, to support children and families in need.

455

nonperishable food items were donated during our one-week collection for our annual Week of Action to support four local pantries: New Opportunities of Greater Meriden, The Salvation Army-Meriden, Master's Manna, and GLOW Food Pantry

3,812

hours of time donated by 679 community volunteers to assist with our various programs, special events, and other community projects.

Results

United Way of Meriden and Wallingford invests $476,000 to 18 partners (providing 18 programs) and 1 initiative focusing on Workforce Development – PowerUp – to address economic mobility challenges across Meriden and Wallingford.


“I wish to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to be able to receive rides from Senior Transportation Services to my medical appointments.”


“Your volunteer driver program providing rides to medical appointments for physically challenged seniors has been a godsend for me over the past two plus years.”


Here’s How You Can Make a Difference

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