Latest news with #MollyLanke
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
United Way of Mower County announces annual fundraising results
May 16—$1.2 million raised, falling just short of $1.275 million goal United Way of Mower County (UWMC) has successfully concluded its annual Community Campaign, raising $1,208,394 to support vital nonprofit organizations throughout the area. The campaign just missed its goal of $1.275 million announced in September of last year. The successful campaign brings critical funding to 25 partner organizations operating 35 programs focused on education, health, financial stability, and basic needs across Mower County communities. "This remarkable achievement reflects not just the generosity of our donors, but the shared vision we have for a stronger, more resilient Mower County," said Molly Lanke, executive director of UWMC. "Each contribution represents a commitment to lifting up our neighbors and creating pathways to opportunity where barriers once stood." The campaign drew support from a broad coalition of over 2,600 individual donors, businesses, and foundations, demonstrating the community's dedication to addressing local challenges through collective action. "What makes this year's campaign especially meaningful is how our community continues to step up despite ongoing economic pressures," Lanke said. "When we unite around common goals, we multiply our impact far beyond what any single organization could achieve alone. These funds will transform lives in tangible, measurable ways throughout the coming year." UWMC's strategic investment approach ensures donations create sustainable solutions to community challenges while maximizing the impact of every dollar contributed. For comprehensive information about United Way of Mower County's impact, funded partners, programs, and the individuals who make it all possible, visit
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New mobile app launches to combat food insecurity in Mower County
Feb. 4—The Hometown Food Security Project has launched an innovative mobile app designed to transform how our community addresses food insecurity. This tool connects all community members with food resources and volunteering opportunities, and collects critical data, representing a new approach to understanding local hunger challenges. The free app, available for both iOS and Android devices, serves multiple crucial functions. Through an interactive map with real-time updates residents can find the nearest food pantries, community meals and food resources. Using push notifications, the app can communicate with users in real-time about items needed at pantries, mobile food pantry locations, and where volunteers are most needed. Breaking down language barriers, the app is available in eight languages including Spanish, Vietnamese, Burmese, French, Tagalog, Amharic, Karenni, Anuak, and S'Gaw Karen, reflecting the diverse makeup of our community. Only a few months after launch, the tool has already garnered hundreds of active users and five national awards for "best Use of technology," and "mobile apps for public service among others. "What makes this app truly unique is that it's not just for those seeking assistance — it's designed for everyone in the community who wants to be part of the solution," says Craig Gundersen, the Snee Family Endowed Chair at the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty and a professor in the Department of Economics at Baylor University. "It encourages volunteerism, and it is also a way of gauging the amount of need and whether food insecurity is improving or decreasing." The data-gathering aspect of the app represents a significant advancement in understanding local food insecurity. Currently, providers rely on county-level data that has a two-year lag time. The novel approach of the Hometown app enables current snapshots of food insecurity rates at a more granular local level, crucial to the coalition's goal of eliminating hunger in Mower County. "The app makes clear just how much good will and generosity there is in our community," said Molly Lanke, Co-lead of the Hometown Food Security Project and Executive Director of United Way of Mower County. "The interactive map is full of dozens of resources, each one of those represents volunteers and organizations giving back to the community." Community members can download the Hometown Food Security Project app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Whether seeking assistance or looking to help, every download contributes to building a stronger, more food-secure Mower County. For more information about the Hometown Food Security Project and the new mobile app, visit or This app is unique because it is the first one to address these three critical functions together, and to embrace the entire community approach to addressing hunger: —Connecting people with free food and resources near them —Connecting people who want to help with current volunteer and donation opportunities —Collecting real-time food insecurity data, using a novel, enhanced version of the USDA screening questions.
