River Cities United Way hires health workers, helps over 100 people

The organization is a nonprofit that serves Mohave and La Paz Counties, as well as Laughlin and Needles. The money received from the city will only go toward work done in Lake Havasu City, however. 

According to their website, the organization “promotes and advances the health, education, and financial stability of people in our community.”

The nonprofit applied for the ARPA money to “create a countywide database gathering statistical measures and collaborate with other entities to refer, and connect to clients to the proper resources,” according to a summary of the project in the August quarterly report. 

According to forms submitted to the city in for the quarterly report, “they have learned the data base and have begun entering individuals into the system and are working with the local resources to provide access to services.”

Funds were also planned to be used to pay three community health workers to collect, track, and provide case management to individuals seeking assistance.

When the Today’s News-Herald spoke to CEO Debi Pennington in March, she said the workers would meet with community members in need of services, refer them to the right organization, and follow them through the process.

Pennington also said each worker would have their own specific focus and have a caseload of 10 to 30 people.

Since then, according to the quarterly report, the organization has hired three community health workers who are working between the office and resource center.

“The CHW’s have currently helped 136 people thus far, and current trends are housing assistance which has a mixture of rent assistance/finding housing, utilities, clothes, food and clothing,” the report reads.

The organization reported that the anticipated date of completion of the planned work is June 30, 2024.

The Today’s-News Herald reached out to the nonprofit for comment by phone and email but did not hear back.