United Way of Tarrant County focuses on community health at 100th birthday celebration
The United Way of Tarrant County celebrated its 100th birthday Thursday with a call to residents to “get united” around efforts to improve community health.
The nonprofit set a goal of raising $100 million to support efforts improving maternal mortality, building resilience ahead of disasters like COVID-19, empowering residents financially, and improving childhood and adult education.
Food insecurity in Tarrant County is 40% higher than the national average, United Way CEO Leah King told a crowd of around 100 people gathered Thursday at Globe Life Field.
She pointed to the cars lined up just outside the event for a distribution by the Tarrant Area Food Bank as evidence of the dire need.
“We can do better. We must do better,” King said.
She also noted her organization’s efforts at improving Tarrant County’s maternal mortality rate.
Tarrant County had the fourth highest maternal mortality rate among Texas counties with at least 100,000 residents in 2019. Roughly 5.5 out of 1,000 women died during or shortly after giving birth, according to data from Tarrant County Public Health.
The rate was nearly double for Black residents.
Tarrant County has allocated $1.96 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to fight this problem, which the United Way is using to start a community doula program. A doula is trained companion who provides physical and emotional support to women through their pregnancies.
The program will train 120 women and 30 hospital staffers as doulas, and is aimed both increasing access to health care while decreasing the disparities in outcomes.
“The color of your skin shouldn’t determine your maternal mortality,” King said.
This story was originally published November 17, 2022 at 2:37 PM.
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