For more than six decades, Twin County United Way (TCUW) has worked to strengthen communities across Nez Perce and Asotin counties by identifying local needs, connecting people and resources, and investing in solutions that make a difference. From supporting local families and children to creating volunteer opportunities, TCUW works to make a lasting impact throughout the region.
We sat down with TCUW’s Chief Executive Officer, Kristin Kemak, to learn more about the organization, the needs they’re seeing in our communities, and how partnerships like the one with P1FCU help support their mission.
Understanding Our Community’s Needs
TCUW’s mission is to identify needs, unite people, share resources, and impact lives in their community. This work is important because the challenges facing local families are often interconnected.
“Our role is to look at the bigger picture,” Kristin shared. “We bring the right people together to invest in solutions that help create a stronger and more resilient community.”
One of the biggest needs TCUW is seeing across Nez Perce and Asotin counties is affordability. Rising costs of gas, groceries, housing, childcare, and other necessities are putting pressure on local families. Many working households earn too much to qualify for assistance, but not enough to consistently cover basic needs.
These households are known as ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households. ALICE households earn above the poverty level but still do not earn enough to consistently cover basic household expenses.
For example, a child may be struggling in school because their family is worried about housing, food, transportation, health care, or making it to their next paycheck. TCUW uses information from the ALICE report, along with conversations with local schools, organizations, and community members, to better understand where resources are needed.
Through this work, TCUW has identified early childhood education, youth mental health, and access to necessities as some of the community’s greatest needs.
Turning Community Needs into Action
TCUW provides services and programs focused on four areas: Youth Opportunity, Financial Stability, Health and Wellbeing, and Community Resilience. Through direct services and community partnerships, the organization works to address needs before they become greater challenges.
One example is their Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which provides free books by mail every month to children starting from birth to age 5. If a child starts the program at birth and stays enrolled through age 5, they will have 60 books in their home. Since its start in 2022, more than 53,000 books have been mailed to children in local communities.
TCUW also offers a Kindergarten Readiness Program for children throughout the valley. This year, 65 children participated across six classrooms, including classrooms in Asotin, WA, and Lapwai, ID. This program helps prepare children for the transition into kindergarten and ends with a graduation ceremony celebrating their accomplishments.
Other programs include the For Her Period Project, which provides period products to those who need them. TCUW also brings the community together through its annual Day of Caring, connecting volunteers with local nonprofits for service projects. This year, more than 300 volunteers spent four hours serving 29 different nonprofits.
The Power of Community Partnerships
TCUW doesn’t do this work alone. Strong partnerships with local schools, nonprofits, businesses, and other community organizations help TCUW identify needs, connect people with resources, and find ways to make a lasting impact.
“We are very connected with the school districts,” Kristin said. “They can find out what students need, especially when we are able to come and visit schools and talk to the students about programs and services that they can sign up for, should they need them.”
Those relationships are an important part of how TCUW determines where its resources can make the biggest difference. But for TCUW, a strong community partnership is about more than financial support. It’s about being present, getting involved, and working together toward a shared goal. That’s why relationships with businesses, nonprofits, and other community organizations are so important to TCUW’s work.
Their mission is one that P1FCU is proud to be part of through our partnership with TCUW. Over the years, P1FCU has continued to show support, especially through the Kindergarten Readiness Program, by attending its graduation ceremony and participating in the Day of Caring.
“P1FCU has taken the time to understand what we do, why the work we do matters, and what it takes to deliver the program successfully,” Kristin shared.
As the partnership has grown, so has P1FCU’s involvement. From supporting programs and events to encouraging employee participation and helping TCUW share its story, the partnership continues to grow beyond financial contributions.
One example is a new video that P1FCU created to help TCUW tell its story and share more about the work that it does for our community.
“It’s really nice that you have helped us tell the story,” Kristin said. “That kind of consistency allows us to plan more confidently and serve local families more effectively.”
Keeping the Impact Local
At the heart of Twin County United Way’s work is a simple idea: that when people give locally, those resources stay local. Donations to TCUW help support programs, families, and organizations right here in Nez Perce and Asotin counties. But their work goes beyond fundraising. The organization identifies gaps in the community, brings people and organizations together, mobilizes volunteers, and connects local resources to those who need them.
“It means everything,” Kristin said about local businesses supporting their mission. “When businesses support Twin County United Way, they’re investing in its employees, customers, neighbors, and the future workforce. A strong community benefits everybody.”
Everyone can contribute to helping to build a strong community. Whether it’s donating, volunteering your time, introducing TCUW to a potential partner, inviting the organization to share its work with a business or community group, or simply sharing its story, anyone can help make a difference.
For TCUW, this support helps ensure they can continue identifying needs, connecting people with resources, and creating opportunities for local families and communities to thrive. And for partners like P1FCU, supporting TCUW is one way to help build stronger communities.
Visit TCUW’s website at https://tcuw.org/ to learn more about their mission, programs, and ways to volunteer.
