United Way of Snohomish County will be investing $7.9 million over three years toward 107 programs in Snohomish County addressing a set of priorities identified by three panels of volunteers. Four of these programs have specific ties to Edmonds and will receive nearly $334,000

These targeted investments from 2013-16 represent an increase of more than $300,000 over the last three-year cycle, United Way of Snohomish County said, and “are the result of a rigorous, 12-month volunteer-driven process addressing immediate community needs through programs that have a proven track record of achieving desired outcomes,” said Dennis G. Smith, the organization’s president and CEO.

The Center for Human Services has three programs serving Edmonds residents (among other communities) that were selected for funding:

– The Snohomish County Mental Health Program, which provides school-based services for youth in the Edmonds School District and community-based services at the Community Health Center of Snohomish County in Edmonds will receive more than $45,000.

-The Snohomish County Substance Abuse Treatment Program, which provides youth treatment at Scriber Lake High School and is planning to have offices in the new Community Health Center of Snohomish County in Edmonds that opens in late 2014 will receive almost $100,000.

– The Snohomish County Youth Substance Abuse Program, provides youth substance abuse treatment services in Edmonds will receive $105,000.

In addition, the Edmonds Senior Center’s Comprehensive Senior Well Being and Development program will receive $82,500 over the next three years.

Volunteers who serve on United Way’s Kids Matter, Families Matter and Community Matters Vision Councils spent more than 2,500 hours over the past year in a three-step process that included reviewing community conditions, establishing priority investment areas and evaluating grant applications. The volunteers who reviewed proposals work for a range of Snohomish County-based companies, educational institutions, nonprofits and local government agencies.

The funded programs align with the priorities identified by each council. These priorities included programs that focused on early learning, after school programs, foster care, family skill building and support; affordable housing, emergency services, health gaps for the uninsured and underinsured, career education, job and life skills training; creating an aging-friendly community, improving access to services and connections to community based centers, reducing isolation due to disability, transportation or language, and reducing crime and offering support to victims of crime.

A complete list of funded programs is available here.