July 19, 2023

The Mental Illness Recovery Center, Inc. (Mirci) is pleased to share that it will receive $170,000 from United Way of the Midlands to provide behavioral health services and housing in the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

The grant will support programs that improve the wellbeing of people who are at risk or experiencing homelessness in the Midlands.

“Mirci has been a partner of United Way of the Midlands for over 60 years. We are pleased for their financial support which helps us provide community based mental health treatment and supportive housing to hundreds of vulnerable people each year,” said Julie Ann Avin, Mirci President and CEO.

Evaluations of Mirci programs demonstrate their effectiveness. In annual comparisons of hospital use pre and post client enrollment in Mirci services and housing, hospital inpatient and emergency department use for mental health treatment decreased on average by 72% for inpatient use and 60% for emergency department use over the last five years. Savings in avoided costs averaged $6.42 million.

“Thanks to the tremendous generosity of business leaders, individuals and volunteers throughout the year, we are able to provide these funds to valuable programs like Mirci’s, which will help us create generational change throughout the Midlands,” said Sara Fawcett, President and CEO of United Way of the Midlands.

About Mirci

Mirci is a nonprofit organization that provides pathways to recovery for people who are experiencing homelessness or mental illness. Mirci provides an array of behavioral healthcare, outreach programs and affordable housing to help people find a way forward when life is at an impasse. Mirci serves over 1,200 people a year. For more information or visit www.mirci.org, or call (803) 786-1844.

About United Way of the Midlands

United Way of the Midlands is the most collaborative, efficient and accountable model for investing in the improvement of the Midlands community. With over 70 Community Impact Partners, United Way works to identify and respond to the critical human service needs of Calhoun, Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg and Richland counties. Funds are raised through workplace campaigns, grant writing and individual donations and are directed to creating generational change by breaking cycles of crisis and empowering people to build their own paths to success. For more information, please visit uway.org.