Univest Financial recently announced Off the Streets Lancaster as the winner of its 10th annual Caring for Community Giveaway, a contest that awards $5,000 to a local nonprofit organization.

The mission of Off the Streets Lancaster is to help families and individuals in Lancaster get "off the streets" and into permanent housing. The nonprofit organization's all-volunteer team works with local service agencies to identify individuals and families that have the financial means to pay monthly rent but need assistance with up-front money for a security deposit, which is often the only thing preventing someone from being housed. In addition, Off the Streets Lancaster helps provide furniture and household items to help settle individuals and families into their new homes.

Nonprofit groups were nominated for the $5,000 donation by the public through Univest's Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn pages. Off the Street Lancaster was randomly selected from more than 3,300 entries on behalf of 165 local nonprofit organizations. Previous winners of the Caring for Community Giveaway are A Moment of Magic's Temple University Chapter, Kisses for Kyle Foundation, Quakertown Community Outreach, Logan's Heroes Animal Rescue, Hope Against Heroin, St. Isidore School, The Grannie Project, Vets for Vets and the Bucks County SPCA.

The contest launched on Dec. 1, 2021, and entries were accepted through Dec. 31, 2021. To be eligible to win the $5,000, the nonprofit group had to be a registered 501(c)(3) organization that operates within Univest's service area. Complete rules can be found at http://www.univest.net/caringforcommunity.