Meet the experts: Sharon Robinson, SparkPoint Oakland Coordinator

Sharon works for United Way as the site coordinator for SparkPoint Oakland Center, an innovative center that works with low-income individuals and their families to address financial-stability issues in a holistic way.  The SparkPoint Oakland Center is a joint initiative of United Way of the Bay Area and the City of Oakland.

United Way:  What is United Way’s SparkPoint Initiative?

Sharon: For many years, United Way of the Bay Area has worked to help low-wage families and individuals achieve economic prosperity.   This year, we launched the SparkPoint Initiative to continue building on that work.  The Initiative is a more synergistic approach to our existing work around economic prosperity, and includes our Earn It! Keep It! Save It! and Bank on Oakland programs, as well as our grantmaking and public policy work around workforce development.

In addition, United Way is leading efforts to establish several SparkPoint Centers around the Bay Area.  These family-friendly centers help low-wage workers achieve prosperity, bringing together nonprofit and government partners to offer integrated, complementary services in one convenient location.  Programs include credit counseling, foreclosure assistance, workforce training, referrals to banking-services and savings programs, and home-ownership workshops.   SparkPoint Oakland Center is the first one to open in the Bay Area, and it is currently in pilot phase.

United Way:   Why do we need SparkPoint Centers?

Sharon: Now more than ever, families are struggling to make ends meet. Low-wage families often lack the time and knowledge necessary to effectively access the full range of community supports available.   In creating SparkPoint Centers, we are gathering top-notch community programs – many of which are nationally recognized – bringing them all together in one place, to provide integrated service delivery to residents and their families who need help.

The key piece of the SparkPoint model is the integration of services, which are bundled and sequenced together into a plan for each SparkPoint participant.   Every SparkPoint participant is assigned a financial coach, who works one-on-one to establish this personal improvement plan.  The coach meets with participants regularly for check-ins to track progress against goals and helps them access the full range of SparkPoint services.

Finally, we commit to working with families for multiple years, because achieving lasting economic prosperity requires a significant investment of time and resources, from both SparkPoint and the participating families.  We anticipate most families will work with SparkPoint Centers for two to three years.

United Way:   What inspires you?

Sharon: Being able to bring about change.   Through SparkPoint, I have the ability to help people build a better life.   Every day, I’m igniting new possibilities and opportunities for people who have had many doors closed over the years.  I am inspired when I see people who are truly excited about the opportunities SparkPoint provides, who believe that they can make a change for the better and build a better future for themselves and their families, often for multiple generations.

United Way:  What do you do for fun in your spare time?

Sharon: I love the outdoors, so anything that gets me outside.  Biking, sailing, kayaking  — I love  all the “ings.”  I also enjoy playing African drums and am a member of a women’s drumming circle.

Sharon has lived in the Bay Area for more than 30 years and resides in San Leandro. Prior to taking on the position of SparkPoint Oakland site coordinator, she represented United Way as an authority on public policy issues including improving heathcare access for children.  Before coming to United Way, Sharon provided consultation to a variety of nonprofits on project management, organizational capacity development, grant writing, and marketing.  She strongly focused on building capacity of local non-profit organizations and encouraged development of community-based support networks to effectively serve the needs of urban communities.

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