During this time of increasingly scarce resources, helping people achieve financial stability requires unique partnerships and focus. In establishing SparkPoint East Contra Costa, twelve county agencies and local nonprofits have banded together, offering a full range of financial services, all under one roof. Creating SparkPoint is a real opportunity to work together more effectively to [...]
Women Featured in the Business Times
October 27, 2011 by
United Way of the Bay Area’s Women’s Leadership Council is making a splash. Every year, the San Francisco Business Times puts out its annual “Giving Guide,” which highlights local nonprofit programs. Click here to see the feature about our Women’s Leadership Council. The Women’s Leadership Council (WLC) is a powerful, passionate network of Bay Area [...]
Hometown Huddle Brings Smiles to Oakland Students
October 20, 2011 by
This past Tuesday (Oct. 18) United Way, the Oakland Raiders and UPS teamed up for Hometown Huddle at Oakland’s Garfield Elementary School. Oakland Raiders Rock Cartwright and De Marcus Van Dyke joined UPS volunteers to promote active and healthy living among Garfield students. Rock and De Marcus lead the students in a series of fun [...]
Volunteer to Prepare Taxes: Not as Taxing as You’d Think
October 17, 2011 by
Earn It! Keep It! Save It!, United Way’s free tax preparation program, relies on 3,600 Bay Area volunteers to ensure that people get the refunds they deserve – volunteers like Kristina Ng. When Kristina first walked into a tax site, she was nervous but prepared. She had no previous experience. However, she had received special [...]
Translating the Language of Money
October 14, 2011 by
“How can I save if I feel like I’m barely making ends meet?” “What’s the best way to start paying down my debt?” “Will I ever be able to buy my own home?” SparkPoint financial coaches help clients tackle challenging questions like these every day. To succeed, they need to address complex financial issues in [...]
Take Action to Save Earn It! Keep It! Save It!
October 13, 2011 by
We need your help to protect federal funding for VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) and EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit), which are essential to United Way’s Earn It! Keep It! Save It! (EKS) tax assistance program. Take action today to ensure the survival of EKS. Funding for both the VITA program and the EITC could be [...]
211 Financial Advice Phone-a-thon a Success
October 7, 2011 by
On September 27 and 28, United Way‘s 211 helpline was joined by more than 50 professional financial experts to provide free financial advice to Bay Area residents during the first-ever San Francisco Financial Advice Line in partnership with the San Francisco Office of the Treasurer More than 230 calls were answered on topics that ranged [...]
Flu Season is Here! Dial 211 for Vaccine Info
October 5, 2011 by
Flu season has officially arrived. Information about flu shots in the Bay Area is available by simply dialing 211. Your local 211 call center can provide information in over 150 languages about where to get flu shots. In the United States, influenza season usually begins in October and can last until May. The Centers for [...]
Bay Area Cost of Living Soared 18% Since Recession Began
October 4, 2011 by
The cost for basic needs in the Bay Area – such as rent, food, health care, child care, transportation, and taxes – has soared 18 percent in the last three years, according to the newly updated 2011 California Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Standard. The new Self-Sufficiency Standard was released today by the Insight Center for Community Economic [...]
