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Bundle Up for Success

February 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

United Way’s “bundled” services aren’t about keeping warm for the winter. They’re about providing integrated programs to help struggling Bay Area residents address their complete financial picture and achieve financial stability.

Our Earn It! Keep It! Save It! free tax preparation service is often a gateway to those bundled services. Low-income residents come in to one of our 200 tax sites thinking they will just get free tax preparation, and they  leave with connections to other programs that can help them improve their finances.

For example, Charselle Hooper visited the Earn It! Keep It! Save It! tax site at SparkPoint Marin because she couldn’t afford a commercial preparer. She had lost her job and was unsure how to account for her unemployment benefits on her tax return. After completing her return, the volunteer tax preparer suggested that Charselle look into SparkPoint’s other services.

At SparkPoint, people can get one-on-one financial coaching, credit counseling, and career assistance, in addition to getting connected with public assistance, matched savings accounts, and first-time home buyer programs.

For Charselle, her situation was complicated because she couldn’t work while awaiting back surgery. However, she had lots of creativity, and had written a children’s book. At SparkPoint, she learned how to create a business plan, and she hopes to publish later this year or next year.

“I first came to SparkPoint to get my taxes done. Now, they are helping me plan for my future and stay focused and upbeat, which isn’t easy in this tough economy. With their encouragement, I know I’m going to get through this tough patch,” said Charselle.

Charselle is one of about 60,000 people who will use United Way’s Earn It! Keep It! Save It! free services this year, and many will be referred to SparkPoint and other services so they can gain more solid financial footing.

Learn more about Earn It! Keep It! Save It! and find the tax site near you at www.earnitkeepitsaveit.org.  You can also call 211 to find a tax site and learn what documents to bring.

 

 

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211 is a Lifeline for a Struggling Family

February 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Here is a story about one of our 211 callers, as told by Daphne, a 211 call center specialist at United Way of the Bay Area.

Darla, a San Mateo County school-district worker, knows what it’s like to have her finances fall apart because of illness. When her father had open heart surgery, she had to give up her job in order to care for both of her aging parents.

Her husband’s income wasn’t enough to keep up with the bills, and they were soon falling behind on rent, PG&E, and water. Darla said she was so shocked by one month’s water bill that she made her husband check to see if there might be a water leak (there wasn’t).

She felt her life was in constant stress, and because of her dad’s rising medical bills, she needed to ask for her help.  When she called 211, I picked up the phone.

I was able to refer Darla to several local agencies that could help her family get back on track – programs that provide temporary rent and PG&E assistance, as well as discounts on auto insurance and the internet service that she uses daily to home school her daughter. I also referred Darla to a program that, if her parents are eligible, could pay her to take care of them.

Darla was surprised by the number of resources we were able to give her and thankful.

If you find you are in such financial distress that you don’t have enough money for food – or perhaps even for a place to live – call 211. Our call center specialists are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to assist people who suddenly find themselves in financial peril, which can happen alarmingly quickly in these tough economic times.

Stay up-to-date on 211 in the Bay Area: “like” us on Facebook.

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Women’s Leadership Council on a Roll

January 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Our “Meet the Women of the WLC” event last week at Barrique was a big success! More than 75 women turned out to network and get involved with United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council (WLC), which provides members with opportunities to make a meaningful difference in our community through advocacy, volunteering, networking, and professional development.

Many thanks to our generous sponsor, the law firm of Bryan Cave.

Click below to view a few photos from our event.

Want to learn more about United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council? Join us on February 29 (Leap Day) for the first session of our year-long speaker series, “Cultivating Women Leaders.”Hosted in partnership with the Bay Area Council, this first session will feature a panel of extraordinary women business leaders. What better day to “leap” into leadership than Leap Day!

You can also join our mailing list at www.uwba.org/wlc.

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