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Kids Get Parade to Celebrate Test Score Gains

December 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Everyone needs a little encouragement, especially elementary-school kids taking tests.

“I know that you are very intelligent and always try your best which is what matters. Do your best since each exam is a step towards being that great doctor you have told me you want to be.”

That’s just one example of the special messages that McPherson Elementary School students in Napa Valley received, when 435 parents participated in a note writing campaign. It was part of a neighborhood-wide effort to raise standardized test scores to meet federal No Child Left Behind targets.

Kids were also boosted by local vendors, who donated school supplies and treats. Students got extra tutoring, and firefighters, police officers, and elected officials delivered motivational messages every morning over the PA system.

McPherson is one of several Bay Area Community Schools that is supported by United Way. Our grant supports the school’s Family Resource Center, which makes it easier for families meet basic needs by locating services right on the school campus. When families are sustaining themselves, kids can focus more on learning.

After four months of parents, teachers, and the community joining forces, tests were taken, and McPherson was one of only three elementary schools in Napa Valley Unified School District to meet all testing targets required by No Child Left Behind.

To celebrate, the Napa City Police Department closed the streets and escorted more than 700 McPherson students with about 100 teachers and community members to the new high school football stadium to honor this shared achievement. Everyone was greeted by the Napa High School marching band and cheerleaders, and the school district treated everyone present to a BBQ.

Congratulations, McPherson!

Filed Under: Education, Pathways out of Poverty Tagged With: , , , ,

Earn It! Keep It! Save It! Kicks Off

January 26, 2011 By 1 Comment

United Way’s Earn It! Keep It! Save It! tax program has kicked off across seven Bay Area counties, aiming to serve 50,000+ tax payers during the 2011 tax season. 

Earn It! Keep It! Save It! aims to serve more than 50,000 clients this year at 200 sites throughout the Bay Area

This year, we’re making a special effort to connect with Bay Area residents, who were laid off last year to let them know they could be eligible for free tax help, as well as a host of tax deductions and credits that could put money in their pockets when they need it most.

“We encourage people who experienced job loss last year – or a cut in hours and wages – to visit one of the 200 free tax sites in the Bay Area,” said Carole Watson, Chief Community Investment Officer at United Way, which leads Earn It! Keep It! Save It! in the region. “Not only will you get your taxes prepared for free, but you’ll also receive expert guidance on how to account for unemployment benefits in your tax return and which tax breaks you are eligible for when your income is down.”

Celebrating its ninth year in 2011, Earn It! Keep It! Save It! provides free tax assistance to households that earned less than $49,000 in 2010. Since the recession began, the program has proved to be a money-saving resource for the unemployed: last year, 33% of Earn It! Keep It! Save It! clients reported that they or someone in their household had lost their job in the previous year. More than one in four (29%) experienced a cut in hours and/or wages. Six out of 10 clients used refunds to pay bills.

In addition to helping almost 52,000 individual taxpayers last year, Earn It! Keep It! Save It! has also emerged as an important local economic engine. In 2010, refunds claimed by Earn It! Keep It! Save It! clients is projected to generate 276 Bay Area jobs and $73 million in local sales and wages, according to a recent analysis of the program by Fresno State University professor Anthony Avalos.

Earn It! Keep It! Save It! continues to build awareness about the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), the nation’s largest benefits program for working families. The EITC, which can boost the annual income of a low-wage worker by as much as 10%, was created in 1975 to offset the burden of Social Security taxes on low-wage workers and provide an incentive to work. This credit is often overlooked by commercial tax preparers, but Earn It! Keep It! Save It! volunteers are trained to identify eligible taxpayers. Over the last several years, the EITC benefit has grown significantly, from just over $4,000 to $5,666, the maximum possible credit for Tax Year 2010.

Last year, Earn It! Keep It! Save It! processed $57 million in refunds for 51,963 Bay Area households. It also helped low-wage families claim more than $18 million in EITC. 

To find a free tax assistance site near you, call 211 or visit www.EarnItKeepItSaveIt.org.

Filed Under: Income, Pathways out of Poverty Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Happy Birthday, 211!

July 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

211 turns 10 today!

Ten years ago today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted unanimously to designate 211 as the nation’s three-digit phone number for community service information.  The FCC designated 211 in response to advocacy by United Way of America and AIRS (Alliance of Information and Referral Systems).

Last year, 211 answered 16 million calls, helping people in 46 states connect with food, shelter, childcare and other vital services.  In California, 211 is available in 26 of 58 counties.

Today, as we celebrate the 10th anniversary, federal legislation that ensures 211 is available to all Americans is at a standstill, stuck in Committee.

We need your help to urge Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Members of Congress to move the HR 211 bill to the House Floor for a vote!  The bill already has 246 House co-sponsors (that’s majority!) and 61 Senate co-sponsors (that’s majority too!). But this bill cannot be enacted without a vote.

Call or email your Representative TODAY and say you want HR 211 to be voted on before Congress recesses on July 30.   Click to find your Representative’s phone number and a few talking points about HR211.

Photo courtesy of Theresa Thompson via Creative Commons license.

Filed Under: Road to Recovery Tagged With: , , , , ,
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