United Way of the Bay Area Blog
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Unemployed…worried about money…months of looking for work. Sound familiar? That was Briana’s story. After looking for work for almost a year, Briana got advice from her mom, a volunteer at United Way’s SparkPoint. She suggested that Briana check out the career counseling and job coaching services available at SparkPoint American Canyon. Briana was matched up [...]
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 [...]
Did you know that people without bank accounts spend an average of $40 to cash just one paycheck when they use payday lenders or check-cashing stores? Even worse, this can add up to as much as $40,000 over the course of their careers! Fortunately, Bank on American Canyon now makes it easy for unbanked residents open [...]
Umpqua Bank proudly displays a sign in their lobby that promotes their affiliation with SparkPoint American Canyon, their neighbor just a few store fronts away. The partnership between SparkPoint and Umpqua Bank has come out of necessity and circumstance. Located in southern Napa County, the small city of American Canyon (population 16,000) has been hit [...]
Jose Zuniga, a father of two who lives in Napa County’s American Canyon, was unemployed when he turned to SparkPoint. It had been a while since he was last out of work, so he knew he needed to not only update his resume, but also improve his job-hunting skills. Jose credits SparkPoint Employment Coach Stacy [...]
The American Canyon Eagle newspaper published a great article about the recent one-year anniversary celebration at the SparkPoint American Canyon Center. Here’s an excerpt: SparkPoint — the United Way program the helps families with financial issues such as employment, credit, taxes, career advancement and more — marked its one-year anniversary in American Canyon last week. [...]
SparkPoint American Canyon Center hosted a community open house celebration last Thursday evening to celebrate its one-year anniversary. With more than 100 guests in attendance, festivities spilled out onto the sidewalk. Volunteers from UPS were on hand to welcome guests, serve food and drink, and help with the “wheel of fortune” game. SparkPoint American Canyon [...]
United Way’s Fall Backpack Drive was a big success! United Way gathered and distributed more than 1,000 backpacks overflowing with school supplies to children from low-income families, thanks to the generous donations and volunteers from more than a dozen Bay Area companies. The back packs were delivered to children whose families are clients at United Way’s SparkPoint [...]
Emma, a mother of three, first came to the American Canyon Family Resource Center three years ago to participate in a “Positive Discipline” parent education workshop. Since then, she has taken advantage of several resources offered by the Resource Center, including free tax assistance, financial coaching, credit counseling, and employment resources that have been added [...]
Spring is here! It’s the time of year when many garages and basements are cleaned up and cleared out. Bay Area residents who are spring cleaning are encouraged to call 2-1-1 to donate clothing or household items to help those in need. Donated items should be clean and in good, working order. 2-1-1’s call center [...]
