In a time of layoffs and foreclosures, there’s some good news for low-income taxpayers in the Bay Area: instead of spending up to $360 on commercial tax preparation services, households that earned less than $52,000 in 2009 can have their taxes prepared for free by Earn It! Keep It! Save It!, the Bay Area’s largest [...]
Dial 2-1-1 for Sandbags
January 20, 2010 By
Several Bay Area cities and counties are offering free sandbags to residents who are concerned about flooding due to this week’s winter storms. To find out if sand bags are available in your area, call 2-1-1. 2-1-1 is available in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma Counties. Residents who [...]
Quote of the Day
December 29, 2009 By
I want to get work experience. I’m trying to find myself, to see what I want to be when I get older, to see what kind of worker person I am.” — Kile Grayson, a Solano Middle School 8th-grader, who is participating in a new internship program for American Canyon teens From the Times-Herald article, [...]
Help Make Tax Time Less Taxing
November 4, 2009 By
You can help low-wage families hold on to more of their hard-earned money. United Way is now recruiting volunteers for Earn It! Keep It! Save It!, a program that provides free tax assistance to hardworking, low-income taxpayers throughout the Bay Area. Last year, the program helped 47,166 Bay Area households claim $47 million in refunds. Participating taxpayers save up [...]
Meet the Experts: Aimee Durfee, VP of Community Investments, North Bay
September 21, 2009 By
Based in United Way’s Vallejo office, Aimee Durfee develops partnerships and oversees United Way’s investments in Solano and Napa Counties. Aimee playfully characterizes her job as “being nosy” – “I try to figure out what gaps exist in the community and poke around until I can find the partners who can come together and create [...]
2-1-1 Offers Help for Helpers
July 7, 2009 By
2-1-1 is a time-saving tool for social workers, clergy, doctors, legislators and other professional “helpers.” Donna Hite, receptionist for Catholic Social Services in Vallejo, refers an average of four callers a day to 2-1-1. “Most of our clients are in very stressful situations when they call us,” Donna said. “While we can provide one or [...]
Call 2-1-1 for FREE Summer Meals for Kids
June 24, 2009 By
Communities throughout the Bay Area have started free summer meal programs for children, serving meals on weekdays throughout the summer at summer-school and community sites. All children 18 years old and younger are eligible, regardless of their families’ income. NOTE: Because of funding cuts, many school districts and community organizations that have previously served summer [...]
Opportunities for Better Health
September 13, 2006 By
United Way joined with Solano County leaders to establish a school-based health center at Elsa Widenmann Elementary School in North Vallejo. Readily accessible care is essential in Vallejo, since 20%, or one in five children is afflicted with asthma. The new health center will serve as a hub where children who lack insurance can receive [...]
