United Way of the Bay Area Blog
Live United
The American Dream of homeownership has become more elusive in recent years. And when someone loses a job, that dream can be snuffed out completely. But with the help of United Way’s SparkPoint, people are recovering and reigniting their dreams. Fabiola Aranda husband lost his job a couple of years ago. For her family of [...]
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 [...]
I met Edmond, a United Way SparkPoint client, at the residential hotel where he is a clerk. The hotel mostly houses former addicts and people with a criminal record. It’s not a happy place, and Edmond tells me residents get mugged every day. Edmond gets paid only $8.50 an hour with no health benefits. He [...]
United Way’s SparkPoint Solano Center celebrated its one-year anniversary yesterday. That’s one year of helping local residents achieve economic stability through financial coaching, credit counseling, and job skills development. The anniversary gathering was extra special because of the food. Laray Thompson and Claudia Sanchez, both SparkPoint clients, handled the catering thanks to skills they learned [...]
Sometimes I forget that our country is at war. And sometimes, our men and women in uniform fall through the cracks when they return from serving abroad. I am glad that I can provide help for vets through the 211 helpline. Chad served for four years, and after his return home, the Veteran’s Administration (VA) [...]
When most people think of losing weight, they think about going on a diet and getting more exercise. But when Solano County resident Etta Foster and her two daughters lost about 20 pounds each, they were on a very different diet – one of hunger. Last year, Etta had to quit her job to take [...]
So many of the crises we hear about in this economy are about people who have lost their jobs. For most, unemployment benefits – though limited – provide some relief while they look for new work. But for the self-employed, there is no such safety net, and when work dries up, there aren’t a lot [...]
Working as a 211 call center specialist, I help struggling Bay Area families get connected to vital services when they need financial help. 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 [...]
It’s hard to believe, but there is a benefit to filing your taxes – even if you don’t get a refund! That’s because getting free tax preparation at an Earn It! Keep It! Save It! site can open the door to hundreds of local programs that can help you improve your finances. For example, Yolanda [...]
When James Buggs was growing up, he had to hustle for lunch money and wore only hand me downs. He got teased and got into fights. When he was 18, he entered the army and turned his anger toward boxing. The sport taught him self-esteem and how to push himself. Years later, he had a [...]
