10% more households in Amador, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and
Yolo counties will be financially stable and self-sufficient.
Right Now
At least 30% (195,000) are not financially stable.
Why
Many reasons, but not knowing how to manage finances is a key
reason.
More than 160,000 households are unbanked or under-banked.
Three out of every four Americans say they are not saving
enough.
The problem is particularly acute for foster youth.
What We Can Do
Teach people how to manage their finances.
Right Now
25 percent of our region’s households are below the
self-sufficiency standard.
55 percent of people below this standard have a high school
diploma or never graduated.
30 percent of the region’s households are unbanked or
underbanked.
Children in financially challenged households are twice as
likely to repeat a grade.
Half of former foster youth experience at least one of these
hardships: inability to pay rent or utilities, gas or electricity
shut off, phone disconnected or eviction.
United Way’s Project: $en$e-Ability
We use your gifts to fund nonprofits in five counties to work
with low-income households and foster youth to help them
understand how to manage finances and increase savings. As part
of $en$e-Ability, United Way’s Women in Philanthropy is
supporting work with foster youth to increase self-sufficiency
through Individual Development Accounts, bank accounts that
provide a 2:1 match for every dollar a foster youth saves.
The Results
Of 1,288 first-year adult participants who completed training,
62% demonstrate better financial skills and now have savings
accounts.
Of the 200 foster youth in the program, 90% completed the
training and earned credits toward matched savings accounts
called Individual Development Accounts.
United Way’s Partners for Success
Amador-Tuolumne Community Resources
Child Abuse Prevention Council of Sacramento
Koinonia Family Services
New Morning Youth and Family Services
Opening Doors/Community Link
Women’s Empowerment
YMCA Superior California
You can help
Donate
All donations help people learn how to manage money. For
less that $30 a month, you can help someone become
self-sufficient. For $92 a month, you can help a foster youth
become self-sufficient.
Volunteer
Volunteer with a $en$e-ability nonprofit partner.
Join the United Way Income Impact Council.
Become a financial literacy volunteer.
Become and mentor or volunteer for a foster youth.
Volunteer with the Earned Income Tax Credit program.
Join Women in Philanthropy.
Start a savings account for a foster youth.
If you are interested in joining the group of volunteers on the
Income Impact Council that oversee this project, contact
impact@uwccr.org.
If you make $57,000 or less, you could save $200 right now by
filing federal and state income taxes online for free. Discover
how easy it is by going to myfreetaxes.com/sacramentovalley,
visiting a Goodwill Tax Site or calling 2-1-1 to make an
appointment!
There is still time to get your taxes prepared for free. If
you make $57,000 or less, you could save $200 right now by filing
federal and state income taxes online for free. Discover how easy
it is by going to myfreetaxes.com/sacramentovalley,
visiting a Goodwill Tax Site or calling 2-1-1 to make an
appointment!
April is Financial Literacy Month. State Controller John Chiang
and Assemblymember Roger Dickinson are hosting a State Capitol
Financial Literacy Fair on the North Steps to be held Wednesday,
April 10th, noon to 1:30pm. We hope you can participate in all
five events.
The Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA)/Earned Income Tax
Credit (EITC) program needs you! There are currently
opportunities for volunteers to help families prepare tax returns
and claim their EITC.
What can you do in four hours?
As a volunteer tax preparer you will be part of a tremendous
effort that brings $20 million each year into the homes of low
income families and the Sacramento economy.This income boost
helps families afford winter coats, pay utility bills and even
save for homeownership.
The Program can only succeed with volunteers like
you!
If you get Social Security or other federal benefit payments by
paper check, you are required by the U.S. Department of the
Treasury to switch to an electronic payment method by March 1,
2013. That’s only six short months from now! www.GoDirect.org
The Board of Equalization (BOE) and the Board Member who
represents Sacramento County, Senator George Runner produced a
public service announcement to help get the word out
about the Sacramento Coalition for Working Families VITA program.
Rita Massey is a single mother of three children, one of age 6,
and two twins of age 9. Rita’s family was living in an apartment
but due to the passing of her husband, she and her children had
to move into our Emergency Shelter. During her stay at the
shelter, Rita needed many services. One opportunity caught her
eye and she voluntarily enrolled in our $mart Money classes. She
told the class instructors that her husband had handled all their
financial decisions and she was determined to learn how to manage
her money. Her husband had not only handled all their finances
but also was the family breadwinner.
Like
