Ten, former foster youth students from the greater Sacramento region who are current Sacramento State students will be participating in United Way’s newest program, the Collegiate Guaranteed Income Program, which gives each student $500 a month of guaranteed income for 12 months that began May 2.

The new program was announced at United Way’s United in Purpose Gala fundraiser on Saturday, April 20 to the surprise of the 10 students who were all in attendance. Take a look at how these students found out:

“Selecting Sacramento State as the pilot for this program was a natural choice, given the inspiring journey of Sac State president Dr. Luke Wood, from dealing with extreme life pressures as a foster youth to his recent appointment as the university’s ninth president. His story resonates deeply with the work United Way has been doing for decades,” said Dr. Dawnté Early, president and CEO, United Way California Capital Region. “Earlier this year, Dr. Wood said his goal is for Sacramento State to have the largest enrollment of former foster youth in the country and be known for serving them. That commitment aligns with our longtime pledge to support foster youth in and out of the classroom. Together with Dr. Wood, United Way’s aim is to create an environment where these students can focus more on their studies and less on basic needs like housing, food and transportation.”

On Thursday, May 2, all of the 10 participants received their first round of payments as the program was launched at a press conference with Dr. Early and Dr. Wood.

This program is funded completely by our Women United donor group, who have supported foster youth initiatives for over two decades. The program will also be evaluated by Professor Ethan Evans and his team at Sacramento State, who have evaluated other Guaranteed Income programs United Way has run in Sacramento.

You can support this program through your donations by clicking here, or by becoming a Women United member.

We’re pleased to announce that we have been awarded a $150,000 grant from Sierra Health Foundation’s Community Economic Mobilization Initiative (CEMI). This grant is a significant step toward creating accessible green job opportunities, addressing housing needs, and fostering economic equity within our region.

In addition to boosting green job initiatives, this grant will support our efforts to address the housing challenges prevalent in the Sacramento region. Our newly established Community Support Services department, in collaboration with the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal program, will provide crucial housing navigation services to individuals facing housing instability.

The Community Economic Mobilization Initiative by The Center at Sierra Health Foundation works to empower and uplift community organizations through inclusive economic development in their communities, cities and regions. The initiative’s goal is to help strengthen the ability of underserved and BIPOC-led community organizations to leverage public investments to address economic disparities. We are joining 43 statewide partners in this initiative that has awarded $14 million toward community development and centering community in decisions.

We are very excited about this opportunity to partner with Sierra Health Foundation, and we invite you to join us on this journey as we work to build stronger, healthier, more compassionate communities. Learn more about how you can help…

Help your community save money by becoming a Free Tax Preparation volunteer! Last year, the Free Tax Prep program helped 6,000+ families receive $8.8+ million in tax refunds. With your help, we will grow that number.

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