What is the issue?
One out of every three families in central Iowa can barely cover basic daily expenses. Iowa ranks second in the nation in the percent of children under 6 years of age with all parents in the labor force. And low wages force many families to go without, or to go into debt. In today's economy, families need enough income to cover rising costs of food, housing, health care, transportation, childcare and clothing - or face painful financial choices.
How does United Way help?
1) Create access to family sustaining employment. Young adults complete their high school diploma or GED and work toward attaining some post-secondary training. Help individuals in skill development, job placement and retention.
2) Individuals/families have access to a safety net of food, shelter, and other income/work supports. Providing basic needs supports for families so they can focus on the activities to become financially stable.
3) Individuals/families build financial stability. This means supporting programs that teach financial literacy and support savings.
4) Affordable Housing. Help families keep their existing housing and to attain affordable housing whether through rental or ownership.
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GIVE. Your contributions helped:
- 150 individuals have attained their GED and over 230 individuals are in the process of taking their GED tests.
- Over 600 individuals are receiving workforce development services, 174 have attained a job with 97.1% job retention after 6 months.
- 3,689 individuals and families received emergency food assistance and 705 received emergency shelter
- 2,893 individuals/families had taxes prepared at a United Way sponsored site, securing over $4.3 million in tax credit recovery with an average return of $1,491 tax return per family.
- 7,137 individuals received legal advice, educational information or referrals to sustain or increase assets.