United Way Helps Americans Achieve Financial Stability
As many as one-third of working Americans do not earn enough money to meet their basic needs. Wages have not kept pace with the rising cost of housing, healthcare, and education and currently, 40 million Americans are working in low-paying jobs without basic health and retirement benefits. For families walking a financial tightrope, unable to save for college, a home, or retirement, United Way is here to help.
Our Financial Stability Program
Interview for Success
Interview for Success is an exciting program that is helping our youth prepare for employment. It addresses the 80% unemployment rate among youth ages 16-19 by preparing participants for employment via opportunities to:
1. Practice resume writing and job interviewing skills.
2. Learn social media responsibility, marketing, workplace ethics, and business attire do's & don'ts.
Interview for Success workshops takes place two times annually, either in the school as a 5-week rotational workshop or on a one day with our local partner. The workshops will assist our youth in becoming better prepared for workforce participation and prepare them for long-term employment success via presentations on resume writing, interviewing, professional etiquette, and dressing for success.
The members of Women United make a huge impression on our young women during mock interviews, which is a precursor to the job interviews that follow.
All registered participants are given an opportunity to meet with and participate in informational/real interviews with all of the companies that attend our job fair which includes companies such as Amazon, Bank of America, Bath & Bodyworks, Costco, and Wells Fargo. Recently, on the day of this workshop, 100% of the young women looking for a job either received a job offer or an HR contact for the company they were interested in.
Upon completing the workshop, the participants receive a shopping stipend for business attire so that each student has an appropriate job interview, school, and/or work clothes.
MyFreeTaxes
MyFreeTaxes.org is a proven, community-trusted program and the central hub for California individuals and families to file taxes for free and claim the benefits of a growing number of tax credits offered at the state and federal levels. United Way provides MyFreeTaxes in partnership with the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to help filers prepare their tax returns on their own or have their return prepared for them for free.
Get started today by visiting MyFreeTaxes.org.