United Way of Jackson County wants to help struggling families develop their pathway to financial stability and success.
Your support allows UWJC to fund Financial Stability Workshops through the Community Action Agency. By completing this six-week program, clients learn how to become comfortable with a planned budget, manage their finances, and plan for the future. Living with savings and without debt can create a stress-free and financially secure environment. Helen completed the workshop and is now on her pathway to financial stability and success.
The paycheck went just as quickly as it came. Rent, car, lights, groceries, all the different things her three children needed and so on, each claiming their piece of the pie. There were no extra slices left over after all the priorities had been served, and sometimes even the smaller priorities were left with an empty plate.
Helen wanted more for her family. Helen was tired of saying no in the grocery store. She had no option but to take her three young children shopping with her. Every time they would start asking for this, that or the other thing, the stuff “other kids” had. She wanted to be able to say yes on occasion. They lived in a small apartment; Helen wanted a home. She didn’t crave fancy accommodations—just a home for her family with rooms for her children, a spot to enjoy dinner, and hopefully a small yard with grass. Her big dream was for a safe place for her kids to play. Helen knew she could do better. She felt her family deserved it.
She enrolled in the Financial Stability classes supported by United Way of Jackson County. She learned how to set up a spending plan, strategies on saving money, how to reduce debt, and much more. She qualified for the Individual Development Account Program that matched her savings toward a down payment on a house. She started working with the Housing Advocate.
Helen worked hard and was picking up more hours at work. She was following her plan and reducing her debt while increasing her savings. Her hard work was paying off; eventually she was promoted to full time. Within a year, she was finally in a position to purchase a home. It wasn’t quite her dream home–her two girls had to share a room—but they had a place to eat dinner together, they had a porch to sit on, and they had a grassy yard. Helen’s three children had a safe place to play outside.
Helen lacked the knowledge but not the will or desire to make a better life for herself and her children. Your support helped Helen develop her pathway to stability.
Thank you