Securing a steady, sustainable job with a livable wage is a critical element of many of United Way’s Steps to Success. Unfortunately, many Richmond residents face barriers that prevent them from finding and keeping a steady job. And many employers report difficulty in locating candidates to fill open positions. We are working to bridge that gap by working with local nonprofits and service providers to remove barriers to employment.
The Steps to Success look different when we deepen our understanding and realize we all know someone working their way up the Steps. For Terressa Campbell-Oten, it was her previous students. Terressa is currently Strategic Initiative Coordinator at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Before beginning her career at the Federal Reserve, Terressa spent three years in a Richmond Public…
[bs_lead]Dr. Susan Triggs has developed an approach to life that seeks to listen to the voices of the most vulnerable members of our society. From non-profit to public sector to retired volunteer, she searches for ways to use the needs of the disenfranchised as a guiding beacon for the service she renders.[/bs_lead] Prior to her 13 –year tenure at Virginia Department of Health (VDH), Dr. Triggs worked…
For many of us, the thought of doing one’s income taxes has all the allure of attending a root canal (your own). In my mind, those who volunteer to do other people’s taxes would appear to have a leg up on sainthood. Cara Cardotti and her family have made that sort of good work a family affair.
A diverse network of nonprofit organizations is important, but corporate leadership will make or break a community’s ability to thrive. In our region, we are fortunate to partner with dozens of local and national corporations who support their local United Way by running a workplace fundraising campaign, providing volunteers and sponsoring important United Way programs.
Most parents of young children understand the importance of early education. Not many have a clear plan for how to pay for tuition, which often costs 1,000 a month or more. Bonnie found herself in that exact situation when her twins, Lilli and Leo, were born in 2014. Then she learned that United Way was launching a Kindergarten Countdown Camp in her area.
As a former teacher, Dorothy understands what it takes to help a child succeed. When her grandson, Cameron, started to struggle in school, she sought help to keep him on track and engaged in his academics. What started as difficulty in comprehending lessons led to a decrease in Cameron’s self-esteem and caused him to struggle to relate to his peers….
Ashley knew she needed help. It was 2015, she was pregnant, and she had recently left a physically and verbally abusive relationship. That’s when Ashley found Quin Rivers, a United Way-funded partner in New Kent, VA. Ashley shares her story of how United Way was able to help her and her children during that difficult time.
[bs_lead]Mollie Brooks has both a personal passion for service and a professional role as Community Relations Manager at Genworth, which means she spends a lot of time with a lot of different nonprofit organizations in the Richmond area. But she has a special place in her heart for United Way.[/bs_lead] Her first exposure to United Way came when she was…
Meet Debra, a 63 year-old Chesterfield County resident who has dealt with multiple financial hardships over the past few years. With medical issues, a bankruptcy filing and a sudden job loss, taxes were always complicated, stressful and expensive. Then she found United Way’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.