United Way expands poverty relief with $11 mil commitment

The face of poverty in Allegheny County is changing. Two-thirds of those now living in poverty live out side of Pittsburgh in the suburbs. But regardless of where those in need live, the United Way of Allegheny County is committed to reaching and assisting them.
In fact, it is committing $11 million over the next three years to do so.
During a Dec. 3 press briefing at its offices in the Strip District, United Way President Bob Nelkin and Board Chair Morgan O’Brien announced the expansion of the agency’s “Helping Families Thrive” initiative to reach the growing ranks of the “newly poor.”
In 2011, the United Way instituted its 2-1-1 hotline designed to connect people with the help they need through its network of contracted human service agencies. As of September, the number of calls received had increased more than 98 percent.
“And 75 percent of those calls are for basic needs: shelter, food, utilities and transportation,” said O’Brien.
Nelkin noted that many of the callers are in need for the first time ever.
“They may be working two jobs to make ends meet and are one major setback—a medical bill, an appliance breakdown, auto repairs from dire financial situation,” he said. “The United Way strategic impact fund is designed to get to the heart of these pressing needs.”
The new initiative focuses on three target populations: low-income working families; individuals and families who are experiencing financial hardship for the first time;and returning veterans, active military and their families.
The Helping Families Thrive initiative will assist them with:
•Increasing income—accessing resources and benefits and obtaining or improving employment;
•Maintaining or acquiring assets—maintaining safe, stable housing, building savings to improve financial wellness; and
•Meeting basic needs—addressing hardship through one-time financial assistance to overcome a short term, unexpected crisis, and through expanding already successful initiatives.
The agency issued a public Request For Proposals for service providers to take part in this $11 million investment. Those selected, will be announced in June.
Khrysta Brown is one of those people who never thought she’d have to ask for help. A whiz at math, engineering and sciences, she got her accounting degree went to work—and found she hated it.
“So I joined the Army reserves and was working in human resources, and I got deployed to Afghanistan,” she said. “I’d sold my car and put everything in storage before I left. I though that because I served, when I came back everything would be easy. But I had no job, no house. I was dependent on others. “
Through 2-1-1, Brown connected with United Way’s Project Serve, which got her place to live, and at a United Way Function at the Duquesne Club she made another connection.
“This guy was going to speak and mention me, so I told him you better say my name right. I’ll be watching. Then they introduced him: the president and CEO of Peoples Gas—it was Morgan,” she said. “Afterward, he told me to come in for an interview. Now I work for him.”
Melissa Terrell wasn’t in quite that dire a situation, but she had a job she couldn’t do as effectively as she might because she didn’t have a car.
“My job is to help people sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, but I couldn’t reach a lot of people without a car,” she said. “The United Way’s Ways to Work program got me a grant, which helped me get a loan, and now I have a car with small affordable payments.
“Now I can get out in the community and roll up my sleeves and help people—like they helped me,” she continued. “When people tell me they need help I say, ‘have you called 2-1-1?’”
(Send comments to cmorrow@­newpittsburghcourier.com.)
 
 
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