United Way Bay Area

The Problem:

1 in 4 Bay Area children lives in poverty.

When these kids go to school hungry, sick, or worried about challenges at home, they aren’t prepared to focus in the classroom and often fall behind. Children living in poverty are five times more likely to drop out of high school than their higher-income peers and only 9% will go on to obtain a college degree.

The Solution:

Programs targeted for children and youth

help set them up for brighter futures, but that only addresses one part of the problem. When parents or guardians are working hard and still struggle to get by, there’s less time for everything else—including their kids. That’s why we’re working in elementary schools, middle schools, and community colleges to provide services that address the needs of the entire family under one roof.

SparkPoint Community Schools

These one-stop centers, located on school campuses, offer everything from after-school and supportive services for youth to financial coaching and career services and business classes for parents to food pantries and after-school programs. By addressing the financial needs of the household, children are in a better position to attend and succeed in school.

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Youth Employment Services

Through our workforce development efforts, we’re creating pathways for youth to gain early work experiences that will set them up to become financially secure adults.

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Earn It! Keep It! Save It!

The federal earned income tax credit for low- and moderate income working families lifts millions of people out of poverty every year, making it the most effective anti-poverty program in the country.