Our work in financial stability
With nearly six out of 10 Miami households living in or on the edge of poverty, according to our United Way ALICE Report, helping people pave a path to a better future is essential. That’s why we’re focused on empowering hard working individuals and families with the tools, training and opportunities to prosper economically, including everything from financial coaching to employment services to debt management and asset building assistance.
Here’s just some ways in which we are achieving these outcomes:
SUPPORTING FINANCIAL STABILITY PROGRAMS
20 programs at United Way Impact Partner agencies that help people meet basic needs and create pathways to financial stability through attaining better employment, increasing income and financial literacy, and building savings and assets.
Visit WebsiteINCREASING CAPACITY THROUGH COLLABORATION
Working with Branches, Catalyst Miami, City of Miami and FIU, we are increasing the community’s capacity to provide more financial coaching to families living on the edge through the Miami-Dade Financial Capability Collaborative.
Visit WebsiteRESPONDING IN TIMES OF CRISIS
At the height of the economic downturn, in 2009 we opened the United Way Center for Financial Stability to provide working individuals and families with a full range of services and support to improve their financial status – and opened a second site in 2014.
Visit WebsiteCREATING NEW INITIATIVES TO LIFT PEOPLE
Through a partnership with Miami-Dade County’s Council for Prosperity Initiatives and more than a dozen financial institutions – Bank On – we are connecting low-income families with safe and affordable financial products and solutions.
Visit WebsiteADDRESSING NEEDS OF VETERANS
To help veterans re-acclimate to civilian life, we launched Mission United, connecting veterans and their families with essential services and employment opportunities, with a particular focus on post 9/11 veterans.
Visit WebsiteFinancial stability programs
Ensuring individuals can prosper economically, funding 23 programs focused on supporting people to meet their basic needs, remove barriers to employment and pave a path to financial independence.
THE ADVOCACY NETWORK ON DISABILITIES
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Residential Stability for Individuals with Disabilities: Advocates, coordinates and provides support and services to individuals with disabilities experiencing economic emergencies.
Funding: $45,000
ccdh.org
CATALYST MIAMI
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Future Bound Miami: is the first universal Children’s Savings Account (CSA) program in the state of Florida. The program aims to improve financial readiness for postsecondary education for students and families in Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
Funding: $116,186
catalystmiami.org
CENTRO CAMPESINO FARMWORKER CENTER
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O.P.E.N.D.O.O.R.S: Provides computer training, interviewing skills, resume building and access to job search tools for residents of southernmost Miami-Dade County. Funding: $30,000
opendoors.org/en-US -
Homeowner/Homebuyer Solutions: Provides free foreclosure prevention services and access to tools and resources for low- to moderate-income distressed homeowners
Funding: $ 50,000
centrocampesino.org/homebuyer-homeowner-solutions-hhs
CUBAN AMERICAN NATIONAL COUNCIL
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CNC Employment & Training Center: Provides pre-employment skills workshops and job placement services to individuals in the community seeking self-sufficiency. Funding: $30,000
cnc.org
GREATER MIAMI SERVICE CORPS
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Greater Miami Service Corps: Provides young people, ages 18 – 24 years old, many who have experienced difficult life challenges, an opportunity to reconnect to positive pathways through services including paid and unpaid work experience, life skills training and counseling.
Funding: $25,000
gmscmiami.org
M.U.J.E.R.
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Emergency Assistance Program: Provides immediate short-term financial relief that will facilitate the process of getting back up on one’s feet for the client while avoiding hunger and homelessness.
Funding: $50,000
mujerfla.org
SALVATION ARMY MIAMI AREA COMMAND
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Miami Area Command Shelter: Provides a safe haven for homeless individuals while they work toward stabilizing their lives.
Funding: $70,000
miami.salvationarmyflorida.org
YOUTH CO-OP
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Early Self Sufficiency Program: Helps refugees, asylees and new arrivals to the U.S. with educational and employment opportunities.
Funding: $80,000
ycoop.org/en/immigration-services
BRANCHES
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Micro-Business Program: Provides a combination of training, mentoring, coaching and consulting, the Micro-Business Program strengthens entrepreneurs to be successful. The program benefits lower-income, minority entrepreneurs, a majority of whom are women, to overcome economic, linguistic, cultural and/or social barriers, and gain the necessary knowledge, skills and resources to start or expand their business.
Funding: $55,000
branchesfl.org/micro-business-program
CATHOLIC CHARITIES
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New Life Family Center: Provides workforce housing to employed households to achieve affordable and stable housing, reduce homelessness and achieve other positive outcomes. Additionally, Rapid Re-housing to households facing homelessness will be provided in the form of financial assistance to cover the costs of move-in and monthly rental. All consumers enrolled in the program will be provided case management and other supportive services to reduce and remove barriers to self-sufficiency.
Funding: $40,000
ccadm.org/sh_projects/the-new-life-family-center
CITRUS HEALTH NETWORK
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Family Refuge for Adolescents in Transition (FRAT House): Provides young adults, 18 to 23 years old, exiting the foster care system with transitional housing and other support.
Funding: $35,278
citrushealth.org/#/help
GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF SOUTH FLORIDA
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Vocational Rehabilitation: Employs people with disabilities with a skill level appropriate job, maximizing their earnings and benefits.
Funding: $300,000
goodwillsouthflorida.org
JEWISH COMMUNITY SERVICES
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JCS Employment Services: Provides training and job opportunities to unemployed and underemployed individuals leading to long-term self-sufficiency.
Funding: $35,000
jcsfl.org/services/employment-assistance -
Supportive Services and Housing Homeless Prevention: Provides supportive housing services to at-risk homeless individuals and families experiencing domestic abuse and violence.
Funding: $20,000
jcsfl.org
RICHMOND-PERRINE OPTIMIST CLUB
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NYES Summer Youth Employment Program: Provides disadvantaged youth who reside in high-risk neighborhoods with paid work experience during the summer months.
Funding: $50,000
richmondperrineoptimist.org
SANT LA HAITIAN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER
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Work Readiness and Workforce Development for Low-Skilled Workers: Provides workforce development services to the Haitian community leading to employment security and self-sufficiency.
Funding: $90,000
santla.org
YWCA SOUTH FLORIDA
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Economic Empowerment Program: Provides financial education, access to banking products and asset-building initiatives to help individuals and families improve their financial stability.
Funding: $70,000
ywcasouthflorida.org
SPECIAL PARTNERSHIPS
The programs listed below represent services that have been deemed to be essential for the functionality of the social services delivery system and/or the community’s ability to respond to emergencies. These are programs that may not fall into our education, financial stability or health impact areas but are supportive of the larger mission of United Way.
Disaster Cycle Services | American Red Cross of Greater Miami & the Keys
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The American Red Cross’ Disaster Services program includes response, recovery and readiness activities such as mass care, client casework and assistance, disaster health and mental health services to meet disaster victims’ immediate needs and reduce the suffering of victims of natural and human-made disasters.
redcross.org
Emergency Food Distribution | Feeding South Florida
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Providing immediate access to nutritious food, leading hunger and poverty advocacy efforts and transforming lives through innovative programming and education. Feeding South Florida is the food and water lead (ESF11) for Miami-Dade County when the Office of Emergency Management activates the Emergency Operations Center.
feedingsouthflorida.org
Foster Care Citizen Review | Florida Foster Care Review
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Based on the concept of citizen review – using volunteers as independent monitors of the foster care system – Foster Care Citizen Review addresses both the need to help the courts with increasing caseloads and the need to involve communities in the care of foster children. Florida Foster Care Review (FFCR) recruits and trains volunteers to review and monitor cases of children in foster care during monthly Citizen Review Panel (CRP) hearings.
fostercarereview.org
JCS Helpline Services | Jewish Community Services
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The 2-1-1 information and referral line was created as a way to give communities an easy number to remember through which they can access valuable information about available services free of charge. Through needs assessments and referrals, community members and social service providers are connected to services such as education, employment, food, health care, housing, income support and counseling at any hour, even during times of crisis or disaster. Jewish Community Services assists callers 24/7, 365 days a year backed up by an extremely large database of community resources.
jcsfl.org
Residential 24/7 Emergency Youth Shelter | LSF Miami Bridge
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The Miami Bridge Residential 24/7 Emergency Youth Shelter program provides respite shelter and care to youth, aged 10 – 17, who run away from family situations characterized by abuse, neglect or domestic violence. In addition, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and the child welfare system turn to Miami Bridge when no appropriate community-based homes are available to provide domicile for adolescents who have been removed from their homes or who are lingering in the system. The program serves nearly 400 children every year at their Central Miami-Dade and Homestead locations, providing 24-hour supervision along with crisis intervention, counseling (individual, group, and/or family), health and wellness, and socialization in the community.
miamibridge.org