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Media Contacts:        

Ann Marie Price

Scatena Daniels

EDITOR: To download images, click here.

Photos and assets courtesy of United Way of San Diego County

Union Workers Expand Their Giving to Meet Increased Need During the Pandemic

SAN DIEGO (Dec. 17, 2020) — This week, more than 950 families received dinners, toys, gifts and a tremendous amount of cheer to help ring in the holiday season! All items were donated by their fellow workers across San Diego & Imperial Counties. The 33^rd Annual United Way of San Diego County and San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council Food & Toy Distribution is an annual tradition coordinated through their Unions United partnership. This event supports working families and community members who need extra help year-round thanks to the generosity from union teachers, firefighters, grocery workers, nurses, truck drivers, construction workers and more.

More than 700 families in San Diego County and 250 families in Imperial County benefitted from the 2020 drive distribution. This year, the pandemic has dramatically increased the number of families in need. The tourism and hospitality industries have been decimated by the pandemic – and the impact has been severe. To meet the need, union workers have increased their donations in partnership with United Way of San Diego County to help more families than ever before.

“Working people have been profoundly impacted by the pandemic and economic crisis. Families are unable to feed their kids because they are out of work, and they need help.” said Keith Maddox, Executive Secretary-Treasurer, San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council. “Union workers have a tradition of solidarity and helping those most in need. Our labor movement comes together every year to ensure that families who are hurting have a holiday meal and their kids have toys to make things a little brighter.”

These workers support one another through Unions United, a partnership of the San Diego and Imperial Counties’ Labor Council’s and United Way of San Diego County. Donations are made from the union dues invested by the more than 200,000 workers the Labor Council represents to assist fellow working families and community members in need. In addition to funding the annual holiday event, these donations support a year-round food pantry at United Way of San Diego County’s headquarters and emergency assistance for workers. For United Way of San Diego County’s fiscal year, by leveraging federal funds and donations, Unions United provided over $757,000 in emergency assistance for rent or mortgage, utilities and food to more than 3,700 families. Last year, 2,582 individuals and families received Unions United’s assistance – including food, rent, mortgage utility support and other assistance. Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, the need for emergency hunger relief has increased exponentially. The Labor Council has seen their workers – hotel workers, janitors, stagehands and other retail and tourism workers – laid off or sent home without pay. From the outset of the crisis, the Labor Council and United Way of San Diego County have dedicated their focus to relief efforts on the front lines, through the Worker Assistance Initiative and other endeavors that expanded their reach to help a historic number of families in need.

“This year, all families have been impacted in one way or another by the pandemic. But many who experience economic and food instability year-round have gone through even more difficulties this year than others,” says Nancy Sasaki, president and CEO of United Way of San Diego County. “Our United Way team and partners at the Labor Council long-awaited this time-honored event to support families in our diverse communities who rely on extra support during the holiday season. Seeing the relief on the faces of the parents and knowing their children would be full of smiles on Christmas day, made our volunteers and staff fill up with joy. We’re already looking forward to next year’s event!”

For over 30 years, United Way of San Diego County has partnered with more than 200,000 working families of the San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council to organize this event to assist workers and community members struggling to make ends meet. Over 100 volunteers from local unions came together today at Petco Park to give back to pre-selected union and community families who were the most in need. In addition to toys and gifts, all participating families received a bag of food with all the fixings needed to cook up a delicious holiday dinner.

I’ve been a hotel banquet captain for 25 years. The pandemic has cost me the job that I love,” said Ricardo Lavin. “I am grateful to have the support of so many workers in the community who have come together so that my grandkids and I can celebrate Christmas this year.”

To learn more, get help or donate, visit https://uwsd.org/our-work/family-stability/unions-united/.

ABOUT UNITED WAY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY

For 100 years, United Way of San Diego County has aligned with partners to address inequities in the region and help underserved communities. United Way’s specialty lies in identifying sustainable, long-term goals and achieving them through leveraging data and partners’ expertise to better understand root causes and putting impactful solutions into action.

United Way’s work, in partnership with others, uses shared goals, innovation and proven practices to transform the lives of children, young adults and families in the San Diego region. United Way focuses on educational milestones, such as kindergarten readiness, third-grade literacy, high school preparation, and college and career pathways. Learn more and get involved by visiting www.uwsd.org, Facebook, Twitter, or by calling (858) 492-2000.

ABOUT THE SAN DIEGO & IMPERIAL COUNTIES LABOR COUNCIL

The San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council is a community of more than 200,000 working families standing together. At the Labor Council, nurses, teachers, firefighters, service workers and construction tradespeople join healthcare workers, hotel workers, janitors and zoo employees in their common fight for a voice on the job and at the decision making table. The Council and its 136 member unions seek to improve the lives of working people by advocating for living wages, housing that is affordable, quality healthcare and a secure retirement for all.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts:        

Suzy Garcia / Ann Marie Price

Scatena Daniels

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EDITOR: To download images, click here.

Photos and assets courtesy of CalSavers

State program was created for workers who have no retirement savings plan through their employers; Half of Californians are unprepared for retirement

SAN DIEGO (Dec. 14, 2020) — CalSavers is the state of California’s new retirement savings program created for the millions of Californians who do not have a way to save for retirement through their job. United Way of San Diego County (UWSD) is encouraging all eligible San Diegans to enroll in the program—and recommending that all eligible employers facilitate a CalSavers program for their workers.

CalSavers was created by legislation in 2016 requiring California employers that do not already sponsor a retirement plan to participate in a CalSavers automatic enrollment individual retirement account (IRA). The program makes it easier for workers to save for their retirement by allowing local small businesses and companies to provide workers with a retirement savings option—with no employer fees, no fiduciary liability and low administrative complexity.

“Too many San Diegans are unprepared for retirement, threatening the stability of their families,” says Nancy L. Sasaki, President and CEO of United Way of San Diego County. “Given today’s economic uncertainty, without an easy way to save for retirement, many workers simply won’t. This lack of access to employer-sponsored retirement plans disproportionately affects younger workers and people of color, who already face significant financial hurdles. However, mounting evidence shows that access makes a difference. That’s exactly what CalSavers provides, and why we’re encouraging all eligible employers and employees to take advantage of this amazing program now.”

UWSD has also joined forces with core local partners to spread the word about CalSavers in San Diego, including:

• City of San Diego – Economic Development Department
• East County Economic Development Corporation
• San Diego Chamber of Commerce
• San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation
• “The Brink” Small Business Development Center at USD

Statistics about retirement savings in California:

• Nearly half of all Californians have inadequate savings, and are on track for significant economic hardship in retirement.
• 5 million Californians lack a way to save for retirement at work.
• Two-thirds of California workers without access to work-sponsored retirement plans are people of color and half are Latino.
• Even though saving while you’re young makes a major difference, two-thirds of working millennials have no money put away for retirement.
• Access makes a difference: people are 15 times more likely to save for retirement if they can do it at work.

How CalSavers Works

There are two ways to join the program: at work through a participating employer or directly for those who do not work for a participating employer. At work, employees are enrolled automatically into CalSavers unless they choose to opt out. Once enrolled, employees can contribute to their personal retirement account automatically with each paycheck. Participants can stick with the standard account settings or choose their own. To ensure CalSavers works for our mobile workforce, savers can keep their account as they move from job to job, and self‐employed individuals can participate.

Eligible employers can register for CalSavers at any time by the following deadlines:

• Businesses with over 100 employees: September 30, 2020 (deadline has passed, but employers can still enroll)
• Businesses with over 50 employees: June 30, 2021
• Businesses with five or more employees: June 30, 2022

“CalSavers is free for businesses,” says Sasaki. “It’s an easy way to provide for your financial futures and help your employees thrive. We encourage everyone to enroll in this valuable program as soon as possible.”

Useful links

• Learn more at calsavers.com
• Ready to sign up? Click here to start your enrollment.
• Download the bilingual mobile app to make saving even easier.

ABOUT UNITED WAY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY

For 100 years, United Way of San Diego County has aligned with partners to address inequities in the region and help underserved communities. United Way’s specialty lies in identifying sustainable, long-term goals and achieving them through leveraging data and partners’ expertise to better understand root causes and putting impactful solutions into action.

United Way’s work, in partnership with others, uses shared goals, innovation and proven practices to transform the lives of children, young adults and families in the San Diego region. United Way focuses on educational milestones, such as kindergarten readiness, third-grade literacy, high school preparation, and college and career pathways. Learn more and get involved by visiting www.uwsd.org, Facebook, Twitter, or by calling (858) 492-2000.

ABOUT CALSAVERS

CalSavers is California’s new retirement savings program that will offer millions of workers in California the opportunity to get on track for the future. CalSavers is available to California workers whose employers don’t offer a workplace retirement plan, self-employed individuals, and others who want to save extra. Savers contribute to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) that belongs to them. Employers that don’t offer their own plan will register for CalSavers by their deadline and facilitate their employees’ access to the Program.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts:        

Suzy Garcia / Ann Marie Price

Scatena Daniels

/

EDITOR: To download images, click  here.

Photos and assets courtesy United Way of San Diego County

Funding to help launch three-year multi-sector partnership to measure how strengthening families’ financial safety net reduces risk of childhood trauma

SAN DIEGO (Dec. 8, 2020) — United Way of San Diego County (UWSD), a nonprofit working in alignment with partners to address inequities in our region and help underserved communities recently received a grant of nearly $450,000 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH). UWSD was one of just 23 nonprofits across the nation that received this funding. The organization will use these resources from OMH to form a three-year partnership with community organizations in San Diego County, aiming to measure for the first time how giving families more economic resources and support prevents the incidence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

The $449,898 grant, funded entirely by OMH, will support UWSD’s “Building Resilience: Evaluating the Impact of Economic Supports on ACEs Risk” project, which focuses on preventing ACEs by bolstering emotional intelligence and economic stability in parents. These factors, according to the CDC, are most likely to reduce abuse, exposure to violence, family dysfunction, substance abuse and poverty—some of the most prevalent ACEs that can predispose children to serious physical and mental health complications later in life.

“We’re thrilled to have been awarded this significant grant from the Office of Minority Health to build this project from the ground up for our community,” says Nancy L. Sasaki, president and CEO, United Way of San Diego County. “Adverse childhood experiences are often linked to chronic health problems for children in adulthood, such as mental illness and addiction, which can hinder them from achieving their full potential. However, we believe these traumatic experiences can be prevented if we step up to provide more economic security as well as financial education opportunities for the low-income, working families in our community.

UWSD has convened a group of five outstanding partners to execute the Building Resilience project and achieve its goals. UWSD’s Building Resilience partners bring expertise in the area of tax preparation assistance, financial education and family support services. They include:

• 2-1-1 San Diego (92142)
• Dreams for Change (92123)
• Harder+Company Community Research (92103)
• International Rescue Committee (92105)
• YMCA Childcare Resource Service (92108)

How Building Resilience Will Work

Building Resilience will focus on concrete solutions such as helping families access the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The project will measure, from September 30, 2020 to September 30, 2023, how economic stability reduces childhood trauma for children growing up in low-income working families, particularly those in communities of color disproportionately at risk for ACEs. UWSD hopes that their findings over the next three years will help them pioneer policy changes that help even more families in the region.

As the leader of the San Diego EITC Coalition, which offers free tax preparation to local, low-to-moderate income families and individuals, UWSD has the trust, experience and infrastructure to lead this project. UWSD and Building Resilience partners will reach out to target populations of individuals experiencing homelessness or underemployed, immigrants, refugees and limited English proficient small business owners operating within County-identified Opportunity Zones. UWSD hopes to reach more than 29,000 individuals with EITC outreach and financial education annually throughout the three years of funding, and enroll a total of 400-600 people into the project at different levels of involvement and guidance.

The Building Resilience project kicks off at a precarious time for many families in the region. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 27 percent of San Diego children lived in families where the parents did not have secure employment. As the pandemic drags on into 2021, San Diego County’s unemployment rate remains more than double what it was this time last year. Given this economic climate, a significantly higher number of children will be living in financially unstable families for the foreseeable future, and thereby at higher risk of ACEs—an outcome that UWSD and its partners hope to prevent.

“For the past 100 years, our team has been committed to aligning partners, leveraging resources and transforming the lives of those in need,” says Sasaki. “We look forward to putting these funds from OMH into action for those most at risk of adverse childhood experiences.”

ABOUT UNITED WAY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY

For 100 years, United Way of San Diego County has aligned with partners to address inequities in the region and help underserved communities. United Way’s specialty lies in identifying sustainable, long-term goals and achieving them through leveraging data and partners’ expertise to better understand root causes and putting impactful solutions into action.

United Way’s work, in partnership with others, uses shared goals, innovation and proven practices to transform the lives of children, young adults and families in the San Diego region. United Way focuses on educational milestones, such as kindergarten readiness, third-grade literacy, high school preparation, and college and career pathways. Learn more and get involved by visiting www.uwsd.org, Facebook, Twitter, or by calling (858) 492-2000.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Funding to help launch three-year multi-sector partnership to measure how strengthening economic stability increases protective factors

SAN DIEGO (Oct. 27, 2020) – United Way of San Diego County (UWSD), a nonprofit bringing community and business partners together to help San Diego’s children, young adults, and families in need, received nearly $450,000 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH). The funds will help UWSD establish a multi-sector partnership to help address adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) through activities aimed at increasing economic stability, including access to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). This partnership will execute the “Building Resilience: Evaluating the Impact of Economic Supports on ACEs Risk” project. UWSD has convened a group of six outstanding partners to execute the Building Resilience and achieve its goals and objectives.

The partners include:

• 2-1-1 San Diego
• Dreams for Change
• Harder+Company Community Research
• International Rescue Committee
• YMCA Childcare Resource Service

UWSD was one of only 23 nonprofits across the nation that received this funding. The multi-sector partnership will measure how strengthening economic stability increases the protective factors for low-income working families, including racial and ethnic minority families, disproportionately at risk for ACEs. The partnership seeks to use the results of this project to create systems of change for the region.

Read the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) announcement here.

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