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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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

“Readers in the Heights – at Home” by United Way of San Diego County and Partner Organizations Prepared 93 City Heights Children for New Online School Year

SAN DIEGO (SEPT. 14, 2020) – Ryan described not really being much of a reader, but after participating this past August in “Readers in the Heights – at Home”, a summer literacy summer, Ryan shared that he read more often, that he loved the activities, and that he can’t wait to participate next year. Along with 92 other students, Ryan benefited from the annual summer reading initiative that promotes active learning for first through third grade students—conducted at-home for the first time ever this year. When asked if Readers in the Heights has changed anything about reading at home, Ryan shared, “Yes, because I usually don’t read a lot. But during Readers in the Heights, I would read, read, read, read, read. Kids should go to Readers in the Heights because it will bring their family together.”

Readers in the Heights – at Home aims to prevent “summer slide,” the loss of literacy gains made during the school year by children who lack access to books during the summer break. The sudden transition to distance learning and other interruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic will likely worsen the summer slide for many low-income children in San Diego County. However, parents who have been surveyed to date, on average, reported that over the course of Readers in the Heights, they read more frequently with their children and for longer periods of time than they do typically. United Way of San Diego County anticipates that these changes in reading habits will positively impact their reading performance this upcoming school year.

Promoting Summer Literacy in City Heights

“We’ve seen Readers in the Heights transform students’ reading abilities, and this year’s virtual model is no exception,” said United Way of San Diego County President and CEO Nancy L. Sasaki. “The COVID-19 pandemic and school districts’ switch to online learning have exacerbated educational inequalities, leaving low-income students even more vulnerable to falling behind. However, using research-proven assessment tools to measure their progress, United Way of San Diego County leveraged the collective areas of our partners’ expertise to help close learning gaps and open new worlds by creating happy, excited and confident readers.”

All Readers in the Heights – at Home students live in the economically and culturally diverse City Heights neighborhood. Twelve different primary languages were spoken at home across the 56 participating families, majorities of whom identified as Asian or African-American. City Heights also has the highest concentration of youth in the county—and, subsequently, the highest number of vulnerable children.

Due to COVID-19, Readers in the Heights transitioned this year from an in-person, camp-like experience to an at-home, family-focused initiative that aimed to build excitement around reading. Two community organizations, City Heights Community Development Corporation and the Karen Organization of San Diego, provided children with weekly literacy kits designed by Words Alive. These kits included books, hands-on activities, and strategies for engaging more deeply in the texts. Sites additionally employed virtual read-alouds and weekly check-ins via text and phone calls to build strong family reading habits, and families received health and masks made by local City Heights vendors, school and art supplies, and back-to-school backpacks.

Since schools have transitioned to distance learning, parents of Readers in the Heights – at Home participants have described struggling with using online platforms and applications. They are also concerned about their kids being bored or understimulated, as well as falling behind. They report needing more resources and support in their primary language, hands-on learning materials, and increased access to instructors, mentors, and/or tutors.

Sasaki added, “This summer was about maintaining connection and supporting learning at home for both parents and children, despite the need to be physically distant. Families weren’t simply given books and literacy-linked projects, they were consistently supported and cheered on by trusted community organizations’ staff.”

The Impact

Across the 56 families that participated, Readers in the Heights distributed 1,500 free books to build their home libraries, 400 activities aligned with weekly readings, 250 masks, and 100 backpacks filled with school supplies just in time for the start of the new school year. An additional 100 books and activity workbooks were given to families with preschool-aged children. Of those parents who have completed the end of program survey thus far, 70% reported that they feel confident in their ability to support their child with reading – an increase of 36 percentage points over the course of the initiative. Additionally, 85% of those families expressed that their child enjoys reading – an increase of 30 percentage points.

Program partners include City Heights Community Development Corporation, Karen Organization of San Diego, Words Alive, San Diego Council on Literacy, City Heights Weingart Library, Fleet Science Center, Traveling Stories, International Rescue Committee Small Business Development Center, RevCult, Target, UWSD’s Women United, and Count Me 2020.

“For the past 100 years, United Way of San Diego County has forged partnerships that respond to our communities’ greatest areas of need,” said Sasaki. “As the social and economic consequences of the pandemic deepen, our goal is to work with our partners to expand the practices used by Readers in the Heights – At Home to other collaborative programming across the county to ensure our students and families are being supported.”

Find more ways to support our communities in need at www.uwsd.org.

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.