Client News

United Way Launches Free Tax Prep Program Across Sac Region

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Shay Smith, manager of United Way California Capital Region’s Free Tax Preparation program, welcomes clients last year

Local residents throughout the Sacramento region are eligible to file their taxes online or in person for free through United Way California Capital Region’s Free Tax Preparation program that runs through April 15. Households that earned less than $67,000 in 2024 can file for free, and trained tax volunteers will help maximize cash back from state and federal credits, including the federal and state Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC and CalEITC). United Way’s Free Tax Preparation program saves participants an average of $200 in preparer fees. The program provides free tax help virtually and in person in multiple languages and locations across Amador, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties. Visit www.YourFreeTaxPrep.org or call 2-1-1 in Sacramento. 

“Many families in our region depend on receiving a return from their taxes, and with United Way’s Free Tax Preparation program, our trained volunteers will help them maximize their returns,” said Dr. Dawnté Early, president and CEO, United Way California Capital Region. “It’s simple, secure, saves participants money on tax preparation fees and ensures local households keep more of their hard-earned money.” 

United Way recommends filing as early as possible to receive tax credits sooner. Each year, United Way helps thousands of families collectively receive nearly $10 million in tax credits. Hundreds of program volunteers donate thousands of hours of their time helping people file taxes online or at dozens of in-person sites across the region. More volunteers are needed this year. For more information about becoming a United Way Free Tax Preparation volunteer, visit www.YourFreeTaxPrep.org. 

United Way California Capital Region has been a driving force across the region for more than 100 years, listening, responding and taking comprehensive action to meet local needs. From advancing youth opportunities and helping kids excel in school, to strengthening local communities and investing in families’ financial security and health, United Way mobilizes communities to build a future where everyone can reach their full potential and thrive. Working across Amador, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties, the local United Way provides books and literacy tutoring, addresses housing and food security, leads the region’s largest tax preparation initiative, launched Sacramento’s first guaranteed income program, works with foster youth across school districts and leads the Community Schools initiative in West Sacramento. To make a donation: www.YourLocalUnitedWay.org. 

Society for the Blind Launches $1M Vision Forward Initiative

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Shari Roeseler of Society for the Blind and event emcee Cristina Mendonsa announce the $1 million Vision Forward Initiative launch at the 70th Anniversary Gala

Society for the Blind recently launched its $1 million Vision Forward Initiative at its 70th Anniversary Celebration. The three-year initiative will increase the nonprofit’s capacity to meet growing demand for services, create a resource and learning center on the second floor of the group’s building in Midtown Sacramento, and build Society for the Blind’s endowment to respond to new opportunities and challenges. To donate: www.SocietyfortheBlind.org/Donate. 

“Our Vision Forward Initiative will ensure our clients of all ages have access to our services for years to come,” said Shari Roeseler, executive director, Society for the Blind. “This will help us serve more people, reduce wait times, offer the latest assistive technologies, and quickly respond and adapt to meet the needs of our clients.”

The initiative was announced to 300 event guests gathered to celebrate Society for the Blind’s 70th anniversary and its 2024 Briggs Award honoree, Retinal Consultants Medical Group, for extraordinary contributions to eye care in the community. The event raised more than $375,000 as seed funding for the Vision Forward Initiative. 

Sacramento-based Society for the Blind continues to create innovative ways to empower individuals living with low vision or blindness to discover, develop and achieve their full potential. Since 1954, Society for the Blind has grown from a dedicated group of volunteers to a nationally recognized agency and the only comprehensive rehabilitative teaching center that provides services for a 27-county region of Northern California and the state of Nevada. The nonprofit provides low-vision eye care, life and job skills training, mentorship, and access to tools to maintain independence for more than 5,000 youth, working-age adults and seniors experiencing vision loss each year. To learn more or make a donation, visit www.SocietyfortheBlind.org. 

Teichert Grants $5K to Make It Happen for Yolo County

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Dr. Allegra Pickett of the Teichert Foundation presents a check to Make It Happen for Yolo County board member Yvonne Emmons

Local nonprofit Make It Happen for Yolo County has received a grant of $5,000 from the Teichert Foundation to provide under-resourced transition age youth with furniture, safe appliances and household items needed to care for their home so they can be successful first-time renters in college or career.

“We are honored to partner with the Teichert Foundation in our work to ensure our community’s transition age youth have a safe home and foundation,” said Cathi Schmidt, executive director, Make It Happen for Yolo County. “The odds truly are stacked against this population due to the lack of financial and emotional support that so many of us have been fortunate enough to experience. We are grateful to the Teichert Foundation for prioritizing our community’s resilient youth.”

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Make It Happen for Yolo County serves local transition age youth ages 18-24, many of whom have been in foster care or experienced homelessness. The nonprofit receives furniture donations from the community and purchases new appliances and household items to help youth involved with the Yolo County child welfare, mental health and probation divisions, as well as the UC Davis Guardian Scholars program and other local nonprofits. Since its founding in 2014, Make It Happen for Yolo County has helped more than 250 transition age youth. To make a financial or furniture donation, visit www.MIHYolo.org.

Teichert is committed to building and preserving a healthy and prosperous region. The foundation makes grants to organizations that create beauty, foster culture, nurture children, provide access to food and housing for those in need, preserve nature, increase awareness of our environment, build an educated citizenry and a well-prepared workforce, and strive to provide better health for all. For more information, visit www.Teichert.com/Teichert-Foundation. 

United is the Way: United Way Unveils New Brand

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United Way president and CEO Dr. Dawnté Early and board chair Dr. Richard Pan make phone calls to donors under a new yellow blue and orange mural that reflects United Way’s refreshed brand.

United Way California Capital Region has joined United Way Worldwide in announcing a refreshed brand to reflect the organization’s reach and impact in communities as one of the world’s largest and oldest privately funded charities that helps more than 48 million people annually, including more than 12,000 in the greater Sacramento region. The brand refresh comes in time for year-end giving when many donors make their tax-deductible gifts for the year.

“As we embrace this new chapter with our refreshed brand, we are committed to addressing the unique challenges faced by our community,” said Dr. Dawnté Early, president and CEO, United Way California Capital Region. “United Way’s vision not only reflects our deep-rooted history but also our forward-thinking approach to creating lasting change. Together, we can inspire and empower every individual to thrive.”

Underpinning the revitalized brand are four impact areas – youth opportunity, healthy community, financial security and community resiliency. The new brand includes the theme, United is the Way™, which activates the United Way name into a declarative statement of purpose to invite all people and communities to take action and make a bigger impact together. The brand also includes a revitalized visual identity, in which United Way’s circle of hope logo has been unboxed to signify the dynamic nature of the nonprofit, which – through its deep roots in tens of thousands of communities around the world – listens and responds in real time to changing, pressing needs.

“The global brand refresh is a significant milestone in our organization’s 137-year history and represents our commitment to evolve and innovate in order to meet the changing needs of our communities worldwide,” said Angela F. Williams, president and CEO, United Way Worldwide. “It signifies our organization’s longstanding journey, while also embodying our transformative approach to remain relevant, sustainable, impactful now and in the future.”  

The refresh was informed by a comprehensive and robust brand discovery process that included both qualitative and quantitative research at the local and global level reflecting the needs of communities. The effort comes at a time when a September 2024 Generosity Commission report reveals a decline in the proportion of Americans who volunteer or contribute to nonprofits. Through this renewed strategy, United Way aims to spur greater engagement and action among the public and reinforce what United Way stands for, how it is different and why audiences should be engaged with its work. 

United Way California Capital Region has been a driving force across the region for more than 100 years, listening, responding and taking comprehensive action to meet local needs. From advancing youth opportunities and helping kids excel in school, to strengthening local communities and investing in families’ financial security and health, United Way mobilizes communities to build a future where everyone can reach their full potential and thrive. Working across Amador, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties, the local United Way provides books and literacy tutoring, addresses housing and food security, leads the region’s largest tax preparation initiative, launched Sacramento’s first guaranteed income program, works with foster youth across school districts and leads the Community Schools initiative in West Sacramento. To make a donation: www.YourLocalUnitedWay.org. 

Make It Happen Receives $9.5K from Union Pacific

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The Union Pacific Railroad Community Ties Giving Program has granted $9,500 to local nonprofit Make It Happen for Yolo County to provide underserved youth in Yolo County who are transitioning into independent living with furniture, household goods and resources to furnish their first apartment or home.

“Union Pacific has become one of our most steadfast donors, and we are grateful to them for recognizing the important issue of furniture poverty for our community’s most resilient youth,” said Cathi Schmidt, executive director, Make It Happen for Yolo County. “As the number of youth we serve continues to rise, this grant from Union Pacific will help us fill that gap so all of our clients can experience a fully furnished apartment while working toward their academic and career goals.”

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Make It Happen for Yolo County serves local transition age youth ages 18-24, many of whom have been in foster care or experienced homelessness. The nonprofit receives furniture donations from the community and purchases new appliances and household items to help youth involved with the Yolo County child welfare, mental health and probation divisions, as well as the UC Davis Guardian Scholars program and other local nonprofits. Since its founding in 2014, Make It Happen for Yolo County has helped more than 250 transition age youth. To make a financial or furniture donation, visit www.MIHYolo.org.

“Local grants have the power to create meaningful change within the communities our tracks touch,” said Beth Whited, president, Union Pacific and Union Pacific Foundation. “We are proud to partner with nonprofit organizations who are making an impact on the future – creating safer places for children and families; bringing economic prosperity to communities; building vibrant, inclusive areas for people to thrive; and instilling sustainable practices.”

For more than 160 years, Union Pacific has been committed to Building America – serving as an economic engine and improving the standard of life for millions across the country. Building upon this heritage, the Union Pacific Community Ties Giving Program’s mission is to build safe, prosperous, vibrant and inclusive communities by investing in high-quality nonprofits and programs in the cities and towns in which Union Pacific operates and its employees live and work. For more information: www.up.com/communityties. 

Women’s Empowerment Receives $50K from Anthem Blue Cross

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Women’s Empowerment has received a grant of $50,000 from Anthem Blue Cross Foundation to provide substance use recovery and mental health support to unhoused women in Sacramento so they can find safe homes and employment.  

“We have a deep understanding of the complex issues that lead to homelessness, including substance use and mental health, and how they work together to impact employment and housing,” said Lisa Culp, executive director, Women’s Empowerment. “We are grateful to Anthem Blue Cross Foundation for prioritizing recovery and mental health so more resources will be available to women in our community who are working to break the cycle of homelessness.”

Women’s Empowerment provides women in the program with trauma-informed counseling, mental health support, access to mental health resources and referrals for substance use treatment so they can gain a home and employment. The local nonprofit offers onsite therapeutic substance use treatment and community support through its weekly Wellness and Recovery Support Group for women in the program. Women also work with staff housing and employment specialists to find homes and employment.

“Substance use disorders continue to be a public health challenge that’s taking too big of a toll in our communities across the state and right here in Sacramento County,” said Beth Andersen, president, Anthem Blue Cross Commercial Plan. “Along with partners like Women’s Empowerment, we continue to take a holistic approach and invest in the mental health and well-being in our communities, particularly with a focus on helping those who are struggling with a substance use disorder.” 

Women’s Empowerment provides a two-month employment-readiness and empowerment program, paid job training, childcare and support services so women and their children can break the generational cycle of homelessness. The nonprofit offers the most comprehensive job-readiness program in the Sacramento area designed specifically for women experiencing homelessness and their children. In 2023, 165 jobs were secured by graduates, and 189 women either secured or maintained housing. Since 2001, 1,903 women have graduated from the program with more than 4,000 children. Women’s Empowerment is funded through private donations from the community and grants. To make a donation: Womens-Empowerment.org.

The Anthem Blue Cross Foundation, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Association, is a philanthropic arm of the Elevance Health Foundation. The foundation works to address health equity by focusing on improving the health of the socially vulnerable through strategic partnerships and programs in communities with an emphasis on maternal child health, mental health, and food as medicine. Additionally, the foundation responds to disasters when communities need it most. The foundation coordinates the company’s year-round Dollars for Dollars program, which provides a 100% match of associates’ donations, as well as its Volunteer Time Off and Dollars for Doers community service programs. ®ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Elevance Health. The Blue Cross names and symbol are registered marks of the Blue Cross Association. To learn more about the Anthem Blue Cross Foundation and the Elevance Health Foundation, visit www.elevancehealth.foundation and www.medium.com/elevancehealthfoundation. 

Women’s Empowerment Holds Holiday Gift Drive

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A Women’s Empowerment graduate in a Santa hat makes beaded bracelets as holiday gifts with her grandson at the annual Holiday Craft Party

Local residents can spread holiday cheer to Sacramento women and children who have experienced homelessness by contributing to Women’s Empowerment’s annual Holiday Drive. The nonprofit is seeking fully assembled gift bags that include a $25 Target and Walmart gift card, winter hat, socks and holiday candy. Assembled gift bags are needed for for all ages from infant to adult. For those who prefer to make a financial donation, the average cost of a gift bag is $40, but any amount is helpful. Items also can be purchased individually through the group’s Amazon wishlist at www.womens-empowerment.org.  Items are needed at Women’s Empowerment, 1590 North A Street in Sacramento, by Dec. 11. 

“These gift bags provide warm and celebratory items for the women and children in our programs during the holiday season, but they also demonstrate that they have a community of love and support encouraging them as they work to break the generational cycle of homelessness,” said Lisa Culp, executive director, Women’s Empowerment.

Items will be distributed to families at Women’s Empowerment’s upcoming Holiday Craft Party in mid-December where women and children will create gifts for family and friends. At the event, mothers also will have the opportunity to choose gifts for their children, thanks to a toy drive held by California State Assemblymember Kevin McCarty, District 6. 

Women’s Empowerment provides a two-month employment-readiness and empowerment program, paid job training, childcare and support services so women and their children can break the generational cycle of homelessness. Women’s Empowerment offers the most comprehensive job-readiness program in the Sacramento area designed specifically for women experiencing homelessness and their children. In 2023, 165 jobs were secured by graduates, and 189 women either secured or maintained housing. Since 2001, 1,903 women have graduated from Women’s Empowerment with their 4,000 children. Women’s Empowerment is funded through private donations from the community and grants. To make a donation: Womens-Empowerment.org.

Women’s Empowerment Receives $60K from U.S. Bank

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Graduates from Women’s Empowerment’s latest job readiness session gather after their ceremony in September

Women’s Empowerment has received a $60,000 contribution from U.S. Bank to provide Sacramento women experiencing homelessness with job-readiness programs, paid job training and transitional workforce housing so they can secure employment with upward mobility as they work toward affording permanent housing.

“U.S. Bank continues to be an important partner in our work,” said Lisa Culp, executive director, Women’s Empowerment. “We are grateful for this contribution to support unhoused women as they search for permanent homes during the ongoing housing crisis.” 

Each woman in Women’s Empowerment’s initial two-month employment-readiness and empowerment program receives free transportation assistance and childcare for children up to age 5 in the group’s onsite child development center. She works one on one with a social worker, housing specialist, employment specialist and volunteer career mentor, and attends a range of classes on job-readiness, empowerment and more. 

Graduates of the two-month program can enroll in Women’s Empowerment’s paid job training programs in manufacturing, property management, mobility, solar energy, medical assisting and more. Women’s Empowerment also offers its Trellis Gardens transitional workforce housing program for graduates who have secured employment, but still cannot afford market-rate housing for their families. At Trellis Gardens, they can live in cottages for 12-18 months as they work to increase income, savings and credit scores and prepare to move into permanent housing.

“Supporting the development of a dynamic workforce is an investment in today and our future,” said Ashley Bocek, community affairs manager, U.S. Bank. “We’re proud to work with organizations like Women’s Empowerment to help people succeed in their careers, gain greater financial literacy and build thriving communities.” 

In 2023, 165 jobs were secured by Women’s Empowerment graduates, and 189 graduates secured or maintained housing. Since 2001, 1,903 women have graduated from the program with more than 4,000 children. Women’s Empowerment is funded through private donations from the community and grants. To make a donation: Womens-Empowerment.org.

U.S. Bancorp, with more than 70,000 employees and $686 billion in assets as of September 30, 2024, is the parent company of U.S. Bank National Association. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the company serves millions of customers locally, nationally and globally through a diversified mix of businesses including consumer banking, business banking, commercial banking, institutional banking, payments and wealth management. U.S. Bancorp has been recognized for its approach to digital innovation, community partnerships and customer service, including being named one of the 2024 World’s Most Ethical Companies and Fortune’s most admired superregional bank. Learn more: usbank.com/about.

Women’s Empowerment Receives $50K from Yocha Dehe Community Fund

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Women’s Empowerment Executive Director Lisa Culp meets with a program graduate at her home in the nonprofit’s Trellis Gardens transitional workforce housing program

Women’s Empowerment has received a grant of $50,000 from the Yocha Dehe Community Fund to provide transitional workforce housing for Sacramento women experiencing homelessness with their families.  

“We are so grateful for the generosity of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and their commitment to ensuring women who are working and have children also have safe, affordable housing as they work to increase their salaries and afford market-rate rent during Sacramento’s housing crisis,” said Lisa Culp, executive director, Women’s Empowerment. 

Women’s Empowerment created its Trellis Gardens transitional workforce housing community at an existing development in Sacramento this past year, subleasing 16 cottages to graduates of the program who have families and have secured employment but cannot afford market-rate housing. The gated community is just one mile from four schools, two parks and a grocery store, and close to public transportation. Children in the cottages receive developmental assessments, and local financial institutions provide financial education for residents so they can prepare to move into permanent housing when they are finished at Trellis Gardens. 

“Taking care of others and helping them thrive is how we honor our values as a native community,” said Mia Durham, Yocha Dehe tribal secretary and community fund chair. “Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation truly understands the struggle and stigma of being unhoused, and the detrimental impact it can have on women and children. We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Women’s Empowerment to support this critical effort to provide local women and children with a safe place to live.”

Women’s Empowerment provides a two-month employment-readiness and empowerment program, paid job training, childcare and support services so women and their children can break the generational cycle of homelessness. Women’s Empowerment offers the most comprehensive job-readiness program in the Sacramento area designed specifically for women experiencing homelessness and their children. In 2023, 165 jobs were secured by graduates, and 189 women either secured or maintained housing. Since 2001, 1,903 women have graduated from the program with more than 4,000 children. Women’s Empowerment is funded through private donations from the community and grants. To make a donation: Womens-Empowerment.org.

The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation is committed to building strong communities and helping those in need, establishing the Community Fund to advance this mission. The Community Fund has established partnerships with more than 400 organizations throughout Yolo County, the state and nation, and granted nearly $40 million in philanthropic aid to support programs and initiatives dedicated to assisting people in need. The Community Fund prioritizes grants that help people help themselves in critical areas: education, Native arts and culture, environmental protection, Native rights and tribal sovereignty, and health and wellness. For more information: visit www.yochadehe.gov/giving/community-fund. 

United Way Seeks Volunteers for Initiatives to End Poverty for Local Families

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Local residents can help end poverty for families in the capital region by volunteering with United Way California Capital Region in its Free Tax Prep and literacy tutoring programs. From teens to seniors, volunteers can receive valuable experience while making an impact on their community.

“Whether they’re more into numbers or letters, math or reading, our volunteers of all ages provide a critical human touch to our programs as they develop relationships and directly empower local families with tools to rise from poverty,” said Dr. Dawnté Early, president and CEO, United Way California Capital Region. “Our literacy volunteers work with children to help them excel in school so they can succeed in college and career. Our Free Tax Prep volunteers work with families to ensure they receive every dollar possible in tax credits so they can increase the amount of money in their bank accounts and support their families and their children’s education.”  

Local residents who are interested in education, child development or literacy and have a couple hours to commit each week can become literacy volunteers, either virtually or in person. These volunteers facilitate tutoring sessions at local elementary schools and implement engaging literacy activities. Volunteers receive hands-on experience as they network and gain skills in tutoring, teaching, mentoring and volunteer management, all while making a meaningful impact on children’s lives. To learn more about becoming a literacy volunteer: https://www.yourlocalunitedway.org/our-work/help-kids-excel/literacy-tutoring/. 

Volunteers looking to dedicate four to eight hours each week and learn valuable tax filing information can sign up to help with United Way’s Free Tax Prep program. Free Tax Prep volunteers directly impact individuals and families as they work to help them file their taxes and apply for the maximum tax credits possible. Commitments span five to six months, with 40 hours of tax training between November-January, and tax season running January-May. To learn more about becoming a Free Tax Prep volunteer: https://www.yourlocalunitedway.org/our-work/invest-in-families/free-tax-preparation/. 

Founded in 1923, United Way California Capital Region has been a transformative force in the Sacramento community for more than a century, serving Amador, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties. The local United Way’s Square One approach to ending poverty is grounded in a public health model and uses a threefold strategy to address community needs from birth and beyond: helping kids excel in school, investing in families and strengthening schools. At United Way’s core is the philosophy that families possess the blueprint for their success. United Way supplies books to young children, provides literacy tutoring, addresses housing and food security, leads the region’s largest tax preparation initiative and launched Sacramento’s first guaranteed income program. United Way works across diverse school districts, providing case management for foster youth and leading the Community Schools initiative in West Sacramento. For more information or to make a donation, visit www.YourLocalUnitedWay.org.