United Way’s Women United to Hold Fall Fundraiser for Foster Youth

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Eight women stand in front of a United Way background at a Women United event

United Way’s Women United action group will hold its fall fundraiser, Innovate and Ignite, to connect and empower women in the community and raise funds for the local United Way’s foster youth initiatives. The Oct. 10 event will take place 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Sequoia at the Cannery, 1601 Alhambra Blvd, Suite 200, in Sacramento, and will include charcuterie, wine, networking and a fireside chat with local women leaders. For tickets, visit www.YourLocalUnitedWay.org. 

“This will be such a fun and meaningful night as we gather together to ignite change in our community,” said Dr. Dawnté Early, president and CEO, United Way California Capital Region. “We are eager to share exciting updates and invite women across the region to pool their passions, ideas, expertise and resources to help end poverty for local foster youth through our innovative initiatives.”

The event, sponsored by UC Davis Health, will include updates on Women United’s largest initiative, the Collegiate Guaranteed Income program, which provides $500 per month for 12 months to 10 former foster youth studying at Sacramento State. The program launched in May 2024. 

“I feel blessed, thankful and cherished, and a lot of foster youth don’t get to feel that way from many people, so to feel that from strangers is an amazing and surreal feeling,” said Jaliyah, a participant in United Way’s Collegiate Guaranteed Income Program, when she entered the program. “I’m going to use these funds to pay for groceries because they’re expensive, and to fix my car because I need it to get to school. It will also help me pay for classes for next semester, so I’m ecstatic.”

United Way’s Women United action group is a philanthropic network of more than 250 women who work together to focus on their signature issue: ensuring foster youth are prepared for success in life. Since its inception in 2002, Women United has raised more than $2 million to support foster youth through innovative programs focusing on education and increasing self-sufficiency. For more information, visit www.YourLocalUnitedWay.org/Get-Involved/Women-United.  

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. 

United Way Seeks Gifts for Foster Family Holiday Market

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Community members can help foster youth and their families in San Juan Unified School District in Sacramento by purchasing gifts and other needed items for United Way California Capital Region’s upcoming San JUANderful Holiday Party. Families attending the invitation-only event will have the opportunity to choose from gift cards, household items, shelf-stable groceries, toys and children’s clothes. Items are needed by Dec. 11 and can be purchased through United Way’s wishlists: www.YourLocalUnitedWay.org/HolidayGiving.

“At United Way, we believe families know what they need to thrive, and we are here to provide support,” said Dr. Dawnté Early, president and CEO, United Way California Capital Region. “We have been providing academic support to foster families in the San Juan Unified School District this year, and we are thrilled to offer this holiday market so the families we have worked with can choose gifts and other items that will best prepare their foster youth for success in school and later in life. We hope our community will join us in supporting these wonderful families during this holiday season.”

United Way’s Foster Youth Support program with San Juan Unified School District provides academic intervention and supportive services to district foster youth in kindergarten through eighth grade. Primarily funded through a grant from the Sacramento County Department of Child, Family and Adult Services, program staff works with each student and their team of caregivers, family, teachers and counselors to connect youth and caregivers to school and community resources, including transportation support, academic assistance, health services, behavioral health support, housing, food, clothing and more. United Way also provides literacy tutoring and homework support outside of school hours.

“Despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic, foster youth have shown remarkable resilience facing hurdles in academic achievement, lack of family support and challenges accessing necessary resources at school,” Dr. Early said. “Our local United Way has a long history of working with foster youth, providing literacy support and working in schools. This joint effort with the San Juan Unified School District adopts a whole-child focus that builds social and emotional wellbeing and provides trauma-informed support for youth and their families so they can succeed academically.”

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.

Donate Towels, Toiletries and Luggage for Foster Youth Today!

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Local residents can donate new towels, toiletries and luggage for local foster youth through United Way’s Women in Philanthropy Spring Drive happening through end of today. Items will be donated through Sacramento County’s Foster Youth Emancipation Basket program to more than 260 local foster youth preparing to leave the system and live on their own for the first time. Donations can be purchased from the Amazon wishlist at www.yourlocalunitedway.org/spring-drive or can be dropped off at United Way’s office at 10389 Old Placerville Road in Sacramento before 7:30 p.m. Volunteers are needed from 5-7:30 p.m. at United Way’s office to package the donations.

United Way’s Women in Philanthropy brings local women together to end poverty for local foster youth by helping them become financially prepared for life after foster care. This focus is part of the Square One Project, United Way’s 20-year promise to significantly increase the number of local students who graduate from high school ready for success in college and beyond. Through nine decades of work and research across Amador, El Dorado, Sacramento, Placer and Yolo counties, the local United Way believes ending poverty starts in school and is working to ensure kids meet important milestones to prepare for success in college or career. To learn more about United Way’s Women in Philanthropy, visit www.yourlocalunitedway.org.