Make It Happen Receives $7,500 From Union Pacific

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Make It Happen for Yolo County recently received a grant of $7,500 from Union Pacific’s Community Ties Giving Program. The grant will help ensure transition age youth in Yolo County ages 18-24 who are at risk of becoming unhoused can be safe first-time renters during the ongoing housing crisis.

“Transition age youth are at high risk of homelessness due to low resources compared to teens and young adults leaving traditional living environments,” said Cathi Schmidt, executive director, Make It Happen for Yolo County. “If they have no resources to purchase new appliances, they are more likely to find used appliances with higher risk of fire or short-circuiting. If they are unable to furnish and care for their homes, they are more likely to be evicted or develop a poor rental history, especially during the housing crisis. We are grateful to Union Pacific for prioritizing these youth so they can be successful in college or career.”

Make It Happen for Yolo County provides local transition age youth, many of whom have been in foster care or experienced homelessness, with the furnishings, household goods and resources needed to move into their first apartments. 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. Since its founding in 2014, Make It Happen for Yolo County has helped more than 200 transition age youth. To make a financial or furniture donation, visit MIHYolo.org.

“I was able to meet the caring people who started Make it Happen for Yolo County, and their work is at the core of Union Pacific’s objective to provide programs that focus on equity in access for underserved populations,” said Peggy Ygbuhay, senior director of public affairs, Union Pacific. “Union Pacific has a longstanding commitment to improve quality of life in the communities we serve and where our employees live and work. I am a Yolo County resident and take pride in my company’s civic leadership and philanthropy.”

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/aboutup/community/foundation/index.htm.

Women’s Empowerment Receives $15K From Union Pacific

Posted on by kthebaud

Women’s Empowerment has received $15,000 from Union Pacific’s Community Ties giving program to provide its job-readiness program, paid on-the-job training and other services for women who are homeless or recently have experienced homelessness.

“We are thankful to Union Pacific for providing much needed funds as we see a sharp spike in need from the pandemic,” said Lisa Culp, executive director, Women’s Empowerment. “In addition to women who are currently experiencing homelessness, we are helping more than 150 graduates of our program who have lost their jobs during the pandemic and need additional training and services to compete for jobs during this time of high unemployment so they can stay in their homes.”

Women’s Empowerment’s programs combine employment readiness, self-esteem courses, health services and education, counseling, housing assistance, job placement and paid job training to help women overcome homelessness across diverse ages, races and cultures. Women’s Empowerment was featured on NBC’s The TODAY Show in 2015 for offering the most comprehensive job-readiness program in the Sacramento area designed specifically for women who have experienced homelessness and their children. The award-winning organization has graduated 1,697 women and their 3,792 children. Last year, 70 percent of graduates found homes in the midst of the housing crisis, and 79 percent secured jobs or enrolled in school or training. Women’s Empowerment is funded through private donations from the community and grants. To donate: Womens-Empowerment.org.

Union Pacific’s Community Ties giving program works to build safe, prosperous and vibrant communities by investing in nonprofits and programs in the cities and towns in which Union Pacific operates and its employees live and work. For more than 150 years, Union Pacific has been committed to serving as an economic engine and improving the standard of life for millions across the country. For more information: www.up.com/aboutup/community/foundation/index.htm.

Women’s Empowerment Receives $25K from Nationwide and Union Pacific

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Women’s Empowerment has received two grants totaling $25,000 from Union Pacific and Nationwide to help homeless women in Sacramento find homes and jobs that support their families through the most comprehensive job-readiness program in the Sacramento area specifically designed for homeless women. Union Pacific provided $10,000, and Nationwide provided $15,000.

“Although the economy is improving, finding work when a woman is homeless can be nearly impossible without the right tools,” said Lisa Culp, executive director, Women’s Empowerment. “The situation of homeless families in our community is dire – the Sacramento County Office of Education reports nearly 12,000 students are experiencing homelessness. We are grateful to Union Pacific and Nationwide for providing funding that will break the cycle of homelessness for many of these families.”

Women’s Empowerment’s initial eight-week program for women who are homeless in Sacramento provides women with free onsite child care in the group’s child development center and transportation assistance. Each woman works with a master’s level social worker to address her root causes of homelessness, attending classes on job-readiness, confidence and empowerment. She receives health services, focuses on job readiness with her employment specialist and volunteer career mentor, and learns financial literacy. When she graduates after eight weeks, she can access Women’s Empowerment’s graduate services at any point in her life, which include certifications, counseling, GED preparation, access to a professional clothing closet, financial literacy, and paid job training through the group’s Get A Job Kit Training and small business.

Celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, Women’s Empowerment was recently featured on NBC’s TODAY Show and on CNN.com for offering the most comprehensive job-readiness program in the Sacramento area designed specifically for women who are homeless and their children. The 2014 Organization of the Year has graduated 1,322 homeless women and their 3,000 children. Last year, 93 percent of graduates found homes and 83 percent found jobs or enrolled in school or training. The program combines self-esteem courses, job training, health classes and support services to help homeless women across diverse ages, races and cultures. Women’s Empowerment is funded solely through private donations from the community. To donate online: www.womens-empowerment.org.