Author: United Way of Metropolitan Dallas

The Importance of Early Childhood Development

Written by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas on June 16, 2022. Posted in News & Updates.

Early Childhood Development Statistics

Research indicates that 90% of brain development happens by the age of 5. These are the years that children absorb nearly everything they see, hear, taste and feel. Up to the age of 3, a child’s brain produces more than 1 million neural connections every second.

It’s no surprise, then, that the amount and quality of care, interaction and stimulation a child receives can have a huge impact on the type, number and quality of brain connections that develop and last throughout their lifetime.

In the early years of life, it’s especially important for children to receive the health and educational support and resources they need to truly thrive. Researchers have found that babies and young children who grow up in stable, safe and loving environments, and enjoy plenty of positive interactions with caregivers, typically are healthier and more successful in school and in life. It’s a strong example of how intertwined education, income and health can be in a person’s life.

Unfortunately, the converse is true as well. Children who don’t get lots of positive attention and caring interactions don’t develop as many positive neural connections. Far too many kids have their development stunted by factors like domestic violence, food insecurity, inaccessible health services and socioeconomic struggles. This in turn can negatively impact their school years, overall health and future.

Today one in four children is at risk for developmental delays, and 80% of children with developmental or behavioral problems don’t receive early intervention. While these numbers may seem daunting, they are also an urgent reminder that it takes a broad network of support to ensure local families have the resources and care they need to thrive.

A Community-Wide Collaboration

Help Me Grow North Texas, an incredible community-wide collaboration, is just one of the ways United Way of Metropolitan Dallas encourages healthy childhood development. The initiative includes more than 50 community partners that work together to provide valuable developmental resources and education to parents in 18 counties in and around North Texas. Since Help Me Grow launched in North Texas in 2019, the program has supported more than 5,000 families.

In January 2021, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas led the expansion of the Help Me Grow program into Dallas and Collin counties. Working with our partners—MHMR Tarrant County, Tarrant County Early Learning Alliance, Tarrant County Public Health, ChildCareGroup and TexProtects—we’ve been able to increase developmental screening for children in our community and provide direct navigation resources to parents while helping service providers assist more families.

The program delivers important services for North Texas parents, all free of charge:

Free developmental screenings for every child age 0 to 6
Family and community outreach, which builds caregivers’ understanding of healthy child development—including how it works and what they can do to improve children’s outcomes—and increases their awareness of the supportive services available to families and service providers in the community
Answers for questions about pregnancy, parenting and child development
Care coordination for things like child care and pediatric visits
Key connections to community resources and programs

For families, Help Me Grow North Texas not only supports their efforts to keep their children on track developmentally; it also creates a single, comprehensive resource for everything related to their child’s early years. This centralized access point saves them significant time and effort that can instead be spent with their families.

“The biggest ways the initiative has helped the community, particularly the family support community—providers and organizations that are already supporting families with young kids—is being able to have a consistent place to send families,” said Abigail Sharp, vice president of early childhood initiatives at United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. “It’s important for families because it creates a continuity of care—being able to not have a family start with a support service in one county and then end up in a new county and have to start from scratch is pretty amazing. Our navigation team is equipped to provide resources, referrals and support to families regardless of what county they’re in.”

Help Me Grow North Texas also delivers support and training to organizations that provide child development-related services. Meanwhile, the program collects and analyzes data on child development trends in our community. As a result, Help Me Grow North Texas organizers are able to help improve the quality of care that is provided to local families and make sure the system is constantly getting better.

Improving Health Access for North Texans

Local families have embraced Help Me Grow North Texas with enthusiasm.

“Since we launched in Dallas and Collin County, we’ve seen an incredible amount of growth and number of referrals,” Sharp said. “They’re utilizing the resources that they’re being given, and we’re getting a lot of positive feedback.”

Hudson Moses and his family are just one example of how this initiative is having a significant impact in the lives of North Texans. He and his wife started noticing signs of developmental delays in his son when he was about 2 years old.

“We didn’t even know what autism was, before that,” he says.

Then, Hudson heard about an Autism Awareness Month event with Help Me Grow North Texas.

“They helped point us in the right direction with various resources,” he says. “What appealed to us the most was the regular, sincere follow ups. They were always in touch, almost like a family member. They’re always asking, ‘Is your kid OK? Are you getting the right help?’”

Hudson said that newfound access to community resources was a turning point for his son.

“From where he was about eight months ago, when he wasn’t even saying mommy and daddy, to where he is now—he’s singing songs. Just yesterday, he started saying, ‘Daddy, I want this, I want that’. He’s independently eating, he’s even stealing food from the refrigerator. His personality has started to come out and shine. From a place of total disbelief to actually seeing progress, my experience has been nothing but positive.”

The State of Homelessness in 2022

Written by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas on June 9, 2022. Posted in News & Updates. No Comments on The State of Homelessness in 2022

Homelessness prevention is an important part of the work we do at United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. That’s because housing stability provides a foundation for our three focus areas: education, income and health. Without a stable home, individuals and families struggle to truly thrive in other areas of their lives.

Well before COVID-19 arrived in North Texas, homelessness was far too common for too many of our neighbors. However, the last few years only exacerbated the issue, as thousands of North Texans lost their income, struggled to pay rent and faced the threat of eviction. Luckily, the federal government, a variety of community organizations—including United Way of Metropolitan Dallas—and countless individuals stepped up to support our neighbors during an unimaginable crisis.

Now that we are firmly in year three of the pandemic, we have a better picture of the longer-term impacts of COVID-19 on homelessness in North Texas, as well as how successful local housing stability and homelessness response programs have been.

2022 State of Homelessness

Thanks to a variety of community programs, this year there has been a decrease in homelessness overall, according to the eighth-annual State of Homelessness Address, presented virtually May 13 by Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance (MDHA). The event included the results of the 2022 Point-in-Time Homeless Count, an analysis of the data and efforts to make homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring.

The event featured Ashley Brundage, executive director of housing stability and senior vice president of community impact at United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, and board chair of the Dallas and Collin Counties Homeless Collaborative; Joli Angel Robinson, MDHA president and CEO; Peter Brodsky, board chair of MDHA; and Ashley Flores, of the Child Poverty Action Lab.

View the full State of Homelessness event below or read on for some of the key insights from this year’s State of Homelessness event.

Overall, homelessness is on the decline

The 2022 Point-in-Time Homeless (PIT) Count found that on any given night there are 4,410 individuals experiencing homelessness in Dallas and Collin counties (almost 4,000 in Dallas County and a little more than 400 in Collin County). This is the lowest count since 2019. Robinson says community programs to prevent homelessness and serve our neighbors who are already unhoused are making a true difference.

“COVID-19 and extreme winter weather greatly impacted individuals, organizations and systems, including our homeless rehousing system,” she said. “Although these events have impacted all of us, the trends supported by this year’s PIT count data, are a direct result of our community’s tremendous commitment to serving our unhoused neighbors, increasing housing interventions, and building our system’s overall capacity to effectively serve those experiencing homelessness.”

Family homelessness decreased by more than 20% since 2019, from 1,025 to 822. This indicates that organizations are finding success by addressing the immediate needs of families who have just lost their housing by helping them find safe alternative housing immediately, when otherwise they would enter a shelter or experience unsheltered homelessness.

Rapid rehousing is proving successful

Data collected throughout 2021 shows that the rate at which individuals exit to permanent housing is at an all-time high, practically doubling between 2018 and 2021 from 16% to 30%. This reflects the increase of rapid rehousing beds from a little over 300 in 2019 to almost 1,100, today. Initiatives like these prevent people from falling into a cycle of homelessness, which can make it difficult to find a job and get back on their feet.

Chronic homelessness and returns to homelessness are increasing

Unfortunately, the number of people who are chronically homeless has increased from little more than 500 in 2019 and 2020 to over 1,000 in 2022. These individuals have experienced long episodes of homelessness, which can cause or exasperate declines in mental and physical health. These findings mirror national trends, which show a surge in chronic homelessness by more than 40% since 2016. (Prior to that, this group was significantly decreasing over time.)

Another concerning figure found in the data collected throughout 2021 is the slight rise in returns to homelessness. Of those who exited to permanent housing destinations, 22% returned to homelessness within two years, up from 17% in 2019. This reflects growing housing costs, which have outpaced incomes, making it extremely challenging for vulnerable families to maintain housing.

As Ashley Flores of the Child Poverty Action Lab said, “No state has an adequate supply of affordable rental housing for the lowest income renters. The housing gap is most acute for the lowest income households.” In fact, a recent report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition shows that there are only 20 affordable and available rental units for every 100 extremely low-income renters in Dallas.

Homelessness affects Black North Texans more frequently

The homeless count findings show that while Black households make up 18% of the general population of Dallas and Collin counties, they make up 54% of the homeless population in those areas. “This imbalance has persisted, and it is unsurprising. It is a by-product of systemic inequities that continue to perpetuate disparities in areas such as income, wealth, housing, healthcare and incarceration, which directly impact rates of homelessness,” emphasized Robinson, who is the first Black person to lead MDHA.

Homelessness Requires Community-Wide Solutions

Homelessness is a complex problem that requires multifaceted solutions and broad community involvement.

“Homelessness does not exist because of one, single factor—rather, it’s a series of forces that manifest as homelessness,” Brundage said.

She explained that the systems in place to help prevent and end homelessness are just as complex but can be broken down into four parts:

Prevention programs that stabilize individuals to make sure they don’t fall into poverty
Housing creation to actively expand affordable housing
Rehousing services, where organizations engage with people experiencing homelessness, bring them into shelters and then rehouse them
Street services to manage and care for individuals living on the streets

In North Texas and across the country, COVID-19 exacerbated our preexisting housing and homelessness crises. Fortunately, organizations like MDHA and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, as well as local, state and federal governments, stepped up to help prevent these issues from becoming even worse.

Together, We Can Prevent Homelessness

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we work to prevent homelessness by improving housing stability for North Texas families and advocating for affordable housing.

As MDHA pointed out during the State of Homelessness event, prevention initiatives have helped more North Texans stay in their homes over the last several years, which has contributed to a 20% decrease in family homelessness since 2019.

One successful prevention initiative is the Dallas Rental Assistance Collaborative (DRAC), which provides rental and utility assistance so people can stay in their homes. In the early days of COVID, as federal relief dollars began flowing to our region to prevent an eviction crisis, the City of Dallas chose us as a trusted partner to help lead DRAC and unite the community around the issue of housing stability.

DRAC enabled us to quickly and efficiently partner with grassroots organizations that are trusted members of their communities and already have well-established relationships with their neighbors. As they received DRAC funds, these partners were able to serve their clients without delay, right where they needed support—in their own communities.

Over the last two years, DRAC has helped North Texas prevent an eviction crisis. Together with our dedicated supporters, United Way and our partners have provided 4,261 households with rental and/or utility assistance, for a total of $14.4 million in assistance distributed to families.

You Can Be Part of the Change

“As you drive around Dallas and Collin counties, it’s easy to see that our unhoused neighbors do not have a safe or adequate place to call home,” Brundage said during the State of Homelessness event. “The only way we will end homelessness is through collective impact: everyone working together toward one common goal.”

We invite you to join the movement to improve housing stability for all North Texans. To support our work in housing and homelessness, we offer three ways to get involved:

Give: Donate to United Way Dallas to support housing stability and eviction prevention initiatives.
Advocate: Call your representatives and tell them you support affordable housing throughout our community. And be sure to sign up for our Advocacy Alerts to receive information on our top policy priorities, such as affordable and equitable housing.
Volunteer: We frequently host volunteer events that support housing stability and homelessness prevention. Fill out our general volunteer interest form, and we’ll let you know about upcoming programs that fit your interests.

Celebrating Our 97th Annual Campaign and Unite Forever Endowment

Written by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas on June 9, 2022. Posted in News & Updates. No Comments on Celebrating Our 97th Annual Campaign and Unite Forever Endowment

On Thursday, May 12, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas invited supporters and partners to gather at The Star in Frisco for a very important celebration: our 97th Annual Celebration and Unite Forever Campaign Awards, where we recognized the incredible community impact made by North Texas companies, volunteers, donors and partners.

This was the first time the annual event has been held since 2019, and we were delighted to welcome more than 800 guests for an evening of gratitude, celebration and recognition.

Read on to get the highlights of the night’s awards and big announcements:

Award Recipients

J. Erik Jonsson Award: Ed Galante
Public Service Award: Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew
Community Leader Award: Taylor Toynes, For Oak Cliff
Emerging Leader Award: Tyler Riddell and Adam Torma (Emerging Leaders Co-Chairs)
Education Award: Roxanne Pittman
Income Award: Lancaster ISD
Health Award: Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty
Give Award: Debbie McComas, Haynes and Boone
Advocate Award: Rev. Gerald Britt
Volunteer Award: Tina Morefield, AT&T and United Way Teens United

Unite Forever Campaign

In addition to our traditional annual awards, this year’s event also included a celebration of the close of our Unite Forever campaign, United Way’s first $100 million endowment campaign. Launched seven years ago, the goal of the campaign is to create a financial foundation that will benefit generations of North Texans in the years and decades to come. The $100 million campaign has now been met three years ahead of the 10-year goal.

As Jennifer Sampson, McDermott-Templeton President and CEO of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, explained, “On May 12, we celebrated the incredible fact that our annual campaigns over the last three years, along with the Unite Forever endowment campaign, have secured almost $300 million to drive measurable impact in education, income and health. These resources make a lasting difference in the lives of over 1.3 million North Texans every single year.”

Event Replay

Thank you to everyone who helped make this an unforgettable evening. We invite our volunteers, friends and supporters who were not able to attend to view the full event recording here:

Preventing Childhood Hunger This Summer

Written by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas on June 3, 2022. Posted in News & Updates.

When the school year ends, tens of thousands of North Texas students rely on summer meals programs to access regular nutritious meals and to keep hunger at bay.

During the last two summers, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted and changed summer meals programming significantly. And while this year’s programs will be somewhat of a return to normalcy, summer meal providers are facing new challenges as they work to feed tens of thousands of local kids.

Read on to learn more about our work with summer meals providers, our impact in 2021, and challenges and opportunities for 2022.

Preventing Childhood Hunger

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we understand that nutrition is a key part of health—which along with education and income form the building blocks of opportunity. Regular, healthy meals are a necessity for children to be able to learn and grow.

That’s why we partner with dozens of local school districts, nonprofits and other organizations to support the prevention of hunger and provide a necessary resource for hard-working families during the summertime months.

In 2013, we partnered with Baylor University Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty to launch the North Texas Summer & Supper Council (NTXSSC). Our work with NTXSSC supports summer meals programs as they provide millions of meals to children throughout Dallas. These include local school districts, such as Dallas and Garland ISDs, and nonprofits like CitySquare and Equal Heart.

Our Collective Impact

The pandemic pushed the demand for summer meals to unprecedented levels.

In a typical summer, NTXSSC works with more than two dozen groups that serve more than 2 million meals to 55,000+ children. In 2020, the pandemic created a spike in demand as many families lost their income and struggled to pay for necessities like groceries. That year, North Texas sponsors served more than 10.2 million meals in Dallas and Collin counties—more than four times the number of summer meals served during a normal year.

In 2021, demand was even higher, and North Texas meal providers delivered a total of 12,211,300 summer meals within Dallas and Collin counties. Thanks to supporters like you, NTXSSC was able to get the word out to more families and provide both in-person and drive-through meals.

For many children, these meals keep them from going hungry at least part of the day. Research by the North Texas Food Bank found that in 2021 one in five kids lives in a food-insecure household. That means at least 300,000 children don’t have consistent access to enough food to live an active, healthy life—which can hurt their development, their performance in school and even their ability to enjoy time with friends and family.

Challenges and Opportunities for 2022

This summer, meal providers will be returning to their pre-pandemic format, with children eating in person at various sites throughout North Texas and enjoying some fun group activities with their peers. Families will no longer be able to access meals through bulk pick-up or grab-and-go lines, because federal child nutrition wavers, which made it easier to provide food quickly and in a socially distanced manner, are set to end June 30.

As Ashley Douglas, senior director of the United Way Southern Dallas Thrives initiative, explains, “This will be the first attempt for full in-person programming by many program sponsors since 2019. It will truly be a transitional year. The hope is that parents feel safe and excited about enrolling their children into summer programming at various locations throughout the metroplex.”

The shift back to in-person summer meals is good news for kids who have missed out on the supplemental programming that summer meals providers deliver, such as learning opportunities, arts and crafts, water balloon fights, bounce houses and games. However, due to the loss of many federal waivers that enabled countless local families to weather the financial challenges of the last two years, we do expect to see some program shifts.

Julie Fletcher, director of support services for Dallas ISD’s Food and Child Nutrition Services, explained that although demand for summer meals should be lower this year, North Texas families still need the same level of support due to inflation, rising gas prices, parents working multiple jobs and other factors.

“Nutrition needs for growing children don’t stop at the end of the school year,” Fletcher said. “Summer meals help children bridge the gap from not having school meals. And with supply chain issues and inflation raising the cost of food, families can rely on summer meals to help provide healthy foods for their children.”

Supply chain issues and inflation are also hitting summer meal providers like Dallas ISD. Fletcher said she has seen the cost of some foods increase by up to 40%. Meanwhile, supply chain disruptions have made it nearly impossible to access certain foods and supplies, and staffing shortages are making distributing meals a challenge.

As Kristen Chan, coalition child hunger specialist with Baylor University Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, explains, “Summer meal programs may look very different this year for the kids and families. We all hope for a return to normal, but families need continued help to feed their kids this summer and beyond.”

Support Summer Meals in North Texas

Although summer meals programs are returning to many of their pre-pandemic formats, these are far from normal times. More than ever, summer meals providers will require support from the NTXSSC to ensure they can meet the demand for regular, nutritious meals throughout the summer break.

At United Way, we recognize that childhood hunger is a community problem, and it requires a community-wide solution. Now is the perfect time to join our movement and have a direct and positive impact on North Texas families. This summer, there are two easy ways to get involved:

Give: Investing in United Way of Metropolitan Dallas is one of the most impactful ways to create positive change right here at home. When you make a donation today, your gift will support initiatives like the North Texas Supper & Summer Council, enabling support for our partners who will continue to serve students this summer.
Volunteer: This month, you can sign up to assist with our 2022 Summer Meals Kickoff, held June 22 at Beckley-Saner Rec Center in Dallas. We’re looking for volunteers to host games and activities for kids at this fun-filled community event.

A big thank you to Mr. Cooper Group and Vistra Corp., presenting sponsors of the North Texas Supper & Summer Council Summer Meals kickoff this year. We appreciate your help in bringing awareness to the program and supporting the important work of this year’s summer meals distributors.

Bench & Bar 2022

Written by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas on May 6, 2022. Posted in News & Updates.

This April, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas proudly hosted our annual Bench & Bar event, featuring a panel of local legal experts from some of North Texas’ leading companies.

Our panel included David Huntly, senior executive vice president at AT&T; Stephanie Zapata Moore, executive vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer at Vistra Corp.; and Bryan Stevenson, chief legal officer for Arcosa.

Their engaging conversation ranged from strategies for building strong partnerships between in-house and outside counsel to a discussion of recent changes in the legal environment, including the increased focus on data privacy obligations.

College and Career Readiness Benefits All North Texas

Written by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas on May 2, 2022. Posted in News & Updates. No Comments on College and Career Readiness Benefits All North Texas

This month, tens of thousands of graduating seniors across North Texas are preparing to take their next steps into the world. The stakes are high for each individual student and for our community as a whole. After all, these students are graduating amid a steep 10-year decline in college enrollment and the uncertainty of our current job market.

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, college and career readiness is an important part of our work. We know that when students are empowered with a strong education, they are more likely to go on to achieve financial stability, which also supports a lifetime of good health. These three building blocks of opportunity—education, income and health—are the foundation that enables our neighbors in North Texas to thrive.

College and career readiness programs play a key role in preparing students for success, expanding financial stability, growing our local workforce and ensuring more of our neighbors can access the health care they need. Here, we take a closer look at the importance of these initiatives, as well as how you can help prepare high schoolers for life after graduation.

The Importance of College and Career Readiness

Perhaps now more than ever, students in our community greatly benefit from college and career readiness programs. Over the last two years, COVID-19 has sent shock waves through schools across North Texas, leaving many students feeling uncertain about their post-graduation plans. Are they truly ready for life after high school? Should they apply for college, even though the high cost of tuition is turning many students away? Or should they enter the workforce and hope to work their way up over the years?

For many graduates, these types of decisions have a huge impact on their future financial security. When students aren’t college or career ready, they’re more likely to fall behind after high school. Today, 74% of young adults in North Texas don’t earn a living wage. Without that basic level of financial stability, our young neighbors can really struggle.

College and career readiness also impacts our community as a whole. For North Texas to continue its economic success, our region needs a skilled workforce that is prepared for the jobs and demands of today’s global economy.

Consider these statistics: Eighty-five percent of good-paying jobs in North Texas require education beyond a high school diploma, but only 30% of local students are prepared for college or career training that will qualify them for these jobs. Like so much else in our society, this problem hits people of color hardest: The rates of college readiness are significantly lower for Black (15%) and Latinx (17%) students compared to their white peers (42%).

Advancing Our Goals for North Texas

That’s why as part of our Aspire United 2030 goals, we’re working to increase by 20% the number of young adults in North Texas who earn a living wage. This type of progress won’t only benefit individuals; it will have an enormous impact on our region as a whole, adding nearly $800 million in wages to the local economy every year.

For many North Texas students, these challenges begin well before high school. According to a study from the American Educational Research Foundation, students who are both not reading proficiently by third grade and living in poverty are 13 times less likely to graduate from high school on time compared to their proficient, more affluent peers.

We need programs and initiatives that give young students a strong start in school, better prepare graduates to earn a living wage and help to build a more diverse workforce.

We Prepare North Texans for Success

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we create, lead and invest in programs that give students strong pathways to financial security, while also enabling young adults to get and keep better jobs.

Understandably, most K-12 students don’t intuitively know what they want to do with the rest of their lives. At such a young age, they need exposure and access to the relevant skills, experience and connections that will equip them for a living wage job with career advancement—helping to ensure long-term financial stability and economic mobility.

Our programs and investments take a holistic approach that helps students prepare academically, develop social and emotional skills to ensure well-being, and connect with mentors and resources to persist and graduate ready for the professional workplace.

Many of our programs and partnerships directly impact college and career readiness, including:

Our partnership with AT&T to address the digital divide: In early 2022, we teamed up with AT&T to provide families in Southern Dallas neighborhoods with free laptops, digital literacy training and technology support. The goal of the program is to encourage students to engage in online learning and set them up for success in today’s digital school and job environments.
Dollars for College: This partnership with Communities Foundation of Texas provides easy, low-cost college savings accounts for low-income North Texans, increasing the odds of students attending and completing college.
Once Upon a Month™: This program delivers age-appropriate children’s books to North Texas children every month to encourage language development and spark a love of reading. (It’s never too early to prepare a child for college or a career; in fact, researchers have found that children reading on grade level by the end of third grade are five times more likely to be college or career ready than their peers who aren’t reading proficiently.)
Start Smart Texas: This free text service gives busy parents the tools they need to be confident first teachers for their children, including information on child development, social-emotional learning and other skills that help them succeed in preschool, kindergarten and early grades.

We also work with several community partners to achieve our goals, including:

Big Thought, which provides programs that foster creativity in young people from marginalized communities and prepare them for success in education, work and life.
Cornerstone Crossroads Academy, a second-chance high school located in South Dallas that delivers academic support, vocational preparation, and mentorship to at-risk students.
Education is Freedom, which provides college, career and life-readiness programs to help develop a skilled and educated workforce in North Texas.
Education Opens Doors, a turnkey program that gives teachers the content, training and technology they need to help middle school students navigate and set post-graduation goals.
ScholarShot, a college completion program that helps college students earn vocational, associate or undergraduate degrees through academic and financial support, mentorship and more.
Step Up, a program that matches girls with mentors to prepare them for graduation and empower them to graduate on time.
Uplift Education, whose Road to College program helps prepare students for life after high school and supports them through college and into a career.
Young Women’s Preparatory Network, an initiative that supports college-preparatory, public education for girls, with a goal of giving young women the academic and leadership skills to succeed in college and in life.

Achieve Key Financial Milestones

Written by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas on April 28, 2022. Posted in News & Updates. No Comments on Achieve Key Financial Milestones

These and other obstacles keep many North Texans from achieving financial security, which can also impact their educational opportunities and health.

April is National Financial Capability Month—an important opportunity for individuals to take action to improve their financial futures. If you are one of the many North Texans who is working toward greater financial security, rest assured: It is an achievable goal that will not only benefit you but also have an impact on your family and their future. And United Way of Metropolitan Dallas can be a valuable resource as you start out on that journey.

5 Steps to Improve Your Financial Security

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we create, lead and invest in programs that enable North Texans to get and keep better jobs, build savings and hold on to more of what they earn. Our financial stability programs are designed to support individuals and families with free education, resources and guidance.

Here, we count down five straightforward steps to take during National Financial Capability Month that can improve your financial position:

1. #GetBanked

If you don’t have a bank account, you’re not alone: The FDIC reports that 7.1 million U.S.

Women making a cash withdrawal at an ATM

households lack a relationship with a bank. By signing up for a bank account that meets your needs, you’ll enjoy several benefits:

You’ll know your money is safe and FDIC insured up to $250,000.
You’ll avoid check-cashing fees.
You can use ATMs to withdraw cash.
You can shop online and pay bills from anywhere.
You can keep an eye on how much money you have.
Finally, if you qualify for a tax refund, you’ll receive your money electronically, which is faster and more secure than waiting for a check from the IRS.

These days, it’s easy to find a bank account that offers low or no fees, no overdraft charges, no minimum deposits and other important benefits. Our Financial Resources page has a list of trusted banks that offer affordable, easy-to-use checking and savings accounts. Or, visit the FDIC’s website at fdic.gov/GetBanked to learn more about the benefits of getting banked and to view a helpful checklist that will guide you to the best bank account for your individual needs. (All resources on this page are also in Spanish.)

2. Break Free From Predatory Loans

Predatory loans trap many North Texans in a cycle of debt, where borrowers can end up owing a

payday or auto loan business more than the original loan amount. That’s why it’s important to know about alternatives to predatory loans that allow you to borrow money through organizations that are affordable and fair.

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we partner with several trusted organizations that offer low-cost loans, allowing borrowers like you to quickly access funds and build credit. For example, our partner Society of St. Vincent de Paul offers Predatory Conversion Loans that are designed to pay off payday and auto title lenders by allowing you to convert to a low-interest, one-year loan of up to $4,000 at 3% interest. Capital Good Fund offers another option, the Credit Builder Loan, that enables you to improve your credit score over 12 months.

For more information and to apply for a loan through one of our partner organizations, visit our Financial Resources page.

3. Take Advantage of Free Financial Education Resources

Couple doing home finances together at home

Financial matters can be complicated, which is why it’s so empowering to learn more about things like personal finance, buying a home and saving for retirement. Consider signing up for a financial education class; you might be surprised how helpful the information is for your own financial situation.

These organizations offer a variety of free financial education classes and resources:

Building Wealth (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas): An overview of wealth-building strategies for consumers, as well as community leaders, students and teachers
First United Bank: Financial education materials and resources, including a “Get Out of Debt Coach” and an online budget calculator
Jump Start Coalition: Financial education resources for students and teachers
Money Smart (FDIC): Engaging games, podcasts and parent resources that help people of all ages enhance their financial skills and create positive banking relationships
Ready, Set, Bank.: (Hosted by Capital One) Video guides and step-by-step tutorials that make online banking easy. Also available in Spanish

4. Get Free Financial Guidance

Two female coworkers analyzing reports together at work

While a little financial education is beneficial, learning everything about financial matters would be a full-time job. That’s why a variety of organizations offer free financial guidance with qualified financial coaches who can help you set and meet your financial goals.

To get started, contact one of our partner agencies.

Catholic Charities Dallas: Financial coaching and education, HUD counseling and more
Metrocrest Services: Teaches individuals how to pay off debt, increase savings, improve credit and achieve personal financial goals
The Senior Source: Financial assistance and education, help with frauds and scam, and more
WiNGS Dallas: Financial education, individualized financial coaching, credit-building, benefit screening and more.

5. If You Have Children, Open a College Savings Account

A little financial planning can go a long way toward your children’s future. College savings accounts are especially important: With at least $500 saved, your child is three times more likely to attend college and four times more likely to graduate. And that has a huge ripple effect throughout their life, putting them on a path to a good-paying job, career advancement and financial security.

United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and our partners offer a simple way to save for your child to go to college through Dollars for College, which is currently open to students in Lancaster and Richardson Independent School Districts. The program offers an easy and affordable way to open a my529 children’s savings account for college.

Benefits include:

You can open a Dollars for College account online at any time.
The account is free: no minimum deposits or balance, and no enrollment fees.
There are no age, income or residency restrictions, and you can choose from a range of investment options.
If your child attends Lancaster or Richardson ISD, the district will make an opening deposit of $50 in your child’s account.

Click below to sign up for a Dollars for College account today:

My child attends school in Lancaster ISD: Sign up
My child attends school in Richardson ISD: Sign up

If your child attends a different school district, you can sign up directly for a my529 plan at texascollegesavings.com/enroll. Please note: A regular my529 plan may have different enrollment and deposit requirements.

Get more information here.

Take Control of Your Financial Future

Factors like how much you get paid, whether you’re able to save money and your level of debt can have a huge impact on your quality of life, your health, your family and more. Although financial topics can be daunting, community resources like these can put you and your family in a much better position for a lifetime of financial security.

Family Connects North Texas Expansion

Written by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas on April 19, 2022. Posted in News & Updates. No Comments on Family Connects North Texas Expansion

A Proven Approach

Based on the Durham model, Family Connects is an evidence-based program rigorously evaluated with proven outcomes for improving maternal and child health outcomes that supports parents and caregivers by bringing health care providers, community resources and families together. Research reveals notable results for children and families, including:

94% of families needed one or more links to resources or education
Mothers were 28% less likely to experience anxiety symptoms
50% fewer emergency room visits and hospital overnight stays in the first year of life
More mother-reported positive parenting behaviors, strengthened home environments and improved child safety
Higher likelihood of mothers completing their six-week postpartum health checkups
Increase in families using higher-quality childcare

“Simply being able to talk to someone about how I am feeling, how my baby is feeling has helped a lot,” said Ms. Ihssan Tahir, mother of a two-week-old and a 3-year-old. “I am a second-time mom, but no kid is the same. There are different challenges and different things you may need help with.”

Currently, the program is available across the North Texas region, including portions of Dallas County. United Way and our partners hope to secure continued support to scale the program across the entire county.

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