Building a strong financial foundation isn’t always easy, but it is possible with the right support. United Way Bay Area is helping residents gain a stronger financial footing through one-on-one coaching. With support from Texas Instruments, a workplace campaign partner, United Way is helping those in need manage their credit, reduce their debt, build their assets and increase their income—resulting in financial stability.
With the second-highest poverty rate in the Bay Area, addressing the wide income gap in Santa Clara County’s struggling communities is a critical step toward ensuring economic growth. Thanks to a $1 million grant from Texas Instruments’ TI Community Fund and other local funders, United Way was able to partner with the San José-Evergreen Community College District Workforce Institute to launch the first SparkPoint Center in Santa Clara County. SparkPoint Centers are family-friendly places where hard-working, low-income people can access a full range of services to help them get out of poverty.
“We are enormously grateful to Texas Instruments for their generosity, partnership and commitment to economic opportunity for every resident in Santa Clara County,” said Anne Wilson, United Way Bay Area’s CEO. “We are eager to provide SparkPoint services to those who need them.”
First launched in 2009, and based on the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Center for Working Families model that showed better results for families accessing multiple services under one roof, SparkPoint Centers have become lighthouses for those seeking financial direction. Offering integrated services like career coaching, job training, personalized plans, credit counseling and financial literacy courses free of charge, the centers are helping people make ends meet, while giving them the knowledge they need to improve their economic outlook. None of it would be possible without the support of partners like Texas Instruments.
A longtime United Way supporter, Texas Instruments continues to make a mark in the Bay Area and beyond. Their commitment to community betterment was recognized on July 19 during the center’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. With partners like Texas Instruments, United Way Bay Area is able to effect positive change locally, while giving those in need the tools, networks and confidence to pave a path toward a better financial future.