Join us for our next Neighborhood Exchange on November 7 as we discuss how cross-sector partnerships are creating pathways to financial stability for many families. You’ll hear from leaders in business, labor, and non-profits who have banded together to remove barriers, as well as residents who have been impacted by this work.
Last year, when Renay Hopkins lost her job, it was a frustrating and laborious effort to find a new one. While searching, she moved in with her grandmother to save some money. She recommended that Renay visit Austin Coming Together (ACT), a social service organization and United Way partner in her southwest neighborhood.
When Lavelle Shaffer’s first son was born in August 2015, the young West Chicago native was struggling. He became homeless earlier that year after a dispute with family and had only recently found an apartment to call home.
A study from Voices for Illinois Children found that 20 percent of Illinois workers are employed in minimum wage jobs, which currently pay $8.25 an hour. For many Illinoisans, that makes supporting a family arduous, if not impossible. But all hope isn’t lost.