United Way Helps People Achieve Financial Stability As many as one-third of working Americans do not earn enough money to meet their basic needs. Wages have not kept pace with the rising cost of housing, healthcare, and education and currently, 40 million Americans are working in low-paying jobs without basic health and retirement benefits. For families walking a financial tightrope, unable to save for college, a home, or retirement, United Way is here to help. Income Facts • More than one in four people in Milwaukee lives in poverty. For children it’s even worse with one in three living in poverty. • Nearly 45% of unemployed individuals do not have a high school diploma. • The majority of poor are underemployed, or working poor. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, over 90% of individuals living below the poverty line worked during the year. • About 25% of the workforce earns less than $9.04 an hour, translating into a full-time salary of $18,800 a year. Our Goal United Way works to cut the number of lower-income families who are financially unstable. With your help, we believe that we can help families get on the road to economic independence. Our Strategy To address the obstacles that prevent hardworking families from getting ahead financially, we help people meet their basic needs, while gaining the financial capability to plan for, and accomplish, their long-term financial goals. We work to increase the number of adults and families who: • Earn enough income to meet daily expenses and basic needs like food and housing • Have skills to gain and sustain employment • Save for and build assets through home ownership or postsecondary education What We’re Doing • Supporting basic needs like emergency food and shelter • Helping hardworking people achieve literacy, increase employment-readiness skills and earn family-sustaining wages • Increasing affordable housing for seniors and families