Creating a stronger financial future for every generation
For families walking a financial tightrope, unable to save for college, a home, or retirement, United Way Southwest Louisiana is here to help.
United Way Southwest Louisiana's Financial Security impact area empowers individuals and families to build a more stable economic future. By offering essential resources such as financial literacy programs, budgeting workshops, and access to job training, they aim to enhance the community's economic well-being. Their Initiatives support individuals in gaining the skills and knowledge needed to make informed financial decisions, ultimately helping to break the cycle of poverty. Through collaborations with local agencies and organizations, United Way is dedicated to fostering an environment where every generation can achieve financial independence and security, paving the way for a stronger, more resilient community.
OUR GOAL
Equip individuals and families with knowledge and skills necessary to move to or stay above the ALICE Threshold
OUR FOCUS
Building financial stability and strength
OUR PRIORITY AREAS
- Adult Education, Job Training & Career Pathways
- Financial Education & Coaching
- Homelessness Prevention & Intervention
OUR ECONOMIC MOBILITY FUNDED PARTNERS
Financial Education: Financial Literacy
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF SWLA
K-12 Economic Education
PROJECT BUILD A FUTURE
Blueprint Incentive Program
Financial Education: Financial Counseling
PROJECT BUILD A FUTURE
Homebuyer Counseling Program
Workforce Development: Job Readiness
CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF SWLA
Employment & ID Program
NEW COVENANT FAITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Bethesda House
Workforce Development: Adult Education
LITERACY COUNCIL OF SWLA
Adult Education & Literacy
Workforce Development: Vocational
BEAUREGARD ARC
Vocational Program
Earnings: Financial Stability
CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF SWLA
Emergency Rent, Mortgage & Utility Assistance
OUR ECONOMIC MOBILITY INITIATIVES
United Way Southwest Louisiana can initiate projects independently in each of our four impact areas. These Initiatives address important community needs that we have identified as critical. They can be used to address emergency needs during natural disasters, or critical community needs not being met by our partner agencies.
Liquid Asset Poverty
What is Liquid Asset Poverty?
The amount of liquid asset savings that households have on hand in order to cover three months of basic living expenses.
- includes cash and financial assets that can be sold quickly
Why does it matter?
Having few or no assets to rely on in the event of a financial setback such as a medical crisis or job loss makes weathering difficult times more stressful and uncertain.
New research shows it can have lifetime impacts on the children in these families as well. Children who grow up in poverty experience increased risks for lifelong hardship.
Experiencing financial insecurity and poverty without the tools to respond when setbacks happen can lead to eviction and a lack of basic necessities.
Productivity has grown 3.5 times as much as worker pay
Economic mobility is influenced by a variety of factors including education, neighborhoods, savings and family structure. Louisiana joins Oklahoma and South Carolina in a PEW Research study showing the worse economic mobility for their citizens than the national average on all three measures investigated.
Economic mobility is also fundamental to the American Dream. The ability to move up or down the economic ladder within a lifetime or from one generation to the next has been essential to the growth of the country.
