Barrier Busters

People in our community work hard every day to achieve their goals. When they're living in poverty, it's even harder. Maybe they've been experiencing homelessness; now they have an apartment lined up, but after paying the security deposit, there's nothing left for a utility deposit. So they'll have to keep putting their children to bed in the backseat of their car.

Or maybe someone making minimum wage has a great job offer that pays more. But they need to buy some work boots, and they just can't swing it on their current salary. So the great new job goes to someone else, and they're stuck in a downward spiral.

United Way's new Barrier Busters program can help people break through barriers like this. The program is designed to help people overcome those relatively small things that are keeping them from getting ahead (and that often are not covered by other programs). These expenses may not seem like a lot, but often, they can make the difference between forging a way out of poverty and falling deeper into it.

United Way is working with carefully selected partners to implement Barrier Busters; potential clients are screened for eligibility by partner agencies, and all monies are paid directly to vendors, not to clients. Barrier Busters gives hard-working people that little boost they need to help them achieve their goals.