When Ezra W. graduated with his degree and landed his first job at an advertising firm, he thought he was firmly on the path to success. But like many young professionals navigating adulthood, life threw him some unexpected challenges that made things tough.
“Being that this was my very first firm, I wasn’t prepared to be laid off,” Ezra shared. “It wasn’t necessarily due to performance or anything like that, just the way that the industry goes.”
With inflation rising and no financial cushion to fall back on, the layoff was a major blow. Ezra was supporting not only himself, but also a family member, and his dog.
“As someone who followed all the rules–you graduate high school, go to college, invest, save, get the job, join all the boards, everything is supposed to work out,” he shared. “That was a really discouraging time to have a taste of reality in the most inconvenient way possible.”
After learning about United Way 211 through an attorney who helped him navigate a potential eviction, Ezra reached out and was able to get help covering several months of back rent, keep his credit intact, and hold onto the stability he needed to keep moving forward. Shortly after, he landed what he now calls his dream job in advertising.
“With the help of this aid, the grass was truly greener. Everything just fell right into its place,” he shared.
Ezra credits community—for both his survival and his recovery. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, he emphasized the importance of having a chosen family and mutual support, especially in times of crisis.
“I would say as someone who is in the LGBTQ+ community, a common thread that a lot of us have is the lack of family, the lack of support,” he said. “Everyone needs someone. I wouldn’t encourage anyone to be in a situation to where you didn’t do your part to make sure that your neighbor was okay. That’s the importance of community. Whether you know them or not, it helps to have someone care.”
Today, Ezra is thriving. He has stable housing and a fulfilling career after weathering a time when a little extra support made all the difference.
“Your aid goes beyond one person. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful forms of advertisement, and when you’re able to really touch someone’s heart, touch someone’s life in a way that they just naturally bring your name up and say, ‘Hey, this is someone to trust, this is an organization to trust,’ that’s light years of impact,” he said.
With the support of our community, United Way of Greater Kansas City can fulfill its mission and leave a lasting impact on the lives of our neighbors. To support this work and other initiatives United Way is leading in our region, visit here. To learn more about the work we are doing to uplift our community, visit here.