At 18-years-old, Sage is trying to make her way in the world. Sage identifies as LGBTQ+ and was forced to grow up really young, after being kicked out of her mother’s home when she was just a high school freshman.
“Luckily my uncle helped me and took me in and that’s where I was able to stay at first,” Sage said. “But unfortunately, that situation became unstable. So I was just trying to push through until I could actually get my own place.”
But the living situation became so untenable, she decided to move in with her partner. However, the family was not on board, so she was once again on the verge of homelessness, when her boss stepped in, offering her a place to stay.
“They’ve been very sweet. While I was living with them, I was able to apply for transitional living houses and that’s where I’m currently staying,” Sage said.
Figuring out how she was going to navigate the expenses of independent living has not been easy. She’s glad to have been connected with a case worker from United Way of Greater Kansas City Impact 100 partner, Avenue of Life in Kansas City, Kan.
“I really don’t know where I would be right now if I didn’t have all of these support systems that helped me get through this tough time,” Sage shared.
In order to keep her housing, Sage needed to maintain steady employment. The only problem—her job wasn’t on the bus line. And without a car, the most reliable way to get to and from work would be to use a rideshare service, but over time, that would be very costly. As luck would have it, her Avenue of Life case worker told Sage about United Way’s debit card program, which provides direct assistance to help foster financial stability.
“It was really nice because honestly, if I didn’t have that card, I probably wouldn’t even be able to work over there and earn money,” said Sage. “All of my money that I made from work would have gone into that, transportation. And it would’ve been a much bigger struggle to keep everything else going.”
Sage also recently started college classes, with hopes of becoming a nurse.
“I know I wouldn’t have made it this far without everyone’s support,” she shared. “I don’t even know what I can say. They really did help a lot. I don’t think anyone could show how very appreciative I am for their support.”
Since this spring, the second phase of the program, United Way’s debit card program has supported 542 households across 20 partner nonprofits and three United Way direct support programs, with total aid surpassing $503,000.