Elvis C. of Raytown, Mo. proudly served our country in the Marines, working on aircrafts. Since his time in the service ended in the 1980s, he’s been working full-time. But it hasn’t always been easy.
He turned to Kansas City’s Veterans Community Project for support. He spent two years living on the organization’s tiny home campus.
“They really helped me to get on my feet, and get squared away with a lot of things,” Elvis said.
When he moved out, he’d built up a nice nest egg of savings. He found work through a temp agency, but got injured after about three months on the job. So, without a steady paycheck and the money he owed for a security deposit and fees plus moving costs to get settled into his new home—his cushion was quickly depleted.
“I just recently started working full-time again a few months ago and all that’s made a big difference,” he shared. “But I never got any disability payments. I don’t receive food assistance or anything like that. So, I’ve been on my own trying to get through.”
Elvis had some car trouble and owed money to cover repairs. Coupled with bills that were coming due, he needed some extra cash to stay afloat. He shared his situation with the Veterans Community Project, which is one of more than 20 nonprofit partners participating in United Way’s debit card initiative. Elvis was awarded $1000 of assistance to overcome his financial hardship.
“It was a tremendous help. It really made a big difference,” he said.
Currently in its third round, United Way’s debit card initiative has supported more than 700 households, with an average of $915 in aid awarded. While there is no restriction on how dollars can be expended, recipients have largely used the funds to meet basic, everyday needs including rent, utilities, food, transportation, and healthcare. The average household income of those receiving United Way’s help is barely above $20,000.
“I’m amazed by the generosity of people who support United Way. I really appreciate it,” Elvis said. “A lot of people are going through hard things, ups and downs. The support I’vereceived from VCP and United Way—it has changed my life. It was really needed.”
Give today so United Way of Greater Kansas City can continue to uplift the financial security of neighbors like Elvis.