To help protect our client’s identity and confidentiality, we will be using a pseudonym. Meet Carla. Carla was 28 years old, pregnant, and had recently lost her business. This impacted her financially. Being the head of her household, Carla also found herself struggling with the ever-increasing food prices. Carla needed to find support within the community.
That support came to Carla when she was connected to the El Paso United Community Resiliency Center (CRC) and her resiliency navigator, Avelyn. The CRC is a United Way program that oversees and leads resiliency efforts and connects individuals and families facing financial instability to vital services. Last year alone, the CRC distributed more than $2 million for rental and utility assistance, and 1,919 referrals were made for basic needs assistance. The center is a virtual platform that provides direct case management and resource navigation services.
Resiliency navigators like Avelyn are dedicated experts, providing guidance and assistance. They specialize in helping El Pasoans navigate complex systems, helping to connect them to vital resources and programs. From mental health services to healthcare assistance and workforce development, the CRC’s resiliency navigators stand ready to simplify the journey, offering personalized support and advocacy.
Avelyn went to work to not only help Carla gain housing assistance but to a wide variety of critical resources and programs throughout the community. Avelyn assisted Carla with applications for Texas Utility Help, Project Bravo, and Women Infants and Children (WIC). Avelyn was also able to connect Carla to the United Way’s Parents as Teachers Program (PAT).
“It’s always rewarding to help a client, especially when you see them empowered to continue to move forward in their self-sufficiency journey. I feel very honored to get to do that for some of the people we serve.” Avelyn explains.
Today, Carla has secured housing, utility assistance, and is now enrolled in WIC. With her newfound support, Carla created a plan to find employment once she delivered, wrote a resume, and applied for childcare services.
Our United Way’s impact reaches far and wide in the El Paso community, and it touches all walks of life. Stories such as these show how your generous donations—big and small—from donors like you are helping Our United Way connect the dots and fill the gaps in our community. We turn your contributions into support for El Pasoans to create shared prosperity in our community.