June 15, 2023

United Way of Pennsylvania

On June 6th, 2023, nine local United Ways and the United Way of Pennsylvania joined together for a day of advocacy at the Capitol in Harrisburg. Hill Day is an annual event that serves as a time for United Way's to speak with their legislators about a variety of policy priorities and localized initiatives. Hill Day also serves as an opportunity for United Ways to share their perspective on meaningful proposals that address the needs of struggling households, and to reinforce our commitment to improving the lives of all Pennsylvanians.

At the center of our advocacy and policies are ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households. In the state of Pennsylvania, 27% of households are ALICE, and an additional 12% fall below the Federal Poverty Level, totaling 39% of households who struggle to make ends meet. Because ALICE households face so many financial barriers, United Ways support polices that are designed to uplift families with the intention to create financial stability. To hear about the barriers that ALICE households face, visit our YouTube page.

This year, the conversation encompassed a variety of topics, including our cornerstone policy proposal, Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The passionate advocacy spearheaded by our local United Ways for House Bill 1272, which proposes an elective, refundable state EITC at 25%, greatly aided in its bipartisan passage through the House of Representatives by a vote of 122-81 on June 12th, 2023. The Senate companion bill is likely to be introduced in the coming days, and we need your help to urge your senator to support enactment of a 25% elective, refundable EITC.

United Way members also spoke about the need for enhanced investment in PA 211, by the Commonwealth. A vital tool used to connect Pennsylvanians with resources that address basic needs insecurity, PA 211 was accessed over 928,000 times in 2022. With pandemic supports coming to an end, and requests, especially for housing assistance, continuing to rise, we emphasized the importance of increased annual funding from $750,000 to $2 million.  Additional Commonwealth dollars will support continued investment in staff, training, and the general infrastructure of PA 211.

One of the most important basic needs many households continue to struggle with is child care. In 2022, over 135,00 children under the age of 5, and more than 83,000 infants and toddlers that were eligible for subsidy were unserved due to staffing shortages, leading to classroom closures. At the center of this crisis are child care staff who earn less than $12.50 per hour, which puts these essential employees in the ALICE category of households. For parents with children, child care serves as a bridge to work. For ALICE Households, access to high-quality affordable child care means the ability to work regularly and consistently.

To stabilize the child care industry, we need to ensure that child care teachers are paid a wage that is commensurate with their education, and the vital role they play in ensuring the development of our children, and the ability of parents to work. That is why local United Ways and United Way of Pennsylvania encouraged our elected officials to provide adequate and meaningful funding to address child care worker wages.

Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care? (Benefit) What do I want them to do here? (Call-to-Action)

Create a great offer by adding words like "free" "personalized" "complimentary" or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take an action, so think about inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining"!