United Way of Tucson has collected
$563,232 to help individuals and families in our Southern Arizona community.
United For Southern Arizona
COVID-19 Fund Updates:
As we pivot now from Response to Recovery, your United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona is excited to share bi-weekly updates related to our United for Southern Arizona COVID-19 Fund. Funds raised are used to help local individuals and families in our community as we work towards recovering and rebuilding our community from the COVID-19 crisis. It is only through your generosity that we are able to create a positive impact in the lives of others. Thank you for making this possible! Read on below for individual stories of impact, volunteer opportunities and other important updates.
Partner Agencies:
Community Stories
Thanks to the generous support of our funders and donors like you, United Way of Tucson has been able to help individuals and families start to recover and rebuild their lives in conjunction with our partner organizations. Below you will read the stories of these individuals and how they have been directly affected during this COVID-19 crisis and how United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona is stepping in to help with direct programing.
Dealing with Unemployment and Furloughs
From La Frontera Center: “Patricia* lives in Tucson with her husband, Martin*. For as long as both can remember, both Patricia and Martin have worked more than one job to bring in enough money to pay rent and meet their expenses. Money became a little tighter when one of their grandsons came to live with them a few years ago, but they have always managed to make it work. Lately, a bulk of the family’s income has come through Patricia’s position on the custodial staff of a large local company. When Patricia, who speaks limited English, was informed that she had been furloughed, at first she wasn’t clear about what it meant. She reached out to a LaFrontera staff member to learn more about the furlough process and what it might mean for the family’s finances. With United for Southern Arizona COVID-19 Funds, we were able to help Patricia, Martin, and the grandson receive immediate assistance to pay pending bills due to the sudden loss of income from her furlough. We are also working with Patricia to help her navigate next steps and determine when and if she can return to her custodial job.”
United Way of Tucson Response:
Direct Care Workforce Resource
Unemployment and sudden furloughs caught many families off-guard when the pandemic hit our community back in March. In the first few months of our fund, nearly 90% of the requests to the United for Southern Arizona COVID-19 Fund cited a lost job, reduced hours, or a furlough as a primary reason for needing assistance. Few households living paycheck-to-paycheck had enough emergency savings to hold them over until they could find a new job or receive unemployment benefits. United Way support helped fill a critical gap for hundreds of these families. But now, as many of individuals move to reenter the workforce, they face a changing landscape and questions about which jobs can provide long-term stability. 
Amidst the Pandemic, the healthcare industry continues to grow, and the need for qualified caregivers is only increasing. United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona with funding from Mercy Care is committed to strengthening the direct care workforce and expanding opportunities to pursue careers in this field. Through our new Direct Care Workforce Resource, United Way is proud to offer free wraparound support to individuals interested in becoming direct care workers (DCWs).
Specifically, United Way will cover the cost of candidates to participate in a multi-day, skills-based training with Pima Care at Home as well as required expenses such as CPR/First Aid training, TB tests, and background checks. Candidates also receive one-on-one support from United Way’s Community Health Worker to navigate enrollment and training. Upon completion of the training, individuals receive a state-recognized DCW training certificate, and our Community Health Worker helps ensure that their information is entered into the statewide Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) database. This database helps match DCWs with available jobs, and our Community Health Worker also provides additional job placement assistance.  
 
November is National Family Caregiver Month. In addition to helping new DCWs join the field, the Direct Care Workforce Resource is an excellent opportunity for individuals already providing family care. In many cases, family care providers with ALTCS/AHCCCS insurance are eligible for compensation if they hold DCW credentials. For more information about the Direct Care Workforce Resource or to sign up yourself, visit https://www.unitedwaytucson.org/directcare.
Additional Resources
We need your help to keep
Southern Arizona United
We need your continued support to help our community recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 Crisis. For nearly 100 years, your United Way of Southern Arizona has been fulfilling our mission of mobilizing the community to solve real-time problems. Your gift to this fund will quickly support a child, family, or older person with what they need most as our community heals. Together, we can help each other and our community emerge from this stronger than ever. When we LIVE UNITED, we can achieve more than any single entity can alone. When you GIVE UNITED, you can change lives.