Forging Pathways out of Poverty: Supporting Low-Income Parents through Essential Resources
Stop by CWEE on a Thursday afternoon and there is a good chance you’ll find Michael, our Director of Operations, unloading strollers, car seats and cribs from his truck to bring inside the office for CWEE families in need. Take a trip to the second floor, and find these items, along with diapers and wipes, waiting to be picked up by a parent in need. Baby gear is just one of the many resources CWEE provides for participants who are living in poverty and often cannot afford these essential items on their own.
Poverty is a persistent and pervasive crisis impacting millions of families nationwide. With rising inflation and a growing cost of living, low-income families face expensive bills and very little money to pay them. This is especially true for those receiving government financial assistance. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is the federal program that began in 1996, replacing traditional welfare programs.
Funding for TANF was set at a fixed rate upon its creation in 1996. This rate has not increased since TANF’s inception nearly 30 years ago – as a result, the actual value has decreased by over 40% due to inflation.
Each state was allotted funding in 1996 based on then-current demographics and population, and this funding has not changed since. For states like Colorado which have experienced significant population growth in the last 30 years, this means there are many more families needing support and far less money to go around.
All CWEE participants receive TANF benefits as they work to overcome significant barriers to gaining and maintaining employment. A single parent with two children in Colorado receives just $559 a month – and must participate in 20-30 hours of work activities each month, such as going to college, progressing towards a GED or participating in an internship, to remain eligible for assistance. CWEE participants utilize their TANF assistance for rent, utilities, transportation, school supplies, household goods, and so much more. The rising cost of living in the Denver area means TANF recipients struggle greatly to cover their monthly living expenses.
That’s why CWEE provides essential resources to help offset some of the everyday costs of raising a family. These additional resources ensure participants have enough money each month to maintain the basic needs of a growing family.
On the garden level of the CWEE building is an important work preparatory resource—the CWEE boutique. Through the boutique, CWEE provides professional clothing to CWEE participants and clients from partner organizations at no cost to help them make a great first impression at the interview or dress to impress once they’ve landed the job. The boutique offers everything our career-seekers need for a business-casual wardrobe, from suits and shoes to accessories.
We’re working to expand the boutique’s inventory to give participants greater choice and access, ensuring anyone in need of professional clothing can find a size and style that suits their needs. We were thrilled to work with volunteers from KeyBank last week on our boutique expansion project. They helped sort clothing by style and size, build shoe racks, and put out new inventory.
With this expansion, we will nearly double the size of the boutique and the amount of clothing available to participants!
Each month, essential resources support hundreds of CWEE families. In May, CWEE provided diapers to 49 families, 29 baby gear items were distributed, 50 families accessed our food pantry, and 43 hygiene kits were requested by participants for themselves and their children.
Want to get involved in supporting CWEE families through essential resources? We’re accepting donations for our Backpack Giveaway event this August! Summer may have just arrived, but back to school season will be here before we know it, along with a long list of school supplies that, for many low-income families, bring financial burden and worry.
Help CWEE families go back to school in style by using our Amazon Wishlist to donate school supplies to a family in need.
Want to host a drive with your employer, faith community or sports team?
Reach out to our team at info@cwee.org for more information!