ALICE Saves, National Volunteer Month, Infrastructure Job Fair, Summer Camps

2-1-1 Connecticut | 2-1-1 Child Care | Child Development Infoline | 2-1-1 Counts

April

2019

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

ALICE Saves

A Message from Richard Porth

President/CEO of United Way of Connecticut

Connecticut's United Ways have joined together to promote financial stability for working families by launching ALICE Saves, a statewide initiative designed to help ALICE families achieve a more secure financial future. ALICE Saves combines SaverLife, a proven savings product from the nonprofit EARN, and Trusted Advisor, a financial counseling program operated by Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners.

The 2018 Connecticut United Ways ALICE Report revealed that 40% of Connecticut households cannot afford basic living expenses while 46% do not have enough savings to cover expenses for 3 months.

Savings is a core component of financial health. A savings habit - and the stability it brings - is as important as income. Savings provide a way for families to prepare for short term emergencies and long term assets, like a college education or a home. We are excited to introduce ALICE Saves and help ALICE households develop a lifelong habit of saving. To learn about ALICE Saves, visit www.ctalicesaves.org .

Interested in partnering with Connecticut United Ways to offer ALICE Saves to the individuals you serve? Click HERE to access the ALICE Saves Partner Toolkit.

April is National Volunteer Month

April is National Volunteer Month. Volunteers provide assistance to those in need through a variety of vital services that help improve life in the broader community.

Developed as a collaboration between United Ways and volunteer centers in the state, the Volunteer Connecticut website can help you find opportunities to give back this month and every month. The Volunteer Connecticut website makes it easy for people to connect with the volunteer center that serves their area. Simply select your town, or the town that you wish to volunteer in, and you will be connected to the web site of the United Way/Volunteer Center for that community.

For additional volunteer opportunities visit the Give Help page on the 2-1-1 website or search "Volunteer" at 211ct.org for a list of volunteer options across the state.

Infrastructure Week Job Fair

Infrastructure Week - May 13-20,2019 - is a week-long series of events focused on raising awareness for our country's infrastructure needs. To celebrate Infrastructure Week, consider attending the Infrastructure Job Fair on May 15 at City Hall in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The event is FREE for job seekers and employers.

Nearly 14.5 million workers are employed in infrastructure jobs. Infrastructure occupations often provide more competitive and equitable wages compared to all jobs nationally, consistently paying up to 30 percent more to workers over the past decade.

Event Details:

DATE: May 15, 2019

TIME: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

LOCATION: Bridgeport, City Hall, 999 Broad Street, Bridgeport, CT 06604

Click HERE to learn more about Infrastructure Week and click HERE to register for the Infrastructure Job Fair. You can also Download and share the Infrastructure Job Fair Flyer.

It's Not too Soon to Start Planning for Summer

The State of Connecticut website for children, ConneCT Kids , recently published their 2019 Summer Planning Guide. This guide includes advice for parents and teens about finding summer jobs, volunteer opportunities, summer safety tips and links to summer programs throughout the state.

In addition to ConneCT Kids' new summer guide, 2-1-1 Child Care maintains a comprehensive directory of camps in Connecticut.

The 2-1-1 Child Care search engine allows you to search for camps across the state and filter search results by criteria such as: hours of operation, the accreditations of the camp, cost, and opportunities for financial assistance. Check out 2-1-1 Child Care's Summer Camps page or c lick HERE to download 2-1-1 Child Care's informational guide to summer camps. You can also contact 2-1-1 Child Care online at 211childcare.org or by dialing 2-1-1 and selecting option 2.

The mission of United Way of Connecticut is to help meet the needs of Connecticut and its residents by providing information, education and connection to services.