The East Tennessee Collaborative program is meant to help working families find financial mobility, in case they risk losing public assistance after getting a raise.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The United Way of Greater Knoxville launched a three-year, $25 million project meant to help working families grow their income without losing benefits.
The project is called East Tennessee Collaborative and will work with major organizations in Knoxville such as the United Way, The Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, YWCA, Knox Area Urban League and Centro Hispano.
This new initiative is for working families who feel stuck. Organizers behind it said many families may face a “benefits cliff,” in cases where they may be ineligible for public assistance should their income rise, leaving them in a worse position than before improving their income.
“We’re not really just looking for economic stability, we want to help families find economic mobility and find a life that they really didn’t realize they could have on their own,” Reynolds said.
They said they want to reach and help people from all backgrounds and languages.
“We just want to make sure that anybody that needs our help, is able to easily access it,” said Kaki Reynolds, the director of the program.
The program will set people on a path of economic mobility. Families in the program will be paired up with mentors to walk hand-in-hand on the process. Claudia Mata, from Centro Hispano, is one of the program’s mentors. She said she decided to be a mentor as she was once in their shoes.
“I was there and I had people helping me and I had people supporting me. So it’s easy for me to connect with people in need,” Mata said. “It’s going to be really helpful to be able to connect families, with the organizations that we’re going to be working with.”
Mata immigrated from Mexico and was in search of financial independence. After organizations like Centro Hispano stepped up to help her, she now wants to do the same for others.
For Mata, moving up the ladder means going to school at 50 years old for a degree. She said programs like these make a difference when families don’t know where to turn or to start.
“Because there’s a lot of fear,” she said.
The program is now open for families. Families are eligible if they have a child, are a U.S. citizen, are unemployed or underemployed, and are interested in pursuing economic independence. Contact information for the program is available online.
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