Press Releases
Statement From United Ways on Golden State Stimulus
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Contact:
Peter Manzo (323) 309-8522
Anna Hasselblad (916) 317-4997
Golden State Stimulus, Eviction Protections, and Rent Relief Urgency Budget Proposal Announced by Governor Newsom with Legislative and United Way Leaders
The stimulus will reach low-income Californians, including undocumented households that file taxes with Individual Taxpayer Identification Number; local leaders note urgency and readiness to connect families to relief
(Los Angeles, CA) — Statement from United Ways of California and Local United Way Leaders:
“Today marks a critical moment in California’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic with Governor Newsom’s Budget Proposal to provide a much needed $600 state stimulus check to low-income residents via the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) structure. This combined with extending eviction protections and providing rent relief funds comes at the right time as so many households struggle to stay afloat financially,” said Peter Manzo, President and CEO of United Ways of California, (UWCA). “Local United Ways throughout California are on the frontlines of connecting communities to services and assistance, raising and disbursing millions of dollars in 2020 alone to help tens of thousands of families grappling with the devastating impacts of COVID-19. 2021 will require a similar commitment to getting aid where it is needed most, and we are ready to partner closely with the Legislature and the Newsom Administration to see this budget proposal through with urgency.”
“The Inland Region is home to more than 5 million people and is diverse, multicultural, and beautiful; it has also been hit hard by the pandemic and housing crisis,” said Lisa Wright, President of Inland SoCal United Way. “We are proud to have responded in a significant way to alleviate suffering in our region with rental assistance, cash aid, small business grants, and crisis assistance through 211 and HelpLine. We offer sincere thanks and gratitude to Governor Newsom and our legislative leadership for stepping up to assist Californians in need through the Golden State Stimulus Package. We are proud to continue to work side by side with local, regional, county, and state leadership to serve our Inland Region to Unite people, ideas, and resources to improve lives every day.”
“These are unprecedented times and financial relief is needed for so many low-income families in our Orange County community. Our Pandemic Relief Fund has already helped 6,078 households with emergency relief. We’re proud to support the Golden State Stimulus efforts to ensure families can continue to pay their rent and meet their basic needs,” said Susan B. Parks, president and CEO, Orange County United Way.
“Our United Way applauds the proposed Garden State Stimulus. We know well how such rapid relief can make a difference having provided over 1,100 families with direct payments of $500 through our relief funds. So much more is needed and this stimulus will certainly ease the burden for so many,” said Stephanie McLemore Bray, President and CEO of United Way of the California Capitol Region.
“United Way of Kern County is grateful for the Governor's proposed Golden State Stimulus. We thank Governor Newson and the legislators for including our low-income individuals and families who have been excluded from the federal stimulus, especially our central valley undocumented households who file taxes with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), and even parents with U.S. citizen children. United Way of Kern County has been doing a lot of work helping struggling families via VITA services, EITC/ Cal EITC outreach, assisting with relief funds and distributing meals during COVID-19, said Mari Perez-Dowling, President & CEO of United Way of Kern County. “It's very exciting to know that the work United Way has done in our communities has a positive impact at this level. Our working low-income families need and deserve to be included in these types of stimulus support regardless of whether they file with a Social Security Number or ITIN."
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Urgent Action Required as Number of California Children Without Healthcare Coverage Skyrockets
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Contact: Unai Montes, 213-476-8742, (Bilingual) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
California United Ways Sound the Alarm as the Percentage of Children Without Healthcare Coverage in California Continues to Rise
Despite Medi-Cal Expansion and Investments in Covered California the Number of California Children Without Health Care Coverage Has Ballooned by 11 Percent
(Los Angeles, CA) – According to a new report released by the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, at least 334,000 California children lacked healthcare coverage in 2019. The number of Americans without health insurance has risen, writ large, since 2016. Yet, Georgetown’s reports confirm the worst fears of California United Ways, and the many anti-poverty and child welfare organizations that joined together to draft, pass, and implement Covering All Children, and Health 4 All Kids, policies less than a decade ago. After making tremendous inroads, and achieving coverage for 95% of California’s children, the percentage of California children without health insurance rose steeply, by approximately 11 percent, between 2016 and 2019. Experts agree that federal actions, such as the change to the public charge rule, are influencing caregivers to either not enroll newly eligible children, and to disenroll, or not-renew coverage for, children already enrolled in publicly subsidized healthcare plans.
United Ways of California Champions Voting Rights Through Statement of Principles and Text VOTE to 211 211 Campaign to Empower Eligible Voters
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, October 6, 2020
CONTACT: Unai Montes, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 213.476.8742
United Way Affirms Voting as a Bedrock of Our Democracy and Means for Achieving the Common Good, and Urges All Those Who Are Eligible to Text VOTE to 211-211
Excerpt from statement by United Ways of California’s President and CEO, Peter Manzo:
[Los Angeles, CA] – United Way mobilizes the caring power of communities for the common good. Today, our role is even more critical than ever. We know that it takes engaged citizens, working in good faith, from all sectors – community, business, labor, government and charitable – to improve the quality of life in our communities. This is why we are committed to expanding participation in our democracy. There is a deep connection between participating in community life and voting. Voting is how we express our hopes and dreams for our shared future. It is also the most fundamental right for all American citizens, upon which all other rights and liberties depend.
That is why ahead of the 2020 General Election, we launched Text VOTE to 211-211, a campaign to provide voters in the Golden State – accessible to voters all across the country – the verified information and accessible resources they need to safely cast their ballots, and have their voices heard. Our mission to fight for the education, health, and financial stability of every person in every community, and the fight to protect the voting rights of every eligible voter in every community, are as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. asserted, “interrelated, and tied in a single garment of destiny.”
Governor Newsom Makes History By Making Immigrant Workers and their Families Eligible for the State's Anti-Poverty Tax Credits
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, September 18, 2020
CONTACT:
Unai Montes, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 213 476 8742 (Bilingual)
California United Ways and Statewide CalEITC Coalition Laud Governor Newsom’s Expansion of the State's Earned Income and Young Child Tax Credits to All Californians Who File Taxes, Not Just Those With Social Security Numbers
[Sacramento, Calif.] – The California Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition, made up of over 60 anti-poverty, immigrant rights, and community-based organizations, applauds Governor Gavin Newsom’s historic decision to sign AB 1876 (Arambula AD-31) into law. Both non-citizen immigrant households, as well as mixed-status families in which one tax filer has a Social Security Number while the other does not, will directly benefit from the expansion of California’s anti-poverty tax credits.
Governor Newsom’s elimination of the arbitrary exclusion of Californians who file their taxes with a federally-issued Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) from the up to $2,982 California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) Tax Credit, and the up to $1,000 Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC) is historic. California is only the second state in the country to take action to address this inequity.
The CalEITC, including the YCTC, is one of the most powerful, immediate, and critical tools that the state has to help lift families out of poverty. Yet for several years, those who file their taxes with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) have been left out. Including ITIN filers in the CalEITC and YCTC will provide critical support to over 600,000 individuals, including over 200,000 children, and will target resources most effectively while reducing inequality, stimulating the economy, and counterbalancing recessionary impacts that hit immigrant communities and communities of color the hardest.
Digital Divide Coalition Calls-Out ISPs and Government Officials, and Issues 10-Part Call-To-Action
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, August 20, 2020
Contact: Unai Montes, (Bilingual) 213 476 8742, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">
50 Member Coalition Calls on California’s Leaders to Address the Digital Divide as a Constitutional Crisis and Demand Transparency and Accountability from Internet Service Providers
Organizations Across the State Demand Specific Changes to Private Sector Practices and Public Sector Policies to Connect Every Student In Every Community to Distance Learning, but Caution That Those Who Live in Once Redlined Communities, and Those in “Last Mile” Areas Face Additional Barriers
#DigitalRedlining #DistanceLearning #StudentsRights
[LOS ANGELES, CA] – As students across the Golden State commence the 2020-21 academic year in a near 100 percent distance learning environment, a statewide coalition of 50 education-mission-driven organizations is making direct calls to action to both Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and elected officials.
In a letter addressed to Governor Newsom, Superintendent Thurmond, Senator Leyva, and key lawmakers; the coalition spells-out how ISPs, local education agencies, and decision-makers in the public and private sectors can and should rectify the status quo, and identifies specific policies and practices that should be introduced, as well as ones that must be abolished. For example, the letter illustrates how the free- and reduced-price school meals program already in place can and should serve as a vehicle to connect low-income households without delay. No further action should be required on the part of any student or caregiver for a home Internet connection and hardware to arrive in that student’s hands.
United Ways of California Denounces the Federal Decision to Halt the 2020 Census Count Made in the Wake of an Executive Order that Seeks to Skew Apportionment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
Contact: Unai Montes, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 213.476.8742
United Ways of California Joins Over 500 Philanthropic Leaders in Denouncing Federal Decision to Eliminate the Final Month of 2020 Census Operations:
UWCA President and CEO, Peter Manzo, along with grantmaking executives across the United States, wrote to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, and Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham, stating that the decision to stop collecting household data on September 30, (instead of October 31) will prove detrimental to hard-to-count Americans who have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic
[Los Angeles, CA] – United Ways of California, the statewide organization supporting California’s network of 30 local United Ways, has called on U.S. Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross, and U.S. Census Bureau Director, Steven Dillingham, to rescind their decision to drastically cut short 2020 Census operations, and to restore their commitment to conducting the constitutionally-mandated count through October 31, as previously announced. Peter Manzo, President and CEO of United Ways of California, is joined by the leaders of over 500 nonprofit funders across the country, in calling on the federal government to devote adequate time to the significant enumeration and data processing that remains unfinished. This correspondence reflects an unprecedented consensus among national, state and local grantmakers and philanthropic institutions that have given more than $100 million to help ensure a full and accurate count.
The Administration plans to end not only door-to-door census enumeration, but to close self-response operations as well. Please click here to view the letter and list of signatories.
While Taxes are Due Today United Ways of California Says ‘It May Not be Too Late to Do Your Taxes, for Free, with Expert Guidance’
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 15, 2020
Contact: Unai Montes, (213) 476-8742, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Press READ MORE for Spanish version
United Way offers free tax filing services, guidance and tax credit advice to Californians already struggling with the pandemic and increasing financial insecurity
LOS ANGELES, CA (July 15, 2020) ‒ This past week United Ways of California has been running a Tax Countdown Informational Series in the media to inform low to middle-income hardworking Californians about critical tax information, key deadlines and free solutions at United Way’s MyFreeTaxes.org site. Today (July 15) is the deadline to file a tax return and pay federal taxes. If filers don’t owe taxes above what has been withheld from their paychecks already, they receive an automatic additional extension to file federal and state taxes until October 15. If filers think they owe taxes but aren’t ready to file a return, they must request an extension, or they may be hit with penalties and interest due on the amount owed. In either case, it is still a good idea to file and pay sooner than later.
Several Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites, partners, subgrantees, and MyFreeTaxes.org will continue to operate until October 15, 2020. The website helps people get connected to services that provide free, virtual assistance to those who still need to do their taxes. Any immediate tax questions can be answered by calling 1-866-698-9435, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, PST. Additionally, you can text TAXES to 211-211 to get guidance.
“Filing taxes is nobody’s favorite thing, and it’s an especially daunting task during the complexities of COVID-19,” says Peter Manzo, President and CEO of United Ways of California. “We’re trying to break down the information into actionable items so individuals and families don’t lose money through unnecessary interest payments and may even find additional money through tax credits,” Manzo added.
United Ways of California Helps Californian Families Count Down to July 15 Tax Filing Deadline: ‘You May Qualify for Additional Credits; Ask Free Tax Experts’
FOR RELEASE July 14, 2020
Contact: Unai Montes, (213) 476-8742, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For Spanish Version, Click READ More
United Way encourages tax filers with children under 6 to see if they qualify for California’s $1000 Young Child Tax Credit
LOS ANGELES, CA (July 14, 2020) ‒ California United Ways want to inform low to middle-income hardworking families that it is still not too late to file 2019 taxes for the impending July 15* federal deadline and they may even be able to receive additional money with state credits like the Young Child Tax Credit. This tax credit enables those who qualify for another tax credit, California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC), and have a child under the age of 6 as of the end of the tax year to receive an additional $1,000 credit. Families can claim this credit by filing or amending a state income tax return. United Way’s MyFreeTaxes.org hotline and texting options provide several ways to aid Californians with their taxes in a free, quick, and trustworthy way. Any immediate questions pertaining to tax filing can be answered by calling 1-866-698-9435, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., PST, Monday through Friday. Additional tax guidance can be found by texting Taxes to 211-211.
Research shows that families who receive additional tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit, have, who do better in school, and are more likely to attend college, and earn more as adults.
“The Young Children’s Tax Credit can make a crucial difference for lower-income and vulnerable families,” said Peter Manzo, President and CEO of United Ways of California. “Especially during this difficult-to-navigate pandemic, we want to spread the word so that as many families as possible claim the credits they deserve.
Many families also may not realize they can file retroactively for up to three years of refundable credits that they did not claim in prior years,” Manzo added. The extension for filing this year applies retroactively, so you can get the help you need to file your returns for 2019, 2018, 2017, and even 2016.
To schedule a virtual visit to complete taxes with the help of a volunteer tax preparer, click here.
United Ways of California Helps Californians Count Down to July 15 Tax Filing Deadline: ‘Know the Facts; File for Free’
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 13, 2020
Contact: Unai Montes, (213) 476-8742, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Spanish Version is available when clicking READ MORE.
United Way “Tax Preparation Checklist” helps tax filers better prepare and file their taxes virtually with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders
LOS ANGELES, CA (July 13, 2020) ‒ California United Ways and partner Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs across the state are making their services available virtually, for hard-working, low to middle-income California workers who have just a few remaining days to file their taxes before the extended deadline of July 15, 2020.* United Way’s MyFreeTaxes.org, a hotline, and texting options provide several ways to aid Californians with their taxes in a free, quick, and trustworthy way. Any immediate questions pertaining to tax filing can be answered by calling 866-698-9435, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. PST. Additional guidance can be found by texting TAXES to 211-211.
“With COVID-19, in-person tax appointments might be unsettling for high-risk individuals, or visits may have been postponed while trying to wait out the climbing number of positive cases,” said Peter Manzo, President and CEO of United Ways of California. “United Ways wants Californians to know the facts, to get informed and to explore all their options for a free, safe, and virtual option, that in many cases can help you find additional sources of income through tax credits,” Manzo added.
To schedule a virtual visit, click here. Proceed through the dialogue box and enter in the required information to set up your virtual vita appointment.
Approaching the Last Weekend before Taxes are Due Wednesday, July 15: United Ways of California says ‘It’s Not Too Late to Do Your Taxes, Free, with Expert Guidance’
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 10, 2020
Contact: Unai Montes, (213) 476-8742, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Please go to READ MORE for the Spanish version.
United Way offers free tax filing services as Americans struggle with financial insecurity in the midst of the pandemic
July 10, 2020 (Los Angeles, CA) -- During these especially financially pressing times, United Ways of California is providing a free way to make a stressful task much less difficult. United Ways of California continues to build resiliency and financial security for vulnerable populations and hard-working, lower-income Californians by establishing and amplifying critical resources. Visit MyFreeTaxes.org to get help with tax filings which are due next week, postmarked on or before Wednesday, July 15, to get connected to services that provide free, virtual assistance to those who still need to do their taxes. Additionally, you can text TAXES to 211-211 to get guidance.
While July 15 is the deadline to file a tax return and pay federal taxes, if you don’t request an extension and/or pay by July 15, you may be hit with penalties and interest due on the amount you owe. It is still a good idea to file and pay sooner than later. You can still apply for an additional extension to file federal taxes until October 15 and for California state taxes you have an automatic extension to file the return. If you are getting a refund, the penalty to file is not assessed and you can file and claim a refund for up to three years for the federal and four years for the state from the due date. Several VITA sites, partners, subgrantees, MyFreeTaxes.org will continue to operate until October 15, 2020.
CalEITC Expanded to Include ITIN Tax Filers With Young Children
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 23, 2020
Contact: Unai Montes-Irueste, Communications Director, United Ways of California, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 213 476 8742
United Ways of California Praise Governor Newsom and Legislative Leaders for Expanding Earned Income Tax Credit to Immigrant Workers with Young Children; Call for Urgent Full Inclusion
“Great Start, Right Direction, More to Do”
(Los Angeles, CA) – After years of advocacy, especially on behalf of low-income workers, United Ways of California applauds Governor Newsom and the California Legislature for extending the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) to working taxpayers whose households include filers who use an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) and have young children under 6 years of age. This is a good step, but there is more California needs to do to meet the urgent needs of low-income working families. The expansion agreed to by the Governor and Legislature will reach approximately 32,000 to 46,000 tax filers and their families, leaving out a vast majority of ITIN filers, including over 178,000 children. With income disparities growing throughout the state, California’s advocates have been pushing for an inclusive CalEITC for over five years. Now, with a looming recession, California needs this inclusive policy to protect the state’s nearly 600,000 individuals and their families, who are excluded from federal pandemic support, from falling deeper into poverty, and also to boost spending to help local economies recover.
2020-21 State Budget Deal: CalEITC Coalition Statement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JUNE 22, 2020
Contact: Unai Montes-Irueste, Communications Director, United Ways of California, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Sumeet Bal, Communications Director, California Immigrant Policy Center, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Shimica Gaskins, Executive Director, Children’s Defense Fund California, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
California Advocates Praise Legislative Leaders on Earned Income Tax Credit Inclusion for Immigrant Workers with Young Children; Call for Urgent Full Inclusion
(Los Angeles, CA) – California’s Legislature took a stand for children today by insisting the final state budget deal agreed upon with Governor Newsom includes filers who use an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) and have children under 6 in the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC). During a time of budget deficits, this win was hard-fought for immigrant workers and families who too often are excluded from the most basic public support.
Today the CalEITC Advocacy Coalition recognizes the work of so many leaders critical to ensuring this milestone was reached, including community voices, Legislative Budget Leadership, Legislative Caucuses, big-city Mayors, and economic experts. This partial inclusion will reach approximately 32,000 to 46,000 immigrant tax filers and their families – families who are bearing a disproportionate share of COVID-19-related job losses. We cannot overstate the impact that expanding the most powerful poverty-fighting tool will have for families with young children who for too long have been working and paying into a tax system that discriminates against them, simply for the number they use to file taxes.
Black Lives Matter: Our Collective Commitment to Racial Justice
Contact: Unai Montes, (213) 476-8742, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(Statewide statement on behalf of our network of California United Ways) — Californians from every background and generation are braving a global pandemic to march for racial justice. All across the Golden State, we are saying the names George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and too many more Black Americans who have been unjustifiably killed by police.
California’s United Ways share in the deep sorrow and anger of our neighbors, and we stand in solidarity with those demanding justice and change in order to overcome the continued loss and devaluing of Black lives, rooted in a deeply painful history of violence and police brutality against our communities of color, particularly our Black communities.
United Way’s mission is to fight for the education, health, and financial stability of every person in every community. Everyone deserves the opportunity to be healthy, to learn, and to live with dignity. Our society has an obligation to work to remove barriers for and provide support for all people. We must work for concrete changes in policy and policing to reduce risk to Black and Brown lives. We must fight for equity, recognize that our communities of color deserve more than life, they deserve hopes and dreams, the right to access quality schools, safe and affordable neighborhoods, jobs and careers with economic mobility.
United Ways of California Rolls Out KinshipCareCA.org, a Kinship Navigator, to Celebrate World Foster Day on May 31
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 29, 2020
Contact: Unai Montes, (213) 476-8742, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
United Ways of California Rolls Out KinshipCareCA.org, a Kinship Navigator, to Celebrate World Foster Day on May 31
New statewide website offers kinship and foster families access to critical resources, services and live help call specialists
(Los Angeles, CA) — Preparing for World Foster Day on May 31, United Ways of California, the state network of California United Ways, and California Department of Social Services today announce plans to roll out a new website, KinshipCareCA.org, a free, one-stop navigator to meet the immediate needs of kinship caregivers and foster parents, helping them locate nearby resources, access benefits, and/or receive general support via its online search feature and dedicated team of highly trained call specialists. The website is aimed to increase the capacity of kinship caregivers in providing safe, stable, and nurturing homes for children in their care.
Economic Justice Advocates Respond to Governor’s May Revise: Stop Excluding Californians From CalEITC; Critical to COVID-19 Recovery
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 14, 2020
Contact: Unai Montes, (213) 476-8742, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Economic Justice Advocates Respond to Governor’s May Revise: Stop Excluding Californians From CalEITC; Critical to COVID-19 Recovery
United Ways of California together with a coalition of 60 organizations make urgent plea, highlight need for outreach to eligible households to access poverty-fighting power of earned income tax credit
(Los Angeles, CA) — In response to the Governor’s May Revision to the proposed 2020-2021 state budget announced today, United Ways of California and a coalition of 60 organizations thank Governor Newsom for continuing the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) program, but call out continuing to exclude hundreds of thousands of working taxpayers from anti-poverty tax credits designed to reward work.
“Now more than ever we need to make California, a California for all,” says Peter Manzo, President and CEO of United Ways of California. “While we applaud the Governor for keeping the CalEITC in the budget, all hard-working, tax-paying Californians regardless of their immigration status deserve equitable treatment, most especially during this pandemic,” Manzo added.
More Articles ...
- California United Ways Announce Statewide Relief Fund to Support those Impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Coalition Calls on Governor Newsom to Make CalEITC Available to Immigrant Workers Unable to Access Federal Safety-Net Programs
- Statement by Peter Manzo, President & CEO of United Ways of California Regarding Governor Newsom's January 2020-21 Budget Proposal
- Joint statement on opportunity to invest in proven program to bridge silos and facilitate partnerships between schools and nonprofit service providers
- Joint statement on the ongoing exclusion of ITIN tax filers from CalEITC/Young Child Tax Credit
