Are you someone with class privilege or know people with financial freedom?
Y-WE youth and alumni (and their families) frequently face financial challenges that lead to housing insecurity, disruption of basic needs being met, feeling stuck in abusive environments (abusive landlords, parents, partners and other family members), inability to pursue or finish higher education, increase in mental health challenges while also facing barriers in mental health care, medical debt, personal debt and more. Things that have been helpful for us to be able to provide in the past include:
Direct Aid (formerly known as our mutual aid fund): During COVID shutdowns, we received a grant that allowed us to distribute $$ to struggling families quickly and with minimal intrusion. This money has also been pivotal in helping a Y-WE alum exit an abusive relationship by enabling them to break the lease and move out immediately. We are hoping to garner enough monetary support to revitalize and sustain this kind of funding. Since running out of these funds last year, we've had to refer young people facing eviction, utility shut offs and living under abusive landlords out to resources that may or may not have the capacity to support them. This is often exacerbated by barriers created by a lack of language access, being undocumented (which disqualifies you from receiving public benefits, health insurance and financial aid), traumatic events and mental health challenges. Please consider making a donation (or commit to donating monthly) to help us cultivate abundance and bring back direct aid.
"Sponsoring" a family: In the past, we have had donor(s) who offered to support a Y-WE family by offering them a monthly payment for a year. If this is something you or someone you know has the economic capacity for, this is one impactful way to redistribute expendable income and offer consistent safety nets to families who could use the support WITHOUT waiting for crisis.
Creative ways to give beyond traditional monetary donations
