Benefits Hub Associate VISTA
United Way of King County
Seattle, WA
Contract
Senior Level
Sports
This job was posted on:
Jan 2, 2020
START/END DATE: 3/16/2020 - 3/15/2021
Program Overview
Education leading to higher incomes is one of the best ways to break the cycle of poverty, yet living in poverty makes it that much harder for students to stay in school. Seattle has one of the highest concentration of college students living below the poverty line when compared to cities of similar size—this impacts graduation rates and significantly lowers the number of people who go on to increase earnings and build wealth. Tents are popping up near campus and students struggle to focus in class— according to the 2019 #RealCollege basic needs survey issued by the Hope Center, 17% of students are homeless and 45% do not know where their next meal will come from. Students from high-income families who enter college are now six times more likely than students from low-income families to graduate, and people of color are disproportionately impacted. United Way Benefits Hub focuses our efforts towards connecting students of color, parenting students, and first generation college students with everyday financial tools in order to take steps toward undoing these systemic inequities.
Benefits Hub is a one-stop, coordinated access point for financial resources that connects people seeking a college degree or credential to critical income supports to help them persist and complete their educational goals. In the 2019-2020 school year, Benefits Hub will provide interventions to 10,000 low-income students, majority of whom are people of color, working parents, and first generation students. We will also help 1,500 students improve financial knowledge. As part of a larger AmeriCorps network, this team will accelerate the impact of United Way’s work to lift 50,000 people out of poverty and reduce the unsheltered population by 50%.
Benefits Hub Team
The Benefits Hub team is a dynamic cohort of 14 VISTA AmeriCorps members working in collaboration with AmeriCorps direct service members, community based organizations, and campus faculty and staff. As part of this cohort, you will be supported and provided with guidance, tools, and resources in order to succeed. As a Benefits Hub Associate, you will build the capacity of the Benefits Hub program by developing strong partnerships and referral pathways, planning and implementing a year-long outreach strategy, convening quarterly meetings with on-campus stakeholders, and engaging volunteers in opportunities that help increase financial stability for college students.