CINCINNATI (Feb. 27, 2023) — Not yet a year old, a bright-eyed girl named Hope happily parades around the room on wobbly legs.

“Look at her!” her 30-year-old mother, Taylor, says in their Colerain Township apartment.

The joyful moment stands in sharp contrast to the uncertainties Taylor faced early in 2022. She was unable to work because of her high-risk pregnancy. She worried about staying financially solvent.

“I prayed a lot,” says Taylor, who also has a 12-year-old son. “I was trying to remind myself I can only do so much, and some stuff is out of my control.” 

She rejoiced when Hope was born healthy. By then, with help from a parenting network, she had connected with a sponsor agency of United Way’s Project Lift.

Project Lift helps families achieve financial stability by removing barriers that prevent them from securing sustainable income. It offers flexible, tailored, short-term assistance critical to achieving long-term success.

What it meant for Taylor: 

• Until she earned her first paycheck with a county agency, Project Lift provided $100 for gas. “I needed that to get to work. That really helped out,” she says. 
• Project Lift paid for a washer and dryer. “I know some people take things like that for granted. Now, I don’t have to haul all these clothes (to the laundromat). I don’t have to take my baby out in the cold or snow or rain.” 
• Taylor completed a six-month financial stewardship course offered by a Project Lift sponsor agency. The course, funded by United Way through a community grant, covered topics such as credit, taxes, debt elimination and more. She is taking advantage of the program’s savings match plan.

“I’m just appreciative of everything,” Taylor says, watching her daughter toddle around the room. “I’m trying to make sure my children have a good life.” 

Project Lift supports families on their journey to financial stability. Project Lift sponsors listen to each families’ challenges, find ways to leverage resources to assist them with short-term needs – rent, food, child care, utilities, transportation, etc. – and provide an ongoing support system as they work to increase their incomes and build long-term economic well-being.

United Way of Greater Cincinnati is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization [Tax ID: 31-0537502]. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.