Pathway created to reduce barriers

SANDUSKY — A car repair. A sudden job loss. An unexpected child care expense. A utility bill that becomes impossible to catch up on. For thousands of working households, one unexpected challenge can change the financial course of an entire family. The United Way of Erie County is working to change what happens next. Through its barrier reduction pathway, the United Way is bringing community partners together to help working individuals and families overcome immediate barriers while navigating a longer-term path toward financial stability. The initiative focuses particularly on ALICE households — a shorthand for asset-limited, income- constrained, employed — families and individuals who are working but often living paycheck to paycheck and earning less than what is needed to cover the basic cost of living. The philosophy behind the initiative is simple: a temporary barrier should not have to become a permanent setback. When someone is working and doing everything they can to take care of their family, one unexpected expense or job disruption can completely change their course. Our responsibility cannot stop at helping with today's emergency. We want to walk alongside families, understand what is creating the barrier, connect them to the right partners and help create a pathway toward long-term financial stability. The process begins with connection and navigation. Through 211 and United Way's network of community partners, individuals can be connected to resources, financial empowerment opportunities, employment pathways and other support based on the barriers they are experiencing. But one of the most important parts of the initiative may be the collaboration happening behind the scenes. From job loss to a new path United Way's partnership with Flex-Temp Employment Services is showing what that collaboration can look like through the story of Lisa Johnson. Johnson came to United Way after experiencing a career disruption familiar to many local families. She spent nearly a decade at Ventra, beginning in production services and advancing through quality inspection and case management before becoming a continuous improvement supervisor. Along the way, she earned certifications in layered process auditing and internal auditing while raising her family as a single mother. Then the company downsized, and her position was eliminated. After nearly 10 years of building a career, Johnson suddenly faced a question many workers throughout Erie County have faced: what comes next? Rather than allowing that moment to define her future, Johnson began examining how the skills she had built could transfer into something new. Encouragement from family led her to opportunities in education through Renhill, including spending a school year working at Sandusky Primary School. When the school year ended, another transition was waiting. That's when a connection with Flex-Temp Employment Services helped open another door, leading to Johnson's temporary placement with United Way of Erie County. "When I first came to United Way, I'll be honest — I didn't know much about what United Way actually did," Johnson said. "I knew the name, but I didn't truly understand the impact of the organization and the many ways it helps people in our community." Working inside United Way changed that perspective. "I've learned that United Way isn't just about providing resources. It's about connecting people with opportunities, support and programs that can help them move forward," Johnson said. "There are so many people and families who are working hard and trying to help themselves but may still need someone to help them find the right resources or take that next step." Her role has now placed Johnson in the unique position of helping families navigate challenges while continuing to navigate her own path toward greater economic stability. For United Way, that is more than a staffing arrangement. It is part of the model. Lisa isn't simply working in our barrier reduction pathway. In many ways, she represents why the pathway exists. She has experience, talent and a strong work history. A job disruption didn't erase any of that. What she needed was another opportunity to use those skills, build new ones and continue moving forward. At the same time, her lived experience helps us better understand the families we're serving. Community is the strategy United Way believes no single organization can move families toward financial stability alone. That is why workforce partnerships are an important part of the barrier reduction pathway. When individuals need employment or an opportunity to rebuild experience, the United Way can connect them with workforce partners. At the same time, United Way and its community partners can continue helping address barriers that could prevent someone from succeeding in that opportunity. Employment without reliable transportation may not be sustainable. Training without child care may be difficult to complete. A new job may not immediately solve a housing crisis. And an unexpected expense can still derail a household that is working toward stability. The goal is to connect those pieces instead of expecting families to navigate them alone. "We could not do this work by ourselves, and we shouldn't try," Brinson said. "Our workforce partners understand that sometimes people don't need someone to rescue them: They need someone to recognize their ability and give them an opportunity to move forward. Our job is to make sure the other barriers don't prevent that opportunity from becoming a pathway." For Vonda Aaron-Kubitz of Flex-Temp Employment Services, collaboration is about recognizing the abilities people already possess. "Partnerships like this are about recognizing the potential people already have and connecting them with an opportunity to take their next step," Kubtiz said. "Lisa's story is a great example of what can happen when employers and community organizations work together to help people move forward." That partnership creates a cycle of opportunity: Johnson is navigating her own journey, gaining new professional experience and, at the same time, helping other families navigate theirs. For Johnson, the journey has reinforced a lesson that extends beyond any one job. "Losing my position at Ventra felt like an ending of my career at the time, but it actually became the beginning of something new," Johnson said. "I had to reinvent myself. I had to be willing to try something different. And, most importantly, I had to be willing to believe that the skills and experiences I had gained over the years still had value — even if I wasn't using them in the same way anymore." She hopes her current chapter can make a difference for others facing similar uncertainty. "My journey has reminded me that, sometimes, we don't choose the path we're put on, but we can choose how we move forward on it," Johnson said. "This chapter at United Way has been another opportunity to learn, grow and hopefully make a permanent difference in the lives of others — especially people who, like me at one point, may just need someone to help them see that there is another opportunity waiting for them." For United Way, Lisa Johnson's journey may be one of the clearest examples yet of what the barrier reduction pathway is intended to accomplish. Not simply providing assistance. Not simply making a referral. But bringing employers, community organizations and resources together around an individual or family — addressing today's barrier while building a pathway toward tomorrow. Because when a community works together, a setback does not have to determine someone's future. United is the way.