Yes Our Greenville | United Way of Greenville County

Get Help 864-467-3333

#YesOurGreenville

Despite all the wins we've experienced as a community over the last 30 years, poverty remains a persistent and urgent problem in Greenville County.

Right now, 17,400 families in our community have an income of less than $25,000.

Many thousands more are just one unexpected expense away from being unable to make ends meet.

Then consider this: A child born today to a family experiencing poverty in Greenville County has less than a five percent chance of reaching the top 20 percent of household income (around $100,000) in their lifetime.

If your family is struggling, it's better to be born almost anywhere else in the country.

This is our Greenville. And we have to do better. For all of us.

Despite all the wins we’ve experienced as a community over the last 30 years, poverty remains a persistent and urgent problem in Greenville County.

Right now, 17,400 families in our beautiful community have an income of less than $25,000 a year, which is barely enough for a single person to get by, let alone an entire family.

Many thousands more are just one unexpected expense away from being unable to make ends meet.

Then consider this: A child born today to a family experiencing poverty in Greenville County has less than a five percent chance of reaching the top 20 percent of household income (around $100,000) in their lifetime.

If your family is struggling, it’s better to be born almost anywhere else in the country.

This is our Greenville. And we have to do better. For all of us.

We know from our research and more than a century of experience serving our community that four barriers consistently stand in the way of people’s upward economic mobility in Greenville County:

HOUSING

Population growth and the real estate boom in Greenville County is putting a disproportionate strain on low-income families.

While the recommended budget for housing is 30 percent of a family’s total income, 13,163 households in Greenville County spend more than half their income on rent or had no income to pay for rent.

Childcare

The cost for a quality childcare program is like paying a second mortgage every month. Imagine trying to find a high-quality program that will support early childhood development when you’re already struggling to make ends meet.

Right now, more than two-thirds of students entering kindergarten in Greenville County aren’t prepared to learn at their grade level. If we don’t invest in our children, they’ll never be able to break the cycle and build a better life.

EDUCATION

At least 60 percent of students in Greenville County Schools (more than 46,000 children) are experiencing poverty. It’s difficult to prepare for your future when meeting daily needs is a struggle.

Just 32 percent of Greenville County high school students are considered college and career ready when they graduate.

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation impacts almost every aspect of a person’s daily life: where they work, shop, go to school, access medical care and more.

In a 2015 survey, 22% of people in Greenville County said they had trouble getting to their job due to transportation and 21% had trouble getting to the grocery store or pharmacy. As gentrification pushes individuals further and further away from our city centers to access affordable housing, the problem is only increasing.

With our region on pace to add another 240,000 people by the year 2040, the time to act is now.

We know we can accomplish much more together as a community than we can alone. That’s why United Way of Greenville County leverages our network of hundreds of community partners — public, private and local nonprofits — to remove barriers to higher earnings and financial stability.

Powered by the generosity of our community we’re attacking these issues in three important ways:

SMART INVESTMENTS

When you give to United Way, you are investing in a vetted portfolio of the most impactful local organizations making a difference where it’s needed most. Thanks to your generous support, last year we helped more than 60,000 people live better lives.

STRATEGIC INNOVATION

When we identify a need that’s not being addressed, we roll up our sleeves and put our experience and expertise to work, developing initiatives that move our community forward like OnTrack Greenville, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, and the Greenville Racial Equity and Economic Mobility (REEM) Commission.

SYSTEMS CHANGE

No single organization can solve these big challenges alone. That’s why we build partnerships to create solutions to our most pressing community challenges, while also advocating at all levels for policies that help beat back poverty in Greenville County.

None of this work would be possible without your support. Because of your gifts, more people have access to basic needs like food, housing and healthcare; more students are graduating high school ready to succeed in life; and more people are trained and hired for self-sustaining jobs.

Absolutely every dollar matters in this work. Give today to provide families in our community with the support and resources they need to build the lives they deserve.

Name(Required)

First Last

Preferred Email(Required)

Company Name

Which community issue are you most passionate about?

Housing

Childcare

Education

Transportation

Provide your phone number to sign up for United Way text messaging:

#YesOurGreenville

#YesOurGreenville

Despite all the wins we've experienced as a community over the last 30 years, poverty remains a persistent and urgent problem in Greenville County.

Right now, 17,400 families in our community have an income of less than $25,000.

Many thousands more are just one unexpected expense away from being unable to make ends meet.

Then consider this: A child born today to a family experiencing poverty in Greenville County has less than a five percent chance of reaching the top 20 percent of household income (around $100,000) in their lifetime.

If your family is struggling, it's better to be born almost anywhere else in the country.

This is our Greenville. And we have to do better. For all of us.

Despite all the wins we’ve experienced as a community over the last 30 years, poverty remains a persistent and urgent problem in Greenville County.

Right now, 17,400 families in our beautiful community have an income of less than $25,000 a year, which is barely enough for a single person to get by, let alone an entire family.

Many thousands more are just one unexpected expense away from being unable to make ends meet.

Then consider this: A child born today to a family experiencing poverty in Greenville County has less than a five percent chance of reaching the top 20 percent of household income (around $100,000) in their lifetime.

If your family is struggling, it’s better to be born almost anywhere else in the country.

This is our Greenville. And we have to do better. For all of us.

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS

We know from our research and more than a century of experience serving our community that four barriers consistently stand in the way of people’s upward economic mobility in Greenville County:

HOUSING

Childcare

EDUCATION

TRANSPORTATION

WHY UNITED WAY?

We know we can accomplish much more together as a community than we can alone. That’s why United Way of Greenville County leverages our network of hundreds of community partners — public, private and local nonprofits — to remove barriers to higher earnings and financial stability.

Powered by the generosity of our community we’re attacking these issues in three important ways:

BE PART OF THE SOLUTION

None of this work would be possible without your support. Because of your gifts, more people have access to basic needs like food, housing and healthcare; more students are graduating high school ready to succeed in life; and more people are trained and hired for self-sustaining jobs.

Absolutely every dollar matters in this work. Give today to provide families in our community with the support and resources they need to build the lives they deserve.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT

Making a difference starts here

Making a Difference Starts Here