Tag Archives: United Way of El Paso County

Thanks to the participation of several local businesses, foundations and government, Project Vida‘s Microenterprise Technical Assistance Program (MTAP) has been funded to the tune of $135,000.

GECU, El Paso Electric, WestStar Bank, Hunt Family Foundation, United Way of El Paso County and the City of El Paso all contributed a to Project Vida’s MTAP – the grassroots asset-building economic development project.

Awards include El Paso Electric $10,000; GECU $10,000; WestStar Bank $5,000; Hunt Family Foundation $5,000; United Way $15,333; and the City of El Paso $90,000 from a Community Development Block Grant.

“MTAP engages marginal low- and moderate-income micro-business owners with business and financial literacy, management skill-building, and pathways to job retention and job creation,” Project Vida officials shared via a Friday morning news release.

MTAP transfers the community health worker/promotora model of outreach and trust-building to a business model of financial stability, asset-building, entry into the mainstream economy and growth toward small business status.

From 2013 to 2018, MTAP enrolled nearly 750 qualifying microenterprise owners in the program helping them retain 561 jobs and create 471 new jobs.

For more information on Project Vida or the Microenterprise Technical Assistance Program, contact Bill Schlesinger at (915) 533-7057, ext. 207, or w.schlesinger@pvida.net

For the third year in a row, United Way of El Paso County and Sun Metro have partnered to carry out the summer youth transportation program, Kids on the Go!

Kids on the Go! is an initiative meant to help increase participation in out-of-school time activities by alleviating possible transportation barriers youth might have.

Through the program, youth enrolled in a participating summer program are eligible to receive a free pass that allows them to ride Sun Metro buses for free.

Last year, nearly 700 youth used the passes a total of 5,733 times throughout the summer months.

Any 501c3 nonprofit, city and county department, and local school district are eligible to receive free bus passes for youth (ages 6-18 years old) enrolled in their summer programs.

Children 6-12 years old must have an accompanying adult who will also be provided a free pass. Passes are valid from June 1 to August 31, 2017.

Agencies interested in offering participants access to this summer transportation option can contact United Way for more information.

Parents who would like a bus pass for their child must have their child enrolled in a participating program by a participating agency which currently includes Reynolds Home, Center Against Sexual and Family Violence, Project Bravo, El Paso Center for Children, House of Hope, Salvation Army, El Paso Public Library, El Paso Parks and Recreation, City of El Paso’s Museum of Cultural Affairs Department, Project Vida, YWCA El Paso, Latinitas, and Boys & Girls Club.