Self-Sufficiency
We envision a future where everyone in Horry County is supported to achieve self-sufficiency.
Whether it’s instability due to a family crisis, unemployment or a history of financial insecurity, United Way and our partners provide education, training, and resources to help people break the cycle of poverty, overcome financial hardship, and reduce homelessness. By connecting our neighbors to job training, employment opportunities, and career counseling options, we help create an opportunity for independence and a better quality of life. We seek to empower everyone to become more self-reliant through connection to resources and improved access to services focusing on removing barriers, employment skills, job training, and financial literacy education and counseling.
BOLD COMMUNITY GOAL
Increase the number of Horry County Residents meeting self-sufficiency standards
2020 Baseline: 47.9% of Horry County residents are self-sufficient (Self-Sufficiency Standard 2020)
Our Challenges in Horry County:
- 52.1% of residents in Horry County are not meeting the Self-Sufficiency Standards for South Carolina. South Carolina Self-Sufficiency Standard 2020
- In 2020, 48.7% of households spent more than 30% of their income on rent. South Carolina Housing Needs Assessment
- In the 2020/2021 school year, 65.6% of students in the graduation cohort are NOT college and career ready. screportcards.ed.sc.gov
- In the 2021 UWHC community needs assessment, 78% of participants expressed that NOT preparing young people for the workforce is a concern.
Strategies to Achieve Our Vision:
Fund:
- Financial literacy programs that work with adults and children to establish self-sufficiency
- Support services that provide education, counseling, coaching, case management and/or legal services linked to self-sufficiency
- Services that support individuals along a path to family-sustaining wages through employment
Advocate:
- Job training and workforce development to achieve greater earning potential
- Advocate against predatory lending practices through education and legislation
- Advocate for public-private partnerships to address housing affordability and availability
Collaborate:
- Convene financial institutions and key stakeholders to leverage opportunities for self-sufficiency by removing barriers
- Support job opportunities that provide a living wage for qualified candidates
Educate:
- Increase awareness about opportunities for job training and work-ready certificates
- Educate individuals about how financial health impacts one’s self-sufficiency
- Educate parents and youth about career planning and preparing children and youth for post-secondary completion and the workforce
Read more about our Community Game Plan and how we plan to focus our programs, collective impact work, and investments to meet the needs of our community through our Bold Goals.
Self-Sufficiency Standard
At UWHC, we understand the importance of being self-sufficient. To understand why we are so passionate about this impact area, utilize the Self-Sufficiency Standard tool. This tool gives insight on how much income is an adequate amount in order to provide for yourself and your family in Horry County. The Self-Sufficiency Standard is a measure of income adequacy that is based on the costs of basic needs for working families: housing, child care, food, health care, transportation, and miscellaneous items, as well as the cost of taxes and the impact of tax credits.
United Way of Horry County Initiatives to Support Self-Sufficiency:
The following internal initiatives are funded to help promote financial stability for all residents of Horry County:
- Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
- Charity Tracker
- 211 Helpline
We are proud to grant funds to the following local agencies to help build self-sufficiency in our community:
