Jessica is currently on a medical leave of absence from her job due to an acute illness and accompanying surgery. She is on strict orders to only return to work after she has recovered. Unfortunately, while she was waiting for her surgery date to arrive, her company had to temporarily lay everyone off due to COVID-19.

To make matters worse, Jessica is not eligible for unemployment assistance or the Economic Impact Payment due to her inability to file her 2018 and 2019 taxes. As of the date of this email, she is still waiting on her first short-term disability check.

As you can imagine, Jessica quickly exhausted all of her savings. She came to Rappahannock United Way in need of April and May’s rent.

“When I first began this process, I was very worried and anxious about getting the help that I needed. But the intake worker at Rappahannock United Way helped to reassure me and gave me the hope I needed to continue through the process. I really appreciated how RUW remained in touch and refused to give up on my complex case. I really do appreciate the constant communication.” – Jessica

With her April and May rent paid, Jessica is confident she will be able to sustain herself going forward with her disability check, until she has surgery and is cleared to go back to work.

In the meantime, Jessica has signed up for financial coaching with a Rappahannock United Way Financial Coach and is also working with the RUW Tax Team to file her past taxes. We are thrilled to continue to be a part of her journey.

Jessica is just one of many people that RUW is currently helping. More than 40% of local households already work hard yet struggle to cover the basic costs of living. Now more than ever, workers who provide essential services in our community are facing financial hardship.

We need to BE THERE for them.

As always, we cannot do this without you! Give today. Together, we are stronger. Together, we will fight against the impact of COVID-19 on the ALICE population and our community.