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John,
Meet Jude.*
A father of five recently recovered from addiction and incarceration, Jude was ready to build a secure and stable life in Utah for himself and his family. Nothing could stop him from building a better life for his family. That is until he ran into the structural barriers that keep people from the economic opportunities to change their lives.
Jude’s story is not new. Millions of Americans — especially those who are Black and Brown — are battling our country’s broken financial system that is intentionally designed to keep them struggling on the sidelines.
Executive Director at the AAA Fair Credit Foundation, Martha Wunderli, noted “We see [people’s] financial situation, and it’s heart-stopping. Close to 60 or 65% [of them] are unbanked … They also have huge medical debt and huge court costs …The average debt was $10,000 — and these people don’t have jobs because they’re coming back into the community.
To reinstate your [driver’s] license in Utah can cost as much as $1,400, but you need your license to get to work and medical care …[with] suburban sprawl and the remoteness of rural areas.”
Prosperity Now is working to change that — but we need your help.
Your support can help power programs like the one that changed Jude’s life. Prosperity Now supports and uplifts organizations like the AAA Fair Credit Foundation, which designs safety nets for people hit the hardest by Utah’s declining, once-prosperous industries.
With their help, Jude was able to put away three months of savings, a lifesaver in the unaffordable renters’ market he lived in. Now he’s thriving at Flourish Bakery, a social enterprise that offers job opportunities to individuals who face similar circumstances to Jude’s.
John, I know you want all stories to end like Jude’s. And in places like Utah, where 1 in 5 households can’t survive if they lose their income for three months, your support makes a huge difference.
Your generosity can power a movement that is doing the work to make real change for racial and ethnic economic equity. Make a gift today — even the smallest amount goes far to change people’s lives — and join Prosperity Now to heal our broken economy for good.
Sincerely,
Cherie Collins Sims, PhD
Interim President and CEO
P.S. — Want to provide continuous and steady support to fund programs that ensure that every person, family, and community has the power to build sustainable wealth and prosperity? Become a monthly donor today!
*Jude is a pseudonym that has been assigned to the subject of our story in order to protect his privacy.
