In San Antonio, families are struggling to make ends meet. Buckner is actively pursuing opportunities to open a Buckner Family Hope Center® in this vulnerable area to help families and children experience self-sufficiency, aid and resources, and most of all – hope.
With a population of more than 1.4 million, San Antonio is the seventh largest city in the United States.
The annual living wage for a family of four is $60,000 - but this is twice as much as the federal poverty guidelines for a family of the same size. Almost 20% of Bexar county residents live in households earning less than the federal poverty level. More than half of the jobs in San Antonio don't meet this income threshold.
*uwsatx.org
Among these families, more than half are single-parent households and the median income for females with full-time jobs is $23,350. Add in the strain of child care, weekly groceries and just attempting to make ends meet, the stress can manifest into harmful or even violent behaviors.
With the addition of a Family Hope Center, families and children will have access to:
- Community events
- Adult education such as ESL, parenting and life skills
- Financial empowerment opportunities through vocational training and other classes
- After-school programs and summer programs
- Family coaching, counseling and spiritual enrichment