United Way of Northwest Vermont
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Working Bridges

innovation at work

Relationships, Resources and Resilience.

United Way Working Bridges is an innovative program designed to improve job retention, productivity, and advancement by supporting employees with community resources. The concept is simple: employers work together to effectively develop and test innovative HR practices using the workplace as a platform for services designed to help workers get, keep and grow stable employment.

By sharing resources, employers are minimizing the barrier to employment and supporting employees’ need to be successful and improve their lives.

See Collaboration in action

Three stories of resilient Vermont women at work.

Each of these women has a personal experience to share and each works for employers who have chosen to participate in Working Bridges—a project that offers access to services for employees within the workplace.

Watch Video

How the program works

Within Working Bridges, you can find:

  • Education/Trainings for employers about economic class in the workplace.
  • An Employer Workgroup, where employers tackle issues affecting employee stability, including transportation, income supports and affordable housing. Together, we design, test and share innovative practices and refine policies to improve the lives of employees.
  • Shared Resource Coordinators who provide on-site resource assistance to employees so that they get the help they need without disrupting work.
  • An Employee Loan/Savings Program for employees in crisis. The Income Advance Loan program is a partnership between employers and financial institutions to help employees meet emergency needs, and begin saving and building credit.
  • On-site Classes for Employees including GED, English Language Learning (ELL) and financial literacy classes.

Interested in partnering with Working Bridges or learning more?

Contact Liz Gamache, lizg@unitedwaynwvt.org or 802-730-3424. 

United Way of Northwest Vermont*** September 16, 2022