In our eighth Family Philanthropy Series: Safe Homes, Secure Futures, we had the privilege to be joined by subject matter experts and local changemakers for our discussion. We heard about the homelessness prevention work Greater Twin Cities United Way is leading in the recently launched innovation initiative, Pathways Home, as well as the importance of supporting the community through a last will.
In the first half of our session, Ahmed Sirleaf, program officer for Pathways Home at Greater Twin Cities United Way, shared how he, his team and our partners are working toward housing systems change. The unique approach of Pathways Home is in its focus on preventing homelessness for two critical populations—youth transitioning out of foster care and individuals exiting incarceration—rather than simply responding to it.
Each year in Minnesota, 400 youth age out of foster care on their 18th birthday, and by age 21, 41 percent do not have stable housing. Similarly, in 2021, 25 percent of people released from Minnesota’s correctional facilities were released directly into homelessness.
But why? Ahmed shared a common scenario and one of the biggest challenges in our state. A person may have served time in prison as a young person and, in the process, lost their basic identification, such as a birth certificate or driver’s license. These types of identification are required to be eligible for housing, so without them, they’re left without a place to call home.
Other challenges include limited options for housing for individuals exiting incarceration and those transitioning out of foster care, as well as barriers to accessing other non-housing services. Pathways Home is in its second phase, working to change policies and recommending solutions to each of the current challenges, such as less required paperwork for housing eligibility and a single application for all non-housing services.
In recognition of National Make a Will Month in August, the latter half of the session was dedicated to understanding the benefits of establishing a last will. Most people want to make sure their earthly possessions are passed along to loved ones. However, unless these wishes are clearly communicated in a legally binding estate planning document, like a last will and testament, there’s a risk that these plans may not be executed as intended.
Significant life events such as turning 18, starting a family or purchasing a home are recommended times to consider creating or revising a will. When someone passes away without a valid will, their assets are distributed according to state-specific rules that determine who inherits the assets and how they are divided, which may not align with the individual’s wishes.
We learned about FreeWill, an easy and cost-free online will-writing service, that creates a legal will customized to your values, simplifying the process of expressing your wishes regarding your family, assets, and philanthropic beliefs.
We had the opportunity to hear directly from Chris Wicker, a member of the Greater Twin Cities United Way Legacy Society. He shared his personal experience creating a will and why having one is important for anyone, at any age. “Leaving a legacy, even if it’s just a tiny amount, I wanted something to live beyond me. I want my son to see something beyond me. The impact on my son was definitely the most important thing to me,” he shared.
Watch the recording to learn more:
It’s our goal to provide valuable learning opportunities to our donors and our community, including through Family Philanthropy Series virtual learning sessions. See the full Family Philanthropy Series playlist.
When you include a gift as part of your overall estate and financial planning, you ensure we make meaningful strides toward achieving our vision. Visit gtcuwlegacy.org to learn more.
