jackiespeierfounda

A blown tire. A surprise ER bill. A missed shift because childcare fell through. For most households, these are inconveniences. For a growing number of San Mateo County families, they are the first domino — the small setback that can easily tip into eviction, food insecurity, or job loss. That's the problem the Jackie Speier Foundation (JSF) is targeting with its newly launched Immediate Response Fund, which will begin disbursing money to families this fall. The fund is built for speed....

Dear friends, The Jackie Speier Foundation is halfway through a year of real momentum. As we head into the final weeks of summer, here's a look at the impact we've had on children and families so far. Off to a Strong Start Major progress continues on our flagship initiative, the Baby Bonus Program–a three-year pilot supporting low-income families with newborn babies through direct financial assistance and coordinated care resources. One year into the program, recruitment is more than halfway...

Greetings to Friends and Colleagues: When I came home three years ago after a decade and one-half in Congress, I thought I knew San Mateo County. But what I found stunned me. We are the fourth richest county in the nation, and yet 10% of our children under five live below the poverty line. That’s 27,000 children in poverty — here, in one of America’s most prosperous regions. Our food banks are serving record numbers — Second Harvest is feeding more than 100,000 residents every month. And...