"Chevron is proud to support the new SparkPoint West Contra Costa Center, which will help families build futures. We view our support as an investment that can ultimately benefit our entire community," said Mike Coyle, general manager of Chevron's Richmond Refinery. "Chevron is committed to strengthening the communities in which our employees live and work. We applaud the Richmond Community Foundation for its efforts to bring this vital program to Contra Costa County, and United Way of the Bay Area for its leadership in establishing SparkPoint Centers."

The Richmond Community Foundation is the lead agency for the SparkPoint West Contra Costa Center. The Richmond Community Foundation and the United Way of the Bay Area are working with the center's other partner agencies, which collaborate to serve clients, including Anew America, Bay Area Legal Aid, Brighter Beginnings, City of Richmond - LEAP, Community Housing Development Corporation, Contra Costa EHSD, Contra Costa Health Services, Neighborhood Housing Services of the East Bay, Rubicon Programs, Stride Center and Supervisor John Gioia's Office. These agencies will work in conjunction to provide financial services, tax preparation, homeownership and foreclosure prevention, and jobs and economic development services including small business development. The West County Center will be the first of the SparkPoint Centers to offer legal services through Bay Area Legal Aid.

"We are pleased to have been selected as the Lead Agency for SparkPoint West Contra Costa," said Joan Davis, President and CEO of the Richmond Community Foundation. "We appreciate the confidence our partner agencies have in our ability to lead this exciting initiative."

"It's really exciting to be a part of this team: you can see all the power behind this collaboration...these partner organizations are the powerhouse of Richmond," added RCF's Vice President for Development and Program Services, James Becker.

Bay Area SparkPoint Network Doubles in Size

At Thursday's celebration, United Way also announced that with the opening of the Richmond location, the number of SparkPoint Centers serving the Bay Area has now doubled this spring - from four to eight - with three centers opening last month. United Way of the Bay Area's SparkPoint program now spans six counties, with centers in American Canyon (Napa), Bay Point (Contra Costa), Fairfield (Solano), Oakland (Alameda), Richmond (Contra Costa), San Bruno (San Mateo), San Rafael (Marin) and Vallejo (Solano).

Ms. Geishirt-Cantrell welcomed attendees at the opening ceremonies, and expressed her gratitude and excitement about the new Center. "The aspect of SparkPoint that is the most exciting to me is the fact that we are starting on the ground floor -- we can build our SparkPoint based on the best practices of the other 7 existing centers -- and do it with our fantastic group of partners," she said. "I really believe we are on the cusp of something great."

Among the distinguished guests were County Supervisor John Gioia, Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, and representatives from the Offices of Senator Loni Hancock and Congressman George Miller.

Mayor McLaughlin addressed the group, highlighting the service providers who will work directly with the clients. "I especially want to thank the people who will be doing the person-to-person contact," she said. She also called for structural changes at the State and national levels to abolish poverty. "These are truly hard times," she continued, but through one-stop centers such as SparkPoint: "The need is here now, and the need is being filled."

"With one in five Bay Area families struggling to make ends meet, Chevron's support for expanding SparkPoint into West Contra Costa could not come at a better time," said Anne Wilson, CEO of United Way of the Bay Area. "I want to extend a special thanks to Chevron for its efforts to engage business and community leaders in supporting SparkPoint, which is a key component of United Way's efforts to cut poverty in half in the Bay Area by 2020."

Chevron is a long-time supporter of United Way of the Bay Area, with some of its executives serving on the board of directors for several years, championing participation in United Way's annual Week of Caring, and providing $1 million to support the 211 helpline.

Chevron has been a supporter of, and involved in, many RCF initiatives in the community. The new SparkPoint Center further illustrates that support and involvement and really demonstrates the vision shared by many for the community and the commitment to improving the conditions for families in Richmond for many years to come.

About SparkPoint
Created by United Way of the Bay Area, SparkPoint Centers are one-stop, financial-education centers that help individuals and families who are struggling to make ends meet. SparkPoint helps clients address immediate financial crises, get back on their feet and build financially secure futures. Each center brings together a full range of services at one convenient location, including job training, career development and financial coaching, as well as access to higher education and savings accounts. Every SparkPoint client is provided a coach, who helps create a step-by-step plan to set and achieve personal financial goals. United Way's SparkPoint model has garnered both national and international attention, with poverty experts traveling from around the country, and as far as the Netherlands, to study it. Learn more at www.sparkpointcenters.org.

June 6, 2011