Women’s Health & Money @ Work programs with UCLA
Women’s Health & Money @ Work programs in Partnership with
Iris Cantor - UCLA Women’s Health Education & Research Center
Workers of color and immigrant workers were disproportionately devastated by the pandemic while working on the frontlines to help keep the public safe, clean, and moving forward. 60% of this workforce are women. Society has a new understanding and appreciation of the work these types of employees do every single day, no matter what.
Property service workers such as janitors typically work from the late afternoon until the early morning. Many of these workers are single mothers, who then come home and continue to juggle the duties of motherhood, work, and other life commitments.
With limited resources and time, female workers from low-wage industries seek opportunities to enhance the lives of themselves and their families.
To address this, California nonprofit, Building Skills Partnership (BSP) has partnered with The Iris Cantor - UCLA Women's Health Education & Research Center to offer its workers the Women’s Health & Money @ Work™ program to target the workforce’s needs.
These resources help low- to-moderate-income women attain better health and economic and financial security through educational and coaching programs on healthy eating, active living, and money management.
The goal is for women to learn to balance their health and financial challenges on and off the job. The curriculum learned in these programs makes the connection between women’s health and finances. These skills are especially important at a time when COVID may affect essential workers who are still coming to work when they do not have sick time. Some women also skip important medications because they have to pay rent instead.
BSP’s Health and Wellness curriculum educates participants on health literacy and offers health prevention information, ranging from diabetes to stress management; with curriculum aimed to address the most pressing health concerns of workers and their families. The program enables the organization to integrate a culturally relevant curriculum encompassing grocery store healthy suggestions while on a budget and proper nutrition materials, helping workers and their families overcome barriers to healthy food options and education.
This knowledge helps promote healthier bodies and minds for BSP participants and wellbeing for their families; enhancing a successful work life.
“I have enjoyed participating in the classes because they have motivated me and encouraged me to keep on practicing a healthy lifestyle, like eating a clean diet and daily exercise. Ten years ago, I started to take care of myself more and have lost 40 pounds. It makes me happy to be able to maintain this change,” said one program participant.
Both BSP and The Iris Cantor - UCLA Women's Health Education & Research Center believe in providing comprehensive, exemplary health education programs to women and their loved ones that inform, support, and empower women to achieve their optimal level of health. Financial knowledge enables women to succeed in society and help stabilize their families for success.
Through BSP’s Financial Capabilities program, immigrant families are empowered to create positive financial habits, access the financial mainstream, and achieve financial security. BSP's Financial Coaches provide individualized financial support and services to help participants improve their credit, save money towards owning a home, and save for retirement.
The average annual salary of property service workers is $34,000, forcing many to hold multiple jobs. As a result, 70% of BSP participants experience income volatility and suffer from high stress levels. BSP’s financial instructors help women workers set financial goals that are feasible and not too overwhelming, especially in a time of financial hardship.
After Women’s Health & Money @ Work course completion, The Iris Cantor - UCLA Women's Health Education & Research Center surveys participants to achieve anecdotal data on the impact of the health and finance programs in the women’s lives.
The Iris Cantor - UCLA Women's Health Education & Research Center addresses the social and economic disparities that contribute to women’s health status to further their mission-to improve the health of diverse women across the life span.