Latest news with #BridgetoProsperityCliffEffectPilotProgram
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Valley groups aim to walk people back from financial cliff with new program
SPRINGFIELD — Springfield WORKS and United Way Pioneer Valley will host a celebration Thursday for the Bridge to Prosperity Cliff Effect Pilot Program launch. A community initiative of the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council, this pilot program is designed to tackle the 'cliff effect,' which occurs when families experience a sudden loss of public benefits when their income rises, often leaving them financially worse off despite earning more. The initiative is crafted in collaboration with the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. The event will feature remarks from speakers including state Sen. Adam Gomez and state Rep. Patricia Duffy, and a moderated discussion with pilot program participants. The event will be held 12 to 1:30 p.m. at the TD Bank Building, 1441 Main St. 'Many people in our region work hard to lift their incomes but lose crucial benefits too soon, preventing them from earning a living wage. The Bridge to Prosperity Pilot bridges that gap by providing cash payments and financial coaching to support people as they transition off public benefits and into sustaining jobs,' said Laura Sylvester, public policy manager of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. 'We're ... hopeful it will inspire statewide change.' In the pilot program, participants benefit from personalized coaching to help navigate finances, employment, and career growth, and receive connections to additional support in the community as needed. Each participant receives a monthly bridge payment based upon their estimated cliff effect impact, with an additional $10,000 asset-building payment at the end of the program. These payments are designed to stabilize families and will help mitigate potential losses in benefits while they work toward moving up the career ladder and achieving lasting economic security. 'Our pilot launched in February with 18 participants, seven here in Springfield, and we're already making a difference,' said Kristen Joyce, Bridge to Prosperity program director. 'Bridge payments helped one family stabilize their housing and another purchase food when their SNAP ended. Another participant was able to start training to become a nurse after years of only dreaming of it.' The program is aiming to serve up to 100 families in 2025. To learn more about the Bridge to Prosperity Cliff Effect Pilot Program, visit or contact Kristen Joyce at Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Springfield Works launches pilot program to help those who exceed public assistance benefits
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Springfield WORKS is launching the Bridge to Prosperity Cliff Effect Pilot Program to help individuals who rely on public assistance but receive a slight increase in their salary that disqualifies them from those benefits. The pilot will take place in the Boston, Worcester and Springfield areas to provide direct payments to 'bridge' the gap and make up for the value of lost benefits. With 18 individuals in the initial group and plans to serve up to 100 participants by fall 2025. What is the Cliff Effect and how it affects low income households in western Massachusetts 'This program will not only benefit hardworking families, but also the Commonwealth in the long term, with increased tax revenue generated from the families involved and decreased expenditure on public benefits. It's a win-win,' said Kristen Joyce, Bridge to Prosperity Program Director. 'It's also a model for other states – Massachusetts is leading the way in finding a solution to the benefits cliff.' Participants receive personalized coaching on finances, employment, and career growth and connections to additional support in the community as needed. Based on their estimated cliff effect impacts, they will be issued a monthly bridge payment of $300, $500, or $700. After completing the pilot program, they will be eligible for a $10,000 asset-building bonus. 'Springfield WORKS is proud to lead this innovative effort on behalf of working families statewide,' said Anne Kandilis, Director of Springfield WORKS. 'By investing in people and dismantling barriers to opportunity, we are strengthening not just individual futures but the future prosperity of Massachusetts itself.' Three coaching partners include United Way Pioneer Valley in Springfield, Worcester Community Action Council, and Women's Money Matters in Boston. For career advancement, the Economic Justice Hub at Boston Medical Center and Baystate Health in Springfield are working to support participants. For more information, visit Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP.
