In early 2020, the world was cast under a veil of uncertainty. Yet as a new normal quickly set in, one observation became glaringly, terrifyingly apparent: people of color were getting hit disproportionately hard. We made a decision to step up for those left out, entering the unknown with our values as a north star. In this moment of crisis, we chose to meet people with resources that were timely and relevant in their lives, rapidly creating three new services through our team’s tireless efforts: direct cash assistance, recovery loans, and a platform to uplift their stories and voices.

This tumultuous year has made one thing clear: in times of crisis, we lean on each other. In response to unprecedented challenges, we deepened our commitment to our partners. We welcomed seven incredible organizations to the Lending Circles Network, took on the VAF National Convener role, and allied with public sector partners to distribute direct cash assistance to immigrant families.

During a year when many felt overlooked and invisible, we reached out to listen and understand the reality facing low-wage workers, students, and immigrant families during the COVID-19 crisis. We’re uplifting our learnings from clients’ stories, challenges, and sacrifices to inform the field about how families are surviving and learn how we need to meet people in this new reality.

As the needs of our community changed, we adapted our tactics without ever losing sight of our values. A beacon to guide us through the darkest of storms, we have remained steadfast in our commitment to meeting people where they are and building products and services that are both timely and relevant. While living rooms may have replaced offices, we’ve continued to keep our heads down in the diligent work of leveraging the best of technology in the service of low-income households.

It is one thing to say you’ll do something. It’s another thing entirely to deliver. This is exactly the charge our team led in 2020, accurately and effectively delivering the desperately needed dollars into the hands of clients. Given the 800% increase in scale since 2019, the effort required a sophisticated infrastructure, careful tracking systems, and dedicated team.