Samaritan House’s LIFT (Lifeline to Ignite Financial Transformation) Program supports
single parents pursuing education or workforce training programs. The Program is designed to help participants gain new skills and move into stable, higher-paying careers.

Starting in late 2026, up to 30 low-income single parents will be selected to receive $1,000/month in supplemental income and intensive case management services for 24 months (2 years).

This additional cash is not intended to replace your primary job, but to stabilize your monthly income so that you may pursue your educational, vocational or career development goals. There is no cost to participate in this program, and you do not need to pay the money back.

Over the course of 24 months (2 years), you will:

• Meet monthly with your assigned case manager with whom you will set and track progress on goals, conduct quarterly needs assessments, and receive support for ongoing needs and enrolling in workforce development, certification, and degree programs
• Participate in a Financial Empowerment Program cohort where you will receive financial coaching and participate in monthly cohort workshops
• Receive a direct cash transfer of $1,000/month

Eligible applicants must:

•  Be a resident of Belmont, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Millbrae, San Carlos, or San Mateo
• Have stable, adequate housing
• Be a single parent, 18+ years, with at least one child aged 15 or under in the household
• Be legally authorized to work in the U.S.
• Have worked at the same job for at least the last 4 months
• Have primary source(s) of income that do not exceed the following levels:
  • 2-person family: $94,000
  • 3-person family: $105,000
  • 4-person family: $117,000
• Have a desire to engage in further education, vocational training, or career development

This current program was conceived and designed in response to Samaritan House community members who expressed a desire to engage in education, vocational training, or career development opportunities but who are limited by the need to work to meet their basic needs. If you are not interested in pursuing these opportunities, this program will not be a good fit for you. Please reach out to Samaritan House client services at (650) 347-3648 for additional support.

Below are the primary requirements and obligations for the program:

• You must remain a resident in Samaritan House’s service area, which includes the following cities: Belmont, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Millbrae, San Carlos, or San Mateo.
• You must be engaged in education, vocational training, or career development opportunities.
• You must meet with your case manager monthly throughout the program (24 months).
• You must actively participate in the Financial Empowerment Workshop during the program.
• You must work on your personal finances by creating and following a financial plan with the support of your personal financial coaches.

The application period opens on March 9, 2026 (12:00 AM PST). Applications will be accepted online and in person until April 30, 2026 (11:59 PM PST).

The application should take up to 30 minutes and will request some personal information such as how much income you earned last month and what public benefits you currently receive. Your information will be kept confidential and only used for this program’s purpose. If you have any questions or need assistance completing the application, email [email protected] or call (650) 347-3648.

The application will be available at https://samaritanhousesanmateo.org/lift/.

Samaritan House staff will review each application and select up to 30 participants who meet all eligibility criteria while reflecting the diverse communities of San Mateo County. The application process will occur in two stages. Applicants selected to move forward to the second round will be asked to provide additional information related to financial stability and may be requested to submit supporting documentation. Additional qualified applicants may be placed on a waiting list.

If you are selected, Samaritan House will contact you by email and a phone call in September 2026.

If you are contacted, you must respond within five (5) business days to schedule an in-person enrollment meeting with a case manager at a time that works for your schedule. During this enrollment meeting, you will:

• Verify your eligibility
• Receive individualized financial coaching on how supplemental income may impact any current public benefits received under CalWorks, CalFresh, SSDI, etc.
• Sign a program agreement and consent form for data collection.
• Be invited to attend a Welcome Celebration program kickoff event, where you will:
  • Meet staff and receive a program packet including expectations, timeline, and resources
  • Complete accounting paperwork
  • Set appointments for your monthly case management meetings

Your enrollment meeting and the Welcome Celebration will take place in-person at Samaritan House in San Mateo.

You will need to bring the following documents and information to the enrollment meeting. These are to verify your eligibility for the program and assess how any of your public benefits may be affected. This information will be collected solely for this program’s purpose and will not be shared.

• Social Security Number / Individual Tax Identification Number
• Proof of identification of each member of your household (i.e., picture ID, birth certificate, etc.)
• Proof of current mailing address (if your ID does not list your current address): must have company name, your name, and be dated within the last 30 days (i.e., medical or bank statements and bills, utility bills, government benefits letters, lease)
• Proof of employment for the past 4 months (i.e., recent paycheck stubs)
• Verification of other income and/or public benefits (i.e., letters of statements from CalWorks, Child Support, Social Security, Unemployment, Employment offer letters)
• Verification of any educational, vocational training, or career development programs
• If you have a bank account:
  • Bank statements for the last 3 months
  • Account and routing number

Samaritan House will never contact you to ask for your social security or tax identification number, bank account, or credit card numbers. Do not provide this information if someone requests this from you over the phone.

If you do not respond within 5 business days, your application will be withdrawn, and another household will be selected from the waiting list to take your application’s place.

Samaritan House will contact you by email letting you know if you are not selected. Some applicants may be placed on a waiting list and hear from us in the following weeks. If you are interested in other Samaritan House services, please feel free to contact Client Services at 650-347-3648 for more information.

Participants will receive $1,000 per month between November 2026 and October 2028.

Here is how much you will receive by tax year:

• 2026: $2,000
• 2027: $12,000
• 2028: $10,000

The monthly stipend will be issued through direct deposit to your bank account. If you do not currently have a bank account, we will work with you to help establish one.

Money received from the LIFT program will be counted as additional income on your tax return. Depending on your current income, this may impact your taxes and/or eligibility for public benefits that are based on total household income thresholds.

For more detailed information or to assess how this income will affect your specific benefits, we recommend reaching out to a benefits counselor or public benefits representative. They can provide expert guidance based on your unique situation. If it appears that this could negatively impact your benefits, you will have the option to withdraw your application.

As a central component of the LIFT Program, you will meet monthly with your Samaritan House Case Manager, who will offer personalized support to help you achieve your goals. Your Case Manager will assess your unique needs and connect you with relevant community partners based on your specific situation. Additionally, they will assist you in accessing career development and training opportunities that align with your personal interests, skills, and financial goals. Key community partners include:

• JobTrain – vocational and certification support
• San Mateo County Community College District
• NovaWorks
• San Mateo Adult & Career Education
• HIP Housing

You will also participate in Financial Empowerment webinars and receive personalized financial coaching through the Samaritan House Financial Empowerment Program. A dedicated coach will conduct comprehensive financial health assessments and provide guidance to help you develop new or improve skills, increase your income, build savings, plan for retirement, and attain and sustain assets. In addition to regular coaching sessions, Financial Empowerment services will include the following activities:

• Self-paced, online financial webinars
• Online financial planning tools
• Free tax return preparation assistance

We will actively seek direct feedback to assess client satisfaction with our services. Your valuable feedback will be considered for future program design, ensuring that we are responding to the needs of our participants. Additionally, program staff will conduct annual reviews of client satisfaction surveys and regularly evaluate the implementation of internal evaluation protocols, including data collection, data analysis, follow-up interviews, and impact reports. By following this approach, we will continuously refine and optimize our project, ensuring its efficiency and efficacy in meeting the evolving needs of our participants.

The 2026-28 cohort is only the second in the LIFT program’s history. Samaritan House will continue to evaluate and fine tune the program to ensure it is aligned with evolving community needs. We hope to secure additional funding to expand the scale and scope of this program in the future.

For more information about Samaritan House’s Supplemental Income Pilot Program, please email [email protected] or call (650) 347-3648.