Yesterday, UWCA awarded $118,000 from its Central Texas Wildfire Relief Fund to three organizations that continue to support and rebuild devastated communities after last fall’s massive wildfires. In all, the UWCA Wildfire Relief Fund raised $122,000, of which $4,000 was used in October 2011 to provide Wells Fargo and H-E-B gift cards to help people displaced get what they needed to get back to work, feed their families and buy clothing. “At United Way Capital Area we unite philanthropists at all levels to ensure our community continues to thrive,” said Debbie Bresette, President of UWCA. “When the wildfires devastated Central Texas last fall, we brought together our resources and networks to increase our collective impact in providing for both immediate needs and long-term recovery efforts. Today’s announcement is just another strategic investment by United Way Capital Area in the future of our community.” Funds were distributed to the following organizations: Adopt A Family was awarded a $75,000 grant for its “Volunteer Action Network” program. The grant is specifically meant to provide recruitment and assignment for volunteers to help with disaster clean up and adopting families. Society of St. Vincent de Paul-South Central Region was awarded $20,000 to go toward the recruitment and training of volunteers to provide Bastrop families affected by the wildfires with case management services. Spicewood Long-Term Recovery Committee, which received $23,000, will the money will go toward rebuilding 16 new homes for families that lost their own residences in the fires. The funds raised for the Central […]
Read MoreCommunity Needs and Trends Identified by United Way Navigation Center
Posted on by Christa Berry
Today, the United Way (UW) Navigation Center, formerly called the UW 2-1-1 Helpline, released its 2011 Community Needs and Trends (CNT) Report. Using demographic information, feedback from callers and data compiled from 10 counties in the Greater Austin area, the report is developed each year to support planning for future health and human services. With the information the CNT Report provides, Texas legislators, city planners and community stakeholders are better equipped to meet the needs of our community. The UW Navigation Center is a free information and referral phone line that connects callers with services in their community that can improve their overall quality of life. Through a partnership with Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s (HHSC) 2-1-1 Texas program, the Navigation Center has access to more than 5,000 services and 1,800 agencies in a database that is updated daily. Additionally, through a partnership with Central Health, the center makes appointments for callers with the Medical Access Program (MAP), the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and other health care and public insurance programs. “The United Way Navigation Center is a vital yet easy-to-use tool that connects the community to services in an efficient and effective manner,” said Kay Euresti Garza, Vice President of the UW Navigation Center. “When a recently laid off single mother of three calls seeking help to pay for last month’s utilities, our call specialist will spend the time needed navigating through her situation until they’re able to connect her to the appropriate resources, resources the caller […]
Read MoreUnited Way Capital Area Releases Findings of Year-Long Study Highlighting the Root of the Achievement Gap in Central Texas Children
Posted on by Aviva Pinchas
United Way Capital Area’s Success By 6 initiative released the results of a year-long study of Central Texas children at the 2012 Central Texas Early Childhood Business and Civic Leaders Summit at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center on Thursday, Jan. 26. The research project made possible by a donation from Samsung Austin Semiconductor and conducted by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, illustrates the state of Central Texas children from early childhood through kindergarten. Among the findings, the research indicated that the achievement gap is visible in children by three years of age; developmental delays are especially apparent in neighborhoods within Dove Springs, Manor, Quail Creek and St. John; and developmental delays are in specific skill sets, including communication, problem solving and fine motor skills. “Currently, there is no publicly accessible development data being collected in Central Texas for children ages zero to five,” Debbie Bresette, president, United Way Capital Area (UWCA), said. “This creates a significant challenge in planning for early childhood services. With this research, we are going to change that.” The Samsung-sponsored project resulted in localized data maps that indicate developmental vulnerabilities in Central Texas children. The maps will allow UWCA to better monitor, diagnose, plan and improve early childhood systems performance. In Central Texas, only 52 percent of children enter kindergarten school-ready, indicating that delays are emerging even before children begin their education. Furthermore in some local neighborhoods UWCA assessed , only 13 percent of children are considered school ready. “A child’s […]
Read MoreBank On Central Texas saves Central Texans $2.4 million in fees!
Posted on by Christa Berry
In its first year, Bank On Central Texas (BOCT) opened more than 6,000 bank accounts- saving individuals more than $2.4 million. Many Central Texans struggle daily with budgeting and meeting daily expenses. Often these individuals are wary of banks and use services provided by check cashers, pawn shops and payday lenders. Forty-seven thousand Central Texans don’t use a bank account for basic financial activities and cash checks valued at more than $160 million at check cashers with more than $4 million in check cashing fees collected. In Austin alone, a typical working, unbanked household pays between $230 and $918 to cash paychecks during the course of one year. For someone on a fixed income or living paycheck to paycheck, that can really add up. To address this issue, United Way Capital Area (UWCA) launched BOCT is a community initiative to bring together financial institutions, government, private sector and community organizations to provide more people access to better financial products and services. “Individuals who don’t have bank accounts rely on alternative, high-cost financial services,” said Annie DuPre, Financial Stability VISTA at UWCA. “There’s potential for these individuals to save hundreds of dollars a year by opening a low cost or even free account through the partnerships established by BOCT.” BOCT, which serves 10 counties, reaches out to both unbanked (those who do not have an account-checking or savings) and under-banked (those who use a combination of mainstream and alternative financial services). The majority of unbanked or under-banked individuals are in low and […]
Read MoreStudents get “Hands on” by helping their community
Posted on by Christa Berry
Since August, students at Webb Middle School participated in Volunteer Project Leader (VPL) training to learn how to better their community by leading volunteer projects. The group recently finished their first project: raising money for, making and donating warm fleece blankets for kids who need them. The program, which was adapted from UWCA’s Hands On Central Texas program specifically for Webb’s middle school students, aims to transform casual volunteers into active community leaders by equipping participants with the leadership skills and tools they need to make meaningful and lasting change in their communities. It focuses on providing volunteers with the basics of how to lead projects; how to manage and recruit volunteers; ways to identify needs in the community; adopt existing or create new volunteer projects; and ways to locate and utilize resources. During their time in the VPL training program, Webb’s seventh grade students performed an exercise that required them to reach out to their teachers, peers and community leaders to identify what the need was in the St. Johns neighborhood. Once this was completed, the exercise turned into much larger projects that focused on addressing those identified needs. One of the student leaders, Noel Mondragon, worked with his teacher, Mrs. Eckhart, to develop the idea of putting together warm fleece blankets for underprivileged children at orphanages or early childhood centers in the surrounding area. “Noel was the leader of the project but the whole school really got invested,” said Nikki Krueger, who runs HOCT and the Volunteer Project […]
Read MoreAustinites give back in a major way for Martin Luther King Day
Posted on by Christa Berry
Saturday, Janaury 14 marked the seventh annual United Way Capital Area MLK Day of Service. The MLK Day of Service serves as a day to reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s message of “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.” More than 400 volunteers from all across the Austin community came together to complete service projects that supported 13 local nonprofits and schools. David Guzman, Executive Director of Positive Footprint, led a team of young men who volunteered with the Texas Ramp Project to build a wheelchair ramp for a member of the community. “Our guys loved the experience and are already talking about trying to arrange another volunteer event with them in the summer,” said David. “It was great to get them involved in work where they could actually see the result of their effort.” Leading up to the MLK Day of Service, United Way’s Webb Middle School volunteer leaders conducted interviews in the St. John’s neighborhood to identify and prioritize projects they could take on to help their community. Mainly, students had a strong desire to give back to their elementary school, J.J. Pickle. The team, led by seventh grade student Noel Mondragon, weeded the garden and flower beds, harvested vegetables, planted butterfly vines, cleared a pond, repaired compost bins and picked up trash on the campus grounds. When the project was complete, student volunteers reflected on the experience. “I feel really happy and pleased with our work. I feel like we accomplished something that helped […]
Read MoreEmpowering students is part of the program with Middle School Matters
Posted on by Aviva Pinchas
At Webb Middle School, United Way Capital Area is helping 20 7th graders become the next generation of community leaders by hosting a nationally-recognized Volunteer Project Leader (VPL) training program on campus. These dedicated 12- and 13-year-olds regularly get to school early every Thursday to participate in training. They are eager to learn how to make their school and neighborhoods better. “It started when we hosted volunteer projects on campus last spring,” said Nikki Krueger, Director, Volunteer Engagement at UWCA. “After Deloitte’s IMPACT Day there, the principal and assistant principal asked if we had leadership opportunities for their students. This fit perfectly.”
Read MoreUnited Healthcare decorates wagons, helps children
Posted on by Aviva Pinchas
Absolutely incredible doesn’t begin to describe the collective energy of 250 United Healthcare (UHC) volunteers who came together on Tuesday, Nov. 1 to assemble and decorate 45 Radio Flyer wagons that were donated to 18 nonprofit agencies in Austin, Texas. Part of a service project held alongside their annual conference, the project began when UHC reached out to Hands On Central Texas (HOCT), the local affiliate of HandsOn, with one simple request: to host a project that benefited the health and wellbeing of young children in Central Texas. That’s just what they did by coming together to deck out wagons in animal, bug, rock star, racecar and super hero themes. United Way Capital Area partnered with Theatre Action Project who created the various themes, helped to coordinate the supplies and provided expert volunteers to assist in the design aspect of the wagons. Among other uses, the wagons will transport children to and from the hospital during surgery or treatment, no doubt providing a little joy to children and parents struggling through a tough time. The wagons will also be used as toys on playgrounds of nonprofits who serve low-income children and families. Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas representatives were present to thank the volunteers personally. “Our families loved the wagons!” said Missy Strittmatter, Events Coordinator, Ronald McDonald House of Austin. “This support brightened the day for children facing pediatric medical crises.” Through projects like these, HOCT brings together dedicated volunteers and companies like United Healthcare to support the needs […]
Read MoreJP Morgan Chase partners with Bank On Central Texas to help Central Texans “Make their Money count”
Posted on by Aviva Pinchas
JP Morgan Chase becomes the 10th partner to join Bank On Central Texas in helping Austin residents open a bank account and bringing affordable financial services to Central Texas. “Mainstream financial institutions like Chase are the safest way for consumers to protect their money,” said Jill Shah, Director of Financial Stability at UWCA. “With Bank On, we’re making it possible for the 47,000 people in our community without a bank account to finally open one. Partnering with Chase allows us to reach even more people.” In its first 9 months, Bank On Central Texas helped 4,300 people open bank accounts, saving a total of $1.7 million in check-cashing fees. Chase will help the unbanked population by offering no-fee accounts, free check cashing, easy direct deposit and referrals to Bank On’s financial education classes. Chase customers will enjoy a more comprehensive menu of services thanks to this partnership. “Families with access to basic services like a bank account are more likely to save and less likely to fall prey to high fees and interest rates,” explained Jill. “In these economic times, it’s more important than ever to plan your finances carefully.”
Read MoreCampaign Co-Chair Q&A: Part 3
Posted on by Aviva Pinchas
For United Way Capital Area’s annual Workplace Giving Campaigns, two dedicated volunteers help promote the importance of giving through the workplace by serving as Campaign Co-Chairs. This year’s Co-Chairs are Ben Bentzin, CEO of Interactive Health Technologies, Inc., and Jeff Thomas, Regional Vice President for H-E-B. They answered some questions about their role in the campaign in the last of this three-part series. Why do you think it’s important for people to give through their workplace? Jeff: First, it’s easy. If your workplace sets up a program that allows you to contribute a small amount each week over the course of a year, that small amount can mean a whole awful lot to an individual and collectively to the agencies United Way supports. Employers who set up processes and systems that make it easy for their employees to give, can make a big difference in that way. How does workplace giving encourage philanthropy throughout Austin? Ben: A workplace giving campaign does three things: 1. It gives companies a chance to raise their corporation’s profile in our community. It extends and enhances the value of their brand because they’re seen as a good citizen. 2. It gives companies an easy way to do some social good in our community and be sure that those dollars are going to be spent in a way that’s really helping people living in poverty. 3. It’s a chance for employees to work together as a team. A lot of employees […]
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