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 MoreUWCA raises over $100K for Wildfire Relief
It’s hard to believe it has been over a month since wildfires broke out across Central Texas. For UWCA, this time of year is always busy with workplace giving campaigns, but the wildfire relief efforts brought an added sense of urgency to the work we do. Within hours of hearing about the fires, our 2-1-1 (the United Way Helpline) team went to work verifying information on resources, services and safety. Social media is now a huge part of every disaster recovery effort so 2-1-1 staff members scoured social channels for up-to-the-minute news, verified its validity and then served as a hub of verified information for all callers. UWCA also initiated a text-to-give campaign, so anyone can text “Wildfire,” to 85944 and donate $10. The money donated to the Wildfire Relief Fund has already provided gift cards so those affected by the fires could buy groceries, gas, lodging, replacement tools, clothes and other necessities. To date, we have collected more than $117,000. Recently, Samsung announced a one-time gift of $50,000 for our wildfire recovery fund, the largest contribution to date. This donation allows United Way to work with communities to determine both immediate and long-term recovery needs. Together, we can help those most in need and those who are no longer covered by insurance regain a productive life. Samsung’s gift exemplifies what it means to be a true corporate partner and citizen. Their gift toward wildfire recovery is in addition to the ongoing corporate giving campaign, so those who relied on […]
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