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Your advocacy efforts are making a difference! Here is the latest on HB130, from the Statesman: A $300 million effort to move to full-day prekindergarten for eligible children has already won the support of more than half the Texas House of Representatives. By Tuesday, 79 co-authors, both Republicans and Democrats, had signed on to House Bill 130, sponsored by Rep. Diane Patrick, R-Arlington. So the political stars seem to be aligned for the bill, which sets standards for class sizes, curriculum and teacher qualifications as well as extending the school day. If you haven’t already, make sure you are receiving TECEC’s e-alerts, and are subscribed to receive updates from United Way Capital Area.

United Way supporter Rachel Saldana has chosen us as her charity of choice in a fun Guest Bartending Event being held tomorrow, March 25th, from 5:30-7pm at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. Each guest bartender is provided a jar for tips that will benefit the charity of his or her choice. Rachel is a good friend and strong supporter of UWCA and we are thrilled she has chosen us as her charity to donate her tips. Everyone is invited to come out and support her as shows off her mixing, stirring and shaking skills! You are also welcome to invite any friends or colleagues in your networks to attend – the more people who show up, the more money raised for UWCA. Contact Sarah Hart Miller if you have any questions and we hope to see a good turnout tomorrow night! sarah.miller@unitedwayaustin.org March 25thRuth’s Chris Steak House107 West 6th Street5:30-7 p.m.

HB 130 is one of our top priorities for the 81st Texas Legislature. From our friends at TECEC: HB 130 provides funds for high quality, full-day pre-k education with an emphasis on community-based partnerships. The bill needs a majority vote when heard in the committee in order to make it onto the House Floor. You can help ensure that HB 130 has overwhelming support, by contacting members of the committee in support of this important bill. This is a critical step in the legislative process, and we need your help to ensure that HB 130 meets it with success! Take action. Send a letter of support to the Texas House Committee on Public Education.

I attended the first Hispanic Quality of Life community forum a few weeks ago. I was glad to see the City of Austin take on a tough task in engaging people in the forums as well as tackling some tough issues in Austin. I see a real role for Hispanics & other groups can play in this process, from advocating for issues to participating in the forums; in fact, the success of the Hispanic community directly impacts the success of Austin. Let’s stand up & LIVE UNITED! Will you do your part? Here’s your chance. Join us for the next Hispanic Quality of Life community forum. We will have free dinner for everyone & the Capital Area Food Bank will giving out free bags of groceries (no questions asked). City of Austin Hispanic Quality of Life community forum Economic DevelopmentTuesday, March 24, 2009Austin Community College-South Campus1820 W Stassney LaneAustin, TX 78745 To attend, please RSVP/register here or go to www.handsoncentraltexas.org We’re also asking people to bring 5 friends, colleagues & neighbors! Help us spread the word.Thanks,MandoDirector, Hands On Central Texas

The following URGENT Advocacy item was sent to us by mentoring.org: Americans are stepping forward in record numbers to serve, many inspired by the bold vision articulated by President Obama, and all motivated to roll up their sleeves to address the mounting challenges we face in communities across the country. Communities are struggling to meet the growing demand for services, due in large part to the economic downturn, and nonprofit organizations need human capital to meet the increasing needs. This includes mentoring programs and Mentoring Partnerships that are working to ensure that more young people across the country can benefit from the power of mentoring. The House Education and Labor Committee has recognized the pivotal moment we are in as a country and responded by passing H.R. 1388, the GIVE Act. Tomorrow, March 18, H.R. 1388 will move to the House floor for a vote. The GIVE Act is the House companion bill to the Serve America Act, which was introduced by a bi-partisan group of Senators led by Senators Kennedy and Hatch on January 16, 2009. Before the GIVE Act vote, your Representatives need to hear from you that this legislation is important. Among its many provisions, the bill provides mentoring programs more access to additional resources and makes it possible to boost mentoring infrastructure through additional federal funding eligibility for Mentoring Partnerships – existing statewide and local, and new partnerships. Here’s how you can help: Call your representatives (see below for instructions) BY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18 AT 9AM […]

United Way Capital Area is a member of the Austin Area Human Services Association (AAHSA), and we encourage and invite you to attend their Mayoral and City Council Candidates Forum on Thursday, April 9 at the Mexican American Cultural Center, 600 River Street. Austin voters will go to the polls May 9th to elect a new mayor and council members in Places 1, 2, 5 & 6. Click here to see a list of those running for office. Get to know the candidates and their positions on how our community can better meet the needs of our most vulnerable populations. The Forum is from 11 am to 1.30 pm. Please RSVP by visiting the AAHSA web site: http://www.aahsa.clubexpress.com/ Attendees may also pre-order a box lunch via this web site which will be purchased and served beginning at 11 a.m. at the Forum. Questions? Call Suki Steinhauser at 512-464-9713. Be a part of the solution, advocate, find your voice and support your community.

Financial Fitness Greater Austin (FFGA) is an awareness and education initiative of Senator Kirk Watson, the Alliance for Economic Inclusion (AEI), the Financial Literacy Coalition of Central Texas (FLCCT), Junior Achievement of Central Texas and more than 40 entities in the Great Austin area. The goal is to provide targeted financial education to the Austin community and create general community awareness of the importance of financial education. During Financial Fitness week, from April 20 – April 26, 2009, over 50 free financial programs will be available to the Austin community. For a complete listing see www.financialfitnessaustin.org The week will kick off with a media event at the AT&T Center with a proclamation read by Brewster McCracken on April 16th at 11:00am. Directly following the media event will be Business In Action. Business In Action is comprised of two distinct and unique events—the Economic Summit panel discussion and a student competition. As the exciting beginning to Financial Fitness Greater Austin, this event offers something for everyone. The Economic Summit will feature several Austin business leaders and financial experts who will weigh in on the current state of the economy, as well as commentary from Blake Hastings, Vice President in Charge of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas’ San Antonio Branch. Immediately following the panel discussion, student teams from Austin-area high schools will compete against one another to operate a successful simulated business. For more information about FFGA contact Christine Kempff at ckempff@jacentex.org Want to get involved today with helping Central Texans […]

From Texans Care for Children:HB 1240 is a bill to support parents receiving important information about their children’s development. New parents are often overwhelmed by all there is to learn about how to keep a child healthy and developmentally on track, during a period of rapid growth and change: the first years of a child’s life. Resources are available to help parents understand young children’s comprehensive growth and developmental needs, while also alerting them to potential red flags in healthy development and to opportunities to connect their children with environments and resources that can make a lasting difference. The challenge lies with getting these resources into the hands of new parents throughout Texas. This bill will be heard by the House Public Health Committeeafter 8 a.m., Tuesday, March 10***WHAT YOU CAN DO*** The state has an opportunity to empower caretakers with information that can help establish early positive parenting habits and increase families’ awareness of resources that can bring long-term positive effects for their children’s development. Contact members of the House Public Health Committee. If you support having a guide about early childhood needs given to new parents in Texas, please contact the committee members below by e-mail or phone. You can also come to the committee hearing in room E2.012 of the Capitol Building to put in a card of support. Forward this email on to other supporters of young children, so they know they can take action. House Committee on Public HealthChair – Rep. Lois Kolkhorst: lois.kolkhorst@house.state.tx.us (512) […]

Enterprise Rent-a-Car Foundation Invests in Central Texas with a gift to United Way Capital AreaDwayne Judice, Group Loss Control Manager, and Lindsey Hoskinson, Human Resources Supervisor, from Enterprise Rent-a-Car (ERAC) presented United Way Capital Area with a check from the Enterprise Rent-a-Car Foundation. Enterprise employees participate annually in the Enterprise Rent-a-Car workplace giving campaign, contributing to United Way and local nonprofit agencies. The Enterprise Rent-a-Car Foundation matches employee contributions fifty cents on the dollar. This match of employee contributions not only demonstrates Enterprise’s support of employee participation in the annual giving campaign but also increases the impact their employee’s gifts will have in the community. Enterprise Rent-a-Car is one of several United Way corporate partners that choose to invest their employee matching gift dollars in United Way. “The Enterprise Foundation invests employee match dollars in United Way, because we believe the United Way is the best steward of our corporate dollars, contributing the greatest impact and changing Central Texas for the long-term.”, says Howard Zaroff, Vice President and General Manager. Thank you Enterprise employees and the Enterprise Rent-a-Car Foundation for your continued support of United Way’s mission to create opportunities for all Central Texans to succeed. If you or your company is interested in learning more about how to leverage your matching gifts program to create long lasting change in Central Texas please contact Lauren Paver, Director, Corporate Relations at lauren.paver@unitedwayaustin.org or (512) 225-0393.