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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.

February 11 was National 211 Day. We caught up with Beth Wick, Program Manager of 211 Texas Information and Referral Network, which is under the Health and Human Services Commission of Texas. She told us a little bit about what 211 does in a disaster, the most recent example being Hurricane Ike, and also shared how 211 helps the community in the current economic crisis, and gave a great explanation of how 211 Texas and a local call center, like United Way Capital Area’s 2-1-1 in Central Texas, partner together to provide information and referral services.

Early Childhood advocates in Texas were very successful on Pre-K Day! TECEC writes to let us know: In response to our efforts, 59 legislators have come out in support of Senate Bill 21 and House Bill 130, which support full-day high-quality pre-k programs with an emphasis on community based partnerships. Right now, it is crucial that we ensure HB 130 is heard in committee. The longer it takes to secure a hearing in committee, the less likely the bill is to make it through the legislative process in time. You can make sure HB 130 is heard by writing Representative Rob Eissler, Chairman of the House Committee on Public Education to encourage him to bring HB 130 up for a committee hearing soon. Click here to write Representative Rob Eissler, Chairman of the House Committee on Public Education.

At healthfinder.gov, you can send a personalized e-card to encourage friends and loved ones to stay healthy. Choose the e-card that fits your style, add a personal message, and send. Healthfinder also has some great personal health tools where you can take a health quiz, use health calculators, plan activities and menus, and watch and listen to videos and podcasts on numerous health-related topics.

We write to you, the friends of United Way, to let you know David has resigned his position as president and chief professional officer to pursue new career interests. The board has named Debbie Bresette, UWCA executive vice president, as interim President and CPO. During David’s tenure, the people of Central Texas have partnered to provide $140 million and thousands of volunteer hours to help meet critical community needs. Hard work by talented people of United Way will help continue this vital mission. David guided the United Way Capital Area through an ambitious and critical shift in its giving model–to an approach that aims to achieve lasting gains in the lives of all Central Texans–truly a laudable mission. This era of transition at United Way Capital Area has meant a lot of hard work and has demanded that we all rise to the highest standards of committed and ethical leadership. David’s service to our organization, and to our community, has been what United Way needed through a period of substantial change. Those changes have been difficult, but change is essential to the continued vitality of every organization. David’s plans include becoming a partner in Civic Interest, LLC, which is a local collaborative of civic-minded leaders at work on community projects. Projects include continued work toward the same goals that have animated the work at United Way — addressing the region’s widening disparity gap and creating positive change in Central Texas. Thank you for your continued support and all you have […]

From Texans Care For Children: What’s at stake:Doctors around the state report a significant increase in the number of overweight toddler and preschool age children in Texas. Although Texas has worked to address child obesity in school-age children, a new bill under consideration represents the state’s first concerted effort to focus on the health, nutrition, and physical activity of children under the age of six. What’s in the bill:Senate Bill 395 (Lucio) would create an Early Childhood Health and Nutrition Interagency Council to assess the health of young children and identify best practices for improving early childhood health through nutrition and physical activity. The Council would create a plan to increase fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity among young children, increase awareness of benefits of breastfeeding, and engage community resources to promote nutrition education. Learn more. ***WHAT YOU CAN DO***SB 395 is scheduled to go before committee this TODAY. Take action NOW: Let the committee know you support SB 395. Come to the Capitol and put in a card of support for the bill. You may also come and testify, or–if you can’t come in person–email committee staff, Jordan Head, with your testimony or comments in support of the bill at: Jordan.Head@senate.state.tx.us. The hearing begins at 9 a.m. To learn more and see other bills that will be heard: click here. Urge committee members to move the bill forward to the Senate floor for a vote. Call or email Committee Members (email forms can be found at the links […]

From a recent Associated Press article: Popping a pill can cut your cholesterol. But did the doctor also prescribe cutting the stress that’s eroding your immune system? Or teach you how to exercise without worsening painful joints? Think 3 Ps: Good health care is preventive, predictive and personalized, a rarity today in a crisis-oriented care system far better at treating disease than keeping it at bay. To help change that, one of the nation’s top medical groups starts a major push this week for what patients might call whole-body wellness care. Here in Central Texas, we know that with a growing aging population (by 2040 those over 65 years of age will account for 27% of the population of Central Texas, compared to 11% in 2000 ), this type of approach to health care is especially important (for EVERYONE, since many of us will be part of the aging population by 2040). Click here to read the rest of the article.

Want to stay on top of the latest developments with the economic stimulus package, and understand how they may affect you as a consumer and a homeowner? From whitehouse.gov: There’s a new site geared at ensuring the accountability of the FSP (Financial Stability Plan) at FinancialStability.gov. Since the plan has just been announced, the site’s pretty basic, but it does have a fact sheet which will give you a good idea of how the plan is going to work. You can also learn more about the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act and subscribe to e-mail updates at:http://www.treas.gov/initiatives/eesa/

If you would like to have more of a say in future areas of improvement for the Hispanic population Austin, and you’ve been meaning to get more involved, now is your chance. The First Community Forum for the Hispanic Quality of Life Initiative will be on Education, next Tuesday, February 24, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at Stephen F. Austin High School. From the City of Austin website: The Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Initiative begins with four community forums held across Austin in North, East, South and Central locations during early spring. These forums will focus on four areas or designated themes: Education, Economic/Business Development, Healthcare and Cultural Arts/History/Enrichment. The initiative seeks to address the following questions: Is the quality of life for Hispanics in Austin markedly different from the quality of life experienced by Hispanics in other cities? Is the quality of life experience by Hispanics significantly different from the quality of life experienced by the rest of Austin and other demographic groups? Is the City of Austin providing program services, financial assistance and other opportunities to enhance the quality of life for Hispanics? Click here to read more about the Hispanic Quality of Life Initiative. Why is this initiative so important? With a purchasing power of about $8 billion in Central Texas, the region has become one of the top 25 Hispanic markets in the country. The key to Central Texas’ future rests on in its ability to develop a skilled workforce, and the growing Hispanic community must […]

Are you or is someone you know a local, underserved entrepreneur that could use a boost? BiGAustin, a nonprofit that provides entrepreneurial education, business counseling and financing has extended the deadline of its annual business plan competition. They will be accepting applications from small business owners until Feb. 27. Click here to register for the competition.