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Family Connects is a free, evidence-based nurse home visiting program for all families with newborns. We are thrilled to be celebrating the program’s 1st birthday in Austin/Travis County! The Family Connects Texas program (an arm of Family Connects International in Durham, NC) supports parents by linking nurses, community resources, and families. Our mission is to connect you with resources that nurture your whole family and support your child. It’s about planting seeds for the future. Together, we’re growing healthy babies! Want to know what a home visit looks like? Learn more about our amazing program at our website: https://www.familyconnectstexas.org/

Family Connects is a free, evidence-based nurse home visiting program for all families with newborns. We are thrilled to be celebrating the program’s 1st birthday in Austin/Travis County! The Family Connects Texas program (an arm of Family Connects International in Durham, NC) supports parents by linking nurses, community resources, and families. Our mission is to connect you with resources that nurture your whole family and support your child. It’s about planting seeds for the future. Together, we’re growing healthy babies! Want to know what a home visit looks like? Learn more about our amazing program at our website: https://www.familyconnectstexas.org/

With 90% of the brain developing by age five, the early education work being done in child care centers across Austin has never been more important. Now is the time to make the most impact on the lives of children. Each child is a brick in the foundation of our community, our future workforce and beyond – and it’s important to ensure that all children have the same opportunity to receive a high-quality and compassionate early education. And that’s where our revamped tutoring program comes in.  Six college-aged tutors are making an impact in the lives of Pre-K aged children at two pilot campuses in Austin – Zavala and Galindo Elementary. “Right now, as college students, we realize the importance of education, and we know that these students are just starting out. We have the ability to help them not fall behind,” David, first-year Tutor said. “Once you get behind it’s a lot harder to catch up, and so it’s better to invest and make an impact now.” Tutors will work with the Pre-K aged kids to develop language skills throughout the school year through the Developing Talkers curriculum. The program uses dialogic reading, an interactive reading technique that involves engaging the child in conversation about the book in order to develop a wider vocabulary, improve verbal skills and more. But most importantly the tutors are developing relationships and a level of trust that allows them to grow the minds of these young learners. “A lot of people say children […]

Something special happens when we Live United… when we come together and root for our team: The Greater Austin community. And that’s exactly what we did on the morning of August 28th at our Live United Breakfast. Our Board, team, donors, community partners, volunteers, advocates, and champions came together to celebrate our community impact with all the people who made it happen.  Here are just a few highlights from the Live United Breakfast that we’re especially excited about: 1. We published our 2018-2019 Community Impact Report. Last year, we impacted more than 47,000 children and families, invested more than $7 million directly into our community, and answered more than 390,000 calls for assistance. And so much more.   Read All About It 2. Keynote Speaker Andy Loughnane, President of Austin FC, reminded us what makes the Greater Austin community special and shared how he Lives United. Thank you to Kristin Marcum, President of Elizabeth Christian PR and United Way Board Member, for leading that conversation with Andy (pictured above). Five lucky attendees even won an Austin FC scarf. 3. We debuted our Live United video. Watch and be inspired.   4. Everyone there inspired us with their commitment to Live United. How will you Live United? Here are a few ways you can take that next step. Join a United Way donor network to get involved, stay connected and advocate for change. Give Now > Volunteer during United Way’s Fall Day of Caring. Sign Up > Encourage your business to […]

Volunteering with United Way for Greater Austin is one of the most rewarding ways to do good in ATX. Throughout the year, we coordinate large volunteer days (Fall Day of Caring, Feast of Sharing, MLK Day of Service, Spring Day of Caring, and “Live United Days” are peppered throughout the year), but did you know that we also host smaller scale corporate volunteer days for our community partners? Even if you’re not from Austin! A few weeks ago, we hosted two different groups of volunteers at Open Door East. The volunteers were visiting Austin from all around the country. These groups wanted to take the opportunity to give back while they were here in Austin, and United Way ATX helped pair them with a community partner in need. One group of volunteers focused on the outside and play areas, and a few days later another group updated several of the classrooms, the kitchen, and the office. Both groups had a great time, and Open Door is pretty happy with the face-lift to their school! “I chose to volunteer at Open Door Preschool to – number 1, help the kids – but to understand what their needs are, and how we can give ourselves to make their transition and educational future a little easier. You know, we want them in a comfortable, encouraging environment that aids in their learning experience.” –Kim Stewart | Enerstar Electric Cooperative, Volunteer with United Way ATX Open Door Preschool received the following support on this project: […]

At United Way ATX we value and celebrate all voices. From Board members to donors to team members to partner organizations to the children and families we work with, we strive for inclusivity where everyone has a place at the table and their voices can be heard. Today, we are excited to introduce you to one of our newest team members Wondemneh Pawlose. We would love to tell you a little bit about Wonde, but we think you’ll like it even better hearing from him. (You’ll love him as much as we do.) I come from Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. I have seen the many faces of poverty growing up. People struggling to eat three meals every day, kids quitting school in order to financially contribute to their families, and sick people with the inability to seek medical treatment (where the clinic card itself costs more than their weekly budget) are realities lived by the few million residents of Addis Ababa. If you had told me in 2011 that poverty is rooted deep in various American cities and their inhabitants, I would have told you that you had lost your mind.  2011 was the year I have migrated to America, and I had no idea about the wealth disparity that exists within many American cities like Austin, TX. In my defense, I was taught to consider America as a land of milk and honey… a place where there is no space for poverty (if one chooses to […]

United Way for Greater Austin announces $300,000 in funding to jump start expansion of support services for parents and children in Austin/Travis County AUSTIN, Texas – United Way for Greater Austin (United Way) announced today that it is providing $300,000 in funding designed to accelerate expansion of 2-Generation (2-Gen) family support efforts in Austin/Travis County in line with the Family Opportunity Roadmap: Austin/Travis County 2-Generation Strategic Plan 2019-2023. 2-Gen efforts include the development and promotion of services and programming that support both parents and their children together. United Way is also working to eliminate barriers families with low income often face in accessing those services. To create a community of change, United Way will award funding to six nonprofit organizations launching “turnkey” 2-Gen programs or services at a total of $300,000 over two years. In partnership with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, United Way led a year-long strategic planning process that resulted in a comprehensive, community-supported roadmap for providing comprehensive, intergenerational support to entire families so they can break the cycle of poverty. Implementation of the Family Opportunity Roadmap began in January 2019, and these investments support immediate increases in the number of organizations serving families through a 2-Gen approach and the number of families receiving services in this manner. These new Community Investment Grant partners are: Austin Area Urban League. In partnership with Child Inc., the Austin Area Urban League will provide onsite childcare for parents participating in workforce training and job readiness programs. AVANCE. In partnership with […]

Being a mom to three kids can be overwhelming at times, especially when one of your children needs some extra help and special attention. Such was the case for Catalina Sanchez. Catalina found herself in a bind when her youngest son Carlos began experiencing speech delays requiring therapy. Because he was having trouble communicating, Carlos began misbehaving. Over time, Catalina and Carlos’ frustrations mounted. Feeling stretched to her limit, Catalina turned to AVANCE-Austin for help. AVANCE was founded in 1973, and has been an Austin institution since 1998. The direct translation of AVANCE means to “advance” or “progress,” and that’s what the AVANCE-Austin team embodies. They meet families with low-income where they are. Families like Catalina’s. After meeting with Catalina and Carlos, the AVANCE-Austin team were able to identify that Catalina suffered from postpartum depression. She began group counseling while Carlos began speech therapy. After a few months of this support, Catalina is more equipped than ever to nurture Carlos’ needs, while also giving attention to her other two kids. Catalina’s interactions have become more intentional, and through her home visits from AVANCE-Austin she has shown incredible progress in working with her kids, including her new habit of reading to all of her children every evening for bonding and cognitive skill building. United Way for Greater Austin is proud to have played a supporting role in Catalina’s success. Funding from United Way ATX has helped to expand AVANCE-Austin’s capacity and quality for home visiting. What’s special about our partnership with […]