“We love Days of caring for a lot of reasons. Day of Caring is a snapshot of who we are at the United Way, it is a reflection of what we’re all about—multiplying the work you do and the resources you donate exponentially.” – David C. Smith, CEO United Way for Greater Austin
On Friday, September 22, more than 300 volunteers came together to work on 23 projects at sites throughout the city. UWATX teamed up with United Way of Williamson County and United Way of Hays and Caldwell Counties this year to celebrate Fall Day of Caring collectively. Volunteers across Central Texas came together with the shared mission of making sure our communities continue to thrive. From preparing Play to Learn Tablets to sorting donations at Austin Creative Reuse, volunteers from many of our corporate partners came out in full force to support the community.
We would like to give a special thanks to our Fall Day of Caring sponsors; NXP Semiconductors, JE Dunn Construction, Kerbey Lane Cafe, Ebay and Austin Coca Cola. Without your support, our work would not be possible—thank you!
This is Our Love Letter
Fall Day of Caring is a community-wide service event that addresses critical needs through meaningful volunteer action, but it is more than that. Days of Caring, or more specifically – caring for our neighbors on a daily basis – is our love letter to Austin.
On Days of Caring, UWATX staff, corporate sponsors and community partners alike come together to form an army for good. It is the work we do together, united as one body, that truly changes lives. There is no denying that there is great need in Austin, but thanks to support, generosity and big hearts we are all able to invest in impact and change lives in a sustainable way. Our Day of Caring is a tangible snapshot of what coming together to create a thriving community for all really looks like.
A Shared Mission 
Andi Handy of NXP, our presenting sponsor, kicked off Fall Day of caring with an inspiring message about her passion for service.
“I was raised by parents who lived pay it forward before it was ever a slogan. My parents helped people who were more than likely in the same financial position as we were, they always felt the need to give back,” Handy said.
After 30 years of partnership and three different names, NXP is still a strong supporter of UWATX. The core of their company culture is centered on giving back and helping people in the community in which they operate.
While United Way for Greater Austin is still our name, we recently went through a new strategic planing process. Not unlike NXP, our hope is that our mission to bring people, ideas and resources together to fight poverty in our community shines brighter than our name ever will.
The Need is Great, But Our Hearts Are Bigger 
Austin is one of the most economically segregated cities in the nation. It is at the top of so many “best” lists; best place to start a business, best place to live, best place to work… but the reality is that countless Austin residents don’t experience the “best” of what Austin has to offer.
Not only do we seek to create a thriving community for all here in Austin, but we also strive to support our neighbors all across the state of Texas. When Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas Coast in late August the UWATX 2-1-1 Navigation center was there to help.
Thanks to 60 volunteers and several contract staff members, 2-1-1 fielded more than 260,000 calls statewide from people affected by Harvey. From search and rescue to aftermath recovery, 2-1-1 Navigation Center staff worked around the clock to support our neighbors in the hardest hit areas.
For us, every day is a Day of Caring. Everyday is an opportunity to come together to fight poverty in our community. We want to thank everyone who served with us last Friday and everyone who has ever volunteered through United Way. Your passion for good and heart for service allows us to do what we do—thank you.
To learn more about how you can get involved in the community, check out our Hands on Central Texas volunteer center.
If you would like to get involved through a giving society, you can out more about those great opportunities here. You can find more photos from Fall Day of Caring here.
Lastly, if you or your company wants to contribute to the Central Texas Long-Term Recovery Fund benefiting the hardest hit areas of Hurricane Harvey, click here.