Author: Ashley Haustein

Hi friends, All of us at United Way for Greater Austin are grieving the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and the thousands of other black Americans impacted by recent acts of racism and violence. This cancer in our society diminishes all of us. Poverty and racism are so interconnected, we can’t address one without the other. What we can do is speak up, double down on our mission to fight poverty, and support each other every step of the way. These issues are too important for us to do anything else. Every time this happens, we all keep thinking this will be the time that people wake up and change finally comes. Together, we can be that change! Everyone deserves to live in a society where they feel safe, protected, and respected. Each and every one of us plays a role in creating that more just and equitable future. On Friday, I was in a meeting with one of the most brilliant people I know, Akasha. He is a black man, and he said, “We are shaping the future.” It was a hopeful word we all desperately need right now. May it be so. Our work fighting poverty has been about equity all along. Now we are more committed than ever, and ask that you join your hand with ours and be our partner in building a community that works for everyone. We believe that our only hope to lift up all of us is to address the systems that perpetuate inequity. Thanks to your […]

Post by: Michelle Hutson-Crawford, Success by 6 Pre-K Coaching Manager What do you love most about working with your team? In 2019, United Way ATX was selected by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to coordinate and implement a Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) observation coaching model with Pre-K educators in Austin ISD, Manor ISD, Wayside Schools, and Open Door Preschools. Getting the program off the ground was not only exciting but revealed in more ways than one, that our schools were prepared and ready to take on the challenge of increasing teacher-child interactions. I bet you are wondering what teacher-child interactions are… Well, positive teacher-child interactions can be defined by shared affection (hugs, smiles, high-fives etc.), understanding, and trust between a teacher and her students. Positive teacher-child relationships impact classroom management, learning, growth, and students mental-well being.  Children in these types of classrooms are known to take more risk, are motivated and tend to have a high self-esteem. According to research, improving teacher-child interactions build a foundation of trust, empathy, connectedness, equity, and improved child outcomes and school readiness. Not only do these connections build bridges for children and provide valuable insight to teachers, but they also create the blueprint for how local schools can continue this essential and transformative work. Throughout the course of the 19-20 school year, collectively our 33 teachers actively participated in more than 500 hours of group coaching and 260 hours of one-on-one coaching. What do all these numbers mean? Our teachers are awesome and […]

We’ve been proud to partner with the folks at Superior HealthPlan since 2005. Last year alone, 733 employees banded together to raise $159,042 for the Austin community! That’s an important investment in our collective fight against poverty. Our partnership with Superior is about more than funds raised. In 2019, Superior stepped up to become a Family-Friendly Workplace through our Early Matters Greater Austin initiative. What does that mean for Superior and their employees? Well, it means a lot for the 4,000 Superior employees in Texas – 1,100 of whom are based in Austin. It means that Superior has not only demonstrated family-friendly practices and policies, but is also committed to implementing new initiatives and improving these offerings for employees. Here’s Mark Sanders, President and CEO of Superior HealthPlan, explaining why this is so important to him: “Superior is proud to be recognized as a Family-Friendly Workplace. This designation means that thinking about families is part of how we do business, and that we strive to make sure our employees are supported at balancing work-family demands in all stages of life. While this designation is great news for our company, our goal is to continue to focus on ways we can better support all of our employees across the state.” Here are a few ways Superior has demonstrated a commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace and promotes a culture focused on family well-being: Parental leave: Mothers and fathers can take up to three weeks off work with 100% pay with […]

The past 12 months have been full of fun events here at United Way ATX. As we are all social distancing through COVID-19, we can’t help but reflect on some of our favorite moments in the last year when we were together in person. And we can’t wait to be back together in person again soon! In the meantime, let’s relive some of those fun events.    March 2020 – Live United Volunteer Day This past Live United Volunteer Day, more than 25 volunteers helped support our community! Volunteers assembled 350 breastfeeding support kits, wrote 100 English and 30 Spanish cards of encouragement, and spread joy to 100s of new families. Learn more about upcoming volunteer opportunities here. February 2020 – Butter Half Mural Pop-Up with Texas Mutual and Kendra Scott This Valentine’s Day, we were feeling the love from two of our favorite partners, Texas Mutual Insurance Company and Kendra Scott. During a week-long celebration of Texas Mutual’s employee giving campaign, we brought our Butter Half mural to some of our “Butter Half”s. Texas Mutual employees purchased yummy baked goods from their Valentine’s Day bake sale and all the proceeds went to United Way to support our community. And Texas Mutual teamed up with Kendra Scott to have a pop-up show where employees could buy jewelry (just in time for Valentine’s Day) and 20% of the proceeds came back to United Way.  Learn more about becoming a corporate partner here. January 2020 – MLK Day of Service This MLK […]

Now is the time to Live United. So many of us are facing economic, social, and health hardships caused by COVID-19, and it’s more important than ever for us to face those challenges together. And there are many ways you can Live United by helping individuals and families in our community who are struggling due to COVID-19 school closures, reduced work hours and more. Check out three ways you can give back below.    1. Give to the All Together ATX Fund.     We are partnering with Austin Community Foundation to bring relief to our community through the All Together ATX Fund. The fund will accept donations large and small from individuals, foundations, and companies and will provide critical services, like basic needs, health services, and childcare. Grant recipients will include 501(c)(3) organizations, units of government, or faith communities in Central Texas. All Together ATX will support nonprofits’ ability to address the impacts of COVID-19 and maintain delivery of services and bring much-needed relief to our community. Every dollar counts. Learn more. 2. Advocate for nonprofits and our community.    In these uncertain times, your voice is more important than ever. From essential workers to nonprofits, our community is being stretched beyond our wildest imagination and needs relief. Congress must support charitable organizations so we can continue to support our communities. Follow us on social media (@UnitedWayATX) and we will share timely opportunities with guidance from awesome advocates like United Ways of Texas, Texans Care for Children, and more.    […]

In these uncertain times, it can be difficult and daunting to weed through the congested news cycle – but I have good news! There are endless ways we can stay connected and calm while we shelter in place. Check out these 5 ways to practice self-care while Austin is under a shelter in place order. I hope they are a small reminder that we are all in this together, even if we’re six feet apart.  1 – Give meditation a try Meditation is proven to reduce stress and anxiety and promote emotional health. It benefits our mind to be in tune with what our body is feeling, and meditation is designed to do just that. I like to close my eyes and listen to a guided meditation as a way to start my day – even just five minutes of mediation can make a difference for your day.  Pro tip: Check out these free resources from the Calm and Headspace apps.   2 – Take a social media break Sometimes boundaries look like taking a step back. Try creating guidelines for yourself about when and how much media you consume. I have been limiting my media intake by structuring my scrolling time to only a few times a day. By being more conscious about your media intake, you can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.  Pro tip: You don’t have to click on every link you receive about the Coronavirus in your group chat.  3 – Try a virtual hangout with […]