Author: Ashley Haustein

Hi Friends, I hope that you and your loved ones are safe, healthy, and finding ways to stay connected in this unprecedented time. 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. The COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting life as we know it. From school closures to layoffs, now more than ever people are in need of support. Local nonprofits are on the front lines, supporting local workers and those most affected by the COVID-19 crisis. I’ve been watching the news and wondering, “What can I do to help?” I’m heartened by how many have reached out to ask the same question. That’s why, in an effort to support the community during the COVID-19 pandemic, United Way for Greater Austin is partnering with Austin Community Foundation to create All Together ATX. Join us in lifting all Central Texans and the organizations that support them. Your donation will support people in the Greater Austin area with immediate needs including food insecurity, basic needs, medical needs, employment, and child care. 100% will stay local, and 100% will go to help those who need it most. This community-led philanthropic fund will provide flexible resources to nonprofit organizations working with communities that are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and the economic consequences of the outbreak. We will one day be on the other side of this. Right now, we hold the power to define who we’ll be on that day: More fractured and […]

The COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting life as we know it. Join Austin Community Foundation and United Way for Greater Austin to provide critical services, like basic needs, health services, and childcare. Give now.  Dear Friends, I hope you and your family have everything you need right now, and that you’re healthy and well. The COVID-19 pandemic is unlike anything our community or world has experienced. It’s disrupting schools and employment and leaving more people in need of support than ever before. It’s also revealing how interconnected we are, and how much we need each other. For nearly 100 years, United Way for Greater Austin has been dedicated to those in our community who are suffering and creating opportunity for all people, children, and families. The work we’ve been doing all along has prepared us for this moment. Here are some of the things we’ve done just over the past week – things that seemed impossible, but that you made possible: Our 2-1-1 team is responding to increased calls for questions and help around COVID-19, and help in general. The Governor has said that 2-1-1 is THE place to go for information on COVID-19. People need to know where to go for food, information on testing, health services, and so many other needs. 2-1-1 is working around the clock to make sure callers in need are connected to accurate and up-to-date information. We’re working furiously to support child care providers. This ranges from coordinating with child care providers to assess their needs to mobilizing the business community in advocacy efforts to reallocating targeted grant funding to early childhood education partners facing […]

The COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting life as we know it. Join Austin Community Foundation and United Way for Greater Austin to provide critical services, like basic needs, health services, and childcare. Give now.  Friends, Here at United Way for Greater Austin, health and well-being are a top priority. With day-by-day and sometimes hour-by-hour updates related to COVID-19, let’s take a few minutes to build community – albeit virtually – together. Whether you’re working from home like our United Way team or seeing events canceled from your calendar, everything can feel a little uncertain. Now is an opportunity for us to Live United, and there are ways for us to Live United without coming together in person.  Connection with friends, family, and community builds resilience. We need each other and now is an opportunity to create new ways to connect even while we isolate ourselves physically from large gatherings. I encourage you to read something every day that reminds you of some of the infinite ways we are connected and stay in touch with your family, friends, and colleagues to share your experience as we all navigate this time together. Here are a few reminders we shared with our United Way team based on recommendations from public health officials: Take steps to protect yourself. Here are some helpful tips.  Stay informed. The CDC is updating their site with the latest information. Care for your mental health. In addition to taking care of our physical health, it’s important to take care of […]

One of my favorite things about working here at United Way ATX: I’m surrounded by people who love learning. The team is entrepreneurial, constantly looking at new research findings and channeling that learning into impactful programs that fight poverty. The learning we’re doing takes a lot of forms… sometimes as 50+ page research papers, other times as engaging podcasts. In fact, podcasts are so popular here in this building that we even have a Slack channel dedicated to sharing good ones. (Random aside: This Slack channel was named with a typo – #podcats – so a rogue feline makes its way into the channel periodically. As a lover of all animals AND podcasts, I’m delighted by this.) There’s a lot of good learning happening through podcasts, and I want to share some of that with you. Here are 5 podcasts recently recommended by United Way ATX team members on #podcats related to our work fighting poverty. Happy listening! 1. Hidden Brain Zipcode Destiny: The Persistent Power of Place and Education 52 minutes This episode digs into the research of Harvard economist Raj Chetty. Chetty uncovered some shocking data about how much your early years impact your entire life. From your Kindergarten teacher to your access to nutritious food to the neighborhood you grow up in, your experiences in those early years have a big influence on your lifelong outcomes. Here at United Way ATX, we believe that your zip code shouldn’t determine your opportunity. That’s why we focus on education, […]

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.” — Dr. Seuss, “I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!” Helping all kids in the Greater Austin area go more places is what we do at United Way ATX through our work with the Success By 6 (SX6) Coalition. Ensuring all kids are happy, healthy, and ready to succeed at school and beyond is the top priority, and we know that access to books and a high-quality education help us get more kids there. Through our Pre-K Partnerships program, a Success By 6/AISD collaboration, we partner with child development centers in the Austin community to deliver high-quality pre-K and provide partnership centers with resources that help them improve and sustain quality services for children. This partnership is flourishing, and exceeding our first-year expectations…and a local acclaimed children’s book author took notice. Kat Kronenberg is the best-selling author of the Love Big trilogy, inspiring kids to dream, think, and love BIG to reach their full potential. She knows this BIG goal can’t be achieved alone, so we are honored that she reached out to partner with United Way in sharing her books, message, and heart at two of our Pre-K Partnership sites. “For the new year, one of my resolutions is to help bridge the gap for kids that tend to be left behind and make books relevant and exciting for them….I have helped in different cities over the years, and […]

For those of you who are familiar with 2-1-1, you know it is a powerful service. In Central Texas, 2-1-1 is leveraged by thousands of people stretching a 10-County region from Bastrop to Llano and beyond. Every day, people who work hard, but still struggle to make ends meet contact 2-1-1 to access free and confidential services for food, healthcare, transportation, and more.  Today, on National 2-1-1 Day, we are celebrating our fearless and dedicated staff. No matter the situation, the 2-1-1 team listens, identifies underlying problems, and connects people with resources and services in our community – but most importantly they exercise empathy. Keep reading to hear from three dedicated 2-1-1 team members about how working for this service has changed their lives.  For 11-year veteran Jessica Venson, Director of Client Services, amazement was her first impression of 2-1-1.  “The fact that my job was to listen to people’s stories, help them problem solve possible solutions and then also be able to provide them with a direction was unreal,” Jessica said. “It didn’t seem like this could actually be a real job…. a place where I could genuinely show my concern or care, and find ways to support others in my community.” After transitioning to the 2-1-1 team in August of 2019, 2-1-1 Call Specialist Cassie Gallardo said her eyes were opened to the depth of the need in Central Texas.  “Before I started working United Way ATX, I was a struggling mother and I contacted 2-1-1 for help,” […]