This afternoon, we unveiled a landmark document that has been years in the making: the School Readiness Action Plan for Austin/ Travis County, an ambitious three-year plan to increase the percent of children who enter kindergarten school ready to 70 percent by 2015. In Central Texas, only 50 percent of children are school ready, meaning only one in two students enter school developmentally ready to learn. The number of ready children drops to 13 percent in low-income communities, according to UWATX research released earlier this year. “When children enter school behind, they tend to stay behind,” said Debbie Bresette, President, UWATX. “Children under 6 represent the future of our community- they’re one of our fastest growing populations- so changing these statistics means changing the future of Greater Austin.” The Action Plan is informed by recent census data, which show one in three households in Travis County include children under 6 and nearly half of young children are low-income, which on average means a family of four living on less than $46,000 annually. “We want to change these numbers so every child has the opportunity to be successful and Greater Austin can continue to thrive,” said Bresette. To get here, UWATX led two years of collaborative efforts with the City of Austin, Travis County and a variety of local stakeholders, bringing together more than 200 entities. This true community effort was endorsed by Mayor Leffingwell, Judge Samuel Biscoe, Senator Kirk Watson and Representative Larry Gonzales. Long-time supporter Representative Mark Strama spoke […]
Read MoreIntroducing: United Way for Greater Austin
After months of careful evaluation, we’re announcing an important evolution for our local organization: we are changing our name to United Way for Greater Austin! Austin is an incredible city to live and work in and we’re proud to be here, so this name change reinforces our long-standing commitment to our dynamic community. We deliberately chose for—and not of—because we are here in service to Greater Austin. The new name does not signal any change to our service area, we will continue to provide research-based and results-focused services to all ten counties where we work. We’ve been helping Central Texas for almost 90 years and are committed to creating a resilient, innovative, philanthropic, creative and thriving community for all. The new name is one component of a larger rebranding process, where we are reintroducing ourselves to this vibrant community. At United Way, we are solving problems not just for one person with one need, but creating solutions for a large community with large needs. Our mission is to make Austin greater by building philanthropists, helping the working poor overcome barriers and making sure Austin continues to thrive. With this change, we have a new Facebook page that we urge you to like to see updates on UWATX. You can also follow @uwatx on Twitter for even more posts on how we’re helping Austin continue to thrive. (Note: While our Twitter handle has also changed, if you were following @unitedwaycapitalarea, you are automatically following the new handle.) As always, we couldn’t do […]
Read MoreUnited Way Capital Area Releases Findings of Year-Long Study Highlighting the Root of the Achievement Gap in Central Texas Children
United Way Capital Area’s Success By 6 initiative released the results of a year-long study of Central Texas children at the 2012 Central Texas Early Childhood Business and Civic Leaders Summit at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center on Thursday, Jan. 26. The research project made possible by a donation from Samsung Austin Semiconductor and conducted by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, illustrates the state of Central Texas children from early childhood through kindergarten. Among the findings, the research indicated that the achievement gap is visible in children by three years of age; developmental delays are especially apparent in neighborhoods within Dove Springs, Manor, Quail Creek and St. John; and developmental delays are in specific skill sets, including communication, problem solving and fine motor skills. “Currently, there is no publicly accessible development data being collected in Central Texas for children ages zero to five,” Debbie Bresette, president, United Way Capital Area (UWCA), said. “This creates a significant challenge in planning for early childhood services. With this research, we are going to change that.” The Samsung-sponsored project resulted in localized data maps that indicate developmental vulnerabilities in Central Texas children. The maps will allow UWCA to better monitor, diagnose, plan and improve early childhood systems performance. In Central Texas, only 52 percent of children enter kindergarten school-ready, indicating that delays are emerging even before children begin their education. Furthermore in some local neighborhoods UWCA assessed , only 13 percent of children are considered school ready. “A child’s […]
Read MoreEmpowering students is part of the program with Middle School Matters
At Webb Middle School, United Way Capital Area is helping 20 7th graders become the next generation of community leaders by hosting a nationally-recognized Volunteer Project Leader (VPL) training program on campus. These dedicated 12- and 13-year-olds regularly get to school early every Thursday to participate in training. They are eager to learn how to make their school and neighborhoods better. “It started when we hosted volunteer projects on campus last spring,” said Nikki Krueger, Director, Volunteer Engagement at UWCA. “After Deloitte’s IMPACT Day there, the principal and assistant principal asked if we had leadership opportunities for their students. This fit perfectly.”
Read MoreUnited Healthcare decorates wagons, helps children
Absolutely incredible doesn’t begin to describe the collective energy of 250 United Healthcare (UHC) volunteers who came together on Tuesday, Nov. 1 to assemble and decorate 45 Radio Flyer wagons that were donated to 18 nonprofit agencies in Austin, Texas. Part of a service project held alongside their annual conference, the project began when UHC reached out to Hands On Central Texas (HOCT), the local affiliate of HandsOn, with one simple request: to host a project that benefited the health and wellbeing of young children in Central Texas. That’s just what they did by coming together to deck out wagons in animal, bug, rock star, racecar and super hero themes. United Way Capital Area partnered with Theatre Action Project who created the various themes, helped to coordinate the supplies and provided expert volunteers to assist in the design aspect of the wagons. Among other uses, the wagons will transport children to and from the hospital during surgery or treatment, no doubt providing a little joy to children and parents struggling through a tough time. The wagons will also be used as toys on playgrounds of nonprofits who serve low-income children and families. Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas representatives were present to thank the volunteers personally. “Our families loved the wagons!” said Missy Strittmatter, Events Coordinator, Ronald McDonald House of Austin. “This support brightened the day for children facing pediatric medical crises.” Through projects like these, HOCT brings together dedicated volunteers and companies like United Healthcare to support the needs […]
Read MoreJP Morgan Chase partners with Bank On Central Texas to help Central Texans “Make their Money count”
JP Morgan Chase becomes the 10th partner to join Bank On Central Texas in helping Austin residents open a bank account and bringing affordable financial services to Central Texas. “Mainstream financial institutions like Chase are the safest way for consumers to protect their money,” said Jill Shah, Director of Financial Stability at UWCA. “With Bank On, we’re making it possible for the 47,000 people in our community without a bank account to finally open one. Partnering with Chase allows us to reach even more people.” In its first 9 months, Bank On Central Texas helped 4,300 people open bank accounts, saving a total of $1.7 million in check-cashing fees. Chase will help the unbanked population by offering no-fee accounts, free check cashing, easy direct deposit and referrals to Bank On’s financial education classes. Chase customers will enjoy a more comprehensive menu of services thanks to this partnership. “Families with access to basic services like a bank account are more likely to save and less likely to fall prey to high fees and interest rates,” explained Jill. “In these economic times, it’s more important than ever to plan your finances carefully.”
Read MoreCampaign Co-Chair Q&A: Part 3
For United Way Capital Area’s annual Workplace Giving Campaigns, two dedicated volunteers help promote the importance of giving through the workplace by serving as Campaign Co-Chairs. This year’s Co-Chairs are Ben Bentzin, CEO of Interactive Health Technologies, Inc., and Jeff Thomas, Regional Vice President for H-E-B. They answered some questions about their role in the campaign in the last of this three-part series. Why do you think it’s important for people to give through their workplace? Jeff: First, it’s easy. If your workplace sets up a program that allows you to contribute a small amount each week over the course of a year, that small amount can mean a whole awful lot to an individual and collectively to the agencies United Way supports. Employers who set up processes and systems that make it easy for their employees to give, can make a big difference in that way. How does workplace giving encourage philanthropy throughout Austin? Ben: A workplace giving campaign does three things: 1. It gives companies a chance to raise their corporation’s profile in our community. It extends and enhances the value of their brand because they’re seen as a good citizen. 2. It gives companies an easy way to do some social good in our community and be sure that those dollars are going to be spent in a way that’s really helping people living in poverty. 3. It’s a chance for employees to work together as a team. A lot of employees […]
Read MoreNordstrom volunteers go above and beyond to impact kids’ lives
A dozen volunteers from Nordstrom visited Webb Middle School last week to compile Kamico math activity kits that will be used my teachers to support the entire 7th grade for the rest of the year. Their story is an example of what happens when United Way brings together caring companies and local educators to make a difference in our community. Before the project started, Webb students spoke with Nordstrom volunteers about the importance of this and other projects on their campus. Webb is one of three middle schools in the Greater Austin area chosen to participate in Middle School Matters- a UWCA initiative to bring essential services offered by non-profits to key campuses and thus increase graduation rates. “The Middle School Matters initiative has been a blessing for our students and our campus,” said Valerie Torres-Solis, Assistant Principal at Webb Middle School. “Last year my options in terms of helping my students were so very limited. I could provide consequences but no real plan with resources to address the issues. This year, with the support of Middle School Matters, I have quality services to offer my students and their families. I know that when their hearts are right, there minds will be ready to achieve academic success.”
Read MoreCity of Austin saves $7200 thanks to Bank On Central Texas
As one of Austin’s largest employers, the City of Austin is setting a strong example about how employers can empower their workers: over 350 City of Austin employees have switched to using direct deposit to deposit their paychecks thanks to Bank On Central Texas, a collaboration between United Way Capital Area and PeopleFund. This move will save the City more than $7200 in fees annually and save each employee who switched nearly $150 every year. “We’re supporting employers to help them make the best financial decisions for their employees,” said Jill Shah, Director, Financial Stability at UWCA. “Using direct deposit is an easy way for both parties to get more out of their dollars.”
Read More[GUEST BLOG] Volunteerism – Make a Difference for Your Community and Business
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The power of workplace volunteerism is huge –Americans are volunteering in record numbers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ January 2010 report, 1.5 million more Americans volunteered between September 2008 and September 2009 than the previous year. Wells Fargo team members in Austin have been actively involved with the United Way for many years and in fact, our Diversity Council and Team Member Networks are already planning projects to support the “Day of Caring” campaign in the Spring. In addition to working for a company that has contributed more than $1.6 million to the United Way since 1999, I have also had the honor of serving on the United Way’s Campaign Cabinet and the Community Advisory Council. Why? Because it’s the right thing to do. Yet there also is a host of business benefits that can result from community service. Read on for a few examples of win-win situations that can be created when businesses support their employee volunteerism.
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