As a Public Relations major, Courtney never pictured herself working in the nonprofit industry after graduation. However, 3 months into her job as a Campaign Associate (CA) at United Way Capital Area (UWCA), Courtney confesses that her passion for this work has grown tremendously in ways she couldn’t have imagined. Before joining the team, Courtney was a typical Public Relations major at St. Edward’s University. She was focused on maintaining a good GPA, and served as the President of her university’s Public Relations Student Society of America chapter. “My interest in non-profits first started in college” she admits. “But my passion grew as I became more involved with United Way’s philanthropy efforts.”
Read MoreCampaign Co-Chair Q&A: Part 2
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 second of this three-part series. Why do you give to UWCA? Jeff: It’s a wonderful organization that touches so many different needs in our community and I have a passion around many of these needs- education for one, especially early education. You can impact the life of a young child even prior to going into school and make a difference in their life forever. Right now, we’re putting a lot of time, energy and money into building literacy rates in the state of Texas and our chairman Charles Butt is very passionate about that, as I am. I also have a passion around the well-being and health of the people in our community. H-E-B is doing an awful lot to make sure we’re educating our partners about being healthy, taking better care of themselves and many of the organizations that UWCA touches connect to that. There’s so many different needs in our community that, if not for UWCA, would go unfilled, so that’s why I’m passionate about giving and supporting United Way. Why do you have a passion for improving the Austin community? Ben: When I’m out during campaign, I talk about […]
Read MoreUWCA welcomes new Board members
UWCA’s Board of Directors is a group of dedicated volunteers that shape the vision for the organization’s future and provide critical support in achieving ambitious goals for positive change in our community. In October, UWCA welcomed 3 new board members: Ben Bentzin, CEO of Interactive Health Technologies, Inc. Don Kendrick, Regional President for Wells Fargo’s Central Texas Region Sheila Plank, retired strategic marketing and management executive They join Bill O’Brien, elected Board Chair in August; Gayle Greer, who joined the board in August; and 12 other passionate and committed board members. “I’m excited to see the latest additions to our board,” said Debbie Bresette, President, United Way Capital Area. “They represent unique and important voices in our community that will help United Way deliver on our promise to create measurable, positive change.” UWCA is proud to welcome these 5 standout professionals in their new roles and we are thankful for the invaluable leadership of our board.
Read MoreUWCA receives Partner of the Year award for Youth work
United Way Capital Area was honored at yesterday’s Breakfast of Champions event with the Partner of the Year award for our work to improve out of school time programs in our community. The event was hosted by Central Texas Afterschool Network (CTAN) and recognized community organizations, school officials, volunteers and government entities. See the full list, including UWCA Youth Leadership Council member Raphael Travis and numerous UWCA partners. “Out of School Time programs are paramount in moving our children forward,” said Debbie Bresette, President, United Way Capital Area. “UWCA is proud to receive this award and to be a part of making a difference in the lives of children in our community.” This year, CTAN embarked on a mapping study to identify gaps in Out of School time services in 17 high-need zip codes in Travis County. UWCA helped design the study and survey questions. UWCA also worked with CTAN to add three new categories to this year’s awards: Program Quality Staff, Program Quality Site and Program Quality Organization. “This sends an important message that we need to maintain high standards for out of school time programs,” said Laura LaFuente, Director of Community Building for UWCA’s Youth Initiative. “These categories highlight the importance of quality out of school programs and will hopefully inspire others to reach these same standards.”
Read MoreCampaign Co-Chair Q&A, Part 1
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 first of this three-part series. What is the role of the Campaign Co-Chair? The role of the Campaign Co-Chair is to be the cheerleader for the campaign. It’s a lot like being in a political campaign, except instead of running for yourself, you’re running to raise money for our community. I love being Campaign Co-Chair, it’s a chance for me to go out every day- I’ve been out every day this week- and talk about all the impact we can have through education, income and health. I also love seeing the diversity of the campaigns that we have and how these employee-driven campaigns are totally different but perfect for their individual companies- they’re motivating for employees, it gives them a chance to get to know each other better and do some good in the community. Why did you choose to become this year’s Campaign Co-Chair? I’ve been associated with United Way almost my entire H-E-B career and in fact early in my management years with H-E-B in the early 80s, I was the coordinator for H-E-B’s United Way campaign for one of those years. Ever since then I’ve had a connection to […]
Read MoreUWCA raises over $100K for Wildfire Relief
It’s hard to believe it has been over a month since wildfires broke out across Central Texas. For UWCA, this time of year is always busy with workplace giving campaigns, but the wildfire relief efforts brought an added sense of urgency to the work we do. Within hours of hearing about the fires, our 2-1-1 (the United Way Helpline) team went to work verifying information on resources, services and safety. Social media is now a huge part of every disaster recovery effort so 2-1-1 staff members scoured social channels for up-to-the-minute news, verified its validity and then served as a hub of verified information for all callers. UWCA also initiated a text-to-give campaign, so anyone can text “Wildfire,” to 85944 and donate $10. The money donated to the Wildfire Relief Fund has already provided gift cards so those affected by the fires could buy groceries, gas, lodging, replacement tools, clothes and other necessities. To date, we have collected more than $117,000. Recently, Samsung announced a one-time gift of $50,000 for our wildfire recovery fund, the largest contribution to date. This donation allows United Way to work with communities to determine both immediate and long-term recovery needs. Together, we can help those most in need and those who are no longer covered by insurance regain a productive life. Samsung’s gift exemplifies what it means to be a true corporate partner and citizen. Their gift toward wildfire recovery is in addition to the ongoing corporate giving campaign, so those who relied on […]
Read MoreFall Day of Caring: 800+ volunteers come together!
On Friday, September 23, United Way Capital Area closed its doors as employees joined over 800 volunteers to complete 35 projects throughout the community. In total, volunteers gave 2,982 hours of service for UWCA’s Fall Day of Caring. Individuals from 22 Austin-area companies came together in teams to build community gardens, support local organizations, mentor students in career skills and much more. The event also boasts a key record: 28 projects were led by UWCA-trained Volunteer Project Leaders– each of them participated in a 2-hour session to learn how to make meaningful and lasting change in their community. Over the past 6 years, UWCA has taught hundreds of volunteer leaders as part of this national training initiative. To say thank you to our dedicated volunteers, we put together a YouTube video featuring clips and photos from throughout the day. Random quotes of kindness: Austin Nature & Science Center– I was amazed at how everyone worked together to get the project done. The people from the Austin Statesman really did an awesome job. The place looks remarkable, more than I expected. I really like that we are able to be a part of the Days of Caring with United Way. We always get so much done on those volunteer days. Thank you so much! – Project Leader Mainspring Schools– I absolutely loved this event. Sometimes when I volunteer, I don’t get to see the full impact of what my time and energy is buying. In this instance, I was able to see the […]
Read MoreUnited Way Capital Area Partners with Businesses to Raise $16.5 Million
Each year, United Way Capital Area (UWCA), raises money to address the root causes of poverty in Central Texas. This year, UWCA has set an ambitious annual campaign goal of $16.5 million. Recognizing their campaign goals this year, and every year in the past, can only be met through the support of the many businesses that participate in the Workplace Giving Campaign, UWCA kicked off its season by thanking the employees of more than 300 Austin area companies for their loyal and continued support of the community. “We are so grateful for all of our community support and want to celebrate the successes of our donors and volunteers,” said UWCA President Debbie Bresette. “The companies that participate in our campaign are the ones who raise the money needed to fund the programs that have had a profound impact on the lives of people in our community.” UWCA hosted the kickoff event in the parking lots of five Central Austin H-E-B stores, whose own workplace campaign exceeded $1 million last year. The employees who stopped by one of the five locations, all near companies that participate in the Workplace Giving Campaign, were provided with breakfast items and beverages on their way to work as a token of gratitude. “It’s important that as a company we contribute to our community, but it’s also important to the people who work at Texas Gas Service that they are able to be actively engaged in affecting change in the communities that they live and work […]
Read MoreCelebrating Austin mentors
January is National Mentoring Month and United Way Capital Area wants to celebrate our 1 Hour for Kids local mentors. Meet David Robb, a correspondent at the Austin American Statesman, who has mentored through Big Brothers Big Sisters since November 2009. Here’s what Big Brothers Big Sisters is saying about him: “David has developed a good bond with his Little (Angel) through their mutual interest in sports. Most days, you can find them at the park playing basketball or football. Over the last few months, Angel has been feeling more comfortable and confident around his Big brother and likes to joke around and talk about things going on in his life. David not only encourages Angel to do well in school, he is a good role model on how important education is, as he is taking classes to become a teacher. He also takes him to UT sporting events, a great way to introduce Angel to an aspect of college. David goes above the 1 hour a week, often spending 2 to 3 hours on outings developing a strong foundation that is a positive influence on Angel’s life.” Make a difference in your community by becoming a 1 Hour for Kids mentor today!
Read MoreMLK Day of Service provides more than 7,500 volunteer hours to the community
The rainy forecast didn’t stop approximately 700 volunteers from participating in the UWCA MLK Day of Service on Saturday, January 15. The volunteers, of which more than half were middle and high school students, participated in more than 20 projects across Austin and the surrounding area. “I think it’s really exciting to be with a whole bunch of people who are just dedicated toward one goal. Everyone woke up early and are here to give back and celebrate a wonderful day,” said Lacey Allen, who works with College Forward through AmeriCorps State. Allen’s group braved the weather to help clean and beautify Audubon Nature Trails. Most of these projects were outside and focused on landscape, garden and greenbelt beautificaton projects. Northwest Hills United Methodist Church didn’t let the rain cancellation of its project stop them. Its members joined other volunteers at Any Baby Can to help prepare materials for the upcoming 3M Half Marathon. “To have a community that is best for everyone, it takes everyone giving back and volunteering their time,” said Sue Abold, who helps coordinate volunteer projects for the church. The nonprofit organizations sponsoring projects are grateful for the efforts and time given by the volunteers. Christin Alvarado with Feria Para Aprender led volunteers in sorting donated Spanish-language books that will be given to children at an education fair on January 29. “We really needed the help with this annual event,” Alvardo said. “We usually have about 10,000 or so books that need sorting before the event, […]
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