As we enter the final week of National Mentor Month, we’d like to share this video entirely created by students at the River City Youth Foundation. RCYF provided details of the project: During the winter of 2009, River City Youth Foundation “My Hero!” mentoring program held a holiday camp that included a music portion. The children who had a desire to write positive lyrics about mentoring and Dove Springs were coached by River City Youth Foundation mentors and Jason Birdwell. Through encouragement from adults and other children, they were empowered to rap to their own lyrics in the studio, play instrumental tracks (guitar, bass guitar and percussion), create loops from software, and record video tracks that make up the entire content of “Come Mentor Us.” Make a difference in your community by becoming a 1 Hour for Kids mentor today!
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 Alix Floyd, Director of Leadership Giving at United Way Capital Area who has mentored through Big Brothers Big Sisters since June 2009. “I mentor because a small commitment on my part can mean a huge difference in the life of a young person. I’ve been granted every advantage in life and it is my duty to pay it forward. I had the blessing of having parents, grandparents, teachers, and friend who were all invested in my success. Without their guidance my life would have been very, very different. I want all kids to have the advantage of supportive, caring, invested adults.” Make a difference in your community by becoming a 1 Hour for Kids mentor today!
Read MorePresident Obama recognizes Mentoring Month
President Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation recognizing January 2011 as National Mentoring Month. Did you have a mentor growing up that made a significant impact on your life? Many of Austin’s youths are in need of a responsible, caring adult to help them succeed. You can make a difference by visiting unitedwayaustin.org/1hourforkids/ to learn about opportunities with seven Austin organizations. Make a difference today! You can read the Presidential Proclamation below or visit whitehouse.gov. Across our Nation, mentors steer our youth through challenging times and support their journey into adulthood. During National Mentoring Month, we honor these important individuals who unlock the potential and nurture the talent of our country, and we encourage more Americans to reach out and mentor young people in their community. The dedication of mentors has helped countless young men and women succeed when they might have otherwise fallen short of their full potential. Mentors can provide a steady presence and share their valuable knowledge and experiences. Even brief amounts of quality time set aside by these compassionate adults can have a lasting impact on the development of a child. Mentors can also support the lessons of parents and teachers by encouraging students to complete their schoolwork and by instilling enduring values of commitment and persistence. From coaches to community leaders, tutors to trusted friends, mentors are working with today’s youth to develop tomorrow’s leaders. We know the difference that a responsible, caring adult can make in a child’s life. Effective mentoring programs can result in […]
Read MoreLIVE UNITED Film Series introduces panel of Latino Health experts
The purpose of the LIVE UNITED Film Series is to to inspire, inform & educate Central Texans about critical social issues with the goal of making positive community change through creative dialogue and action. For tomorrow’s screening of Critical Condition: Hector’s story, we’re bringing together a panel of Latino health experts to discuss how living without health insurance can have a spiraling effect on people’s lives. Hector’s Story is one that Latinos know very well. Health issues impact the Latino community in so many ways. Our panel of health experts will help us understand what we have to do as a community to combat this issue, not only for Latinos but for all Americans.LIVE UNITED Film SeriesCritical Condition: Hector’s StoryThursday, March 25, 20106:30-8:30pmAlamo Drafthouse South (1120 S. Lamar)Thank you to our panel of experts…. Dr. Jacqueline Angel, moderator Professor of Public Affairs and Sociology LBJ School of Public Affairs – University of Texas Author, research and expertise in family, health, aging and Latinos Featured panlists include Jose Camacho, Excecutive Director/Legal Counsel at Texas Association of Community Health Centers and Lil Almonte, Director of Outreach at El Buen Samaritano.
Read MoreLive United Film series looks at health and the Hispanic community
Join KLRU, United Way Capital Area and the Alamo Drafthouse for a special film screening and discussion on Thursday, March 25, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Alamo Drafthouse South, 1120 South Lamar. RSVP here
Read More2010 Spring Day of Caring Starring: YOU
2010 Spring Day of Caring — United Way Capital Area from unitedwaycapitalarea on Vimeo. Click here to access and register for an available Day of Caring Project.
Read MoreLIVE UNITED Film Series: Critical Condition: Hector's Story
You’re invited to a special screening and discussion on healthcare.CRITICAL CONDITION:A thoughtful look at the healthcare crisisScreening and DiscussionMarch 25, 20106:30 – 8:30pmAlamo Drafthouse South 1120 South Lamar,Austin, TX Free to the public.All are invited! Go to:http://handsoncentraltexas.org/ to RSVP! Meet Hector Cardenas. He worked his whole life. Then he lost his job, his health insurance … and his infected foot to diabetes. Now he lives in a hotel and struggles to pay the medical bills. Join us for a special screening of Critical Condition, which captures the harrowing struggles of critically ill Americans who discover that being uninsured can cost them their jobs, health, home, savings, even their lives. Join us after the film to hear panelists discuss the film and the issues Hispanics and other Americans without health insurance live with every day. Know more – and share what you know. Get Engaged – Sign up today! Moderator: Jacqueline L. AngelProfessor of Public Affairs and SociologyLBJ School of Public Affairs – University of TexasAuthor, research and expertise in family, health, aging and Latinos
Read MoreDay of Caring Profile: Ramping Up to Help the Homebound
“I enjoy it—it’s as simple as that,” said Dennis Mick, a retired 3M employee who now spends his free time building wheelchair ramps. “I like working with my hands and I like seeing the immediate results.”Mick will be just one of hundreds of volunteers using their hands to help others on Friday, April 23 during the United Way Spring Day of Caring. This event offers opportunities for community volunteers to lend a hand in tackling issues such as poverty, education and health—doing everything from building homes to delivering meals to beautifying community parks. Through his work with the Texas Ramps project, Mick will lead volunteers in projects during this year’s Day of Caring. To sign-up for the Day of Caring, visit www.handsoncentraltexas.org and register for a project. Mick says there are numerous people in the community who are homebound due to their inability to negotiate stairs because they must rely upon a walker or wheelchair. In about 5 hours, Mick and his team of volunteers can complete a ramp giving new freedom to those who need it. In late February, Mick and a team of volunteers from the Northwest Kiwanis built a wheelchair ramp for Janet, who lives with her husband in a mobile home near Manor. Janet had undergone surgery several days earlier to relieve symptoms from spinal stenosis which had left her paralyzed. Her husband, Steve, said he was very pleased that his wife could return home after more than five months of treatment in the hospital. Mick […]
Read More2010 United Way Spring Day of Caring Projects Now Available!
Hands On Central Texas, a program of United Way Capital Area, invites you to be a part of the United Way Spring Day of Caring, presented by Freescale Semiconductor. Date: Friday, April 23, 2010 Time: 8:30 – 9:45 a.m. Location: TBD Volunteer registration: 8:30 – 9:00 a.m. Kick-off program: 9:00 a.m. Projects start: 10:00 a.m. To learn more and register, click here.
Read MoreLive United Film Series attendees share what they think
Some of the attendees at our last film series screening, It All Adds Up, had great ideas about how we can make Austin schools better, and KLRU caught up with them to find out what they had to say: The next Live United Film Series screening is Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. at Alamo Drafthouse South. The evening will focus on financial stability and feature Frontline: Inside the Meltdown. For more details and to RSVP, click here.
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