Author: Aviva Pinchas

With half of all Americans living paycheck to paycheck and rising credit card and household debt, financial literacy is more important than ever. A coalition of Austin organizations and officials are teaming up to create Financial Fitness Greater Austin 2008, the week of April 21st, to highlight National Financial Literacy Month and promote financial education in our community. Organizing partners include the United Way Capital Area, the Alliance for Economic Inclusion, Senator Kirk Watson, and the Financial Literacy Coalition of Central Texas. Over 25 local banks, credit unions, professional organizations, and nonprofits have signed on to support and promote the initiative. We need your help to make this week a success! Volunteers are needed during Financial Fitness Greater Austin 2008 & throughout the year. Volunteer with Adults through the Financial Literacy Coalition of Central TexasThe Financial Literacy Coalition of Central Texas, FLCCT, is recruiting volunteers to teach basic financial literacy topics to adults in community settings. Training will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. over three days — April 1, 3 and 8. Click here to volunteer. Volunteer with Children through Junior AchievementJunior Achievement is recruiting volunteers to teach over 60 classes to local students, K-12th grade, about business and the free enterprise system. Each grade has curriculum and materials related to the age group. The lessons are fun, short and hands-on. Click here to volunteer. Host a Financial Education EventAs part of the events of the week, our goal is to offer financial education classes at 10 […]

At United Way Capital Area, we’re focused on changing community conditions. A recent article from the New York Times illustrates the struggles that hard working families are facing all across the country and are similar to the struggles of many here in Central Texas. “You’re used to making $17 an hour with benefits, and now you have to take any job for $8 an hour,” Ms. Flennaugh says. On a recent afternoon, she sat in front of a computer terminal at an employment center in a gritty part of town, scrolling dejectedly through online job listings while sending another batch of applications into the ether. “I’ve literally sat and cried, but my friends with double degrees are doing worse,” she says. “It’s the economy. It’s really bad.” Now, it’s getting tougher — particularly for those at the lower rungs of the economic ladder, and especially for African-Americans like Ms. Flennaugh. As the economy slows and perhaps slides deeper into a recession that may already be under way, communities like this — cities that have long struggled with a shortage of jobs — see work becoming scarcer still. In order to address the needs of these hard-working families and individuals, the United Way Capital Area Financial Stability focus area is helping Central Texans gain the knowledge and tools they need to become financially stable through employment, housing, and financial management initiatives. Capital IDEA, a UWCA funded agency, exemplifies the type of employment initiatives needed to address these issues. Capital IDEA provides […]

Obed Franco of State Farm has organized and started dozens of volunteer projects since his Project Leader Training a little over a year ago. One of his favorite projects, Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), took place last September. On February 28th, State Farm employees completed a community service project with RIF of Austin. Six volunteers (unboxed, sorted, and labeled 3,479 books to be distributed to school children in the greater Austin area within eight hours. Some of the State Farm volunteers are pictured here with Obed. In this video clip, Obed shares with us a little bit of the Project Leader training and what being a Project Leader means to him. Upcoming Volunteer Project Certification Dates:Saturday, March 159:00am-12:00pmConnection with Special Event(Earth Day & Spring Day of Caring)United Way Capital Area Tuesday, April 81:00pm-4:00pmGeorge Washington Carver Museum Wednesday, May 149:00am-12:00pmAustin Groups for the Elderly (AGE) Building Click here for details

I was perusing through my philanthropy blogs and ran into this story: The Poor Give More – Surprising findings show that low-wage earners step up to the charity plate big-time. Here’s one of the most interesting points in the story… “Americans at the bottom of the income-distribution pyramid are the country’s biggest givers per capita. The 2000 Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey shows that households with incomes below $20,000 gave a higher percentage of their earnings to charity than did any other income group: 4.6 percent, on average.” Read full article here MandoDirector, Hands On Central Texas

Here is a sampling of some of the great projects the Project Leaders of 2007 are leading. We had the chance to hear from a few folks at the Appreciation Happy Hour and we’d love to hear more! The creativity to carry out a great project seems endless. Please feel free to let us know about what you’re doing out there too! Pam Johnson’s Project Aaron von Flatern’s ProjectI have been working with the United Way’s Hands On Central Texas group (HOCT, you may want to google them) to create a new volunteer project here in Austin. I don’t have a name for it yet. I will just call it the Auto Repair Project. The issue is low income families and cars. My concern is that there are a lot of cars that do not run, cannot pass inspection, cannot be properly registered, cannot be insured, and/or cannot be sold. Least concerning is that these cars rust and become eyesores within already blighted neighborhoods. More worrisome are the single mothers struggling to get to work, get to the grocery store, get to their kids’ schools, etc.. I learned to repair my own vehicles growing up and as a young adult. I was 19 when I paid Firestone $800 (which turned into $1500 by the time I paid the credit card off) to complete a brake job that I later learned was well within my capabilities, and cost only $200 in parts. After that I did everything myself. Which is not […]

Last night was our first official Volunteer Project Leader Appreciation Happy Hour. All of our 2007 Project Leaders were invited and even with the Democratic Primary Debates happening simultaneously, we had a great turnout. Everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time hearing about the various projects, meeting other Project Leaders, and collaborating for their next! Really though, how could we not have a great time–with wine, appetizers, and a group of committed volunteers? How could that not be fantastic?! We were lucky enough to hear from a few of the Project Leaders who have contributed to making an incredibly positive impact with their agencies, their volunteers, and with us. They spoke of the importance of corporate volunteering and of community action; and of the joy of putting groups together to do some good work in the community; of the incredible range of projects and the amazing reach they have between them; and anecdotes were told that literally moved many to tears. It was wonderful to be a part of such a powerful group that is doing so much good in the community. Thank you to the Project Leaders of 2007, this was incredible! Please feel free to share your experience with the rest of the group. Or if you really wanted to speak last night and didn’t want to get up in front of the crowd, or if you had to miss the party but still want to share, please do! Upcoming Volunteer Project Certification Dates:Saturday, March 159:00am-12:00pmConnection with […]

United Way and Hands On Central Texas began participating in KLRU’s Docubloggers project. Click here to see our first video blog, “Reflecting on the Dream.”

Last December, we profiled our 2007 Loaned Executive, Tracy Dove of State Farm. We wanted to highlight this important program again by sharing another Loaned Executive story: 2006 Loaned Executive Heather Brown. Do you know someone at your organization with extensive leadership experience who would be interested in loaning his or her expertise and talent to the community? To get started, e-mail or call Ray Blue at 512-225-0391. During the fall of 2006, State Farm gave me the opportunity to work for United Way for 6 months as part of United Way’s Loaned Executive Program. This program turned out to be a once in a lifetime learning experience for me. I am very fortunate to work for a great company like State Farm that understands the importance of contributing to our community. Despite living in my community for 21 years, it wasn’t until I was part of the Loaned Executive Program that I really got to learn about my community and its needs. I found out that United Way is not just one of many organizations trying to fix a problem in the community, but instead they are an organization truly devoted to improving our community in measurable ways. Also, I realized that I too, have benefited from a United Way partner agency and will most likely be touched by them again. I have a deeper respect and loyalty for companies like State Farm that loan employees to United Way to help increase funding for community needs. Through meeting with […]

We continue our in-depth look at the new programs United Way Capital Area is supporting through the new Community Impact Model. You’ve probably heard of the enormous success that global micro-lending organizations have had–foundations like Kiva and TrickleUp–and, maybe you’ve wondered why a similar program can’t be duplicated right here in Central Texas for low-income individuals. Through BiGAUSTIN, the success of micro-lending and low-income business support is taking place here in Central Texas. BiGAUSTIN provides a developmental approach to address the needs of potential and existing entrepreneurs through training, technical assistance, access to markets and lending resources. BiGAUSTIN’s primary market is individuals with an interest in business ownership or business expansion whose access to credit and/or to high quality business training and ongoing support is limited or non-existent as a result of poverty, minority or gender status, or other barriers to business opportunity. The typical BiGAUSTIN client is a low-income individual, member of a racial and ethnic minority group, or a woman with a high school education and little formal business training. Typically, our clients have been in business for less than two years, and many start as micro-enterprises. They also start their businesses on an uneven playing field, competing with business owners who have more capital, fiscal agility and other economic resources. Through the services provided by BiGAUSTIN, more entrepreneurs gain access to markets, financial literacy, management skills, and increased access to funding, thereby reducing this gap between the advantaged and the disadvantaged. StatsClients Served: Over 6000Loans Disbursed: $4.3MLoans […]

Winner of United Way’s 2007 Gifts In Kind Corporate Challenge… I want to personally express my sincere appreciation to Russell Bridges for securing 3M donations totaling over $592,000 to United Way’s Gifts In Kind Program. Russell is an outstanding community affairs executive who goes above and beyond and exemplifies the true potential of an individual who makes a difference in the community. 3M’s recent contribution will allow the Resource Center staff to distribute in-kind goods to nonprofit organizations to help more people in Central Texas. Check out the video and pictures of Russell Bridges and a team of 3M employees helping clean and stock the shelves at the Resource Center with boxes of post-it notes, flip charts, flag highlighter pens, desk lamps and many other miscellaneous office products. See the current agencies wish list below! Please post your comments! Diana SantosCorporate and Volunteer Relations DirectorHands On Central Texas Gifts In-Kind WishlistThe Resource Center can always use more. Here is a list of the most recent “Wish List” items: The Austin State School – Volunteer Services Council is seeking new books to create a library to improve the quality of life for the residents. Call 512-374-6070 American Red Cross of Central Texas needs new blankets (any size) to assist individuals in need of emergency care. Call 512-929-1251 The Austin Academy is in need of twenty bus passes to give to students who have no transportation. Call 512-326-8655 The Theatre Action Project is seeking 2 laptop computers to promote and create socially […]