Hands On Central Texas makes a $2M impact from United Way for Greater Austin Last year, our Hands On Central Texas program, Austin’s largest volunteer network, made quite a difference, and here are just a few highlights: Our in-house team of two volunteer managers coordinated 13,000 volunteers – that’s 92,000 hours of doing good Through our Hands On database, approximately 10,000 additional volunteers got connected to meaningful projects We worked with more than 500 organizations, businesses and groups We adapted our Volunteer Project Leader program for middle school students and started classes at Webb Middle School. Our first class of students did so much good work, we expanded it to Decker Middle School and Mendez Middle School – the other campuses served by Middle School Matters. We did the math: based on the value of an hour of volunteering, for only the hours we directly managed, Hands On Central Texas made an impact of more than $2 million! We couldn’t have done it with out you: we – our team alongside the companies, individuals and organizations that came out for our Days of Caring and other projects – made Austin greater. Thank you!
Read MorePolicy proposals for Austin children – the full details
Posted on by Aviva Pinchas
In our community, low-income children are our fastest growing demographic – growing two times faster than in the state, which is twice as fast as the national growth rate. Recently, policy proposals from state and national officials have put children in the spotlight, and with growing conversation about how to best serve vulnerable children, our Success By 6 program has compiled some insights on the importance of quality care and different policy suggestions about how to support children and parents. The Research We spoke with a panel of experts (Dr. Elizabeth Gershoff, Dr. Aletha Huston and Dr. Elliot Tucker-Drob)from The University of Texas about nationally-recognized research in the area. Here’s what they had to say: In Oklahoma and Florida (where universal preschool has been adopted), parents are taking advantage of the opportunity (75 and 76 percent adoption, respectively). However, quality and outcomes vary based on funding – Oklahoma is seeing greater results because of a greater investment. Research has shown that preschool provides a $7 return on every dollar invested. Research specifically on Head Start shows early results and then fade-out by first grade. Researchers are working to understand these numbers, but have found that looking at longer-term outcomes – like being employed and staying out of jail versus first grade testing – still show the benefits of Head Start. Preschool helps close the achievement gap: research from UT shows that preschool can make up for differences in the home environment and help children be more successful in school. This effect […]
Read MoreIdentifying a quality out-of-school time program for your kids
Posted on by Christa Berry
Out-of-school time (OST) – those hours before or after school or during the summer and other breaks – is often times a lost opportunity. For many parents, the gap between their work schedules and the regular school schedule or the challenge of finding a program to fill Spring Break or other vacations can be daunting. Studies show this is where many can fall behind, since this time amounts for 76 percent of a students’ waking hours. Among other things, our Target Graduation program focuses on improving OST and helping parents find quality programs. 1.1 million Texas children are left unsupervised after school for an average of 7 hours per week Not only do OST programs provide a safe place for children and youth, they also have a positive impact on academic and non-academic skills. This is a time children begin to explore career options, develop team building and leadership skills, in addition to just having fun. So we asked our experts how parents could maximize this time for their children. You can improve your child’s education with quality out-of school programs that include: A tangible product or performance that reflects the youths ideas Trying out new skills with support from program staff Direction from program staff, answering questions and working as part of a team Team building activities and ice breakers that help develop a sense of belonging Taking responsibility and contributing to the final product or performance Teaching their peers and lead events Making some decisions about topics, roles, […]
Read MoreBill Engvall Comedy Show – March 7, 2013
Posted on by Lindsey Tyner
A benefit show headlined by comedian and actor, Bill Engvall, Jr. helped raise more than $68,000 for United Way of Williamson County. This March 7th event held at the Klett Center for the Performing Arts at Georgetown High School, honored Janet Engvall McTigue, Executive Director of Georgetown Area United Way from 2002-2005. She passed away in 2007. “The amount we raised this year is a 60% increase over two years ago. THAT IS JUST PLAIN AMAZING,” said LeAnn Powers, Chief Professional Officer of UWWC. “What a difference those monies will make in our community. And what a great tribute this is to Janet and the work that was so very important to her.” In front of almost 1,200 attendees, Ed Komandosky, UWWC Board Chair, began the evening by presenting Annunciation Maternity Home (AMH) with the 2013 Janet Engvall McTigue Advancing Excellence Award along with a check for $10,000. The award was established in 2009 to continue Janet’s commitment to strengthening nonprofit agencies and to serving the most vulnerable members of our community. Past recipients include Hope Alliance, WBC Opportunities, Samaritan Center for Counseling and Pastoral Care, and the Literacy Council of Williamson County. “The award will help us achieve national accreditation as a maternity home,” said Christie Aaronson, Executive Director and AMH Co-Founder. “This process will involve a detailed review and analysis of our internal operations, administrative functions and service delivery. By measuring what we do against international standards of best practices, we will be better able to provide exceptional […]
Read More[INFOGRAPHIC] Philanthropy in Austin
Posted on by Aviva Pinchas
![[INFOGRAPHIC] Philanthropy in Austin](https://www.unitedwayaustin.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/AmplifyATX_blog_feat-1.png)
Download a larger version. Learn more about our impact, Play To Learn, Learn Where You Earn or Middle School Matters or get more informed about philanthropy by looking at some of our sources: Chronicle of Philanthropy: philanthropy.com Corporation for National and Community Service: volunteeringinamerica.gov The Daily Beast: thedailybeast.com Global Impact: givingpartner.charity.org UWATX Impact Calculator: uwatx.org/impact Independant Sector: independentsector.org Association of Fundraising Professionals: afpnet.org
Read MoreInvest in Austin – how giving makes Austin greater
Posted on by Rachel Weiner
Today, we’re kicking off Amplify Austin, a new giving event to increase philanthropy. Over 300 Central Texas nonprofits have joined together in this effort to raise $1 million in 24 hours. It’s an ambitious goal and I’m grateful that United Way for Greater Austin is participating in this initiative to help Austinites experience the reward of philanthropy. Amplify Austin is an opportunity to introduce a lot of new individuals to giving that hadn’t previously considered themselves philanthropists. Since 1924, UWATX has been providing our community with this opportunity everyday. We do this because we believe that everyone has the capacity to give and we know it’s going to take every one of us together to make Austin greater and help families break the cycle of poverty. We believe Austin can be greater and we know it will take a lot. So we ask for your hands, your hearts, and your dollars. An issue like poverty takes a system of support. At UWATX, while we as staff members don’t always get the satisfaction of holding a child while she holds her first book or shaking the hand of someone who just got the healthcare they need, we do get the satisfaction of knowing that we’re creating a system where a friend, family member, service provider or neighbor gets to do just that. And not just one neighbor, but thousands of them. This work takes UWATX and the community working together as a united front. It also takes a lot of passion, […]
Read MoreCelebrate America Saves Week – start saving today
Posted on by Aviva Pinchas
United Way for Greater Austin has been promoting savings for years through our Financial Opportunity program and this week, we are joining the nation to raise awareness for America Saves Week. “Nearly half of all U.S. Households have almost no savings to cover an emergency or save for the future” according to the Corporation for Enterprise Development. In Austin, this translates into more families struggling to weather emergencies like a car breaking down or a child getting sick. Often families turn to payday and auto title lenders for relief, only to be trapped by debt from unreasonably high fees. When the debt becomes too much to handle, the cycle of poverty accelerates. On average eighteen cars are repossessed a week in Austin, which means hard-working employees lose reliable transportation, threatening their jobs and source of income. The simplest way to safeguard against high-cost loans is to save automatically. Setting aside a small amount each week through direct deposit makes saving easy and convenient – start small, and it can add up pretty quickly. February is also the perfect time to start saving by depositing a portion of tax refunds. Through UWATX’s partner, Foundation Communities, Austin brought back more than eleven-million dollars through the Earned Income Tax Credit last year and generated more than $90,000 in savings. Have a friend or family member struggling to save? Find more saving tips at AmericaSaves.org and call 2-1-1 to find a free tax preparer that can help turn refunds into savings. Here are 5 […]
Read MoreThe love of my life and our shared vision
Posted on by Debbie Bresette
Anyone who has ever met me knows that I have never met a stranger and I live my life as an open book. So in this month where we celebrate love I thought I’d share a little about the love in my life and how it has given me such a strong foundation for the work I have chosen to do. More than thirty years ago a young man walked into my home, and into my life, a friend of a friend who had come to visit. In true Valentine’s spirit, it was love at first sight for us both. All these years later, after raising four children together, my husband Patrick and I live in a three-generational household with one of our daughters and her two children, 4 ½ and 2. It makes for a home full of noise, mess, frequent viruses, and lots and lots of love. Patrick and I also share a deep and abiding commitment to bending the arc of history towards justice. But in addition to sharing three decades of marriage and family-building, Patrick and I also share a deep and abiding commitment to improving the lives around us, and – to paraphrase Dr. King – to bending the arc of history towards justice. Over the past two decades we have each found different ways to build that mission into the career paths we have chosen. As president of United Way for Greater Austin, I am dedicated to building a strong and resilient community and […]
Read MoreSpotlight: Peter Kretzschmar looks “up and out” to make meaningful change
Posted on by Aviva Pinchas
This month, UWATX welcomed long-time volunteer and avid supporter Peter Kretzschmar to our team as Vice President, Strategic Programs. In his new role, he will oversee UWATX’s work in the community, including our Success By 6, Target Graduation, Financial Opportunity and Navigation Center work. Before coming to United Way, what was your background, both professionally and in the community? I was at IBM for nearly 32 years, so I’ve been a tech guy since tech meant microwave ovens and color TVs. I started by working on health programs, mainly environmental health, everything from occupational health and safety to groundwater to air quality and so on, but really my principal roles over the years have been about relationships. I focused on managing relationships between different tech companies, forming alliances, and making sure we were both benefiting. I think that experience plays well with my role at UWATX. I’ve also been involved in the community consistently for many years. I was on the Board at Communities in Schools, which is one of our partners here at UWATX, have been involved with UT on Advisory Councils and as an adjunct faculty, and was involved with our Target Graduation program of course. So you’ve been consistently involved in the community, why did you want to get involved in a new way? I think it has to do with finally deciding “want to do when I grow up.” It was a natural evolution for me – I started my career many years ago and focused […]
Read MoreLet our leaders know: Austin children are an important investment
Posted on by Sue Carpenter
In Greater Austin, low-income children are our fastest growing demographic and before they even get to school, they are falling behind. Our community is also falling behind in the level of public support we provide to vulnerable children – investing as little as one tenth of what comparable cities are spending. Right now, UWATX’s Success By 6 team is leading a community-wide advocacy effort on behalf of our youngest and most economically vulnerable children and families. We’ve already met with 9 leaders and plan to visit 3 more in the coming weeks to share our message about the importance of the first years. We’ve created a dashboard to highlight key data about this growing challenge as well as specific policy recommendations for the City and County. Beyond one budget cycle or legislative session, we are working to make early childhood a civic priority for our community. Between now and March 1st, as we meet with City Council members and County Commissioners, you too can lend your voice. Share this post or any of these links with your social networks and tag our community leaders to spread the word. You can also contact our community’s leaders via phone or email and let them know that early childhood matters to you. We’ve crafted this template as a starting point: Dear [NAME] – As a concerned resident of Austin/Travis County, I believe that every child in our community has potential. Yet too many of our youngest and poorest children do not enter Kindergarten […]
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