Women United educates, engages, and empowers women in Greater Austin. Each quarter we will spotlight and bring you a closer look into the lives of one of your fellow Women United Members. We are proud to celebrate women as philanthropic leaders and are honored to have so many amazing women in our community — like Jamie Bowers, a new Women United superstar! Q&A with Jamie Bowers| CEO, Bola Pizza What do you love about Austin? Good question! What do I not love about Austin? I grew up here so I’ve seen this city change rapidly and experienced the growing pains firsthand. I love how open and friendly we are. Austinites tend to hold open doors, smile and say hello. How did you become involved with United Way for Greater Austin/Women United? I was lucky enough to meet Bill Butler [United Way ATX Sr. Corporate Account Manager] on a plane to a friend’s birthday in Tulum. We started talking about what we do and he explained to me how United Way’s programs impact our community. I was intrigued because I believe in supporting charitable causes that develop people along with being a source of information for basic needs and more complex issues like child care, counseling, access to continuing education. United Way has programs for all of those needs and other support organizations they direct people to if they don’t fit within the United Way programs. Having all the knowledge in one place has a serious impact for those in […]
Read MoreMeet Michele, A Passionate Early Childhood Champion
Women United educates, engages, and empowers women in Greater Austin. Each month we will spotlight and bring you a closer look into the lives of one of your fellow Women United Members. We are proud to celebrate women as philanthropic leaders and are honored to have so many amazing women in our community. Q&A with Michele Scott | Owner, Square Move Realty What do you love about Austin? There are so many wonderful reasons to love Austin! 🙂 I am enamored by the vast Hill Country views, the hiking and biking trails that endlessly wind through the city, as well as the uniquely Austin local flair. From enjoying lazy afternoons on the lake with family and friends, to experiencing the live music and foodie scenes, Austin has something for everyone. With all of the advantages of a big city, but with the vibe of a friendly small town, Austin strikes a uniquely perfect balance between hustle-and-bustle, and “keeping it weird”. Austin boasts a booming economy that offers exciting opportunities for families and people of all ages, as a result of a thriving startup ecosystem, several excellent universities, a growing biomedical industry, and the continued expansion of major companies opening offices here. To sum it all up…Austin is an amazing city to call home! How did you become involved with United Way for Greater Austin/Women United? I had served as a member of organizational leadership for a Texas-based nonprofit and had also volunteered for other charitable entities prior to becoming involved […]
Read MoreMeet Allison, Our Awesome Advocate
Over the course of two decades, Allison Dwyer has utilized her talents and voice to fiercely advocate for our community. As a speech pathologist and mom of four, Allison has always felt called to improve the lives of young children and their families, and here at United Way for Greater Austin, we’ve seen her do just that. “When I came to Austin, I started to look around to see what the landscape here was like. I was raising my own kids, but every now and again I would get a little passion and fire to see what was going on out there,” Allison said. “I found Success By 6 back in the early 2000s. I called and spoke with someone who was working at United Way, and we talked for a long time. The mission really resonated with me.” In addition to leading some advocacy efforts for Success By 6, Allison became involved with the early language coaching program at United Way for two years. Early Language Coaches are placed for approximately nine months in child care center classrooms serving children ages 3-5 in small group settings or one-on-one. Through the program, Allison ensured the children at the Bright Beginnings Child Care Center were provided with engaging, age-appropriate material to nurture their skills to help reach development milestones. “It was nice to be able to go into the classroom with my speech pathology background and see how I could assist the children and teachers,” Allison said. […]
Read MoreInternational Women’s Day: Celebrating the women of United Way
International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender equality. At United Way for Greater Austin (UWATX) we are proud to work with an incredible group of women who are intelligent, passionate and kind. Read the Q & A below to learn more about a few of the amazing woman working at UWATX. Amy Price, 2-1-1 Director of Community Information Why is your work important? 2-1-1 is the community’s front door for information about community resources. Our knowledgeable, empathetic, professional staff guide callers through the process of getting help with housing, food, child care, legal assistance, mental health services, health care, and so much more. What woman do you most admire and why? My mom who defied stereotypes by being one of the few (maybe only?) female land surveyors in Texas. She was a tomboy as a child, got a degree in art history at UT, and continues to inspire me with her strength, sense of humor, and approach to life. She didn’t teach me how to paint my nails or do my hair, but she did teach me how to get dirty, the importance of giving back, and how to have fun doing both. Why is International Woman’s Day important to you? Any opportunity to celebrate the contributions of women today and throughout history is awesome! Cathy McHorse, Success By 6 Early Childhood Education Director Why is […]
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