As the school year comes to a close and students have summer tunnel vision, most adults would assume that they are thinking about anything but school. This is not the case at Webb Middle School. Managing the Young Leaders Society for UWATX has allowed me to get a glimpse into the lives of middle school students at Webb and they continue to truly impress me. On June 2nd, the Young Leaders Society volunteered to chaperone the 8th grade graduation dance for the second year in a row. The dance immediately followed a graduation ceremony, where several Webb students were honored for academic achievement. As I listened the names being called of the students that worked so hard to gain success, I could not help but be moved. As an employee of United Way for Greater Austin and a donor, I could clearly see the impact this organization has on Webb, Mendez and Decker Middle Schools at that graduation ceremony. After the last name had been called and the parents made their way down to congratulate their graduates, other YLS volunteers and I headed into the cafeteria to get set up for the dance. Members of the YLS executive committee as well as potential YLS members mixed and mingled while we set out punch, tacos and a sheet cake the size of Texas. After a few minutes all of the middle school students filled the room, and once the DJ started playing you could tell it was going to be an […]
Read MoreBB&T’s 2015 Lighthouse Project
BB&T completed its annual BB&T Lighthouse community volunteer project in May to celebrate its sixth year of promoting a company-wide service effort. Across the country, BB&T has contributed more than 325,000 volunteer hours to local nonprofits, including United Way for Greater Austin. This year, more than 50 BB&T volunteers spent two days improving the Boys and Girls Club gardens. The Boys and Girls Club serving McBee Elementary provides high quality afterschool programming to more than 130 elementary students each weekday. Through enrichment programs like the Gardening Club, students not only have a safe place to go after school, but also to deepen their understanding of concepts they learn during the school day and develop an interest in their community. BB&T volunteers renovated the current garden area and added new resources for the Gardening Club to use in their lessons. Volunteers built a fence around the garden, added raised garden beds, created pathways around the garden, added a picnic table as a teaching space, and built and painted signs labeling the garden. The garden will be used by the Boys and Girls Club for Gardening Club lessons, outdoor science activities and as a fun activity space. The project cost $4,900, which BB&T donated. View all photos from the Lighthouse project on Flickr. What BB&T volunteers had to say about the project: “It was an amazing day! It’s great to see all of our BB&T associates work together for a great organization like United Way’s partner, Boys & Girls Club. We have […]
Read MorePartner Spotlight: JE Dunn Construction
JE Dunn Construction not only helped sponsor our Spring Day of Caring this year; employees also volunteered at El Buen Pastor Early Child Development Center by working on some much needed renovations and improvements. For the past year, JE Dunn has worked with United Way for Greater Austin to ensure that early childhood education centers are safe and up to date. JE Dunn Construction compiled an assessment team that visits centers and looks at structure, the rooms, mechanics, plumbing and electrical to make sure they are safe, in good repair and up to code. Once the assessment is complete, they provide UWATX and the center with a detailed assessment report which includes any issues, materials needed, and the approximate cost to fix. So far, they have assessed three early care and education centers in the Success By 6 Center Project and will continue to conduct assessments over the next months. Not only has JE Dunn taken the time to assess various centers, but also provided the labor and materials which many of these centers would not be able to afford otherwise. Because of cuts in state funding, toddler and infant funding has dropped to the 50th percentile. This decision puts providers in the difficult position of having to choose between investing in center services or in serving low-income families. Ayesha White, one of our SB6 Vistas, spoke to some of JE Dunn’s employees during SDOC about why they give back. Why is JE Dunn providing renovations for child care centers in the greater Austin Area? “JE Dunn is part […]
Read MoreAnother Spring Day of Caring Complete!
Although it was a bit gloomy out this past Friday, hundreds of volunteers from local Austin companies forged ahead in community volunteer projects. More than 600 volunteers assisted with 32 volunteer-based projects around the town, benefiting Communities in Schools, Capital Area Food Bank of Texas, the Boys & Girls Club of East Austin and many others. Spring Day of Caring is a community-wide event to address critical social issues affecting Greater Austin through meaningful volunteer action. The event supports UWATX’s mission to inspire, lead and unite a community of philanthropists while fueling further action and inspiring individuals to stay involved in our community. We are so grateful to all amazing individuals that participated in this community-wide event – thank YOU! Didn’t sign up in time? You can view current volunteer opportunities all over our great city here. Photos from the 2015 Spring Day of Caring: [slickr-flickr search=”sets” set=”72157651664183600″ items=”30″ type=”gallery” thumbnail_size=”small” thumbnail_scale=”90″ use_key=”y”]
Read MoreNational Volunteer Week 2015
April 12th through April 18th is National Volunteer Week. We wanted to take this week to thank all of our volunteers (that’s YOU!) for all you do to make Austin greater. Our volunteer arm, Hands On Central Texas, had a very busy 2014. Check out what we were able to accomplish last year, thanks to volunteers like you: 14,207 Volunteers gave their time with us 241,140 Hours of volunteer work completed 417 Number of nonprofits served through Hands On Central Texas 1,608 Hours of completed training courses for volunteers That’s a lot of people giving their time back to their community! Was there a specific volunteer project you participated in last year that you loved? Let us know by tweeting us @uwatx or sharing it on our Facebook page! We’ve already started off 2015 on a great note with our MLK Day of Service in January, and multiple volunteer projects from campaigns running this spring, such as CLS Partners’ work in St. John’s. This Friday, April 17 more than 600 volunteers have signed up to assist on 32 volunteer projects around the city for our annual Spring Day of Caring (SDOC). There are very limited spots remaining for SDOC, so sign up now if you want to join us! Help us make 2015 our biggest year of giving back yet!
Read MoreCLS Partners Amplify St. John’s
We love when our business partners get creative with their campaigns. CLS Partners organized their spring campaign around “amplifying St. John’s” in order to help us further promote our participating in Amplify Austin. CLS Partners kicked off their second UWATX employee campaign last week during Amplify Austin Day on March 5th. They made a corporate gift of $1,500 during Amplify, and employees spent the latter part of the 24-hour give-a-thon volunteering at Pickle Elementary in the St. John’s neighborhood. Some volunteers worked outside in Pickle Elementary’s numerous gardens, weeding, laying mulch and replanting. Others worked in the library, categorizing and shelving new books and reading to more than 40 children. They also fixed bulletin boards throughout the school and created a healthy eating information area in the cafeteria. CLS Partners accumulated 42 hours of volunteer service on Amplify Austin Day, equaling $982 of value added to the St. John’s community. CEO and President Clint Scott said CLS Partners gives to United Way for Greater Austin because our mission aligns with the company’s core values. “Creating a great work environment and encouraging employee engagement is an integral strategy of our CLS Partners ‘People Philosophy,’” Scott said. “That’s why we choose to partner with United Way to offer our employees the opportunity to give back by giving time and resources. CLS Partners contributed 1.5% of our annual revenue to charity in 2014, and we’re committed to continuing that tradition this year.” Last year, CLS Partners donated nearly $16,000 to UWATX through employee […]
Read MoreVolunteers Make St. John’s Greater
UWATX will focus on the St. John’s neighborhood during this year’s 24-hour session of community-wide giving through Amplify Austin in hopes we can expand our work in this community, as well as our other target neighborhoods including Manor and Dove Springs. Take a look at some of the projects volunteers completed in the St. John’s community within the last year! Webb students who participate in our Volunteer Project Leaders class have been busy improving their own neighborhood. For Valentine’s Day, they created cards and banners to show their appreciation for teachers at their school. VPL students also participated in our annual MLK Day of Service by working with members of the Young Leaders Society to create giant jenga and other games for the Big Game – Super Bowl XLIX watch party. Funds generated from the watch party will go toward the YLS $180K Challenge, raising money for full-time coordinators at Webb, Decker and Mendez Middle Schools. Last December, the neighborhood came together for our Community Tree Lighting held at Webb Middle School. UWATX volunteers gathered more than 1,600 books to give out to kids of all ages who attended the event. Many of the kids walked away with more books than they could carry. Our valued business partners have also been busy making St. John’s greater in the last year. Texas Mutual spent the day at Webb Middle School volunteering as part of the Insurance Challenge. Some volunteers worked to beautify the grounds, while others decorated and put together welcome boxes to inspire students for […]
Read MoreVolunteers Spread Love to Local Teachers for Valentine’s Day
According to the Greeting Card Association, 190 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged each year. Due in part to United Way for Greater Austin’s first family-friendly Valentine’s Day volunteer event, community members will contribute nearly 1,000 cards to spread love to those giving back in the greater Austin community. On Saturday, February 7th, 25 volunteers created handmade Valentine’s Day cards to acknowledge the teachers and support staff who work every day in our target neighborhoods: Dove Springs, St. John’s and Manor. Volunteers wrote inspiring notes for preschool and middle school teachers, and thanked the businesses who run UWATX employee campaigns. Without the dedicated teachers, principals and staff who support Success By 6 and Target Graduation, programs aimed at improving school readiness and graduation rates, our work would not be possible. [youtube id=pNu16XsTm4Q] UWATX is investing in the future of greater Austin. In addition to the community volunteer event, our middle school Volunteer Project Leaders also created cards. These Volunteer Project Leaders are part of an afterschool program at Mendez, Webb and Decker Middle Schools that train middle school students to identify community needs and coordinate volunteer projects. More than 35 middle school students contributed to the massive Valentine’s Day card project by writing notes to their teachers and making appreciation banners to hang in the schools. Valentine’s Day is a day to recognize and appreciate all of the people in your life. We hope this volunteer project inspires you to tell those around you that you love them–whether it is […]
Read MoreFamilies Give Thanks, Volunteer Together
Thanksgiving Day is just around the corner, and with it comes time for individuals and families to reflect on what they hold near and dear. Family Volunteer Day, held nationally on the Saturday before Thanksgiving each year, is an opportunity for parents and children to give back to their community together. Started in 1992, this national day of philanthropy signals the beginning of the season of holiday giving and is an opportunity for families to give back as a unit. United Way for Greater Austin is a proud participant in Family Volunteer Day, and hosted a Holiday Cheer event this past weekend. Families created ornaments, made cards and decorated bookmarks to accompany children’s books donated from the book drive! More than 50 people attended this volunteer event, which compliments our upcoming Community Tree Lighting in St. John’s. The ornaments will be hung on the 15-foot tree, and the donated books will be distributed to underserved children at the Tree Lighting event. Family volunteerism supports the community by shaping the volunteers and philanthropists of the future. Children who volunteer with their families learn the importance of civic engagement and giving back through first-hand experience. Children also benefit from volunteering by building confidence and self-esteem. Interested in volunteer opportunities? We’ve complied a few options below! Organize a drive to collect books or other materials for families in need Click here to learn more about UWATX-sponsored holiday drives Adopt a family. Local organizations such as Safeplace and Lifeworks have volunteer opportunities where individuals can adopt a family […]
Read MoreUWATX Staff Makes Austin Greater, One Meal at a Time
United Way for Greater Austin employees spend countless hours each and every day promoting our vision and mission – we inspire philanthropy within our community in order to break down barriers to economic opportunity and ensure that Greater Austin continues to thrive. We collaborate with community partners to ensure that every child is kindergarten-ready, tirelessly work to prepare students for success in high school, empower working-poor families and individuals with the knowledge and tools to become financially stable, and provide simple, one-call access to nonprofit and governmental resources for Central Texas. 330+ hours volunteered 700+ meals delivered In addition to their dedication within the walls of our office, many of our staff members also use personal time each week to volunteer with Meals on Wheels. This passionate team of volunteers loads up food prepared by Meals on Wheels and delivers it to the doors of some of Austin’s most vulnerable citizens every Wednesday. Over the past four years, we have volunteered more than 330 hours and delivered more than 700 meals! Rain or shine, our group never deviates from the weekly route, knowing that a handful of people depend on our dedication to meet their food needs. Our staff members have developed connections with the beneficiaries of this service, engaging in quick chats each week while delivering meals to these thankful recipients. “I volunteer for Meals on Wheels and More because I know that when I knock on the door and announce, ‘Meals on Wheels’, I instantly brighten someone’s day,” said Vanessa Hartman, director of […]
Read More