We are thrilled to share the news that Travis County Proposition A passed in last month’s election. This is a huge win for Travis County and beyond as our region sets a new standard for access to quality and affordable early childcare for all. One thing we know for sure is that this victory is yours! Thank you to United Way’s supporters for all that you have done to make this win possible. We couldn’t have done this without you. So, what now? As many of you know, while this is a big win for early education, there is still much work to be done. United Way will continue to play an integral role in leading our community in building infrastructure and systems that will ensure that we maximize the impact of this proposition for our children and neighbors. To learn more about what we are advocating for to carry out this impact, check out our 2025-2026 Public Policy Agenda. Finally, this win is a shining example of the power of our collective voices. Your voice can be a part of building a thriving community. Learn how you can create powerful change as an advocacy volunteer below.
Serving as CEO of United Way for Greater Austin over the last nine years is the honor of my lifetime. I knew from day one that I was standing on the shoulders of giants, but I never imagined the immense joy I would discover in this community of partners, teachers, advocates, leaders and volunteers. United Way has always valued innovation and creative ideas to address our community’s toughest challenges. It is in that spirit that I have decided this is the right time for United Way for Greater Austin to welcome a new leader with fresh perspectives to build on our strong foundation and lead the organization to new heights. Right certainly doesn’t mean easy, and this was not an easy decision. I am humbled to have been a steward of the great ideas and passions of this community. My time at United Way has never been about me, but about we. Together, we–the entire United Way family–have done amazing work to transform our community and have placed United Way for Greater Austin in an incredibly strong position I am more energized by the work than ever before, and I know that the Board, staff, and the entire community will continue to step up to bring much needed change to those most in need. I leave knowing the organization is in the hands of a strong, diverse Board of our community’s brightest leaders, and the most passionate, talented, creative, and committed staff imaginable. They will continue to lead us in […]
Every year, United Way’s Navigation Center helps local families access free or low-cost holiday meals, gifts, and events across Central Texas. To make it easy for community members to find these seasonal events, we’ve compiled a calendar of meals, toys and gifts, and events happening now through December. From gift giveaways for kids to holiday festivities with Santa Claus, each event is open to the public. Click the button bellow and bookmark the holiday resources calendar! We will be updating this calendar regularly through the end of the year. Know someone looking for assistance with food, transportation, housing, or other resources? Tell them to give us a call at 2-1-1 to get connected to help in our community. 2-1-1 is free, anonymous, and available 24/7.
Dear United Way Supporters, Since launching the Success By 6 Coalition in 2012, United Way for Greater Austin has seen incredible progress in ensuring that more children have access to high-quality and affordable childcare. We have now deepened our commitment by convening the Affordable Childcare Now! Coalition that has been hard at work to bring more attention to public solutions for today’s childcare crisis. Here is the current reality: Affordability is the number one barrier for families in Central Texas. The average annual cost of childcare in Travis County is over $13,000, surpassing state college tuition. In Travis County, over 5,000 children are on a two-year waiting list for state childcare subsidies. This November, we have an incredible opportunity to make a difference through Travis County’s Proposition A. If you live in Travis County, I ask that you join me in voting FOR Travis County’s Proposition A. For our supporters outside of Travis County, you can still help! Please consider learning more about Affordable Childcare Today and spreading the word as we set a new standard of early education for our region, state, and nation. Join United Way for Greater Austin in creating a Central Texas where everyone has the opportunity to thrive – especially our youngest. Vote FOR Travis County Prop A. Sincerely, David C. Smith CEO, United Way for Greater Austin
By Tamra Jones, Public Affairs, H-E-B For over two decades, United Way for Greater Austin has been proud to partner with H-E-B for its annual Feast of Sharing, an event that brings together thousands of volunteers to help provide meals to over 10,000 people in Central Texas. Filled with food, music, and good cheer, this free holiday feast is open to the public and brings together family, friends, and neighbors. This H-E-B tradition is in its 35th year and an important part of H-E-B’s Hunger Relief Program, which works year-round to prevent hunger and has donated more than 1 billion pounds of food to local non-profit organizations. Since the beginning of this H-E-B tradition, more than 375,000 volunteers have helped serve nearly 4 million meals throughout Texas and Mexico. How you can help This year, H-E-B’s Feast of Sharing will occur on Tuesday, November 26. Join thousands of volunteers by signing up for a shift, and help provide meals to our neighbors in Central Texas. We can’t wait to see you there! Sign up to volunteer >
This year marks 100 years since United Way for Greater Austin began making a difference in the community. Together with our neighbors, elected officials, nonprofits, subject matter experts, foundations, and community leaders, we are creating a future where every child is set up for success and everyone is connected to the essential resources they need, when they need them. Last year alone We answered 400,000+ requests for basic resources via phone and online. We served 60,269 local children and individuals with access to life-changing resources. We supported 13,000+ children under 6 from households with low income with access to early learning services. We provided 3,577 families with multi-generational support to care for children while also advancing their own education. We visited 1,000+ families with newborns with home visits through our Family Connects program. Grassroots Advocacy for Lasting Change Affordable Childcare NOW! This year, we formed the Affordable Childcare NOW! Coalition to support a Travis County ballot initiative that would provide affordable, quality early child care and education for 8,000 children. If passed, this resolution would expand access to care, support working families, provide better pay to early child care staff, and offer enhanced resources for children across Travis County. What’s Next Pease Elementary & Revolutionizing Early Child Care United Way is preparing to move into a new permanent home at the historic Pease Elementary School. This home will serve as a beacon for an equitable community that supports healthy and vibrant opportunities for all. The 35,000-square-foot facility will […]
By Cecy Tamez-Rodriguez We’re thrilled to announce that the 2-Gen Coalition for Economic Advancement has released their 2024-2027 Strategic Plan. Based on the belief that our community is vibrant and prosperous when families can meet their economic potential and pursue well-being, two-generation (2-Gen) approaches build this well-being by intentionally and simultaneously working with children and the adults in their lives together. 2-Gen centers the whole family to ensure those seeking family-sustaining income create a legacy of educational success and economic prosperity that passes from one generation to the next.* In 2018, United Way for Greater Austin released the Family Opportunity Roadmap: Austin/Travis County 2-Generation Strategic Plan. This thorough and ambitious plan was developed in partnership with more than 200 members of our community and included 23 strategies to create an ecosystem of 2-Gen programs and services in Austin/Travis County. The 2-Gen Coalition and its governance committee was established to steward the work of this plan. Many voices, one vision Development of the new Strategic Plan began in April 2023 with the onboarding of the 2023-2024 2-Gen Coalition Steering Committee. The Steering Committee spent nine months developing this Strategic Plan in partnership with coalition members, community members, and United Way for Greater Austin. Together, we discovered core beliefs that will guide and inform our work: When parents and guardians of children achieve economic advancement through family-sustaining employment and postsecondary education, we unlock potential and well-being for whole families. When we center parents and guardians of children, we create solutions that positively […]
By Becca Bice, Director of Economic Advancement “When we first reached out to United Way for support, our only thought was increasing child care options for young parents trying to re-engage with education. Becoming involved with United Way’s 2-Gen initiative and the 2-Gen provider network helped us to understand the importance of high-quality early childhood education and how that integrated with our education and training programs to create the greatest impact for the families we work with.” -American YouthWorks In 2018, United Way for Greater Austin released the Family Opportunity Roadmap: Austin/Travis County 2-Generation Strategic Plan, drafted in partnership with more than 200 representatives from local service providers, public agencies, educational institutions, and communities with lived experience of poverty. 2-Generation (or 2-Gen) approaches serve parents and children from the same family deliberately and simultaneously and can lead to better outcomes for both generations of a family. The 2-Gen Strategic Plan set common goals and strategies for creating an ecosystem of 2-Gen programs and services for families living with low income in Austin/Travis County. The 2-Gen Coalition, together with United Way for Greater Austin, stewarded this plan over five years and generated some incredible results, such as: Served 3,577 families with a 2-Gen approach in 2023 Invested $3.7 million in 23 local 2-Gen organizations from 2018-2023 Partnered with 67 community members and 274 individuals in 2023 Reached success milestones with 70% of our strategies, with 26% of them adopted by another coalition suited to reach success or modified to fit our […]
Nurturing. Energizing. Unifying. A sold-out crowd of more than 350 people came to Gathering for Good on May 2 to support United Way’s mission to break economic barriers and build opportunity for all. Thanks to the generous gifts of so many, we raised more than $140,000! Thank you to all who joined and supported the Women United luncheon. The event theme, Grow Wild, inspired us to plant seeds of change for our community so that, together, we will amplify our legacy of impact. We hope it gives you great joy to know that, as we celebrate 100 years serving our community in 2024, those seeds will flourish in the next 100 years and beyond. Special thanks to our amazing event co-chairs Laura Hernandez Holmes and Jennifer Wu; Presenting Sponsor Kirkland & Ellis; Empower Sponsors H-E-B, St. David’s Foundation, Texas Mutual Insurance Company, and Scott & Jeanmarie Rust; and all of our generous sponsors. Our deepest gratitude to our three outstanding event panelists: Vanessa Bell, Community Advocate Pamela Benson Owens, CEO, Six Square and Edge of Your Seat Consulting Jolynn Free, Co-Founder and Partner, CFM Wealth Partners Event panelist Vanessa, a former 2-1-1 recipient, shared what a lifeline 2-1-1 was for her and is for so many in our community. “I found myself in a situation I never anticipated being in. I was threatened, and I was abused. I made the choice that this was not going to be my life. I called 2-1-1, and my Navigation Specialist changed my […]
Blog by Bridget Tobin, Mission Advancement Intern, United Way for Greater Austin The Success By 6 Coalition is a network of child and family advocates – providers, parents, policymakers, civic leaders, and experts – with a shared goal to ensure every child enters Kindergarten happy, healthy, and prepared to succeed in school and beyond. As part of our collective impact work to break economic barriers and build opportunity for all, United Way for Greater Austin convenes a Success By 6 Coalition in both Travis and Williamson counties. To prepare all our youngest community members for school and beyond, we partner with local nonprofits to deliver impactful services in four focus areas: Healthy beginnings Supported families High-quality care & education Safe & stimulating communities Together with our partners, we are transforming our local early education system, so that children and their families can reach their full potential. April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This month and every month, United Way for Greater Austin and the Success By 6 Coalition work to support children experiencing abuse and neglect. Faith communities are invited to participate in Blue Sunday, a national day of prayer for children experiencing abuse and neglect. Each year Blue Sunday falls on the last Sunday in April, and this year, Blue Sunday is April 28. Child abuse and neglect statistics in Travis County and Texas have improved slightly since last year, but the reality is still heartbreaking: In 2023 in Travis County, there were: 1,018 children under the age […]