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Business is built on relationships. A company’s success is directly related to its people. These are just two reasons why a company might flinch at the thought of loaning their very best talent out to the community. Yet State Farm, a company that puts great emphasis on its people, does just that. They select among their top talent and send them to join United Way staff in raising much needed resources for the community. It is a national program, with State Farm Loaned Executives joining local United Way’s in nearly every community all across the nation each autumn. Loaned Executives gain exposure to community needs and solutions, key business and social leaders, public speaking, and the opportunity to participate in critical work that affects the lives of those in our community. Loaned Executives sharpen different skill sets in a new environment, and in the process gain a new perspective on community and leadership. They leave behind a lasting impact on United Way and the community. Tracy Dove, PHR, the 2007 State Farm Loaned Executive, was an incredible gift to United Way and to our community. Tracy has been with State Farm for six years, and has over 15 years of experience in Human Resources. Reaching out to local market leaders, working with dozens of volunteers and speaking to numerous organizations, Tracy helped to deepen relationships and raise many thousands of dollars to address root causes of our community’s most pressing issues. In addition, Tracy used his Human Resources expertise to […]

On Saturday, December 1, 2007, members and friends of the Women’s Giving Network (WGN) came together at The Allan House to celebrate the holiday season and to give back to those in need. The holiday party was a wonderful time to visit with old and new friends, fill up on hot apple cider and peppermint cookies, and experience a joyful ‘Ho, Ho, Ho” from Santa Claus! But, this event was also a time for the Women’s Giving Network to support the Success By 6 Play and Learn Groups. In the Play and Learn Groups’ inaugural year, WGN has committed both financial and volunteer support of the project that will enable low-income children and parents to receive early childhood education. Members of WGN brought an assortment of school supplies to donate and assembled gift bags to be passed out to the students in the new year. The generosity of the guests was overwhelming. The assembly table was full of crayons, markers, and Play-Doh galore! In total, the gifts allowed for the initial 30 gift bags, one for each family, and plenty of extra supplies to be used throughout the program. In fact, all the donations would have provided for more than 50 gift bags! A big THANK YOU to the Women’s Giving Network! The Play and Learn Groups will surely benefit from the generosity!

United Way Capital Area recently became a proud Mayor’s Fitness Council Certified Partner. Learn more about the mission of the Mayor’s Fitness Council here. Read the official certification letter from Mayor Will Wynn here.

This recent article in the Austin Business Journal on a report from United Health Foundation confirms what was found in last year’s research on the most pressing social issues facing the ten counties that comprise Central Texas: health must be a concentrated area of focus in order to close the opportunity gap in Central texas. Austin may be one of the healthiest cities in Texas, but the state as a whole is not faring well compared with the rest of the nation when it comes to health. Texas ranks 37th among the states in terms of healthiness, unchanged from last year, according to the latest report from the United Health Foundation. That’s 5.5 percent below the national norm, making the state one of the least healthy in the country. Among the challenges facing Texas are the high rate of uninsured individuals, currently 24.5 percent, and a high percentage of children in poverty at 22 percent.