United Way for Greater Austin recently launched a new initiative within our Financial Stability work called CommunityTHRIVE. CommunityTHRIVE provides financial education classes, coaching and community resources in partnership with the City of Austin Neighborhood Centers and Goodwill. Connie is an engaged community member at the Rosewood-Zaragosa Neighborhood Center who participated in the first CommunityTHRIVE class series we just wrapped up. She also volunteers at R-Z food distributions and serves on the advisory board at the Conley-Guerrero Senior Activity Center next door, advocating for programs and trips for her peers. She is a recent retiree adjusting to living on a fixed income, adding new financial difficulties to her life. CommunityTHRIVE is a four class series on budgets, debt, credit and saving open to community members at the City of Austin’s Rosewood-Zaragosa Neighborhood Center. Participants are also supported with one-0n-one financial coaching and incentives from the food bank for participation. In partnership with the Capital Area Food Bank, we are able to offer participants completing the CommunityTHRIVE classes a “food scholarship.” Participants earn a certificate in class which they can redeem for an extra basket of fresh food at several local pantries. We asked Connie about her experience in the CommunityTHRIVE classes. What was your experience like with CommunityTHRIVE? What did you learn? “It was a positive experience overall. It gave me a lot of validation. I got lots of tips on how what I’m doing could work better.” Connie really liked the handouts she received in the class, including sample budget sheets, how […]
Read MoreUWATX’s Scavenger Hunt Encourages Team-Building and Philanthropy
Posted on by Ricky Deakyne
Looking for an innovative way to encourage philanthropy and team-bonding with your employees? Sign up for a UWATX Scavenger Hunt! The purpose of the UWATX Scavenger Hunt is to highlight the work United Way does in throughout the community through its own programs and the work of its funded partners. This interactive, team-building exercise serves dual purposes by allowing participants to engage in community service while seeing firsthand what their donor dollars support, and even generate revenue for our organization. Over the course of four hours, teams of 4-5 people will have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the areas we serve and the needs in our community. We believe that giving of one’s time is a valuable way to connect to local causes. Organized team-building activities have also been shown to increase employee morale and loyalty to an organization. The scavenger hunt takes teams on four different adventures throughout Austin: a trivia challenge, a photo challenge, scavenger items and a mystery clue. Mystery Clue: Teams receive an envelope that contains a clue about a mystery location. They are given a small window of time to arrive at the location and are tasked with completing a short activity, usually a small volunteer project. Photo Challenge: Teams are given a list of 20-25 local people, places and things. They must successfully photograph their entire team with as many of these items as possible to earn points. Trivia Challenge: While hustling from place to place in the car, teams will be […]
Read MoreInternational Women’s Day Spotlight: Amy Green-Hinojosa
Posted on by Angelica Velazquez
Today is International Women’s Day, a day where women around the world are celebrated for their social, economic, cultural and political achievements. The origins of this day date back to 1908, when female oppression and inequality inspired women to become more vocal and active about gaining better pay and voting rights. We now celebrate this day globally in various ways, ranging from festivals, concerts, female-driven tech conferences and more. This year, we are celebrating by highlighting one of UWATX’s longtime female supporters, Amy Green-Hinojosa. Not only is Amy a dedicated Women’s Leadership Council member, but she is also an Employee Campaign Leader at her workplace, Texas Mutual. As an Employee Campaign Leader, Amy plays a critical role in leading and inspiring her co-workers and employees to give back to our community through campaign. It is investors, volunteers and community leaders like Amy, and their continuous support, that allow our organization to thrive and make Austin greater. We took some time to chat with Amy about her background and involvement with UWATX and why she is invested in this community. How long have you been involved with United Way and in what capacities? I have been contributing to United Way since I began my adult career, first in California, then here in Texas. I have been an ECL many times in my career. I was active in the Austin Young Leaders Society in my younger days ,and then I transitioned to the WLC. I served on the Executive Committee of WLC for a few […]
Read MoreSXSW 2016 Preview
Posted on by Ricky Deakyne
It’s either the most wonderful time of the year, or the least wonderful time of the year, depending on which type of Austinite you are–it’s SXSW time. Like it or not, we are mere days away from 320,000 visitors who will flood the streets and venues of our city to check out live music, preview films and learn about the newest innovative ideas at the Interactive convention. We’ve compiled a list of the things we’re most excited to see at SXSW this year: POTUS and FLOTUS make a few appearances This is the first time a U.S. president has stopped at SXSW and he is making it count. On March 11th, President Obama will sit down with Evan Smith, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Texas Tribune, to discuss civic engagement in the 21st Century and to ask the audience to apply their ideas and talents to “make technology work for us – especially when it comes to tackling big challenges like increasing participation in the political process and fighting climate change.” First Lady Michelle Obama will speak on March 16th about the Let Girls Learn initiative, which aims to break barriers for the 62 million girls around the world who are not in school today. No matter your political alliances, how many times will you have the chance to hear a president speak at SXSW? Panel: Building a Philanthropic Fashion Empire: Do Good Local fashion designer and philanthropist, Kendra Scott, will share her views of the importance of corporate social responsibility in a […]
Read MoreWebb Students Visit Alternative College
Posted on by Ricky Deakyne
Webb Middle School VPL students took a field trip across the street from their campus to Peloton University inside the For the City Center. The students met with a group of staff and PelotonU students to learn more about the a college advancement organization that provides targeted support to non-traditional students pursuing online education.At PelotonU, students enroll in high-quality online degree programs and are provided with a space where they can study and receive additional tutoring and mentorship as needed. Students completed an ice-breaker activity, higher education myth-busting, interview speed-dating about community needs and education and a college Q&&A session. PelotonU staff and students learned about the Webb students through interview questions on their strengths, proudest accomplishments and what inspires them to serve others. This opened a forum for Webb students to vocalize their dreams of going to business school and their achievements such as learning sign language, as well as learn from PelotonU students about their own experiences. PelotonU staff led a round of trivia about college completion and affordability. Students earned popsicles based on their knowledge of the reality of higher education, including barriers to access and completion. A few things they learned through trivia include: – If 6 in 10 high school graduates enrolled in college, ½ of those students will graduate. -True or false: If you earn a college degree, you will make 1 million dollars over the span of a 40 year career vs if you only have a high school degree. (True) -An average […]
Read MoreFive Reasons to Amplify United Way
Posted on by Ricky Deakyne
Amplify Austin Day 2016 is right around the corner. The citywide day of giving takes place on March 8th starting at 6 p.m. and ends on March 9th at 6 p.m. With more than 600 nonprofits participating, check out five reasons you should make a donation to UWATX on Amplify Austin Day. We are research-based and results-driven. We say this a lot–because it is so important to us! We are not simply creating programs randomly and hoping for results; everything we implement is based off of our own or collaborative research, and we are constantly monitoring and tweaking our programs each year based on previous results. We also collaborate with other organizations to create a bigger impact. It is important to us to be able to prove that what we’re doing is making a tangible difference in the lives of struggling families and individuals…and we can. Check out some of our success stories to see this in action. We focus on the areas of Austin that need us most. Our Middle School Matters program serves students on three campuses where the number of students living in low-income households is 87% or more on each campus. These campuses sit in Dove Springs, St. John’s and Manor, three of Austin’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods. Our Financial Stability program provides free CommunityTHRIVE financial classes to low-income adults. These classes are held in neighborhood centers in low-income neighborhoods, making it easy for attendees to access the classes in their own neighborhoods even if they don’t have […]
Read More#GoodNews
Posted on by Ricky Deakyne
The Internet can be such a drag these days. It seems multiple times per day there is a negative or heart-breaking story trending, and you can’t seem escape it on your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram feed. Replace the negativity–or at least balance it out–by following these accounts that post positive stories that will remind you that there is still so much good in the world. The Good News Network This news site is dedicated to combatting negativity in the media by providing daily dosages of “news to enthuse.” The site has been around since 1997 and has more than half a million followers. You can even submit your own “good news” story for consideration on the site. Hands On Network This Twitter feed focuses on volunteerism, including opportunities near you, tips for organizing your own projects and inspirational quotes. Humans of New York Photographer Brandon Stanton started Humans of New York as a passion project after quitting his job in the corporate world. The idea is simple: he stops passerbys in New York City and encourages them to share bits of their lives with him. Since the project started as a simple blog in 2010, the popularity of Humans of New York has surged, mostly due to the simple reminder within each post that we are all part of one human race. Brandon now has two books and has raised millions of dollars from social media followers for low-income schools in Brooklyn, Syrian refugees and more. Smart Girls Amy Poehler started Smart Girls […]
Read MoreFocus on Your Heart This February
Posted on by Angelica Velazquez
Roses are red, violets are blue, take care of your heart, and it will take care of you! There’s more than one reason to share the love this February–this month is American Heart Month. Heart disease is the number one cause of death for both women and men in America; in fact, one out of every four deaths in the U.S. every year is due to heart disease. In partnership with IT’S TIME TEXAS, Greater Austin residents can call our Navigation Center at 2-1-1 and speak to a Living Healthier coach who can give you tips and help you set goals to get your health and fitness on track. One of our Living Healthier coaches, Suzanne, provided us with a few tips for easy ways to start taking care of your heart. These small steps can go a long way to creating lifetime of heart health: Make physical activity part of your everyday routine One easy change: skip the elevator, take the stairs. Climbing stairs is a natural and easy way to fit physical activity into your work week. Burn an extra 100-200 calories by incorporating this simple change into your day. Need a creative boost? Try hosting “walking meetings.” A study from Stanford University found that participants increased their creativity levels by an average of 60% when walking compared to sitting. Next time your brain is dry for ideas, get walking for that creative flow. Instead of watching TV after dinner, go on a family walk around the neighborhood to catch up and share […]
Read More2-1-1 App Released By UWATX, Cerebri & IBM
Posted on by Angelica Velazquez
United Way for Greater Austin is excited to announce the launch of the 2-1-1 Austin mobile app to help community members navigate the complex system of health and human services in Central Texas. The app will allow users to get to the assistance they need quickly, anonymously and from the convenience of their mobile device. In 2015, UWATX’s 2-1-1 call center, which has the most up to date, comprehensive directory for social services information, handled more than 300,000 calls, each representing a person in need of assistance. From mothers who need food for their children, to working families who cannot afford to pay their utility bills, or a dialysis patient trying to coordinate transportation to medical appointments, 2-1-1 can direct users to more than 30,000 social service resources. The app also makes it easy to call 2-1-1 directly when a human touch is required. “The 2-1-1 Austin app will streamline access to social services information, ensuring crucial information is available when and where it is needed,” said Jon Armstrong, UWATX Board Member. “We are grateful for the valuable support from Cerebri and IBM to provide the tools and expertise to help United Way for Greater Austin’s 2-1-1 call center reach more people in need.” Users can simply download the app from the app store and enter their zip code to connect to the most relevant resources based on their needs and location. Users can either find these resources through a robust set of resource-matching tools to obtain a list of […]
Read More2-1-1 Specialists Make Austin Greater
Posted on by Angelica Velazquez
At UWATX, we are grateful for our employees who are dedicated to improving the lives of people in Greater Austin. United Way’s 2-1-1 Navigation Center is one of the busiest departments that does this every day; just last year, the 2-1-1 Navigation Center answered more than 300,000 calls from residents in need! This compassionate team of specialists connects callers to more than 30,000 nonprofit and government resources within the ten counties we serve. Four phenomenal women: Cynthia Houlihan, Laura Juarez, Melissa Korpi and Jessica Venson (all photographed above), have worked in the UWATX 2-1-1 Navigation Center for more than five years! We chatted with these specialists on their specific roles, the transformations they have seen in the call center over the past five years and what they enjoy most about their jobs: Q: What is your role? Cynthia: 2-1-1 Community Information Coordinator Laura: Bilingual Navigation Specialist Melissa: Lead Healthcare Navigation Specialist Jessica: Director of Client Services Q: How have you seen the Navigation Center change over time since you’ve been here? Cynthia: At the time I started working for 2-1-1 United Way, we were in the first phase of expanding the 2-1-1 call center through the addition of MAP screening services for Central Health. Since that time, we have increased the scope of services the Navigation Center provides to the community through expansion of the Central Health platform and the addition of Bluebonnet Trails Community Services and El Buen Samaritano Episcopal Mission. The Navigation Center has increased our community involvement by partnering with community programs and initiatives such as […]
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