Growing up, Kendra never imagined she’d one day be giving back to the very place that once helped her family survive. “As a child, we came to the Round Rock Serving Center to get help with our bills, canned goods, and pastries,” Kendra said. Her mother, a single parent who had moved to Texas without a support system, worked hard to care for Kendra and her two sisters. “My mom never made it known she was counting pennies at the end of the week for groceries,” Kendra said. Now, as an adult and a mother herself, Kendra sees those struggles through new eyes. “Looking back, I know that things were hard. I didn’t have the nicest clothes. We didn’t have cable,” Kendra said. “But my mom was strong and instilled a love for community in us.” Today, Kendra works at Farmer’s Insurance and is raising two young children with her husband in Round Rock. Inspired by the strength of her mother, Kendra is committed to giving her kids the opportunities her own mom fought to provide. When Farmer’s Insurance offered a chance to volunteer with United Way for Greater Austin, Kendra didn’t think twice. “When the chance came to volunteer at the Serving Center for United Way’s Fall Day of Caring, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. They helped me through my childhood to be able to eat and have a roof over my head,” Kendra said. “I wanted to help someone who has the same story as […]
Read MoreSustained Early Childhood Education Funding Is Vital – Here’s Why
Understanding how early education is funded in Travis County By Margo Kinneberg, Early Care and Education Special Project Manager Creating a Local Funding Stream Last week, Children’s Funding Project published a case study of Travis County’s path to approving Proposition A in 2024. United Way for Greater Austin played an important role in this victory, which dedicates a portion of local property taxes to creating more affordable, high-quality child care and after school programs in our community. The case study highlights the years of coalition-building and advocacy that led to the successful ballot measure. Travis County’s Fiscal Landscape The fiscal map shows the number of funding sources that support each early childhood age range and describes each of those sources. Thanks to support from the City of Austin and technical assistance from Children’s Funding Project, we have created an early childhood fiscal map for the years preceding the passing of Proposition A. Partners can use this interactive tool to see the variety of sources that fund early childhood education in Travis County. It shows fluctuation in these funding streams over time; overall funding decreased from 2022 to 2023 – at the same time, the need for affordable child care increased. This trend underscores the importance of Proposition A and its creation of a sustainable, dedicated funding source for early childhood education. What’s Next Travis County is working to implement Proposition A, which will be overseen by Health and Human Services. The Austin/Travis County Success By 6 coalition is supporting the […]
Read MoreUnited Way Heads to the Texas Capitol
United Way for Greater Austin brings our community together to advocate for change that affects all of us. Here’s what you need to know. Our work in high-quality early care and education and equitable access to resources must be implemented at the policy level to bring about lasting change. That’s why we use grassroots advocacy – to make sure our efforts have lasting solutions. As we enter the 89th Texas Legislative Session, United Way has adopted a 2025-2026 Public Policy Agenda to ensure our biggest goals are rooted in a plan for action. Throughout the Session, we’ll be working hands-on with early educators, resource specialists, civic and coalition leaders, and nonprofit partners to voice our most pressing concerns to legislators. Advocacy Opportunities We are excited to share two advocacy opportunities at the Texas Capitol. At these events, we will lobby with state, city, and district representatives for their support on crucial bills that align with our goals of early care and education, and access to basic resources. February 26, 2025: 2025 Texas United Capitol Day Join us to lobby with state legislators by filling out this form. Please include United Way for Greater Austin as your United Way affiliation. March 6, 2025: Early Childhood Capitol Day Stay tuned for more details. Through the 89th Legislative Session and beyond, you can also join us as an advocacy volunteer! As an advocacy volunteer, you can get involved in a variety of ways – like gaining education about an issue, raising public awareness […]
Read MoreA Night United 2024: Building a stronger Central Texas, woven together by community
United Way for Greater Austin’s 6th annual A Night United brought together more than 400 guests who filled the room with generosity and connection to celebrate 100 years serving our community and continue weaving together a more prosperous community for all. As we lay the foundation for our next 100 years, we build upon a century of wisdom and innovation for a rapidly changing world. United Way stands as a beacon, striving to create a vibrant, thriving community where everyone in Greater Austin has access to high-quality early care and education and life-changing resources. A Night United built on that heartfelt promise. Thanks to the generous support of many, we raised more than $500,000 to help provide all Central Texans with opportunities to thrive. At the event, guests had the opportunity to purchase a Golden Ticket to win a trip to Portugal, Belize, or the Virgin Islands. Guests also had the chance to bid on several fantastic auction packages — including a package for sports enthusiasts and tickets to see Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour in New Orleans. During the cocktail reception that kicked off A Night United, guests left their imprint by tying a ribbon to an art installation, which will be on display at the former Pease Elementary School, future home to United Way and a high-quality child care center. And throughout the evening, guests walked through a timeline showcasing important milestones in our community and for our organization from the past 100 years. Special thanks […]
Read More20 Free Thanksgiving Meals in Greater Austin
Every holiday season, United Way’s Navigation Center helps local families access free or low-cost meals and holiday events across the Greater Austin area. To make it easy for community members to find these seasonal events, we’ve compiled a calendar of 20 free Thanksgiving meals this month. Make sure to check the links for registration details and application deadlines. Mobile Loaves & Fishes’ event on November 20 even offers additional items such as backpacks, sleeping bags, flu shots, and haircuts for individuals who do not have a home. View the calendar in Spanish For more than 25 years, United Way for Greater Austin’s Navigation Center has helped people navigate the complex system of health and human services in Central Texas. Anyone can contact the Navigation Center by dialing 2-1-1. Know someone looking for assistance? Tell them to give us a call to get connected to resources in our community.
Read MoreIf You Give a Child a Book: A Book Days and Greater Austin Reading Coalition collaboration
Instilling a love of reading in kids is critical to ensuring more children are reading at or above their grade level–a core piece of United Way’s mission to break the cycle of poverty in our community. That’s why the Greater Austin Reading Coalition, powered by United Way, has partnered with Book Days, a local children’s literacy program, to host book tours for students at Title 1* schools. Book Days’ mission is to encourage a love of reading in children by making reading exciting and bringing books to life. The program does this through theatrical performances and a variety of multi-sensory activities to engage and excite students. In partnership with the Greater Austin Reading Coalition, they launched their first tour across Austin ISD in February 2023. The tour featured the beloved classic If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, by Laura Numeroff. In just three days, the program reached over 1,500 children at eight schools in Austin ISD. At each stop, children participated in a theatrical reading of the book by the mouse himself. Throughout the tour, students not only improved their reading skills, they grew their passion for books. This year, the Greater Austin Reading Coalition looks forward to partnering with Book Days for even more reading tours that build a culture of reading for fun and cultivate a love of books in children. The Greater Austin Reading Coalition is convened by United Way for Greater Austin as part of the organization’s collective impact work to fight poverty. Looking for […]
Read MoreA Night United 2023: celebrating the dreams that inspire us
Wow, what a night! A sold-out crowd of nearly 400 people came out to A Night United to support our mission to break the cycle of poverty and help local children and families keep reaching for their dreams in our continued fight for equity. Thanks to the generous support of so many, we exceeded our fundraising goal of $500,000! A lot has changed since United Way opened its doors to the Greater Austin community nearly 100 years ago. Our world, our region, and even our skyline has changed. But we’ve never lost sight of the shared values that define us: hope, drive, success, and potential—even when systems keep too many from reaching as high as they could. As CEO David C. Smith said at A Night United, “Hundreds of thousands of our neighbors haven’t yet had the opportunity to realize their dreams. You are that foundation that allows them to dream bigger, beyond basic needs, to bigger goals that benefit all of us, all while ensuring their children start off knowing there are no limits, reaching for the stars. This is our dream at United Way, knowing when one of us wins, we all win. Now is the time for us to dream big together–imagine with us what we can create together.” We know that when we come together, we rise above. Hand in hand, we can ensure everyone can reach their full potential. Thank you for being a part of this endeavor. Special thanks to our amazing co-chairs Judy […]
Read MoreMLK Jr. Service Week: Honoring the legacy of Dr. King
Celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. every year is critical to our commitment to the fight for racial equity and creating a Greater Austin region that works for everyone. Last week, United Way for Greater Austin hosted a series of in-person community volunteer opportunities and an educational walking tour to honor Dr. King. On Monday, January 16, more than 100 volunteers at two different locations across Travis and Williamson counties rolled up their sleeves to clean up parks in our community, in honor of Dr. King’s powerful words, ‘What are you doing for others?’ Senator John Cornyn and Austin Mayor Kirk Watson attended the event in Austin and thanked volunteers for their time. On Friday, January 20, dozens of community members joined us on a guided tour, led by Harrison Eppright of Six Square: Austin’s Black Cultural District, to explore the Austin area that was originally created to segregate the Black community in 1928. Participants toured historic buildings and landmarks, and learned about the history of East Austin and how this neighborhood played a critical role in forming the city that we know today. See photos from the volunteer events and walking tour. “We thank you for volunteering to support United Way’s mission of bringing together people, ideas, and resources to fight poverty,” United Way CEO David C. Smith emphasized at the event. “When Dr. King said, ‘Everybody can be great because everybody can serve,’ he knew that we reach our highest potential as human […]
Read MoreFree December gift programs in Greater Austin
Every December, United Way for Greater Austin’s Navigation Center sees a spike in calls from people looking for help for the holidays. To help Central Texans find these resources, we’ve created a calendar of free December gift programs and meals happening throughout the month. This year’s events range from toy giveaways to Christmas parties, gift deliveries, free coats and books, meal baskets, and more. Most gift programs require registration to participate–be sure to check each program’s eligibility requirements. View the calendar in Spanish For more than 25 years, United Way for Greater Austin’s Navigation Center has helped people navigate the complex system of health and human services in Central Texas. Anyone can contact the Navigation Center by dialing 2-1-1. Know someone looking for assistance? Tell them to give us a call to get connected to resources in our community.
Read MoreFree Thanksgiving meals and gift programs in Greater Austin
Each year, United Way for Greater Austin’s Navigation Center sees a spike in calls during November and December, many from people looking for a warm meal for the holidays. To help Central Texans find these resources, we’ve created a calendar of free Thanksgiving meals happening throughout the month. This year’s events range from in-person Thanksgiving meals, to meal deliveries, drive-thru meal options, meal kits, and more. Several organizations are also offering free toys, books, and gifts for kids. Some December gift programs have application deadlines in November–be sure to read each program’s eligibility requirements, as several events require registration to participate. View the calendar in Spanish For more than 25 years, United Way for Greater Austin’s Navigation Center has helped people navigate the complex system of health and human services in Central Texas. Anyone can contact the Navigation Center by dialing 2-1-1. Know someone looking for assistance? Tell them to give us a call to get connected to resources in our community.
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