We are continuously humbled by the generosity and philanthropy that our Greater Austin community demonstrates throughout the year, especially during the holiday season.
You may know the Maldonados, Salazars and Wynns from our blog and campaign materials. These families graciously allow us to tell their stories to personalize the issues surrounding affordability in Austin that many of our neighbors are struggling with.
Thanks to the thoughtful efforts of companies that run United Way for Greater Austin Employee Giving Campaigns, our three UWATX feature families received a sleigh-full of goodies to trim their trees, which were donated by Target.
Generous companies including Atlassian and Freescale purchased and wrapped gifts for members of each family, which included age-appropriate toys, household items and clothing. One anonymous donor even provided a $300 gift card to a local grocery store for each family.
Donors provided gifts for the families that can go under the tree, and some that will continue to occur long after the lights and ornaments are packed away. Gatti’s Pizza has pledged monthly pizza and sides to each family for an entire year.
Many working-poor families in the Greater Austin area are struggling just to make ends meet. The pressure of the holidays creates an even more complex situation for members of our community who have very little to spare.
According to the most recent census data, poverty and low-income rates have steadily increased for children under 6 years of age in the Manor area where the Maldonados live.
The number of renters is also growing at a much faster rate than the number of homeowners in the community. More than half of all renters in Manor are cost-burdened, paying a third or more of their income on housing costs.