United Way for Greater Austin advances our mission — bringing our community together to break economic barriers and build opportunity for all — using four strategies. One of those is services and support. United Way envisions a Central Texas where everyone has an opportunity to thrive. And 2024 marks an important milestone for us: 100 years serving the community! As we reflect on a century of change and a legacy of impact, our new strategic plan lays a strong foundation for our next 100 years. Our new strategic plan galvanizes our promise to realize a future where every child is set up for success with high-quality early care and education – in a community where everyone is connected to the essential resources they need, when they need them. Through this plan, four key strategies emerged. One of them is services and support. One example of our work in services and support is our Navigation Center, which paved the way for connecting local families and individuals to resources in our region. For more than 25 years, we have served as a 24/7 helpline that connects families and individuals right here in our community to more than 30,000 resources. Last year, we answered more than 200,000 requests for help – that’s one call every two minutes. Our Navigation Center is just one example of our work in services and support. Programs like Family Connects and Parenting Students Project provide health and education services to families in our region. We also support more […]
Read MoreHis life changed in an instant
United Way for Greater Austin advances our mission — bringing our community together to break economic barriers and build opportunity for all — using four strategies. One of those is services and support. United Way envisions a Central Texas where everyone has an opportunity to thrive. And 2024 marks an important milestone for us: 100 years serving the community! As we reflect on a century of change and a legacy of impact, our new strategic plan lays a strong foundation for our next 100 years. Our new strategic plan galvanizes our promise to realize a future where every child is set up for success with high-quality early care and education – in a community where everyone is connected to the essential resources they need, when they need them. Our services and support strategy unites us toward our vision of a Central Texas where everyone has an opportunity to thrive. One example of our work in services and support is our Navigation Center, which paved the way for connecting local families and individuals to resources in our region. For more than 25 years, we have served as a 24/7 helpline that connects people right here in our community to more than 30,000 resources. Last year, we answered more than 200,000 requests for help – that’s one call every two minutes. United Way programs like Family Connects and the Parenting Students Project also provide health and education services to families in our region. Beyond providing essential support directly to families and individuals, […]
Read MoreFor an expecting mother, access to essential resources means safety for her family.
United Way for Greater Austin advances our mission — bringing our community together to break economic barriers and build opportunity for all — using four strategies. One of those is services and support. United Way envisions a Central Texas where everyone has an opportunity to thrive. And 2024 marks an important milestone for us: 100 years serving the community! As we reflect on a century of change and a legacy of impact, our new strategic plan lays a strong foundation for our next 100 years. Our new strategic plan galvanizes our promise to realize a future where every child is set up for success with high-quality early care and education – in a community where everyone is connected to the essential resources they need, when they need them. Through this plan, four key strategies emerged. One of them is services and support. One example of our work in services and support is our Navigation Center, which paved the way for connecting local families and individuals to resources in our region. For more than 25 years, we have served as a 24/7 helpline that connects families and individuals right here in our community to more than 30,000 resources. Last year, we answered more than 200,000 requests for help – that’s one call every two minutes. Our Navigation Center is just one example of our work in services and support. Programs like Family Connects and Parenting Students Project provide health and education services to families in our region. We also support more […]
Read MoreStrengthening our community through 2-1-1 with Roni Kendall
National 2-1-1 Day, celebrated on February 11 (2/11), recognizes the compassionate Navigation Specialists who answer the call through the more than 200 2-1-1 helplines across the country. For more than 25 years, United Way for Greater Austin’s 2-1-1 helpline has connected thousands of Central Texans to local, statewide, and national resources for housing, utilities, food, income support, health care, child care, education, employment, transportation, counseling, disaster information, and more. As we celebrate 100 years of community-building in 2024, we know 2-1-1 is crucial to our goal to provide equitable access to resources. So we’re celebrating 2-1-1 Day by recognizing our incredible Navigation Specialists, who champion this service and work around the clock to answer the call for local families and individuals. Just last year, our Navigation Specialists answered more than 200,000 requests for help in our region – that’s one call every two minutes. Read about the work our Navigation Center does every day to empower our community in our interview with Roni Kendall, one of our dedicated Navigation Specialists. What brought you to United Way, and how long have you been on the team? I went to college to be a teacher, and during that time, I volunteered at a crisis hotline. That experience opened up a career in mental health work, case management for individuals on hospice, and more. I’ve spent more than 37 years in social services work, the last six of which have been at United Way. I’m a different person than when I first started […]
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