Dear Friends:

Spring usually brings about vibrant, new growth as plants and great ideas start to bloom, so I'm excited about the growth and spirit of greater collaboration starting to take root and flower.

At our upcoming Day of Caring, April 24th, not only will hundreds of motivated volunteers collaborate all over town to work on projects that help Central Texas families, but we'll also be able to hear from two of our mayoral candidates, Brewster McCracken and Lee Leffingwell, speak to the power of volunteerism and community service at the kickoff event.

Two new collaborations we are heavily involved with are also getting ready to bloom in the coming months. In our financial stability focus area, Bank on Central Texas is a new strategy to help individuals and families join the financial mainstream, and is a great example of nonprofit, private sector and governmental collaboration. 1 Hour for Kids is another new collaboration from our education focus area, aimed squarely at helping more middle school students graduate. Our new video with E3 Executive Director Susan Dawson highlights why investing in education is so important and is another collaborative effort we are involved with. Watch out for more information and how you can get involved with these initiatives over the coming months.

And last but not last, here at United Way Capital Area we are proud to be a member of a new collaborative "We Are One." We are one of twelve Central Texas nonprofits that have joined forces to increase involvement and drive stronger support for our various missions. The initiative reinforces the support and collaboration that already exists between our organizations, and demonstrates how much more can be achieved when we work together.

Thank you for your continued support of UWCA, its staff and volunteers, but most of all, thank you for Living United, and helping us provide opportunities for everyone to succeed in our community.

Take care,

Debbie Bresette
Interim President and CPO

On Friday, April 24, 2009, we will host various meaningful volunteer projects centered around the environment and our three focus areas: Education, Financial Stability and Health.

We will start the day with a United Way Days of Caring Kickoff with Mayoral candidates Brewster McCracken & Lee Leffingwell as guest speakers.

Volunteers will learn about the impact they are making in the community, eat some breakfast, meet guest speakers and other volunteers, and check-in for their projects.

Prior to volunteering at their projects, United Way Days of Caring volunteers must check-in at the Kickoff starting at 8:30 am.

Sign up and volunteer today!

Date: Friday, April 24, 2009
Time: 8:30 - 9:45 am
Location: Alamo Park Pavilion
2100 Alamo Street
Austin, TX 78722

Volunteer Registration: 8:30 - 9:00 am
Kickoff Program Start Time: 9:00 am
Projects Start Time: 10:00 am

We're inviting all volunteers to take part in our GIVE 5 Campaign - Give $5, Give 5 Hours & bring 5 friends! We'll be ready for all your 5's & you'll help us do more good in Central Texas! Your $5 contribution will go towards funding community programs & services.

In an effort to highlight other nonprofit voices and viewpoints, we are honored to present this Q&A we had with David, President and CEO of the Capital Area Food Bank. United Way Capital Area collaborates often with his organization in a variety of ways, including providing hundreds of volunteers and advocating around hunger and poverty in Central Texas.

A little about David: he joined the Food Bank in March 2008 as President & CEO. David was born in Baltimore, Maryland and moved with his family to the Houston area in 1974. David went on to earn his Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University where he currently serves as a member of the Former Students Advisory Board for the Department of Political Science.

In 2004, David became the Executive Director of End Hunger Network-then a small food rescue organization. Since 2004, End Hunger Network has received national acclaim as one of the most effective and innovative organizations of its type in the United States. Growing from seven employees in 2004 to thirty six in 2007, End Hunger Network serves as a national model for food rescue and human service serving the most vulnerable members of the greater Houston community.

I. Your organization intentionally chose the word "nourish" over "feed." How do your food distribution and hunger ending strategies ensure that people are not simply fed, but are nourished? And, how does nourishing someone benefit not only the individual client or family of CAFB, but the entire community?

CAFB sets the standard among food banks nationwide in providing healthy, nutritious food to those in need. In 2007, CAFB was third in the nation in distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables behind only New York and Houston. We believe that just providing food, regardless of the quality of the product, is insufficient and not consistent with our core values. We must make high-quality, healthy foods available and treat all of those we serve with dignity and respect.

Beyond providing the dignity of a healthy meal, there are real challenges in Texas that need to be addressed by all organizations providing food to low-income clients. One in five Texas children are medically obese and, not coincidentally, one in four lives in poverty. By making a firm organizational commitment to provide healthy, nutritious food for hungry Central Texans, we continue to have a positive impact on this growing and destructive trend.

II. Some people might ask: is ending hunger in our community a realistic, achievable goal? Won't we always have people in Central Texas who need CAFB?
I have a quote in my office from Dom Helder Camara that says, "When I feed the poor, they call me a saint, but when I ask why the poor are hungry, they call me a communist."

Food banks have spent too many years feeding the hunger line and not enough time seriously asking why the hunger line exists. We live in a country with the capacity to feed the entire world, yet hunger exists in nearly all communities. I refuse to believe it is acceptable for hunger to exist in our country. Yes, there will always be people who struggle to make ends meet or are challenged by hardships. From time to time people will need to reach out for emergency food assistance, making our work critical to a healthy community. That said, there should always be enough food to feed themselves and their family. Nobody in our nation, state or community should be forced to go without food.

III. While donating food, money and time directly to CAFB is vital, are there additional steps—either through advocacy or volunteering—that someone can take to help end hunger in Central Texas?
There are a few important things anyone can do to help end hunger in our community. First, embrace the core belief that in a community as blessed and resourced as ours, hunger is unacceptable. Once you believe that completely and without exception, you should act on that belief. You can give the gift of time, talent, passion and treasure to the cause. Learn about hunger, and challenge those who believe hunger doesn't exist in our community. Educate your lawmakers, and demand they support legislation that removes barriers to assistance, and support organizations working to change the status quo. When making a financial investment, make sure your gift will have maximum impact - be a smart investor. Get started and passionately pursue a hunger-free community. The solution is there - it takes all of us to make it happen.

IV. You moved here from another Texas city—Houston. What are your observations of the nonprofit communities in Austin and Houston? Any differences that surprise you?
I like to tell folks I moved to Austin from Houston because I can't stand traffic. Houston and Austin are two planets sharing the same state. During my time in Houston, I was able to achieve great things for children, families and seniors in need, and I continue to draw on those experiences. That said I came to Austin to help change the face of hunger relief and create the model for the next generation of food banking. The talent, energy, imagination and resources necessary to shape that new model are plentiful here. I continue to be impressed with the talent and vision of my colleagues leading other innovative and exciting organizations. The more the local social sector breaks down the barriers that keep us from strategically working together, the quicker we can collectively make the lasting and systemic changes that will forever change Central Texas for the better.

You asked for it; now it's here. Show your support and buy a Live United t-shirt online at our website. For a $20 donation, you can have your own Live United t-shirt. They are available now in 5 sizes.

The donation, after covering the cost of the materials and shipping, will be used to help support United Way Capital Area's programs.

Young Hispanic Professional Austin Association

The 2-1-1 Texas helpline is a managed locally by United Way Capital Area and is a partnership with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. It is one example of how United Way helps all Central Texans find assistance when they need help the most.

The 2008 2-1-1 Texas Community Needs and Trends Report catalogs the number and types of calls received by 2-1-1 throughout 2008, and its findings are consistent with a worsening economy and the impact it has on individuals and families in our region.

In 2008, 2-1-1 Texas, handled more than 190,000 calls, responding to a:

• 19% increase in demand for basic needs from 2007, most significantly for:
  • emergency food - 34%
  • utility bill assistance - 19%
  • housing payment assistance - 14%

Read the full report.

United Way Capital Area is proud to be a member of a new initiative "We Are One." Twelve Central Texas nonprofits, including United Way Capital Area, have joined forces to increase involvement and drive stronger support for our various missions.

The We Are One campaign demonstrates a new level of collaboration as the twelve organizations come together to speak as one voice, and address the important needs across the region as the economy continues to decline.

With the assistance of the good folks at Trew Marketing, the We Are One campaign was developed, complete with a web site, two videos, Facebook page and a call to action all geared to demonstrate that:

• We are better when we work together, and Live United in action
• The nonprofit sector has many examples of the power of collaboration
• There are plenty of ways for anyone who wants to join the effort to do so - in fact, the campaign offers 12 ways!

More information about our involvement and the ways you can help.

Financial Fitness Greater Austin (FFGA) is an awareness and education initiative of Senator Kirk Watson, the Alliance for Economic Inclusion (AEI), the Financial Literacy Coalition of Central Texas (FLCCT), Junior Achievement of Central Texas and more than 40 entities in the Great Austin area, including United Way Capital Area..

The goal is to provide targeted financial education to the Austin community and create general community awareness of the importance of financial education. During Financial Fitness week, form April 20 – April 26, 2009, over 50 free financial programs will be available to the Austin community. For a complete listing see www.financialfitnessaustin.org

The week will kick off with a media event at the AT&T Center with a proclamation read by Brewster McCracken on April 16th at 11:00am.

For more information about FFGA contact Christine Kempff at ckempff@jacentex.org

E3 Alliance Executive Director Susan Dawson shares with us why investing in Education for the future benefit of Central Texas is so important. She also talks about the Blueprint for Educational Change, a collaboration between the E3 Alliance and several Central Texas organizations and individuals, including United Way Capital Area.