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In the Spotlight
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They came and they brought it. More than 700 volunteers brought the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. alive on Saturday (Jan. 16) during the annual MLK Day of Service organized by United Way Capital Area. Following a kick-off celebration at Huston-Tillotson University, volunteers spread across the city to work on more than 20 projects including painting, trash pickup, beautifying parks, organizing a thrift shop and daycare center and sorting food.
“He (MLK) was the king of equal. He wanted everybody to be equal” said Elijah Follin-Moss, a 4-year-old who was participating in the MLK Day of Service for the first time. Mom Sarah Follin said she and Elijah were volunteering for a number of reasons including her past work with AmeriCorps and a partnership between her employer, the Austin American-Statesman, and United Way Capital Area.
“We’re going to snap (trash),” said Cedric Walls, a 3-year-old who also was participating for the first time with his mother, Paulette. Cedric and his mom brought their own trash grabber similar to those used by park staff to help clean up Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. For the 11th year, State Representative Dawnna Dukes (D-Austin) led the MLK Boulevard clean up.
Volunteers at Dove Springs Recreation Center give the facility a fresh coat of paint.
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Getting Connected
Upcoming Events
Live United Film Series: It All Adds Up
- January 28, 2010
- 6:00 – 8:30pm
- KLRU’s Austin City Limits Studio
Join us for inspiration and ideas from It All Adds Up, produced by Academy Award-winning director Sue Marx, and featuring engaging and heart-warming interviews with alumni and current campers who testify to the life-changing impact of the Math Corps. You'll also hear from local leaders in education about how to apply these principles right here in Austin.
Panelists for "It All Adds Up" include: Clayton Christopher, CEO of Sweet Leaf Tea; Liliana Ary, Client Service Director at Univision Radio; Dr. Michael Marder, Professor of Physics at UT; Jason Sabo, United Ways of Texas
Click here to learn more and register.
Natural Leaders
Presented by United Way Capital Area/Hands On Central Texas, Keep Austin Beautiful and Austin Eco-Network, Natural Leaders is a training program that equips volunteers with the skills, knowledge and ability to organize volunteer projects while addressing environmental issues that affect their communities.
Training Session Dates:
- February 2, 2010: 6:00 – 8:30pm
- February 16, 2010: 6:00 – 8:30pm
- Location: United Way Capital Area, 2000 East MLK Jr Blvd
This year, we're encouraging our Natural Leaders to work on their first project during United Way's Day of Caring on April 23, 2010 and Keep Austin Beautiful's Clean Sweep on April 10, 2010.
Learn more and register at www.handsoncentraltexas.org.
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Your Local United Way in Action
Born Learning Trail
One of the many interactive signs along the trail.
These interactive trails contain signs with instructions for simple games that any adult can play with young children to turn an excursion at the park into fun learning moments. Activities include signage that encourage questions and exploration along with learning activities on the ground such as hopscotch, a vibrantly painted pathway, and letters, numbers, and shapes.
A Lowe's Home Improvement volunteer paints the trail.
Click here to watch a video about the project.
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Friends and Partners
United Way’s 2010 MLK Day of Service was a huge success with over 700 volunteers participating in the MLK celebration on Saturday, January 16, 2010. This year’s keynote speaker at the kick-off event was Dr. Richard Reddick, Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Administration with The University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Reddick delivered a powerful message about the importance of education and the need to make changes.
Thank you to Huston-Tillotson University, Austin Area Heritage Council, Representative Dawnna Dukes and American Youth Works for sponsoring this year’s event.
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HAITI EARTHQUAKE
Support from United Ways around the world is pouring into Haiti for both immediate needs as well as recovery and long-term rebuilding. United Ways in the Carribean region and Puerto Rico, along with corporate partners, immediately responded with food, water and other donated goods and building supplies. First responders and physicians were sent to Haiti to offer their services. Along with the U.S. government, United Way Worldwide is working to incent non-taxable donations to Haiti.
The 2-1-1 call centers are actively helping communities with large Haitian populations reach out and help people back home. Reparation, refugees and adoptees are expected in many US communities. Initially, United Way will provide immediate needs such as emergency shelter, food and clothing, as well as emergency health care and family reunification. Longer-term support will include transitioning refugees into housing and establishing a social services system to help refugees become settled in their communities and achieve self-sufficiency. United Way is drawing upon its experience and long history of disaster support to create partnerships with government, aid instituions, corporations, foundations and private citizens across the world to help rebuild Haiti.
The United Way Worldwide Disaster Fund is accepting donations and has introduced a text-to-give program. Click here to donate online (www.unitedway.org/haiti) or text HAITI to UNITED (864833), standard text messaging rates apply.
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Living United
The Women’s Leadership Council (WLC) has provided me the opportunity to give back to our community by helping improve the well-being of our most vulnerable children. Being a grandmother of 5 wonderful girls under the age of 6, I can appreciate how important the early years are in establishing a lasting foundation for learning.
The WLC PAVE (Providing A Value-add to Early education) -the-Way initiative provides an opportunity to have an impact through volunteer activities, advocacy and your dollars. It offers many opportunities to give back, depending on your particular interests, talents and time.
I hope that you will consider joining WLC and help make a difference to our children in Central Texas.
- Peg Hart, 2010 Chair, Women's Leadership Council.
Click here to learn more about becoming a member of WLC.
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Speak your mind.
“I always want to hear what our friends and partners have to say about the Central Texas community and United Way Capital Area.”
- Debbie Bresette, President,
United Way Capital Area
Let me know what's on your mind.
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BE AN
ADVOCATE
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