Building a Better Central Texas —
Launch of the "New" United Way Strategy
You, along with other thought leaders and public officials, are invited to participate in a two-hour forum,
"Building a Better Central Texas,"
as United Way Capital Area unveils innovative plans to serve our region in new and exciting ways.
What: Launch of "new" United Way
When: 9:00 - 11:00 a.m., Friday, May 18
Where: Austin Convention Center - Room 12, 4th Floor
Event registration *
* Registration closes Wednesday, May 16 at 5:00 p.m.
United Way Capital Area is changing how it works.
From now on, we will engage people around underlying, critical community issues to create more opportunities
for success. We will narrow the "disparity gap" — between those who are getting ahead and those who are falling
behind. We aim to identify the causes of suffering and unrealized potential, and then we'll do something about them.
This change isn't being made on a whim or by a select few. For almost four years, United Way Capital Area
has been revving up to this change. We had conversations with hundreds of community volunteers and leaders,
public officials, partner nonprofits, businesses and the general public. And last year, we commissioned the
Community Agenda Project, a comprehensive regional study conducted by the Ray Marshall Center at UT that
identified the issues Central Texans face and what's causing them.
From those countless conversations and the mountains of data has come one fundamental conclusion:
People need more opportunities. To that end, we have identified three "areas of impact" that will guide
United Way Capital Area's future work:
| 1. |
Creating opportunities for children and youth to learn, grow, and engage. |
| 2. |
Fostering community health and well-being. |
| 3. |
Giving families the knowledge and tools to become financially stable. |
"But," you ask, "I thought United Way has been doing this kind of work all along.
What's so different about your "new" approach?"
To put it simply, we will engage the community in bigger and better ways. The truth is, we can't create
lasting changes in people's lives alone. Together, united, we can get results that no one can accomplish by themselves.
Sometimes we'll be leading the charge on a specific issue, and other times we'll be supporting, serving as
"home base" for collaborative community efforts.
We feel that the rapid change in Central Texas demands that we create a new, shared vision for the kind of
people we want to be and the kind of place we want to call "home" — a place where individuals and families have
the opportunity to grow and prosper. United Way Capital Area wants to be at the forefront of the effort to realize
that vision.
We hope you'll join us.
Event registration *
* Registration closes Wednesday, May 16 at 5:00 p.m.
Community Investment Review Team volunteers needed
|
Volunteerism as Retirement Plan: The Untapped Resource
At 59, just two months into her long-anticipated retirement, Donna LeValley was bored.
"I was twiddling my thumbs, looking for something to do," Donna explained. "Don't get me wrong: I was happy to be retired.
But I can read and watch only so much TV before I get restless."
Donna is not alone in having "retirement fever." For 32 years, she'd dedicated much of her energy and time to her job with the
state; and that dedication paid off when she was able to retire early with a healthy pension in tow. Still, the adjustment from
working to restless was a quick one.
"I'd made a list of projects I wanted to complete when I retired. I finished them all within two weeks. Then I thought,
'So now what?'"
That's when Donna decided to become a volunteer — a decision that Donna claims "changed my whole life."
Much has been made in recent years about the oncoming flood of baby boomers entering retirement, and the strain that they
will put on the economy, workforce, and healthcare systems. But for years now, nonprofits and charity organizations have
recognized that retirees have a vast amount to offer as volunteers.
"For starters, our senior citizens have a wisdom and perspective that few others have," says David Balch, President of
United Way Capital Area. "That wisdom — about the community, about how to get things done, about where our priorities
should be — is an invaluable and often untapped resource for nonprofit organizations."
And so Donna LeValley, a little bored and full of love for her Austin neighborhood, signed up with
Hands On Central Texas,
the volunteer center at United Way that matches would-be volunteers with volunteer projects.
"Becoming a volunteer, especially for senior citizens, is what you make it," explains Fred Lugo, Director of RSVP
(Retired and Senior Volunteer Program). "If a retiree simply wants to fill up some time by helping a local women's
shelter organize their supplies and stuff envelopes, we can help. If they would rather join an Advisory Board or
committee for a local environmental group, we can help. If they want to invent their own project, we can help there too.
The bottom line is that every retiree has time, talent, and treasure to offer. It's a win-win situation."
For Donna LeValley, it was all about neighborhood clean-ups. For years, she'd watched as her south Austin neighborhood,
and the small park at its center, grew dilapidated. Now that she had the time and energy, she was going to change that.
So with the help of some neighbors, Donna organized a "Clean the Neighborhood Day," which drew over 50 people to help mow
lawns, pick up trash, move larger debris and overgrowth to the city dump, and repair the playground equipment and install
new safety light at the park. "It looked great by the end of the day — like the neighborhood I remember from years ago."
Studies suggest that retirees who become active volunteers often dedicate more time than other volunteers.
One reason is obvious: They have more time. But Armando Rayo thinks there's something else to it.
"I've been directing volunteers now for over a decade, and senior citizens are without a doubt the most energetic group I've seen.
They understand not only the importance of civic engagement, but they also have the organizational know-how to get things
done well and on time."
However, the same studies that prove senior citizens dedicate more hours to volunteerism also show that they volunteer at a
lower rate than the rest of the population. Armando Rayo thinks that's because volunteerism — as a part-time and ongoing
endeavor — doesn't occur to them as an option. "So our job is to constantly remind people:
There's always work that needs to be done. Our community depends on volunteers to fill in the gaps, and so we try our best
to shout that from the rooftops."
Donna LeValley has another take on it. "I guess when I was working, I didn't have the time to stop, look around, and ask,
'How can I give back?' At least not as often as I should have. But now I've got nothing but time, energy, and imagination.
Volunteering is going to be as much my legacy as my children and grandchildren."
After her successful "Clean the Neighborhood Day," Donna jumped right into her next volunteerism project:
Starting a campaign to collect new and used toys for children suffering from terminal illnesses at local hospitals.
When she mentions this new project, she grins, "This is the best way I can think of to spend my days.
It's a lot more entertaining and far more rewarding than soap operas."
This article originally ran as "Volunteer and Make a Difference," a special section of the Austin American-Statesman that ran the
weekend of April 14 & 15. The section reached approximately 200,000 homes in the greater Austin area and featured additional
content, including articles about turning volunteerism into lifelong public service and how companies are
incorporating more diversity into their outreach efforts (both by Hands On Central Texas Director Mando Rayo).
|
April was chock full of different events, announcements, and news. Here's how the media covered us.
Launch of the "New" United Way
United Way to change focus
Austin American-Statesman - May 11, 2007
United Way looks in new direction
Austin Business Journal - May 4, 2007
Interview with David Balch, UWCA President & CPO
News 8 Austin - April 22, 2007
watch the video
Success By 6 "Child Well-Being Report Card Release"
Grading success — and failure
Success By 6 announces annual report card on child well-being
Austin American-Statesman - April 26, 2007
Success By 6 releases report card
KUT 90.5 FM (with audio) - April 26, 2007
United Way weighs in on children's well-being
News 8 Austin - April 26, 2007
watch the video
Report on city's child-care services released
Austin Business Journal - April 25, 2007
The release of the 2007 Report Card on Child Well-Being was also covered by KEYE-TV, KVUE, and KLBJ 590 AM, but there is no corresponding
web story. Also, KXAN-TV covered the Spirit of Caring Celebration, hosted by UWCA on April 30.
Spring Day of Caring
Doing good for do-gooders
Hands on Central Texas helps volunteers do good work.
Austin American-Statesman - May 6, 2007
The Spring Day of Caring was also covered by News 8 Austin and KVUE, with News 8 doing almost two-hours' worth of live shots
from the Day of Caring Launch event.
|
I'm Peg.
Last year, while on leave from my job, I found myself with more free time. I decided I wanted to get more involved in
community activities. I attended the fall meeting of the United Way Women's Giving Network (WGN).
That particular meeting happened to feature a speaker who talked to us about child well-being and the state of childcare in the city.
The presentation moved me deeply, and I became interested in improving the quality of childcare
in Austin.
Also at that meeting, I learned that the WGN did not yet have a system in place to provide its members
the opportunities to participate in volunteer activities. I knew that the WGN was a wonderful conduit for women who
would like to broaden their commitment to the community and that volunteering would be a good first step.
By participating in volunteer activities, WGN members could see measurable results and the immediate impact of their commitment
first-hand.
Along with Susan Marler, manager of the Women's Giving Network, I presented my idea to the WGN Executive Committee.
And so began the WGN Volunteer Initiative.
The WGN Volunteer Initiative offers a wide range of volunteer activities to its members, such as participating in book drives,
painting and landscaping local elementary schools, representing children in foster-care as an attorney ad litem, and
engaging Congress to support legislation aimed at improving child well-being. Many WGN members have gotten involved in
unique and meaningful ways and the positive impact of their actions is rippling through the community.
At United Way, we're about helping people help people.
|
|
|
