Tonight – the prized stuffed gorillas will be given out to winners of United Way’s Koko Challenge! The Bay Area legal community, in their “class action against poverty,” has been raising money for United Way’s poverty-cutting programs over the last few months as part of the Challenge. Top competitors receive Koko gorilla stuffed animals which [...]
Kids Get Parade to Celebrate Test Score Gains
December 5, 2011 By
Everyone needs a little encouragement, especially elementary-school kids taking tests. “I know that you are very intelligent and always try your best which is what matters. Do your best since each exam is a step towards being that great doctor you have told me you want to be.” That’s just one example of the special [...]
ALERT! Help Save Funding for Food & Shelter
November 22, 2011 By
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, please think about the millions of families who are in need of housing and food assistance. Shelves of food pantries across the country are bare. Programs that provide utility and rental assistance are running out of funds to help people. The Emergency Food & Shelter Program (EFSP) helps stabilize [...]
Walk in their Shoes
November 2, 2011 By
Slip on a pair of new shoes while helping community members take a step out of poverty. Allen Edmonds, a men’s shoe and accessory store, is a big supporter of United Way of the Bay Area’s mission to cut poverty in half by 2020. The store is donating 10% of all sale proceeds [...]
Women Featured in the Business Times
October 27, 2011 By
United Way of the Bay Area’s Women’s Leadership Council is making a splash. Every year, the San Francisco Business Times puts out its annual “Giving Guide,” which highlights local nonprofit programs. Click here to see the feature about our Women’s Leadership Council. The Women’s Leadership Council (WLC) is a powerful, passionate network of Bay Area [...]
Volunteer to Prepare Taxes: Not as Taxing as You’d Think
October 17, 2011 By
Earn It! Keep It! Save It!, United Way’s free tax preparation program, relies on 3,600 volunteers to ensure that people get the refunds they deserve – volunteers like Kristina Ng. When Kristina first walked into a tax site, she was nervous but prepared. She had no previous experience. However, she had received special training through [...]
It Takes a Village
September 19, 2011 By
United Way’s Week of Caring is one of the Bay Area’s largest corporate volunteer events, bringing thousands of people together to work throughout our community. Jo Esguerra Sevilla, a long-time volunteer, has racked up 665 volunteer hours over the years. She knows because her employer, Wells Fargo, keeps track as part of its commitment to [...]
Moving Toward Home Ownership
September 12, 2011 By
Does buying a house seem out of reach for you? Anna Jackson-Hill’s $15,000 salary is not stopping her. With the help of SparkPoint Oakland, a United Way financial education center, Anna has rebuilt her credit and is slowly saving for a home. Anna first came to SparkPoint because she heard she could get free tax [...]
Help Us Pick a Winner
September 1, 2011 By
Last month, 20 Bay Area teens spent a week producing videos to help promote United Way’s efforts to tackle Bay Area poverty. Vote now to determine which video will air on AT&T U-verse cable system. The teens spent five intense days working on the United Way Video Challenge, which was generously sponsored by AT&T. Rachel [...]
$63.8 Million for the Bay Area
August 22, 2011 By
The results are in, and United Way’s Earn It! Keep It! Save It! free tax preparation service for low-income residents helped bring in $63.8 million in refunds to our community. That’s money that will get spent locally, generating jobs, sales, and tax revenue for government services. This news couldn’t come at a better time – [...]
