United Way Worldwide has issued a press release urging people to advocate for passage of the Calling for 2-1-1 Act. The bill, which would provide financial support to maintain and improve 2-1-1 – an easy to remember number that connects people who want to give and get help – has achieved impressive totals of 242 [...]
Rising Numbers of Children Living in Poverty
June 8, 2010 By
According to an alarming article in today’s USA Today, “the rate of children living in poverty this year will climb to nearly 22%, the highest rate in two decades, according to an analysis by the non-profit Foundation for Child Development. Nearly 17% of children were living in poverty in 2006, before the recession began.” The [...]
Parking For Social Change?
June 3, 2010 By
As anyone who lives in the Bay Area knows, issues related to parking meters can sometimes get very contentious and that’s an understatement. But what if instead of generating controversy, parking meters were being used to fight a social ill? Instead of only preventing yourself from getting a ticket, feeding a meter also meant doing [...]
The High Cost of Free
May 27, 2010 By
Over at mint.com there is a very interesting infographic about how sometimes things that seem to good too be true can end up costing you more money in the end. A lot of these services seem to affect low-income individuals and families disproportionately. At United Way of the Bay Area we are well of this [...]
Making An Impact On The Next Generation
May 26, 2010 By
Disaster Preparation is Serious Business
May 24, 2010 By
By now most large and mid-size companies have plans in place for disasters of all kinds. However, many small business do not so in the event of a natural disaster like an earthquake or flood they may not be able to recover. According to the US Small Business Administration, 40 to 60% of small businesses [...]
4 Groups Helping Youth Land That Summer Job
May 17, 2010 By
Last week’s Dress for Success event with Nnamdi Asomugha was a huge success for MatchBridge and the young people that attended. You can read about the event on sfgate’s Get to Work blog as well. At the event, 47 Bay Area youth received professional clothing and accessories, as well as job interview training. This [...]
Spirit of the Bay Winners Announced!
May 13, 2010 By
Tuesday evening, United Way of the Bay Area honored Bank of America and BRE Properties, Inc. with its highest tribute, the 2010 Spirit of the Bay Award. While all of the nominated companies are strong United Way partners, Bank of America and BRE Properties went above and beyond the call of duty to give back [...]
Dress For Success
May 13, 2010 By
Yesterday, Oakland Raider Nnamdi Asomugha teamed up with United Way volunteers to provide 47 Bay Area youths with professional clothing and accessories, as well as job interview training. The event, sponsored by UPS, was the final part of United Way’s Spring Professional Clothing Drive, in which employees from 12 Bay Area companies donated more than 200 suits, [...]
Hunger Could be Closer Than You Think
May 12, 2010 By
Over at the East Bay Express they have a good article about the USDA’s report (which we discussed here) about hunger in which they highlight a few stories of local people who don’t have enough to eat. The piece focuses on food insecurity which is not just a measurement of people who don’t have enough [...]
