Yesterday evening, United Way of the Bay Area honored Dodge & Cox and UPS with its highest tribute, the 2011 Spirit of the Bay Award. Each year, United Way’s prestigious Spirit of the Bay award recognizes two Bay Area employers – one large and one small – that exceeded all others in community involvement through their partnership with United Way. 

BRE Properties' Connie Moore (2010 winner) congratulates Dodge & Cox's Kevin Johnson

  
Dodge & Cox has had a steadily growing fundraising campaign every year, with increased volunteering by their employees and management’s strong support of United Way’s mission. Their 2010 campaign focused on United Way’s goal to reduce poverty by half by 2020, both informing and inspiring employees to support United Way’s community programs.  Actively involved with United Way for over 60 years, Dodge & Cox is a valued partner, raising more than $790,000 for vital human and health services in 2010. 

Bank of America's Gary Cumpston (left, 2010 winner) congratulates UPS' Todd Galloway, joined by United Way's Anne Wilson (right)

Last year, UPS surpassed the one-billion dollar mark in total donations through their nationwide United Way workplace campaigns, which began in 1982.  Here in the Bay Area, UPS is a strong partner of United Way, engaging in a wide variety of ways – through volunteerism, employee giving, event sponsorship, and corporate gifts. Their commitment to Week of Caring and sponsorship of Hometown Huddle are just two examples of UPS’ leadership in the community. Their 2010 campaign raised more than $750,000 for community services in the Bay Area.

Bay Area employers submitted applications for the 2011 Sprit of the Bay award, which were reviewed by an independent evaluation committee composed of representatives from Bay Area corporations.   Read the full press release.

We all remember that first job interview. Maybe you were a little nervous and spent a lot of time getting ready. Perhaps you had that perfect outfit – or wish you did. For many urban youth today, professional clothes are difficult to afford. That’s why MatchBridge’s “Dress to Impress” event is so important.

Companies from around the Bay Area donated suits, shirts, dresses, shoes, and accessories to the United Way ’s annual spring clothing drive in anticipation for Dress to Impress. Twenty-five youth participants went on a shopping spree this past week, each picking out two professional outfits and other clothing items at no cost.

“Getting free clothes can help you succeed on interviews,” said Seraphine Xieu, MatchBridge member, “Having the right clothes helps you feel confident about yourself – people will trust you more.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Youth participants were also paired with volunteers from UPS, BRE Properties, Bovis, Lend Lease, Shook, Hardy & Bacon, Macy’s, and United Way’s Emerging Leaders group for mock interviews. The youth were asked typical employer questions and given pointers.

Between their new duds and some new interview skills, the young people left better prepared for the job market.

“Having the right wardrobe is amazingly important,” said Connie Moore, president and CEO of BRE Properties, a key MatchBridge partner. “You get one chance to make a first impression. So how you look shows how committed you are going to be, and you’re telling your prospective employer, ‘I want this job and I want to work hard at this job.’ That’s what they want to see.”

MatchBridge is United Way’s youth employment program, which provides urban youth with job opportunities while serving as a one-stop shop for employers looking for new employees.

If you are an employer or a job seeker and want to learn more about MatchBridge, go to www.matchbridge.org.

United Way of the Bay Area’s “Adopt a Nonprofit” program was a success for the second year in a row! More than a dozen companies made it a joyous holiday season for 30+ nonprofits throughout the Bay Area.

Adopt a Nonprofit aims to connect some of our best nonprofit partners with generous Bay Area companies during the holiday season. Wish lists included requests for toys for needy children, as well as clothing and kitchen items for shelters that serve the homeless and victims of domestic violence. Some companies and their employees volunteered or hosted holiday parties at their adopted nonprofits, delivering wish-list gifts while visiting with the nonprofits and their clients.

Carol Johnson, executive director at St. Mary’s Senior Center, one of the participating nonprofits, said, “We are so excited about the people from Target coming and bringing their gifts for the seniors in our shelter. It’s great when people come and serve lunch, spend a little time and say hello. Taking time off work to be here, to talk to our seniors and be with them – that says that they matter. That is the gift that’s priceless.”

Special kudos to Target, which donated more than $8,000 to fulfill 27 wish lists andprovided more than 30 decorated Christmas trees to deck the halls and the homes at local nonprofits and the families that they serve.

In addition, thanks to Frito Lay for their outstanding efforts with collecting toys and assembling blankets and shoe bags for needy children. Thanks also to United Way’s Emerging Leaders program, whose members stepped forward to fulfill a wish list.

United Way and our nonprofit partners would like to thank all the participating companies for their gifts: 

• BRE Properties 
• Callan
• Chevron
• Frito Lay
• KGO-TV
• Natixis
• Sears Holding
• Target

Get your company involved:  contact Kim Pham at 415-808-4345 or kpham@uwba.org for more information about United Way’s next corporate volunteer/donation opportunity.

United Way’s Fall Backpack Drive was a big success!

United Way gathered and distributed more than 1,000 backpacks overflowing with school supplies to children from low-income families, thanks to the generous donations and volunteers from more than a dozen Bay Area companies.

The back packs were delivered to children whose families are clients at United Way’s SparkPoint Centers, as well as to students at the Hearing and Speech Center of Northern California.

Want to get involved?   This holiday season, United Way of the Bay Area is organizing an “Adopt a Nonprofit” program to connect some of our best nonprofit partners with generous Bay Area companies.  We are asking companies to fulfill a nonprofit’s wish list – items that the organization desperately needs as well as gifts for the families and children it serves.   Click to learn more:  Adopt A Nonprofit.

Thanks to all of the companies that participated in our backpack drive:
Affymax, Inc., Barclays, Bank of America, Bank of West, BRE Properties, Bryan Cave, Eze Castle Integration, Ernst & Young, Outcast Communications, Raymond James, Reed Smith LLP, Shook, Hardy & Bacon, Six Flags, and Wells Fargo.

Here’s a slide show of kids who received backpacks at the SparkPoint American Canyon Center.

Earlier this month, United Way of the Bay Area officially kicked-off of its 2010/11 fundraising campaign at a gathering of business and community leaders in the Fisher Auditorium on the Mission Bay UCSF campus.

The theme of this year’s campaign, “Change the Odds,” is a call to action to Bay Area residents to join United Way in pursuit of our goal to cut in half the number of local families who live in poverty by the year 2020.  Currently, one in five families in our region does not earn enough to cover its basic needs, according to United Way’s “Making Ends Meet in the Bay Area” report.

At the kick-off, United Way announced that three volunteers will co-chair the 2010/11 campaign:

• Kenneth McNeely, President, External Affairs, AT&T California
• Connie Moore, President & CEO, BRE Properties, Inc.
• Ron Peyton, CEO, Callan Associates

This team will work closely with the United Way board, staff and volunteers to engage and inspire donors. Their main focus will be to generate support for the expansion of United Way’s SparkPoint Centers, 211 and Earn It! Keep It! Save It! programs, as well as our other poverty-fighting investments.

Last year, our Bay Area campaign raised $34.9 million for the Bay Area under the leadership of Campaign Chair Janet Lamkin, President of Bank of America California.

“Through Earn It! Keep It! Save It! United Way gave back more than $57 million in tax dollars to more than 51,000 Bay Area residents and three new SparkPoint Centers were opened with five more in the works,” said Lamkin. “These are just two highlights of the valuable  work we are doing to reduce poverty in the Bay Area. As you can see, we are making difference. Thank you!”