United Way of the Bay Area Blog
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Congratulations to AT&T and PwC, winners of United Way’s 2012 Spirit of the Bay Award, our highest tribute. Each year, United Way’s Spirit of the Bay Award recognizes two Bay Area employers that exceed all others in community involvement through their partnership with United Way. On Tuesday night, United Way presented the Spirit of the Bay Award at [...]
Yesterday, members of United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council (WLC) spent the afternoon wrapping books as holiday gifts to give to students at John Muir Elementary School, a community school supported by United Way. The WLC has chosen to partner with John Muir Elementary School as part of its efforts to improve educational opportunities for children [...]
Here’s an article that approaches poverty reduction, job creation, and economic growth from a different perspective—More Jobs, Less Pollution: Growing the Recycling Economy in the U.S. The article, prepared by the Tellus Institute, suggests that if we all recycle and compost more, we will not only reduce pollution and its unhealthy consequences, but also create [...]
The cost for basic needs in the Bay Area – such as rent, food, health care, child care, transportation, and taxes – has soared 18 percent in the last three years, according to the newly updated 2011 California Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Standard. The new Self-Sufficiency Standard was released today by the Insight Center for Community Economic [...]
The month of August may mark the height of the lazy days of summer for many people, but not the twenty employees from Service Source who wielded paint brushes, prepared a “Welcome Back to School” mailing and gave bulletin boards in classrooms and hallways a fresh look at John Muir Elementary School in San Francisco’s [...]
Here’s your chance to channel your creativity and inspire people to transform our communities! AT&T is sponsoring a youth video contest for the United Way of the Bay Area’s MAKE IT BE initiative. MAKE IT BE is a growing movement committed to cutting Bay Area poverty in half by 2020. Right now, 1 in 5 [...]
In this time of need, United Way is proud to share that Wells Fargo has completed the largest community support campaign in Bay Area history! Several companies in the Bay Area organized generous campaigns this year including San Francisco-based Wells Fargo — posting a record $8.5 million in pledges — to highlight the record-setting local [...]
United Way is working diligently to establish another five SparkPoint Centers in the Bay Area during the next 18 months, which will join four existing centers in Oakland, American Canyon (Napa), San Bruno and San Rafael. In Contra Costa County, Mechanics Bank Vice President Erwin Reeves is one of several leaders United Way has gathered [...]
Ten years ago today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted unanimously to designate 211 as the nation’s three-digit phone number for community service information. The FCC designated 211 in response to advocacy by United Way of America and AIRS (Alliance of Information and Referral Systems). Last year, 211 answered 16 million calls, helping people in [...]
San Leandro resident Thomas R. came to United Way’s SparkPoint Oakland Center because his family was struggling to adapt to changes in their economic situation. Job loss, and subsequent re-employment at a lower salary, meant that they were struggling to make mortgage and credit card payments, and were having a hard time getting used to [...]
