RYSE Center, a United Way grantee, is a safe and welcoming place for West Contra Costa County youth, that is building and empowering the next generation. They have a number of programs based around social justice, harm reduction, and youth leadership. The organization was born out of the community response to a particularly violent incident [...]
Dial 2-1-1 for Sandbags
January 20, 2010 By
Several Bay Area cities and counties are offering free sandbags to residents who are concerned about flooding due to this week’s winter storms. To find out if sand bags are available in your area, call 2-1-1. 2-1-1 is available in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma Counties. Residents who [...]
One Woman Finds Her Path
January 7, 2010 By
By the 9th grade, Leslie was reading at an advanced college level – and she was already an alcoholic. Caught in a downward spiral, Leslie turned to drugs, broke into people’s homes, spent time in jail, and eventually lost custody of two children. After spending several weeks in a recovery program, she was referred to [...]
Meet the Experts: Tse Ming Tam, VP Community Investments, East Bay
November 11, 2009 By
Tse Ming Tam joined United Way of The Bay Area in September 2006 and oversees our grant making in the East Bay. He is also responsible for the development of our SparkPoint Initiative, which helps low-income families achieve financial stability. United Way: What part of your job do you enjoy the most? Tse Ming: I’ve [...]
Help Make Tax Time Less Taxing
November 4, 2009 By
You can help low-wage families hold on to more of their hard-earned money. United Way is now recruiting volunteers for Earn It! Keep It! Save It!, a program that provides free tax assistance to hardworking, low-income taxpayers throughout the Bay Area. Last year, the program helped 47,166 Bay Area households claim $47 million in refunds. Participating taxpayers save up [...]
Week of Caring is Underway!
September 15, 2009 By
United Way’s 19th Annual Week of Caring is underway. The slide show below features photos from Monday afternoon, when Chevron volunteers sorted donated goods for the Bay Area Crisis Nurseries’ Annual Yard Sale. Chevron is the lead sponsor of Week of Caring this year, with more than 2,500 employees participating in the Bay Area’s largest corporate volunteer event. [...]
Week of Caring: Last Chance to Register!
August 24, 2009 By
United Way’s Week of Caring will take place on September 14-18. There are still lots of of half-day and full-day volunteer projects available for teams of employees. It’s a fun, free and easy way for employees to work together and create lasting change in their own communities. Register now! Here are three great projects to [...]
Call 2-1-1 for FREE Summer Meals for Kids
June 24, 2009 By
Communities throughout the Bay Area have started free summer meal programs for children, serving meals on weekdays throughout the summer at summer-school and community sites. All children 18 years old and younger are eligible, regardless of their families’ income. NOTE: Because of funding cuts, many school districts and community organizations that have previously served summer [...]
Nurturing Opportunity
September 1, 2006 By
United Way has a multi-year commitment to Verde Elementary School’s Garden Academic Integration Program, which promotes academic excellence, fosters school-community connections, boosts attendance and prevents youth violence. “United Way’s support is making a positive impact,” said Paul Buddenhagen, of the school’s ‘VIP’ program (Verde Involving Parents). “State test scores have improved and student attendance has [...]
