United Way of the Bay Area Blog
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We often talk about single mothers, but what about fathers? In 2006, the state of New York piloted a program to increase employment and earnings of noncustodial parents, most of whom were fathers. The state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance worked with nonprofit organizations in four New York cities – Buffalo, Jamestown, Syracuse, and [...]
Last week, United Way had the opportunity to present SparkPoint to a national audience, including United Way personnel from Delaware, Orange County and Portland, as well as representatives from Citi Foundation, City College of San Francisco, and Everett Community College and Highline Community College, both located near Seattle, Washington. More than thirty people toured the [...]
SparkPoint American Canyon Center hosted a community open house celebration last Thursday evening to celebrate its one-year anniversary. With more than 100 guests in attendance, festivities spilled out onto the sidewalk. Volunteers from UPS were on hand to welcome guests, serve food and drink, and help with the “wheel of fortune” game. SparkPoint American Canyon [...]
As part of FedEx’s 6th annual Cares Week, a team of 45 FedEx employees from around the Bay Area helped United Way host a community resource fair at the SparkPoint Oakland Center on September 24. The volunteers completed a wide range of tasks to support the event, which was held at Lion Creek Crossings, the [...]
United Way’s SparkPoint Oakland Center recently served its 300th client. To celebrate their success, SparkPoint staff, volunteers and clients gathered at the Center for an evening of food and fun. Click below to see a photo slide show from the celebration. This exclusive event was especially for SparkPoint members – clients who have utilized at [...]
As the nation’s housing and job markets show encouraging signs of recovery, there are still far too many families who are on the brink of becoming homeless or have fallen into our shelter system.” – Shaun Donovan, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development From the USA Today article, “Families in homeless [...]
Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 8 — join 4,000 of your friends, neighbors, and community members in the largest collaborative fundraiser and nonprofit celebration in Marin County — the 28th annual Marin Human Race. Enjoy… A pancake breakfast More than a dozen local bands and performing groups Free refreshments, prizes, and giveaways Kid Races with [...]
United Way recently took a stand to support First 5 California, sending letters to Assembly and Senate members throughout the Bay Area to encourage them to preserve funding for this critical program. First 5 pays for children’s health insurance and education, as well as health and human services that benefit children and families throughout the [...]
Here is an inspiring success story from United Way grantee Opportunity Junction: Mary Castillo had her life all planned out. She married her husband when she was 20 and spent the next 35 years staying home and raising their four children while her husband supported them. All of that changed when her husband was diagnosed [...]
Last month, United Way gathered Bay Area community leaders at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco to explore opportunities to address poverty in our region. The event began with an overview of United Way’s recent report, “Struggling to Make Ends Meet in the Bay Area,” which was followed by a panel discussion with audience participation. This 8-minute [...]
