United Way of the Bay Area Blog
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It’s Saturday morning, and I am on BART heading to the Summer Jobs+ Youth Resource Fair to volunteer for the afternoon where we will set up more than 700 young people with resume prep, mock interviews and job connections. I just started as an AmeriCorps VISTA at United Way, so I am excited to see [...]
While most of the Bay Area was just getting ready for work, five Emerging Leaders recently headed to Sacramento to take part in United Ways of California’s seventh annual Capitol Day, sponsored by Target and UPS. This year, our largest United Way of the Bay Area policy team yet met with 21 California State Senators [...]
Have you ever wondered if the hours spent in front of a computer screen are really making a difference? In today’s office culture, it’s hard to imagine unplugging. But let’s face it, it’s when we do that we feel the most energized. Whether it’s completing a cross-departmental project or forming a new partnership, the real [...]
I’m behind a desk crunching numbers most of the day, so when I get a chance to do something hands-on and work directly in the community, I jump! This week, as part of a United Way of the Bay Area’s celebration of MLK National Day of Service, a group of United Way staff members volunteered [...]
With the Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service approaching this weekend, I’m reminded of how “community service” has different meanings for each of us. For me, I have served for two years with the AmeriCorps VISTA program, a national service program connecting volunteers and nonprofits in the fight against poverty. As VISTAs, we [...]
I love the celebration of a new year. I like sharing and hearing everyone’s New Year’s resolutions: start an exercise routine, save more, find a new job, call their loved ones more, or finally start recycling. Many seem silly, but they are an intimate look into someone’s vision of their ideal self. As I formulate [...]
Fresh vegetables. Canned goods. Spices. Ingredients for a Thanksgiving table and some of the items San Francisco Food Bank volunteers sorted during United Way’s Week of Caring. Perhaps one of the most popular ways to volunteer in our community is to work at a soup kitchen or food bank. There’s something so rewarding about the [...]
The line of children and their families wound its way around the block. It was an uncharacteristically sunny day in San Francisco, and the turnout of people was amazing for the Backpack Giveaway. All of the school supplies had been unloaded and placed into organized piles, ready to be given to the children who needed [...]
Finding Bay Area volunteer opportunities for kids can be a challenge, especially for families who already have packed schedules. But as kids go back to school, make giving back to the community as important as soccer practice, music lessons or field trips. Below are a few volunteer opportunities for kids which will allow them to [...]
They say that volunteering is good for your health. Well, we’re creating a health revolution! Every September, United Way’s Week of Caring connects thousands of helping hands to community organizations for the ultimate Bay Area volunteer opportunity. This September 10th-15th’s Week of Caring will mark our 22nd year. Be one of the tens of thousands [...]
