APRIL 2013
CenterPoint Energy Wraps Up Record Campaign CenterPoint Energy raised more than $1,956,000 for United Way of Greater Houston this year. >Read more
ConocoPhillips Celebrates a Great Campaign Congratulations to our friends at ConocoPhillips, whose 2012-13 campaign results totaled more than $3.33 million! >Read more
MARCH 2013
Thank You, Houston, for a Great Campaign! Thanks to the generous support of Houstonians, contributions to United Way of Greater Houston topped $81.5 million this year, surpassing the goal and increasing $2.3 million over last year! >Read more
A Message from Dorothy Ables and Anna Babin Dorothy Ables, 2012-13 campaign chair and chief administrative officer for Spectra Energy Corp, and Anna M. Babin, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Houston, thank campaign leaders, donors, volunteers and the Houston community for an incredible 2012-13 campaign! >Watch the video
Phillips 66's Awesome Campaign We salute Phillips 66 for an exceptional campaign. The company and its employees contributed more than $1.1 million, joining our Million Dollar Circle! >Read more
A Million Thanks to BP! BP and its employees raised more than $1,325,000 for United Way this year, a 42 percent increase over the 2011-12 campaign. >Read more
FEBRUARY 2013
United Way Welcomes BHP Billiton Petroleum to Million Dollar Circle BHP Billiton Petroleum raised more than $1,046,000 for United Way, which reflects an outstanding 42 percent increase over 2011-12 results and a generous dollar-for-dollar company match. >Read more
Marathon Campaign Exceeds $1 Million! Marathon Oil Corporation raised more than $1,017,000 for United Way of Greater Houston this year, including a generous company match. >Read more
FMC Technologies' Million-Plus Results Congratulations to FMC Technologies, which raised more than $1.9 million for United Way of Greater Houston this year, a 17 percent increase over 2011-12 results and a new record for the company. >Read more
JANUARY 2013
Free Tax Preparation Centers Now Open! United Way is proud to make free tax preparation available to hardworking families in our community. Our 15 free tax preparation locations are now open! >Read more
A Record-Breaking Campaign for Anadarko Congratulations to Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, which raised more than $2,336,000 for United Way this year, a new record for the company! >Read more
ExxonMobil Announces Record Results ExxonMobil had another outstanding campaign year, announcing record results of more than $13.24 million. >Read more
Apply Now for Project Blueprint Those interested in joining Project Blueprint Class XXXII must apply by January 10, 2013. The program will begin in March 2013. >Read more
DECEMBER 2012
Thank You, 2012 Loaned Executives After a week of training in late August, 48 men and women joined forces with United Way's Donor Relations team to assist campaign coordinators across Houston in planning and implementing their workplace campaigns. >Read more
Volunteer Now to Help Houston Families Thrive We need tax preparers, intake specialists and translators to assist with more than 31,000 tax returns and help families in our community claim millions in tax credits and refunds. >Read more
Memorial Hermann Healthcare System Joins Million Dollar Circle Congratulations to Memorial Hermann Healthcare System! Memorial Hermann's employees contributed more than $1 million to United Way of Greater Houston for the first time this year. >Read more
NOVEMBER 2012
Wells Fargo Parters with United Way to Help Local Families Thrive As we enter the fifth year of United Way THRIVE, we're excited to announce the launch of a new financial capability network in partnership with our friends at Wells Fargo. >Read more
Readers Do Something About It! Nearly 2,500 Houstonians joined United Way of Greater Houston, the Houston Texans and Texans starting safety, #29, Glover Quin, at Reliant Center for the Readers Do Something About It Reading Rally and children's book drive. >Read more
St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital Donates 3,000 Books! Thank you to our wonderful friends at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital who donated 3,000 books to help us get the Readers Do Something About It Reading Rally and children's book drive off to a great start and get books into the hands of kids who are without! See photos of the St. Luke's book donation.
Readers Do Something About It Reading Rally this Saturday! Are you, your colleagues and your friends and family planning to be at the Readers Do Something About It Reading Rally and children's book drive this Saturday at Reliant Center? >Read more
OCTOBER 2012
Apply Now for Project Blueprint Those interested in joining Project Blueprint Class XXXII must apply by January 10, 2013. The program will begin in March 2013. >Read more
Anna Babin Interview on Comacast Watch United Way President and CEO Anna Babin discuss United Way's 90 years serving Greater Houston and what we are doing today to create a brighter tomorrow for our neighbors. >Read more
Days of Caring Volunteers Make a Difference More than 5,300 volunteers have already completed more than 550 projects as part of our 2012-13 United Way Days of Caring. >Read more
Spectra Energy Announces Record Results Spectra Energy is the first company to formally announce million dollar results raising nearly $1.7 million for United Way this year, a 15 percent increase over last year. >Read more
SEPTEMBER 2012
Op-ed: Hosting a United Way campaign can help your company and the community Dorothy Ables, chief administrative officer for Spectra Energy and our 2012-13 Community Campaign chair, along with United Way President and CEO Anna M. Babin, wrote an op-ed about how running a United Way campaign engages, educates and encourages leadership among employees—in addition to supporting United Way's efforts to transform lives and strengthen our entire community. >Read more
United Way Launches 90th Campaign! United Way of Greater Houston kicked off its 2012-13 Community Campaign and 90th birthday with the message that what we do today shapes tomorrow. >Read more
Welcome Loaned Executives After a week of training, 48 men and women joined forces with United Way's Donor Relations team on September 4 to assist campaign coordinators across Houston in planning and implementing their workplace campaigns. >Read more
AUGUST 2012
Hurricane Season is Here Now is the time to gather supplies and organize important information so you and your family are prepared in case of a storm or other disaster. >Read more
Daisy's Story There are situations in life that can come up unexpectedly and throw all of our plans off course, like becoming a single parent or losing a job. For Daisy, both of those things happened at once. >Read more
JULY 2012
Campaign Leaders Conference Energizes Volunteers for Good Energy and inspiration filled the United Way Center on July 24 as 400 campaign leaders and volunteers showed their support for United Way and sharpened their campaign skills at the 2012 Campaign Leaders Conference. >Read more
Free Tax Prep Helps Record Number of Families This tax season, United Way of Greater Houston helped more than 28,000 local families increase their economic independence with free tax preparation services, a 16 percent increase over last year. >Read more
JUNE 2012
United Way joins Deloitte for 13th annual IMPACT Day Each year, thousands of Deloitte employees spend IMPACT Day volunteering in their communities across the country. >Read more
Anna Babin's New Blog on Early Childhood Education In her new Huffington Post blog, United Way of Greater Houston President and CEO Anna M. Babin writes about the importance and impact of early childhood education programs like United Way Bright Beginnings. >Read more
ExxonMobil and United Way present Bright Beginnings at Nashville Conference United Way and ExxonMobil presented United Way Bright Beginnings' 10-year results at United Way Worldwide's international Community Leaders Conference in Nashville, Tennessee in May. >Read more
Local Companies Honored by United Way Worldwide Four local companies were among the seven companies whose corporate citizenship and community impact were recognized by United Way Worldwide on May 3. >Read more
MAY 2012
Congratulations, Project BLueprint Class XXXI Graduates! United Way celebrated Houston's diverse leaders at the United Way Project Blueprint Class XXXI graduation ceremony on May 10. >Read more
Jim Postl Named United Way Volunteer of the Year Congratulations to Jim Postl, retired president and CEO of Pennzoil Quaker State, who was named Volunteer of the Year by United Way of Greater Houston at its annual meeting on April 26. >Read more
Shell and Motiva Announce Campaign Results Congratulations to Shell Oil Company and Motiva Enterprises LLC for another successful campaign! Shell and Motiva raised more than $4.6 million this year, securing its place as the second largest campaign for United Way of Greater Houston. >Read more
APRIL 2012
United Way Bright Beginnings Presents 10-Year Results Corporate and community leaders, educators and child development professionals joined United Way of Greater Houston, Dr. T. Berry Brazelton and Dr. Joshua Sparrow, the preeminent experts on child development, at the Junior League on April 13 for a luncheon showcasing the impact of United Way Bright Beginnings' first 10 years. >Read more
A Special Message from Rich Kruger Rich Kruger, 2011-12 Campaign Chair and President of ExxonMobil Production Company, thanks campaign leaders, donors, volunteers and the Houston community for an incredible 2011-12 campaign! >Watch the video message
Thank you, Houston, for a Great Campaign! We at United Way are incredibly grateful for the strong support of the Houston community during our 2011-12 campaign. >Read more
Another Banner Year for National Oilwell Varco A United Way high five to National Oilwell Varco, which raised more than $1.9 million this year, a new record for the company. >Read more
Cameron's Record Results Surpass $1 Million It was a record-breaking year for Cameron, which raised more than $1.4 million for United Way of Greater Houston's 2011-12 campaign. >Read more
LyondellBasell Industries Joins the Million Dollar Circle Congratulations to LyondellBasell Industries, which joins United Way of Greater Houston's Million Dollar Circle for the first time this year! >Read more
MARCH 2012
A Special Message from Rich Kruger Rich Kruger, 2011-12 Campaign Chair and President of ExxonMobil Production Company, thanks campaign leaders, donors, volunteers and the Houston community for an incredible 2011-12 campaign! Watch his video message here.
Thank you, Houston, for a Great Campaign! We at United Way of Greater Houston are incredibly grateful for the strong support of the Houston community during our 2011-12 campaign. >Read more
Marathon Oil Corporation Results Exceed $1 Million Marathon Oil Corporation raised more than $1,030,000 for United Way of Greater Houston this year, a new record for the company and an increase over 2010-11 results. >Read more
FEBRUARY 2012
Free Tax Prep Helps Families Keep the Whole Pie Our Neighborhood Tax Center at the Baker-Ripley Center in the Gulfton area handed out 211 apple pies, reminding families that free tax preparation helps them keep the whole pie; and the 2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE is the number to call for information about free tax preparation and other social services. >Read more
When Houstonians Need Help, They Call 2-1-1 February 11 is National 2-1-1 Day, and like every day, United Way of Greater Houston's 2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE is here connecting those in need with critical social services. >Read more
Another Outstanding Campaign for Anadarko Congratulations to Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, which raised more than $2,077,000 for United Way this year, a new record for the company! >Read more
United Way Bright Beginnings Celebrates 10 Years United Way of Greater Houston and more than 100 guests celebrated the 10-year anniversary of United Way Bright Beginnings with a birthday party at the United Way Center on January 25. >Read more
Matched Savings Accounts Help Families Stretch Tax Refunds This year, as part of our free tax preparation services, United Way THRIVE is launching a new Tax Time Matched Savings Account program. >Read more
JANUARY 2012
Op-ed: Education Investment Will Benefit Entire Community Check out Rich Kruger and Anna Babin's op-ed in Sunday's Houston Chronicle: Education Investment Will Benefit the Entire Community. It highlights the importance of early childhood education and United Way Bright Beginnings. >Read more
CenterPoint Energy's Record Campaign Congratulations to CenterPoint Energy, which raised more than $1,863,000 for United Way of Greater Houston this year, a new record for the company. >Read more
Do Something Impactful - Help a Family THRIVE Meet Juan and Taghi. Thanks to United Way THRIVE, their families are not only surviving, but thriving. >Read more
Free Tax Preparation Centers are Now Open! United Way is proud to make free tax preparation available to hardworking families in our community. Our 16 free tax preparation locations are now open! >Read more
ExxonMobil Announces Record Results True to ExxonMobil's campaign theme "Leave an Imprint," ExxonMobil marked another winning United Way campaign, announcing record results of more than $12.9 million. >Read more
Free Tax Preparation Begins January 16 Tax season is upon us and United Way is gearing up to provide free tax preparation to thousands of Houston families beginning January 16. >Read more
DECEMBER 2011
Project Blueprint Now Accepting Applications Those interested in joining Project Blueprint Class XXXI must apply by Wednesday, January 11, 2012. >Read more
You Can Help Houston Families Thrive United Way of Greater Houston is seeking volunteers during the 2012 tax season to help hard-working, low-income families thrive. >Read more
A Candid Conversation on Leadership Community leaders Anna Babin, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Houston, and Scott McLean, CEO of Amegy Bank, shared experiences, anecdotes and insights with nearly 200 guests at the November Conversation on Leadership. >Read more
FMC Technologies Wraps Up with Million-Plus Results Congratulations to FMC Technologies, which raised more than $1.7 million for United Way of Greater Houston this year, a 46 percent increase over 2010-11 results. >Read more
ConocoPhillips Strikes Campaign Gold Congratulations to our friends at ConocoPhillips. Their 2011 campaign results totaled more than $3.93 million, another record for the company. >Read more
NOVEMBER 2011
Thank You, Loaned Executives! United Way of Greater Houston thanks our 2011-12 Loaned Executives for a great campaign season! >Read more
THRIVE Helps 35,000 Families Gain Financial Independence When you do something to lift up a family, it changes life for generations. United Way THRIVE is lifting up low-income, hardworking families in our community and helping them make their dreams come true. >Read more
Volunteer at the 2011 H-E-B Feast of Sharing As the holiday season approaches, many of you will be looking for a way to share your time and talents with the less fortunate in our community. >Read more
United Way Among Houston's Top Workplaces United Way of Greater Houston is proud to be named one of the best places to work in the Houston area! >Read more
Days of Caring Volunteers Do Something Constructive More than 5,000 volunteers have already completed more than 650 projects as part of our 2011-12 United Way Days of Caring. >Read more
OCTOBER 2011
Are You a Diamond Donor? You are if you've been giving to United Way for 25 years or more. >Read more
Spectra Energy Marks 20 Years in the Million Dollar Circle It was another record-breaking year for Spectra Energy, which raised more than $1.45 million for United Way of Greater Houston's 2011-12 Community Campaign. >Read more
Rich Kruger on Investing in Houston Rich Kruger, United Way of Greater Houston's 2011-12 campaign chair and president of ExxonMobil Production Company, has a vision for Houston. >Read more
SEPTEMBER 2011
Kickoff Inspires Houston to Do Something Bold United Way of Greater Houston kicked off its 2011-12 Community Campaign by inspiring supporters to do something extraordinary for Houston. >Read more
2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE Comes to the Rescue When Hurricane Irene Strikes The New Jersey 2-1-1 call center routed calls to Houston just before they lost power around 10:30 on Saturday night. >Read more
AUGUST 2011
Oscar Newton Honored for 50 Years of Service With tremendous gratitude and great respect, United Way of Greater Houston joins American General Life Companies in honoring Oscar Newton for his 50 years of service to the company and to our community. >Read more
Grants Help Struggling Families Meet Basic Needs When a family has trouble meeting their basic needs, like food and shelter, they can't even think about things like saving for the future. >Read more
JULY 2011
Campaign Leaders Conference Inspires Inspiration was everywhere as nearly 400 campaign leaders and volunteers joined forces to support United Way and drive positive change at United Way of Greater Houston's 2011 Campaign Leaders Conference. >Read more
Conversation on Leadership Talks Talent July's Conversation on Leadership illustrated that 21st century leaders must be comfortable with ambiguity, remain flexible, and have the ability to guide others through an ever-changing landscape in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors. >Read more
Books Help Create Brighter Beginnings A book can spark a child's interest, encourage big thinking and inspire a lifelong love of learning. That's why 50 volunteers from ExxonMobil teamed up with United Way to deliver bags full of books to low-income children at United Way Bright Beginnings child care centers.
>Read more
JUNE 2011
Are You Prepared for Hurricane Season? Now is the time to gather supplies and organize important information so you and your family are prepared in case of a storm or other disaster. >Read more
Community Leaders Flock to Board Fair United Way's 2011 Board Fair drew a diverse crowd of prospective board members to the United Way Center. >Read more
Families Benefit from Free Tax Prep This tax season, United Way of Greater Houston helped more than 24,000 local families increase their economic independence with free tax preparation services. >Read more
MAY 2011
Vern Stockton Named United Way Volunteer of the Year Congratulations to Vern Stockton, principal, Solutions and Resolutions, who was named Volunteer of the Year by United Way of Greater Houston at its annual meeting on May 18. >Read more
Congratulations, Project Blueprint Graduates United Way celebrated Houston's diverse leaders at the United Way Project Blueprint Class XXX graduation ceremony on May 12. >Read more
Bank of America Honored by United Way Congratulations to Bank of America, whose commitment to improving the financial stability of individuals, families and communities was recognized by United Way Worldwide on May 6. >Read more
United Way Honors Major Donors United Way of Greater Houston celebrated the generosity of its Alexis de Tocqueville Society (ADT) Major Donors at a special dinner in their honor. >Read more
APRIL 2011
Houston Helps United Way Hit Campaign Goal With the unwavering support of Houstonians, United Way of Greater Houston raised more than $74.3 million for our community this year, an increase of nearly $1 million over last year! >Read more
Bay Area Financial Opportunity Center Grand Opening United Way of Greater Houston and United Way THRIVE are proud to announce the grand opening of a new Financial Opportunity Center at our Bay Area Service Center. >Read more
Goya Donation Helps United Way Fight Hunger To celebrate 75 years in business, Goya Foods partnered with United Way of Greater Houston to distribute thousands of pounds of food to low-income families. >Read more
MARCH 2011
United Way Honors Alexis de Tocqueville Society Co-chairs Alie Pruner, chief financial officer for Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co., LLC, and Jim Postl, retired president and CEO of Pennzoil Quaker State, welcomed more than 400 members of the Alexis de Tocqueville Society to a February 28 dinner in their honor. >Read more
H-E-B Joins United Way's Million Dollar Circle H-E-B raised more than $1,019,000 this year, a record for the company and a 30 percent increase over 2009-10 results. >Read more
Free Tax Prep Helps Families Keep the Whole Pie United Way of Greater Houston and Neighborhood Tax Centers are helping families in our community thrive. >Read more
FEBRUARY 2011
CenterPoint Energy Celebrates Record Results Congratulations to CenterPoint Energy, which raised $1,828,312 for United Way of Greater Houston this year. >Read more
2-1-1: Our Community's Lifeline February 11 is National 2-1-1 Day, and like every day, United Way of Greater Houston's 2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE is here connecting those in need with critical social services. >Read more
Bringing Financial Opportunity to the Bay Area United Way of Greater Houston is proud to announce a new Financial Opportunity Center coming to our Bay Area Service Center. >Read more
United Way Night with the Rockets Support your community in two ways—watch with United Way as the Houston Rockets take on the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday, February 16, at the Toyota Center. >Read more
Bright Beginnings Now Accepting Applications United Way Bright Beginnings is opening its application process to non-profit child care centers within Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery and Waller Counties, with special priority given to centers serving low-income families. >Read more
JANUARY 2011
Free Tax Preparation Helps Houston Families Tax season is upon us and United Way is gearing up to provide free tax preparation to thousands of Houston families. >Read more
Bank of America and United Way Partner to Help Families United Way is committed to helping families thrive, and now, through a $15,000 grant to support free tax preparation at Neighborhood Tax Centers, we're assisting more Houston-area families in their quest for financial stability. >Read more
ConocoPhillips Celebrates Record Results ConocoPhillips had another outstanding campaign in 2010 with results totaling more than $3.9 million, a new record for the company and its 21st consecutive million dollar campaign. >Read more
United Way's Transportation Initiative Helps People Move In a city the size of Houston, transportation is key to linking residents with critical social services, medical care and other necessities. >Read more
Project Blueprint Accepting Applications United Way is now accepting applications for Project Blueprint, United Way of Greater Houston's ground-breaking volunteer board leadership development program. >Read more
DECEMBER 2010
ExxonMobil Announces Record Results Continuing a decades-long commitment to United Way and the community, ExxonMobil announced 2010 campaign results of $12.5 million, a 4 percent increase over the previous year. >Read more
End the Year with a Gift to our Community Sometimes the best gifts aren't wrapped in shiny paper, but are those that lift people up, inspire hope and make a brighter future possible. >Read more
Waller County Service Center Creates Winter Wonderland Santa's elves are working away at United Way of Greater Houston's Waller County Service Center. >Read more
Thousands Gather for Holiday Feast The 2010 H-E-B Feast of Sharing was a great success with more than 6,000 meals served to people from across the Greater Houston area at the George R. Brown Convention Center. >Read more
Pathways Series Offers New Perspectives on Financial Resiliency More than 35 people gathered at the United Way Center on November 18 for the fourth annual Pathways Out of Poverty forum. >Read more
Marathon Oil Corporation Results Top $1 Million United Way of Greater Houston welcomes Marathon Oil Corporation as the newest member of its Million Dollar Circle! >Read more
NOVEMBER 2010
Alexis de Tocqueville Society Campaign Kicks Off More than 125 members of United Way of Greater Houston's Alexis de Tocqueville (ADT) Society gathered at the home of Anita and Gerald Smith on November 10 to kick off their 2010-11 United Way campaign. >Read more
Volunteer at the 2010 H-E-B Feast of Sharing >Read more
Thank You, Loaned Executives United Way of Greater Houston thanks our 2010-11 Loaned Executives for a great campaign season! >Read more
FMC Technologies Raises Record Amount Congratulations to FMC Technologies, which joins United Way's million dollar circle for the first time this year. >Read more
Addressing Homelessness--the United Way Reports show that Houston's economy is faring better than that of many other cities, but even so, many of our neighbors are struggling with the basics of life. >Read more
Where there are Hopes, there are Possibilities Raising kids as a single parent is hard enough. Fighting every day to keep them, and keep them safe, is the hardest thing Michael has ever done. >Read more
Spectra Energy Announces Record Results Spectra Energy's 2010 results are in -- over $1.3 million, a company record. This is the company's seventeenth consecutive million dollar campaign. >Read more
OCTOBER 2010
United Way THRIVE: Building Strong Families Houston is often called an Opportunity City. And yet, it's not true for everyone. Despite hard work, thousands of families in the Greater Houston area are struggling to make ends meet. >Read more
Elizabeth's Story - A Place to Call Home Home ownership is a dream all families strive for, and Elizabeth, a divorced mother of two, shared that dream. >Read more
Strong Families? Possible Despite hard work and good values, thousands of families in our area are barely making ends meet. >Read more
Employment Services Build Brighter Futures To meet its most basic needs, a working family with children in the Houston area must earn at least $43,000 annually. However, more than 115,000 families in our community live on annual incomes of $20,000 - $35,000. >Read more
You Are Not Alone Imagine going to the grocery store and not being able to read the product labels. >Read more
Fresh Start? Possible Some situations in life—rebuilding after a natural disaster, escaping abuse, overcoming addiction, starting over in a struggling economy—simply cannot be handled alone. >Read more
Days of Caring Volunteers Make a Better Houston Possible Thousands of volunteers came together to do something about it for our neighbors during the 2010-11 United Way Days of Caring. >Read more
SEPTEMBER 2010
Building Brighter Futures After School Many children in our community live in unsafe neighborhoods, come home to empty apartments after school, have little or no supervision and enjoy few enrichment activities. >Read more
It Takes a Village Veronica enrolled William in a United Way after-school program when he was seven. Immediately, she saw a change in her son. >Read more
2010-11 Campaign Off to a Great Start United Way of Greater Houston kicked off the 2010-11 Community Campaign with the message that when we come together, anything is possible! >Read more
Houston's Largest Photo Mosaic is Here! Follow the link to see what happens when more than 1,200 individuals come together to show their support of United Way. >Read more
Giving Back and Creating Opportunities Tawana knows just how much of a difference a mentor can make—after all, she had one herself. >Read more
Why United Way? In the fourth largest city in the country, what's the number one source of help? United Way. >Read more
Back to Football Friday United Way is proud to be a partner of the Houston Texans! We invite you to show your team spirit and love of the game by celebrating Back to Football Friday. >Read more
Making the Right Call With diabetes and a disability, Iris needs help handling her daily life. United Way makes it possible for seniors, like Iris, to live alone without being alone. >Read more
2-1-1: Answering the Call for Seniors In 2009, the 2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE saw a 27 percent increase in call volume, fielding a record 732,500 calls. Thousands of those calls came from Houston-area seniors. >Read more
Senior Independence? Possible Some facts are clear: that seniors live longer, healthier lives in their own homes, that our senior population will increase as the Boomers age, and that many more of us will be navigating our senior years on our own. >Read more
AUGUST 2010
Health Fair Helps Kids Get Ready for School Hundreds of Fort Bend area residents visited United Way of Greater Houston's Fort Bend County Service Center on August 7 to get ready for the new school year. >Read more
Bringing Health Care Closer to Home The Greater Houston area is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country, spanning more than 10,000 square miles. As Houston has grown and area suburbs have expanded, providing social services where they were needed most became an ongoing challenge. >Read more
Audrey's Story - Seeing the United Way Difference Five-year-old Audrey came to a United Way health care center requiring specialty medical services for a serious eye condition. >Read more
Together in Planning In late 2009, United Way of Greater Houston convened a group of nonprofit organizations to create a regional natural disaster preparedness plan. >Read more
Fresh Start? Possible Some situations in life—rebuilding after a natural disaster, escaping abuse, overcoming addiction, starting over in a struggling economy—simply cannot be handled alone. >Read more
Anna's Story - Learning the Language of Success Imagine going to the grocery store and not being able to read the product labels. Imagine trying to convince someone to hire you when you don't speak the language. >Read more
JULY 2010
Campaign Leaders Conference Energizes Volunteers Nearly 400 campaign leaders and volunteers gathered to show their support for United Way and the community at United Way of Greater Houston's 2010 Campaign Leaders Conference. >Read more
Better Houston? Possible In Houston, we give our best as individuals to make good things possible for our neighbors—the United Way. >Read more
Operation School Supplies Under Way When parents don't have to worry about how to obtain school supplies, their children can focus on what's important—getting a good education. >Read more
2-1-1: Turning Problems into Possibilities In 2009, more Houstonians reached out for help than ever before. The 2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE was there to provide much-needed assistance, answering a record 732,500 calls last year. >Read more
Employment Services Help Build Brighter Futures To meet its most basic needs, a working family with children in the Houston area must earn at least $43,000 annually. >Read more
We Believe in Neighbors Helping Neighbors Job loss. Abuse by a spouse. Facing up to an addiction. Losing everything in a fire. These are the kinds of everyday crises that catch people in our community off guard. >Read more
JUNE 2010
We Help Parents and Children Become Families A report of child abuse is logged in Harris County every 10 seconds. Many of these children, and others who become victims of neglect and/or abandonment, end up in the foster care system. >Read more
Thomas and Katie Find a Family Mr. and Mrs. Jensen came to a United Way foster care program ready to adopt a child. They did not plan to parent children with special needs, but there was something about Katie and Thomas. >Read more
We Strengthen Families and Neighborhoods Today's families are facing tougher times than ever before—a struggling economy, job loss, increasing health care costs, the lingering effects of Hurricane Ike. >Read more
ESPN Forum on Assistive Technology Once a month, United Way of Greater Houston brings elder care providers together to network, exchange information, and keep abreast of services for older adults. >Read more
In Houston, We Stand Up for those with Disabilities Almost two in every seven families have at least one member with a disability. At United Way, we're working to make sure that people with disabilities have opportunities for a bright future—just like everyone else. >Read more
We Believe in a Lifetime of Independence As the senior population continues to grow, so does the importance of ensuring each senior has the help he/she needs with the tasks of daily life. >Read more
Hurricane Season is Here Hurricane Season begins June 1. Now is the time to make your preparations. Once a storm barrels its way into the Gulf of Mexico, it may be too late to organize important information and gather critical supplies. >Read more
Register for Emergency Disaster Transportation Need to register for the Special Transportation Registry? Call the 2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE. >Read more
Grant Helps United Way Continue Recovery Work Nearly two years after Hurricane Ike hit the Texas Gulf Coast, thousands in our community continue the struggle to recover. >Read more
United Way Bright Beginnings Leadership Forum United Way Bright Beginnings invites Houston-area nonprofit child care directors to a leadership development forum on Thursday, June 17. >Read more
In Houston, We Stand Up for Kids Some of the smallest among us face the biggest challenges. United Way of Greater Houston is confronting those challenges and helping our children and youth reach their full potential. >Read more
MAY 2010
Congratulations, Project Blueprint Grads! United Way celebrated Houston's diverse leaders at the United Way Project Blueprint Class XXIX graduation ceremony on May 19. >Read more
Board Fair Draws Capacity Crowd The 2010 United Way Board Fair, held May 13, drew an enthusiastic crowd of prospective board members eager to connect with area nonprofits. More than 35 nonprofit organizations were on hand to meet and recruit candidates for board service. >Read more
Nonprofit Connection is Building a Stronger Community Nonprofit organizations are businesses. Like their corporate counterparts, they work hard to recruit and retain top-notch staff, be fiscally responsible, manage effectively and to foster continuous quality improvement. >Read more
Free Tax Preparation Helps 22,000 Houston Families Helping families achieve financial stability is at the heart of United Way's work. That's why this tax season, United Way of Greater Houston helped more than 22,000 local families increase their economic independence with free tax preparation services. >Read more
Making Transportation Work--the United Way In a growing city, transportation is key to linking residents with critical social services, medical care and other necessities. United Way of Greater Houston is working to assess and address our community's transportation challenges. >Read more
Jen's Story - The Ride of Her Life For Jen, missing a doctor's appointment can have devastating consequences. Thanks to United Way, Jen doesn't have to worry. >Read more
Services Where You Need Them United Way is reaching out to every corner of our community by providing much-needed services closer to home. >Read more
Bob Harvey Named United Way Volunteer of the Year Congratulations to Bob Harvey, president of RWH Ventures, LLC, who was named 2009-10 Volunteer of the Year by United Way of Greater Houston at its annual meeting on April 27. >Read more
Spend the Summer with Houston's Kids Summer often brings long days outside, new experiences and fun. But for many children in our community, it's a season of boredom, temptation and dangerous activities. United Way of Greater Houston works to enrich the lives of Houston-area children through programs that make a difference, like Houston's Kids. >Read more
APRIL 2010
Forum on Payday Lending Practices United Way of Greater Houston hosted nationally-recognized payday lending expert Jean Ann Fox, State Rep. Sylvester Turner and representatives from AARP, One Voice and Texas Appleseed for a forum on predatory payday lending practices that can trap financially fragile families in a destructive cycle of debt. >Read more
United Way Wants You to Be Counted Don't forget to return your census questionnaire! Completing the census is easy, important and confidential. >Read more
United Way Celebrates Major Donors United Way of Greater Houston saluted the generosity of its Alexis de Tocqueville Society (ADT) Major Donors at a special dinner in their honor. >Read more
Community Investment Volunteers Needed For nearly 90 years, United Way of Greater Houston has been working in our community to make a lasting difference in the things that matter most: children and youth reaching their full potential, strong families and safe neighborhoods, senior independence, and rebuilding lives in times of crisis. >Read more
Smart Decisions and Sound Investments Part of United Way's ongoing role in our community is to assess needs, provide situational analysis and implement multi-faceted solutions to our community's most complex problems. >Read more
Tax Preparation Helps Families Thrive United Way of Greater Houston invests in free tax preparation to help hard-working, lower-income families keep more of the money they've earned and build a stronger financial future. >Read more
United Way Salutes Houstonians' Generosity We at United Way of Greater Houston are incredibly grateful for the strong support of the Houston community during our 2009-10 campaign. >Read more
MARCH 2010
In Houston, We Strengthen Families Today's families are facing tougher times than ever before—a struggling economy, the aftermath of a natural disaster, job loss, increasing health care costs. That's why improving the lives of individuals and families is at the heart of United Way's work. >Read more
Creating Stronger Neighborhoods At United Way, we know that strong neighborhoods are at the heart of a strong community. That's why United Way supports the Great Opportunities Neighborhoods Pilot Program (GO Neighborhoods). >Read more
Viktor's Story - Saving for a Home Viktor dreamed of one day owning a home where his family could grow and thrive. United Way was there to help Viktor make his dream come true. >Read more
Addressing Homelessness--the United Way Reports show that Houston's economy is faring better than that of many other cities, but even so, many of our neighbors are struggling with the basics of life. An estimated 12,000 to 14,000 people are homeless on Houston streets every night. >Read more
We Believe in Neighbors Helping Neighbors Job loss. Abuse by a spouse. Facing up to an addiction. Losing everything in a fire. These are the kinds of everyday crises that catch us off guard. And, they are often too big to be handled alone. United Way of Greater Houston is working to make sure everyone is given a second chance to rebuild. >Read more
United Way Celebrates the Alexis de Tocqueville Society Co-chairs Dorothy Ables, chief administrative officer for Spectra Energy and Bobby Tudor, chairman and CEO of Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co., LLC, welcomed President and Mrs. George H. W. Bush and nearly 500 members of United Way of Greater Houston's Alexis de Tocqueville Society to a March 1 dinner in their honor. >Read more
Care for Elders Collaborative Studies show that seniors live longer and more fulfilling lives in their own homes—and, it's more economical. That's why United Way invests in programs that support senior independence, like Care for Elders. >Read more
We Believe in a Lifetime of Independence As the senior population continues to grow, so does the importance of ensuring each senior has the help he/she needs with the tasks of daily life. United Way of Greater Houston is focused on helping our seniors remain happy, healthy and independent. >Read more
Deon's Story - A Brighter Future Deon, a 14-year-old gang member, spent last summer participating in Houston's Kids. >Read more
Houston's Kids Empowers Youth Between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00 p.m., kids are most at risk of getting into trouble or becoming victims of a crime. When kids have a safe place to go, caring supervision and a nurturing and engaging environment in which to grow, they have a better chance of becoming all they can be. >Read more
In Houston, We Stand Up for Kids Some of the smallest among us face the biggest challenges. United Way of Greater Houston is confronting those challenges and helping our children and youth reach their full potential. >Read more
2010 Mayor's Volunteer Houston Awards Since 1984, the Mayor's Volunteer Houston Awards have honored individuals who do remarkable volunteer work that makes Houston a better place to live. >Read more
FEBRUARY 2010
Employment Services Help Families Build a Brighter Future To meet its most basic needs, a working family with children in the Houston area must earn at least $43,000 annually. However, one-third of Texas jobs are in occupations that pay poverty-level wages. >Read more
Thomas's Story - Overcoming Job Loss For Thomas, self-sufficiency seemed out of reach. Unemployment forced him into a shelter, and with few resources and even fewer prospects, Thomas couldn't see his way out. >Read more
Shell/Motiva Campaign Exceeds $6.3 Million Congratulations to Shell Oil Company and Motiva Enterprises LLC for another successful campaign! >Read more
Coordinating Resources for a Stronger Community More than 180 participants from health and human service organizations gathered at the United Way Center on February 11 for the February Interagency Forum on "Youth Services." >Read more
United Way Wants You to Be Counted in the 2010 Census If you could have a dramatic economic impact on our entire community by answering 10 short questions in the comfort of your home, would you do it? >Read more
United Way Grants in Action Last year, 60 special needs children created, designed and performed an opera, thanks to a unique summer camp experience and a United Way Community Building Grant. >Read more
Centralizing Financial Opportunity More than 100 Houstonians gathered on January 29 to celebrate the unveiling of Houston's first Financial Opportunity Center, a partnership between United Way of Greater Houston, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and other local community groups. >Read more
Viktor's Story - Saving for a Home Viktor dreamed of one day owning a home where his family could grow and thrive. United Way was there to help Viktor make his dream come true. >Read more
2010 Mayor's Volunteer Houston Awards Since 1984, the Mayor's Volunteer Houston Awards have honored individuals who do remarkable volunteer work that makes Houston a better place to live. >Read more
JANUARY 2010
Tax Preparation Helps Local Families Thrive United Way of Greater Houston invests in free tax preparation to help hard-working, lower-income families keep more of the money they've earned and build a stronger financial future. >Read more
Building Financial Stability Today's families are facing a tougher time than ever before – a struggling economy, job loss, and increasing health care costs. >Read more
Elizabeth's Story - A Place to Call Home Home ownership is a dream all families strive for, and Elizabeth, a divorced mother of two, shared that dream. One day a friend told her about a United Way program that assists families trying to save to buy a home. >Read more
2-1-1 Answers Record Number of Calls In 2009, more Houstonians reached out for help than ever before. The 2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE was there to provide much-needed assistance, answering a record 732,500 calls last year. >Read more
ExxonMobil Campaign Tops $12 Million! With an unwavering can-do spirit, ExxonMobil continued its incredible commitment to the community with a record campaign contribution of $12 million to United Way of Greater Houston. >Read more
Campaign Update United Way's 2009-10 Community Campaign is well under way with contributions to date totaling more than $64 million. >Read more
Count on United Way Year-Round United Way is working in every corner of this city, every day of the year. We are the social services safety net for the Houston area and the best way to make the biggest difference in our community. >Read more
Mark's Story - A Helping Hand A few years ago, Mark and his coworkers delivered holiday gifts to families in need at a United Way community center. Mark never imagined that he would one day be seeking help for his own family. >Read more
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