APRIL 2019 | ISSUE: 16
HIGHLIGHTS FROM AROUND BRAZORIA COUNTY!
|
|
|
|
Greetings!
United Way of Brazoria County (UWBC) celebrates all that you and the hundreds of other volunteers, advocates, and donors do everyday to progress the mission of UWBC to promote a higher quality of life in our communities.
We thank you deeply and ask that you become a digital advocate for the UWBC mission just as you are in your daily life.
We are grateful you have joined the fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in Brazoria County.
We couldn't do it without you.
Sincerely,
The United Way of Brazoria County Staff
|
|
MEET ALICE IN BRAZORIA COUNTY
Jerry is ALICE
Meet ALICE (Asset Limited. Income Constrained. Employed).
ALICE
is a hardworking member of the community who is employed yet does not earn enough to afford the basic necessities of life.
ALICE is your child care worker, your parent on Social Security, the cashier at your supermarket, the gas attendant, the salesperson at your big box store, your waitress, a home health aide, an office clerk. ALICE cannot always pay the bills, has little or nothing in savings, and is forced to make tough choices such as deciding between quality child care or paying the rent. One unexpected car repair or medical bill can push these financially strapped families over the edge.
ALICE resides right here in Brazoria County. Click the Watch Video link below to meet Jerry, a Brazoria County ALICE resident.
|
VITA RESULTS ARE IN!
Over $100,000 in total refunds for Brazoria County residents!
|
On February 23, 2019 we wrapped up our five-week Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. We were able to assist 42 Brazoria County residents with their tax returns, resulting in $91,630 in tax refunds; $22,983 in Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC); $32,018 in Child Tax Credit; with a grand total of $146,631 in total refunds!
Thank you to all of our 23 volunteers and community partners for helping assist residents around the county with their taxes.
VITA is vital to assisting low-income residents to receive tax benefits, like the EITC, Child Tax Credit, and full refunds. With the help from our volunteers and partners we can continue to help the residents of Brazoria County
#LiveUnited
!
|
|
WE'RE HIRING!
Full Time Case Manager
|
United Way of Brazoria County is hiring for a full-time, 12-month contract, Case Manager.
The Case Manager works over the long-term with disaster survivors to make in-depth assessments in order to determine disaster-related needs. Helping the disaster survivor develop a recovery plan is the next step in the process. A primary case manager is assigned to each client.
|
INTERAGENCY MEETINGS
Bringing Our Community Closer Together
|
Every second Wednesday of the month, partners from around Brazoria County gather for our monthly Interagency meeting to collaborate on how we can continue to fight for the education, health, basic needs, and financial stability of our residents.
To help raise awareness for March's National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, we had guest speaker Dr. Eddie. Lambert, MD, General Surgery, from
HCA Houston Healthcare Pearland
join us to talk about the importance of colorectal health. Thank you for joining us!
If you'd like to stay in touch and learn more about upcoming community events, volunteer opportunities, and more, join us and other organizations from all areas of Brazoria County at the United Way office in the Central Brazoria County Business Park.
Interagency Network meetings are a valuable time to share resources and best practices. Every month features a new presentation on how the community of nonprofits in Brazoria County can leverage each other’s strengths to operate more effectively.
No reservation is required to attend and the meeting is open to everyone. We look forward to seeing you!
|
|
APRIL IS VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH
Thank you to all of our amazing volunteers around the community!
|
|
April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, a time when we honor the many people who give their time and talents to make our communities better places to live and work. At UWBC, we'd like to thank you for helping us build a strong community!
Volunteering is core to employee engagement, an issue that corporate leaders around the world tell say continues to grow in importance. As CSR or HR leaders know all too well, employees and recruits are placing more value on working for a business that makes a positive difference in the world.
It’s a similar message from consumers:
- 78% of Americans believe companies must do more than just make money; they must positively impact society as well
- 77% feel a stronger emotional connection to purpose-driven companies over traditional companies
- 66% would switch from a product they typically buy to a new product from a purpose-driven company
Thank you once again for your support. Your commitment and partnership in our fight for the health, education and financial stability of every person in or community makes our county a better place and brings hope to individuals and families countywide.
|
|
Q3 VOLUNTEER OF THE QUARTER!
Thank you to Hali McCurry!
|
|
UWBC is happy to announce Hali McCurry, Lab Tech at Hydrocarbons R&D, Dow, as the UWBC Volunteer of the Quarter for Q3!
Congratulations and thank you, Hali!
Hali has been a volunteer with UWBC for almost three 3 years and a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) volunteer for four years.
"I volunteer because I enjoy helping others and doing my part to make a difference in our community," Hali said.
Hali is origintally from Houston and has been in the Brazoria County area for five years. In her free time she enjoys baking sweets and drawing.
We deeply thank Hali and Dow Texas Operations for their ongoing support of the UWBC mission. Your work for the benefit of the community truly embodies what it means to #LiveUnited!
|
|
TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE HOMEOWNER REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM
Apply today for help!
|
|
The Texas General Land Office (GLO) allocated $100 million in Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to reimburse homeowners for up to $50,000 in out-of-pocket expenses to repair their Hurricane Harvey damaged homes. To be eligible for this program, the home must be the owner’s primary residence and eligible repairs must have been completed prior to the application launch date of Feb. 28, 2019. Applications are anticipated to outnumber available funds, so apply quickly!
|
|
Is your home still damaged by Hurricane Harvey?
The Texas General Land Office is opening a Homeowner Assistance Mobile Intake Center every Thursday in Angleton to serve homeowners in southern Brazoria County who were impacted by Hurricane Harvey.
The Brazoria County center will be open Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Brazoria County East Annex, 1524 E. Mulberry St., Suite 162, Angleton, TX.
For more information or assistance click the links below.
|
|
GREATER GULF COAST COMMUNITY NETWORK UP AND RUNNING
Increasing collaboration within Brazoria County!
|
It’s official! The Greater Gulf Coast Community Network is LIVE and running! 46 users from 21 in-network community partners were trained on March 26th and 27th on how to use our network platform. We are very excited to begin this ground-breaking network platform with our amazing partners who serve Brazoria County!
The Greater Gulf Coast Community Network goals include:
- Meeting Needs: Increasing collaboration among our community partners in order to identify and address social determinants of health (i.e. the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age) in order to assist in improving the health and well-being of individuals and families in Brazoria County.
- Gathering Data: Demonstrate an improvement in outcomes due to increased community efforts to address social determinants of health and use this approach to identify needs for potential funding.
- Identify Needed Resources: Reduce duplication of efforts provided by community partners and identify gaps in services for unmet needs that exist in Brazoria County.
For more information about the Greater Gulf Coast Community Network, please contact Jennifer Nelson at
jnelson@uwbc.org.
|
TEAM WATER 4 COMPLETES 7 HOMES
Thank you for helping rebuild Brazoria County!
|
Friday, April 5th, SBP - Brazoria County said goodbye to the amazing AmeriCorps NCCC Team Water 4 who completed seven homes in three months for Brazoria County residents whose homes were affected by Hurricane Harvey.
This fantastic group of 18-24 year-olds come from every corner of our great nation in the service of communities in need.
SBP - Brazoria County, the Brazoria County Long Term Recovery Committee, & the United Way of Brazoria County are grateful for the hard work Water 4 has accomplished in shrinking the time between disaster and recovery.
Thank you for your hard work and support!
|
|
WORKPLACE CAMPAIGN AWARDS
Thank you for your support!
|
United Way of Brazoria County programs are supported through the investment in our community during workplace campaigns. Wrapping up another successful United Way Workplace Campaign are:
- Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, pictured above, accepting the Award of Excellence
- HEB - Angleton (Award of Excellence)
- Target - Lake Jackson (Gold Award)
- UPS - Angleton (Award of Excellence)
- Wood Group (Silver Award)
Each of these companies have worked tirelessly to promote the needs of the residents of Brazoria County through employee donations, special events, and corporate gifts. Donations raised will go a long way to help the Community Impact Fund and invest in our four basic pillars: Education, Income, Health, and Basic Needs.
We want to thank all of our corporate partners, loyal donors, and passionate volunteers who give so generously of their time and talents to positively impact our Brazoria County neighbors.
|
COMMUNITY EVENTS, VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES, AND JOB OPENINGS
Join the Community!
|
We have so many great things going on around Brazoria County! Don't miss out on these upcoming events and volunteer opportunities around the county. Also, check out local job openings and share with family and friends.
Click the button below for a calendar and make sure to share with your colleagues and friends!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
