JANUARY 2019 | ISSUE: 13
CHEERS TO 60 YEARS - ANOTHER YEAR TO #LIVEUNITED!
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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
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IT'S FINALLY TIME TO 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 earns above the Federal Poverty Level, but does not earn enough to afford a bare-bones household budget of housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and necessary technology.
In partnership with the United Ways of Texas, United Way of Brazoria County recently released the Texas ALICE Report, which tracks struggling Texas and Brazoria County households before and after the Great Recession (2007 and 2010) and then during the recovery through 2016.
The ALICE Reports use new measures to provide a more accurate picture of financial insecurity at the state, county, and municipal level.
Our mission is to make the invisible visible by shining a light on the true number of families struggling in Brazoria County. We aim to change the national dialogue about the impact on families, communities, and all of us when a financial crisis is the norm for so many.
Traditional measures of poverty do not capture the magnitude of people who are struggling financially. Our new metric offers a better way to count and understand ALICE, and to ultimately inform policy decisions to affect positive change for this growing portion of our population.
Join us as we fight for ALICE residents in our community.
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QUARTERLY HIGHLIGHT
Financial Stability in Brazoria County
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Our programs reach more than 11,000 working families who need help. We fight for financial stability. We fight to help every person in every community create a more stable financial path forward that can pave the way for success.
Our work promotes financial stability education. We address increasing access to affordable housing for
individuals and families. We are dedicated to helping hardworking people obtain job training and family-sustaining wages.
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VITA ASSISTANCE UNDERWAY!
Tax time is around the corner
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The 12th annual
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
program kicked off with it's first event at the Brazoria County Dream Center Wednesday, January 30, 2019. This year, residents were able to get assistance with their taxes and those residents affected by Hurricane Harvey were able to see if they qualify for assistance through the Texas Homeowner Assistance Program (HAP) and American Red Cross.
VITA is vital to assisting low-income residents to receive tax benefits, like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit, and full refunds.
No appointment is necessary.
The next VITA and HAP event is scheduled for Saturday - February 9, 2019 at Alvin Community College (RM S163), 3110 Mustang Rd., Alvin, TX 77511.
Who will be there?
VITA Volunteers, American Red Cross, The Salvation Army -Freeport, Brazoria County Veterans Services, and the Texas General Land Office
. These events are coordinated and brought to you by
United Way of Brazoria County and Brazoria County Long Term Recovery Committee
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TAVHEALTH & OUR COMMUNITY
Bringing Our Community Closer Together
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United Way of Brazoria County and Community partners from around the county gathered to learn more about how we can bring our community closer together through collaboration and solve Social Determinants of Health at scale.
TAVHealth, a comprehensive software tool, will help us improve health outcomes by addressing social determinants, reduce costs, and create better experiences for everyone.
"Jennifer Nelson and I have been meeting one-on-one with our community based organizations that are participating in the TAVHealth network platform facilitated by UWBC. As this network platform initiative unfolds, we look forward to watching the difference that will be made in Brazoria County – not only for individuals and families, but also for the long term as we walk alongside one another to gather information that will benefit Brazoria County for generations to come," said Monica Jones, Community Resource Coordinator for UWBC.
TAVHealth has partnered with UWBC and Stephen F. Austin Community Health Network in hopes to bring all community resources together to improve communication and coordination between residents who need services and those who provide them. to implement its program in Brazoria County.
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SCHLUMBERGER WORKPLACE CAMPAIGN KICK-OFF
Ready, set, campaign!
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Schlumberger, the world’s leading provider of technology for reservoir characterization, drilling, production and processing to the oil and gas industry, held their United Way Workplace Campaign on Tuesday, January 22nd, 2019.
The kick-off consisted of two meetings with approximately 100 Schlumberger employees in attendance.
Each session had two speakers. Jean-Francois Poupeau, EVP Corporate Engagement, introduced the kick-off of their UWBC Campaign, and Davis Gilbert, UWBC Resource Development Manager, shared UWBC impact stories in Brazoria County.
The purpose of the kick-off meeting is to inform and motivate Schlumberger employees on how much their help is needed in our community.
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WELCOME OUR NEW COMMUNITY RESOURCE COORDINATORS
Coordinating Resources Through TavHealth
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We are pleased to announce two new hires via the investment from The Dow Chemical Company Foundation to address mental health issues, community resources, and the lack thereof.
Jennifer Nelson and Monica Jones joins UWBC as a Community Resource Coordinator. They are responsible for educating non-profits, school districts, homeless liaisons, healthcare professionals and other entities in the coordination of resources through the shared software platform TAVHealth.
With Jennifer and Monica spreading the word about the TAVHealth platform around Brazoria County, UWBC plans to launch in a small part of the county first and expand from there. Which healthcare and service providers sign up for the network will determine how quickly it can achieve its goal of serving all of Brazoria County.
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Jennifer is currently working toward her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Houston and is set to graduate in May 2019. She earned her BS in Psychology from the University of Houston – Victoria. Jennifer has more than seven years of experience providing case management, counseling, and goal setting to a diverse population. She is passionate about collaborating with and being an advocate for UWBC's community partners with goals to continue providing sustainable solutions for the residents of Brazoria County.
Jennifer lives in Lake Jackson with her family and enjoys cooking, reading, watching her children’s sports activities and personal/professional development.
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Monica is a native Brazoria County resident. She attended Brazosport College as a student of the Office Professional Co-Op Program with The Dow Chemical Company. Previously, she was a Sr. Administrative Specialist with The Dow Chemical Company for more than 27 years.
Monica enjoys helping people and is excited about her assignment with UWBC as a Community Resource Coordinator.
Monica lives in Angleton and enjoys spending time with her family. She and her husband Marcus have been married for 27 years and they have one son, Jeremiah.
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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.
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VOLUNTEER OF THE QUARTER
Thank you, James Blanco!
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James Blanco has been a United Way volunteer since 2005. From serving food to creating one-of-a-kind videos for his employer, Freeport LNG, James said he's passionate about giving back any way he can.
"I always like giving back to the community and helping those in need. I've had family members who need help and I see how United Way helps them," James said.
Most recently, James volunteered to put a story/video together for the Freeport LNG UWBC Workplace Campaign (link below) to raise awareness and show where their donor's dollars go. He wanted to show everyone what people go through right here in our county, where the money goes, and who it can help.
James is an IT Analyst at Freeport LNG. One of his biggest passions outside of work is film-making, and telling a great story.
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MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
Remembering a Legacy
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UWBC is inspired by civic heroes like MLK to fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in our community.
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WORKPLACE CAMPAIGN AWARDS
Thank you for your support!
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John Bryan, Campaign Chairman for the INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA UWBC Campaign, received the Gold Award for conducting a fun and successful workplace campaign. Thank you to INEOS and all of their employees for once again investing in our communities. It's companies and people like you who continue to help those around Brazoria County #LiveUnited!
UWBC Workplace Campaigns are still running through May 2019. If you're employer is interested in joining the campaign contact Susan Cooman at
scooman@uwbc.org
or call our office at 979-849-9402.
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COMMUNITY EVENTS, VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES, AND JOB OPENINGS
Join the Community!
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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!
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You aren't a volunteer. You are someone's hero.
United, We Win
is a Facebook group dedicated to connecting you with the local causes and volunteer opportunities that you are passionate about. Join this group to stay informed about the great work happening in Brazoria County and to learn how you can be a part of it.
When you join the fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in our community, we all win.
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