BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND BEYOND: UNITED FOR EQUALITY
A history that should be celebrated all-year-round gets a special highlight this month. Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. We celebrate the accomplishments of Black Americans while also acknowledging the continuing fight for racial, economic and social equity, equal rights and justice. While equity has always been central to our mission, our United for Equality initiative has put a sharp focus on addressing equity in all of our programs and partnerships. Click here to read more about our United for Equality initiative or see the following story to see that initiative at work. Below are some of the ways you can celebrate Black History Month.
PEOPLE PROFILE: MEET TANISHIA JOHNSON
The Cradle to Career Partnership (C2C) has applied an equity lens to its work of improving educational outcomes since its inception. Now, C2C has filled a position specifically designed to address inequity in education here in Southern Arizona. Tanishia Johnson is C2C's new Family and Community Empowerment Director. Her role is to direct project management for all strategies associated with family and community empowerment across the birth to career continuum with a focus on eliminating racial, ethnic, and socio-economic disparities. Tanishia was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. Her mother relocated her family to Utica, NY while Tanishia was in high school. While in high school, Tanishia had a child but remained focused on completing high school on time. With academic scholarship funds and the benefit of the Educational Opportunity Program in New York, Tanishia became the first in her family to attend college, obtaining her bachelor's degree in psychology at the State University of New York College at Brockport. Years later she returned to her alma mater, completing her MS. ED in Counseling and enjoyed a career as school counselor for the Rochester City School District for 13 years. Prior to joining the C2C Team Tanishia was the Family and Community Empowerment Manager for our StriveTogether Partnership in Rochester, New York, ROC the Future. Tanishia met her husband, Cory, in Rochester, NY and, together, they raised 5 children. The two just celebrated their 20th anniversary in August. Tanishia said her greatest anniversary gift was relocating to Arizona on August 1st. Here's a little more about Tanishia:
What do you like to do for fun?
What I like to do for fun is seek out new things with my family and find opportunities to learn and grow together given the age ranges of our children. The other side of the pandemic has allowed creative ways for our family to connect. I also enjoy daily morning prayer and meditation (and traveling again when it’s safe) and enjoying time with my small network of sistergirls. I am also a Spiritual Life Coach which embodies the essence of who I Am. I am member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and the Phoenix Chapter of the Links, Incorporated; both provide opportunities for me to continue giving back. I am passionate about uplifting the community, seeking opportunities to support/empower women and teen parents hold a special place in my heart.

Why is Cradle to Career so important in Southern Arizona?
Cradle to Career is so important in Southern Arizona because of the power in the collective impact of systems coming together to improve outcomes, the ability to build trusting relationships, and for the collective to move from talk to action in wrapping its arms around a strategy to move the needle for our children, youth and young adults. The added layer to this work in lifting all areas with various sectors of the community and parents/care givers provides new opportunities for Cradle to Career Partnership to establish new relationships, leverage existing ones-all for the purpose of building a more equitable educational space for all students.

What makes United Way of Tucson a special organization? United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona is unique in its approach to bringing partnerships and resources together to mobilize the community in key areas that signal the pulse of every thriving community: equality, health, education and financial wellness. I feel incredibly blessed that I get to serve in this capacity for values that I believe in; values that are the cornerstone of my life’s work. The programmatic thrusts upon which the United Way of Tucson is anchored, is with intentionality; this is evident in the participation and support from our community and partners. I am excited by what is to come as we look ahead to our centennial!
Anything else you’d like to add?
I LOVE Arizona and all its beauty and peaceful calm. I still have moments where I wake up saying to myself and to my husband: We DID IT! WE took the BIGGEST Faith jump of our lives! We honored our 2020 Vision Year of “Yes”!! Excited by all there is to come in serving our new corner of the world!

Click here to learn more about Cradle to Career.
SHARE YOUR LOVE OF READING
February is also Love of Reading Month. Here at United Way of Tucson, we make it a priority to spread the love of reading all year long through programs like My Summer Library that supplies age-appropriate books to kids for the summer and Read On Tucson that supplies support to seven districts to improve 3rd grade reading scores. This effort is more important than ever as 60% of children are not reading at grade level by third grade in Pima County. Education experts have determined that reading at grade level by third grade is a crucial benchmark for success in school and in life. After third grade, teaching shifts from learning to read to reading to learn. Here are some ways you can help us spread the love of reading this month:

  1. Read to a child or children. Studies show reading to children helps them become better speakers, readers, listeners and cultivates empathy. Read to a child in your own home or schedule a time when you can read a story over FaceTime or Zoom to a child you know.
  2. Join us for Women United's 16th Annual Business Leaders for Early Education Breakfast. See story below or click here for details.

LAST CALL FOR BREAKFAST IN BED
Now is your last chance to join us for Women United's signature event, The Annual Business Leader's Breakfast. Join us Thursday, February 25, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. for Women United's Business Breakfast in Bed. Hundreds gather each year to raise tens of thousands of dollars for early childhood education in Southern Arizona. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic we are transforming the Business Breakfast tables to a virtual opportunity that will provide books for 2,000 K-3 children and their families. We will also announce the two Literacy Champions who are awarded for their success in literacy education. We want to thank our Title Sponsor; Tucson Electric Power, along with our Classroom sponsors; La Frontera Center and Helios Education Foundation, our Reading Circle Sponsors; Bank of America, Bashas', Hub, Pima Community College, UA College of Education, TMC Foundation and Clement's Agency, and our Corporate Sponsors; Freeport-McMoRan and GEICO. Click here for more information and to sponsor a virtual table.
IT'S A YOUNG (LEADERS UNITED) LOVE STORY
Here's proof that you can have fun, give back to your community and maybe even find love on a Dive Bar Bus Tour. Gerald has been a constant on Young Leaders United (YLU) Dive Bar Bus Tours. He started attending them in early 2017 and has rarely missed one since. However, the Bus Tour in February 2018 was a special one. Earlier that day, Gerald had invited Gail, a woman he met through a dating site, to attend the Bus Tour with him. The two had only been chatting for a few days and had not met in person. She agreed to join him and they met for the first time on the Bus Tour. Sparks flew, love bloomed, and after several more Bus Tours and many more good times, the pair got engaged. We're happy to announce the two got married in November. Congratulations, Gerald and Gail! Want to learn more about YLU and their Bus Tours? Click here.
IT'S TIME TO FILE FOR FREE WITH VITA
Tax season is officially upon us. But, we have some good news: If you made $66,000 or less last year, you do NOT have to pay to file your taxes. Right now, United Way of Tucson's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program can help you file for free, and you don't even have to leave your house! We are teaming up with GetYourRefund.org to provide free, online one-on-one tax assistance from real, live IRS-certified tax preparers. VITA tax preparation saves taxpayers an average of $250 per return. It also helps taxpayers access all tax credits for which they are eligible – including the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) which has been recognized as the single most powerful tool to lift children out of poverty.

There are three ways you can get your taxes done for free:

-GetYourRefund.org/uwtsa – taxpayers can connect with VITA volunteers online
-In-Person Assistance – limited in-person assistance is available at select sites
-DIY Self-Prep Software – online services for those who feel confident in filing on their own

Click here for more information.
IBM STEPS UP EVEN MORE FOR TUCSON
We want to show some love to IBM here in Tucson who stepped up even more for our community. Tucson area IBM employees and retirees increased their giving to United Way by 9 % in this challenging year. They are truly LIVING UNITED in a time when we need UNITY the most. Thank you, IBM for your continued and growing support!
COVID-19 FUND UPDATE
As the COVID-19 pandemic surges on, the need for assistance is growing in Southern Arizona. In the face of these challenges, your United Way continues to provide emergency funding for community members through the United for Southern Arizona COVID-19 Fund. To date, we have raised $1,138,069 which has helped 44,551 individuals and families in need. We've sent funding to 35 partner agencies to fulfill 1096 critical need requests. Here's one example of how the fund has helped a local family:
Flowing Wells Educational Foundation: “Our team was recently put in touch with a family of seven in the Flowing Wells district, including three children. The entire family is currently battling COVID – it has affected the whole house. In addition to being ill, the parents are unable to work. The family has fallen behind on rent and utilities and recently received an eviction notice stating that they needed to be out by the end of January. Support from the United Way COVID-19 Fund will help them catch up on their rent and utilities immediately, helping them avoid eviction and stay stable until the adults can return to work.”
SHOW LOVE TO YOUR COMMUNITY
Right now, our community needs us more than ever before. With so many struggling to get by here in Southern Arizona, now is the time to GIVE BIG and GIVE UNITED. That's because when you do, you know your dollars are able to make a real impact. United Way of Tucson is uniquely positioned to react to crisis thanks to the power of collective impact. Through our programming, partnerships, and grant funding we turn every $1 invested into a $5 impact. That means your dollars go further in helping our neighbors through these unprecedented times and make a real difference in lives in and around Tucson.
Need more incentive? This year, you can get even more credit for your donation. Thanks to a law signed late last year, individual cash contributions of up to $300 to qualified charitable organizations can be deducted above-the-line and you can double that amount to a $600 above-the-line contribution for married couples filing jointly. The above-the-line deduction allows those who do not itemize their tax returns to take a charitable deduction. It will also decrease your AGI which could make you eligible for other tax breaks.

United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona is also a qualifying organization for the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit. It provides a dollar-for-dollar tax credit of up to $400 for individuals or $800 for couples filing jointly. You have until April 15th of 2021 to make a donation to apply it to your 2020 tax return. Click the button above to donate and be sure to select the "Helping the Working Poor Tax Credit" option from the list.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Affordable Housing Summit Friday, February 5th
Join us for a virtual event designed to gather and share information and best practices for the creation of housing opportunities for older adults. The event is open to anyone who wants to attend. Click here for more information.
16th Annual Business Leaders for Education Breakfast (in Bed) Thursday, February 25th, 2021 8:30 a.m.
Join United Way's Women United as they host a virtual breakfast to raise awareness and funds for childhood literacy. See the story above or click here for more details and to reserve a virtual table.
Arizona Gives Day April 6th, 2021
Join the annual online giving movement that supports local nonprofits. Click here for more details and to donate.
*All photos taken without masks were either prior to the pandemic or while maintaining proper social distancing.