United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County

Community impact - we believe that every man, woman, and child deserve an opportunity for a good life. In 2006, uwsa began work in four focus areas. Currently, and throughout the next several years, we are aligning our funding received through the annual campaign and grants to focus more strategically in those four areas. We are utilizing a results based accountability (rba) process to create, define, implement, and report on results, indicators, and strategies across all of our work and investments. See schedule o for continuation

Community engagementwomen United (wu): women United is a dynamic membership of women (and men) who support the work of United Way to drive positive changes in San Antonio and Bexar County. Women United provides members a speaker series, service projects, volunteer leadership roles, and signature networking events. In fy23, women United was compromised of more than 3,100 members. This membership group also funds its signature cause, United Way child care scholarships, which make quality child care accessible and affordable for parents completing degrees or job certifications. See schedule o for continuationproceeds from women United's annual power of the purse luncheon and purse auction directly benefit the scholarship program. In fy23, women United supported 35 families, including 47 children, with child care scholarships. Eleven scholars graduated with a degree or job certification and 33 new families joined the program at the close of fy23. Emerging leaders: founded in 2014, uwsa's emerging leaders engages young professionals in uwsa's work to strengthen the greater San Antonio community. Emerging leaders support uwsa through philanthropic efforts, networking, volunteerism, and professional development opportunities. In fy23, emerging leaders had over 1,600 members and 140 volunteers logged volunteer hours at three (3) community events. Additionally, volunteers collected 2,150 books, distributed over 10,500 pounds of food, and donated 100 coats for families in need.the uwsa volunteer center: Bexar County's largest resource devoted solely to the promotion and nurturing of volunteerism and community service. The center mobilizes thousands of volunteers for community-wide civic events and uwsa signature events.san Antonio volunteer administrators (sava): a professional organization for volunteer administrators who have volunteer management responsibilities or interests. Members participate in bi-monthly meetings and lunch-and-learns, training workshops, and make valuable connections with other volunteer management professionals. Diverse committees provide sava members with the opportunity to participate in organizational development as well as supporting sava services and resources.shoebox project: United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County's 8th annual shoebox project was a tremendous success with over 7,000 shoeboxes full of everyday toiletries delivered to people in need. The project aims to provide shoeboxes filled with basic comforts like soap, shampoo, toothpaste and other personal-care items to those in need locally. The campaign ran from march 1 to april 29 and had more than 350 volunteers, 51 local agencies signed up to distribute boxes to their clients and over 7,000 total shoeboxes given out.write start: the 6th annual write start project is a school supply drive by United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County benefiting our local educators. Each year our community unites to show teachers our appreciation for everything that they do for our children. In august, United Way volunteers assembled more than 2,000 bags with over $40,000 in school supplies and delivered them to thousands of grateful educators in two local school districts.bexar necessities: an "electronic bulletin board" allowing nonprofit agencies to post requests for difficult-to-locate resources and access information about service availability or changes. The program networks nonprofits, universities, hospitals, public sector organizations and the faith-based community via an email list-serve. Bexar necessities collaborates with community partners to fill the needs of those individuals who are seeking help. In 2022, there were approximately 2,480 members, 483 of which were added during the 2023 year, bringing our total to 2,963 to date.

Community services 2-1-1 Texas - information and referral (alamo area information center) grant: a free, confidential health and human services hotline that helps people find local information and resources. 2-1-1 texas-alamo region is one of 24 area information centers in Texas operating 24/7/365, with bilingual (spanish) call specialists, and serves Bexar and eleven surrounding counties. In 2023, 2-1-1 handled 176,782 callers/website visitors. Top caller needs included utility assistance, food insecurity, and rent assistance.see schedule o for continuation2-1-1 childcare grant: the 2-1-1 texas/uwsa help line guides families to childcare providers and resources, licensed childcare facilities, family childcare homes and out-of-school time care. Call specialists also inform families on childcare subsidy programs. In fy23, our 2-1-1 help line handled 1,522 calls related to childcare, yielding a total of 2,721 referrals for childcare needs.project cool: since 1997, uwsa and government/community/corporate partners provide heat relief to senior residents over 60 years old, and residents with disabilities, through donation and free distribution of 20-inch box fans. In fy23, our 2-1-1 help line handled 1,770 callers yielding 1,816 fan needs.smoke detector program: a San Antonio fire department smoke detector program offering free smoke detectors, including installation, to citizens living in single-family homes. Tens of thousands have been installed throughout San Antonio since the program's inception. Those in need contact the uwsa 2-1-1 help line. In fy23, 503 callers made inquiries yielding 485 smoke detector needs.2-1-1 middle rio grande and golden crescent area information centers grants: our alamo area information center ensures regional extended after-hours coverage (evenings, weekends, and holidays) for two area information centers to ensure all residents in Texas have access to information and referral services 24 hours a day. In fy23, we assisted 624 callers from middle rio grande and 596 callers from golden crescent, for a total of 1,220 callers.mission United: home to joint base San antonio-randolph, jbsa-fort sam houston, jbsa-lackland and jbsa-camp bullis, San Antonio is known as military city, usa. Out of concern for highly stressed and vulnerable military families, uwsa created mission United in 2015 to help military/veteran families navigate the complex array of community and military support programs. In fy23, mission United received over 4,862 military calls through our 2-1-1 help line. In addition, mission United conducted over 360 follow-up calls connecting active-duty service members, reservists, veterans, and their families to vital community resources. Labor relations: uwsa has had a staff labor liaison team since the mid-1970s. These staff members educate and engage labor leaders and unions and sharpen the focus for supporting the uwsa community campaign through workshops, training sessions, events, and awards. They emphasize the 2-1-1 help line for health and human services referrals and information. The labor liaison team also works on disaster relief efforts and, when available, is called to coordinate with the labor unions affected.