| Newsletter Highlights |
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Happy New Year! Make it your New Year's Resolution this year to Give, like our friends from Performance Apparel, Advocate, for crucial services like 2-1-1, and Volunteer, you might even "Get a Day" in return!
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Reflections on 2009
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As we reflect back on 2009, we would like to thank you for your dedicated service to our community. We know, that without you, the following would not have been possible: - Our Community Impact Fund provided over $170,000
to local programs in the areas of education, income and health.
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We held our first ever Stuff the School Bus, delivering school supplies to 9 elementary schools throughout
the county.
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The first $1,000 Youth Board grants were awarded
to the Atascadero High School Optimist Club and the San Luis Obispo High School
Peer Mediators. The Youth Board program continues to flourish
with 25 students participating this year.
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United Way partnered with Junior Achievement to bring financial literacy
awareness to local high school students.
- A second Born Learning Trail
was established, this time with bilingual signs located at Oceano Elementary
School.
- The FamilyWize
prescription discount cards to date have been utilized 14,886 times and have
saved users $313,168 from August 2008 through December 200
- Share A Tree
again came to families in need, spreading the spirit of the holidays with trees
and gifts.
- In partnership with PG&E and
Transitions-Mental Health Association, we helped continue the
services that were being provided by 211 SLO Hotline.
Thank you for making 2009 a success. We wish you and your family all the best as we
head into 2010!
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Thank You!
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Partnering with United Way provides businesses and organizations with a way to invest in their communities and advance the common good by creating lasting, sustainable changes that lead to better places to live and work. We would like to thank these businesses for supporting us in 2009 through their workplace giving campaigns, corporate donations, sponsorships and in-kind gifts.
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Crisis in Haiti
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On the evening of January 12, 2010, a major
7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti. It is the most powerful quake to hit the
impoverished country in more than 200 years. The tremor struck 15km (10 miles)
south-west of the capital Port-au-Prince, and was quickly followed by two
strong aftershocks of 5.9 and 5.5 magnitude. Reports describe the
destruction to affect as much as 70 percent of the buildings, with debris
filling the roads making emergency response difficult. The Prime Minister
reported on January 13 that hundreds of thousands of lives may have been lost.
United Way Worldwide's Core Crisis Team has been mobilized and is in contact with its Caribbean Regional Team to gather more information about the needs on the ground.
Marketing firm Barnett Cox & Associates (BCA) and Mission
Community Bank have teamed up to generate local support for Haitian Earthquake
victims. The two are working with the
United Way of San Luis Obispo County to gather funds for distribution through the
United Way Haitian Relief Fund. Visit www.unitedwayslo.org
for more information.
Gifts to the
Fund support long-term recovery efforts to rebuild lives and infrastructure
devastated by disaster and to address educational, financial and health-related
challenges.
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FREE Tax Return Preparation
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Need assistance with your tax return? Qualified households can visit one of the many Volunteer Income Tax
Assistance (VITA) sites throughout SLO County! Staffed with trained IRS
certified volunteer tax preparers, each site offers free tax preparation to
community members who meet the following requirements: Qualified households include those with total earnings under $49,000, and who did not receive rental income or self-employment
income.
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 Thank You Performance Apparel Corporation!
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 Performance Apparel Corp., manufacturer of Hot Chillys performance athletic clothing, donated 100 boxes of warm winter wear for children and adults to United Way. These boxes, filled with socks, shirts, jackets, and other base layer clothing, were delivered in late December, and then distributed to several agencies countywide (including The Atascadero Community LINK, pictured above). Our special thanks goes to Allan and Armand who delivered and unloaded the boxes!
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Advocating for 2-1-1
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As our own 211 is in transition, it is important to advocate for it on a national level also. Both S211 and HR211 still need support. Reach out to your federal representatives, and don't take "in-action" for an answer; insist that your representatives cosponsor S.211 or
H.R. 211.
To learn more about the shift our local 211 SLO Hotline has taken, read the articles in The Tribune: 211 To Close and New Support Keeps 211 Running.
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| Opportunity Exchange |
Are you looking for volunteer opportunities? Would you like a job in the nonprofit profession? Have an item to donate? Take a moment to read through the monthly Opportunity Exchange, a list of items needed, volunteer and employment opportunities, upcoming events, items available, and advocacy opportunities. If you would like more information, please contact the agency directly using the information provided in each listing. Click here to view the most recent Opportunity Exchange. | |
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Contact Us
United
Way of SLO County P.O.
Box 14309 San
Luis Obispo, CA 93406 Office
(805) 541-1234 Fax
(805) 543-5317 info@ unitedwayslo.org www.unitedwayslo.org
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United Way and the NFL
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Kickoff your countdown to Super Bowl Sunday by exploring United Way's longstanding partnership with the NFL! Check out the players who Live United, support youth fitness through NFL Play 60, and watch PSA's and past Super Bowl commercials.
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Give A Day. Get a Disney Day. | Disney wants to inspire one million people to volunteer a day of service to
a participating organization in their communities. So they're celebrating volunteers' good works by giving each of them a 1-day, 1-theme
park ticket to the Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort,
free. There's no better time to make a dream come true for others and
let Disney make a few come true for you! Sign up at disneyparks.com/celebrate.
Interested in volunteering with United Way? Keep checking back here for our upcoming "Give A Day" volunteer opportunities!
Is your nonprofit agency interested in participating in the program? Learn more online at Hands On Network, or contact Rachel.
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Check out the Youth Board, and other United Way programs on Facebook! |
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to take action
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