United Way of San Luis Obispo County
Live United - United Way

March 2012 eNewsletter Banner  

Give. Advocate. Volunteer.

 Flavor of SLO logo

Flavor of SLO Tickets on Sale Now!

Sample the best food and beverages from over 20 vendors from the Central Coast at the historic Jack House & Gardens of downtown SLO. The 4th Annual Flavor of SLO will feature live music, a raffle and a silent auction for a chance to win various prizes.  The event takes place on Sunday, May 6, from 1:00-4:00 p.m. All proceeds benefit United Way's mission of advancing education, income, and health. Entrance fee is $30/students, $45/non-students pre-sale, and $40/students, $55/non-students at the door. Purchase your ticket now by visiting www.flavorofslo.com.

 

Interested in volunteering? Call United Way at (805) 541-1234 or email [email protected]. Volunteers will receive a complimentary ticket for two hours of help with set-up, clean-up, or vendor assistance during the event. 

 

 

Innovation Award

Man with appleUnited Way of San Luis Obispo County is taking nominations for the 2012 Innovation Award. The Innovation Award recognizes a local not-for-profit organization for creative approaches and programs that provide value to the SLO County community in the areas of education, income and health. The award recipient exhibits three inventive characteristics through its program offering and service delivery: lasting change, practical collaboration and internal transformation.  One award in the amount of $5,000 will be given, sponsored by Don Maruska & Company, Inc., IQMS and RRM Design Group. "We want to encourage innovation by organizations serving critical needs in our community", said Don Maruska, founder and continued co-sponsor of the Innovation Award.  "It's exciting each year to see the outstanding results that winners achieve".  The criteria and nomination form are available by clicking here. The deadline for nominations is Monday, April 30 at 4:00 p.m. The recipient will be presented with the award at United Way's Annual Recognition Event on June 6.  Click here to see a list of past winners.  For more information, contact Charlene Rosales at (805) 541-1234 ext. 14 or [email protected]

 

 

Community Impact Fund Logo

 

Volunteers Needed!

Each spring, United Way receives grant applications from nonprofit organizations throughout the county for support from our Community Impact Fund Grant process. These requests, in the areas of education, income and health, help support local health and human service programs that keep our community strong, and residents healthy and safe.  Volunteers are a crucial part of our grant process as they review and prioritize the proposals, spending 10-15 hours during the month of April.  If you would like to volunteer, let us know!  Visit our website for more information, or contact Kara Edwall at (805) 541-1234 or [email protected] with questions. 

 

CSECC

 

CSECCThe 2011 California State Employee's Charitable Campaign was a huge success, which we owe entirely to the gracious hearts of the contributing  employees. San Luis Obispo County is very fortunate to have many generous State Employees who answered the call to help those in need. The results of this annual campaign are truly inspiring, thank you for your continued support!

 

CSECC Tidbits

  • Campaign was established in 1957.
  • CSECC provides state employees an opportunity to donate to their favorite nonprofit(s) primarily through payroll deduction - cash/check one-time donations are accepted as well.
  • More than $6.9 million was raised statewide. In San Luis Obispo County we raised almost $150,000. That is a 3% increase over last year. 
  • 15% of state employees participated in CSECC during the 2011 campaign.
  • Have you been giving for 10 or more years? If so, you are a Loyal Contributor! Visit www.csecc.org for more information.

The 2012 CSECC Poster

We are seeking state employees to be featured on the 2012 CSECC poster.  If you would like to be featured, kindly submit a one-page document stating what "CSECC means to you" or "why you support CSECC."  Please email submittals to Horace Morana no later than April 20, 2012. 

 

Please visit our CSECC web page to find out more about the 2012 California State Employee's Charitable Campaign.

 

Helping People Save Money

 

Did you know that United Way offers prescription drug discount cards to SLO County residents, saving them thousands of dollars a year on necessary medications?  Since making available the Coast2CoastRx and FamilyWize programs, over $1,970,850.00 has been saved at local hospitals, pharmacies and clinics.  If you're not eligible for Medi-Cal or other benefits, if you don't have health insurance or you must buy medicine not covered by your insurance plan, these discount cards can help lower the cost of your prescription by an average of 48.5%.  There are no age restrictions, no income restrictions, no limit on how many times you can use it and no waiting to get a card in both English and Spanish.  Savings vary from location to location and both cards are good throughout the County.  The Coast2CoastRx card even saves on your family pet's prescriptions.  Click here for your Coast2CoastRx card and here for a FamilyWize card.

 

familywize

 

 

 

Action Alert

 

The annual appropriations process in Congress has begun and currently our federal representatives are preparing their budget priorities for the coming year.  Now is the time to advocate for our most critical education, income and health priorities.  Under current law, massive cuts are set to occur in January 2013.  Education Department programs will be slashed by $4.1 billion, Head Start by $725 million, discretionary health programs by $5.7 billion and workforce programs by $715 million.  We must raise our voices to restore and prioritize funding for the fundamental building blocks to a good quality of life -  education, income and health - or the consequences will impact us all. Our Senators and Representatives are making their budget recommendations right now.  Please take a moment to email your Congressional representatives to champion budget priorities that advance the common good.  You can also take action by sharing this alert with your network on Facebook and Twitter.

March Opportunity Exchange

we can do itTake 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.

 

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

Quick Links

United Way of SLO County

 

 Live United

 

VolunteerSLO

 

Opportunity Exchange 




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Save the Date!

Join us for these great upcoming events in 2012!

 

Community Impact Fund Grants

Volunteers are needed in April to help review grant applications.

Dates & Locations TBA

 

Flavor of SLO

Sunday, May 6, 2012

1:00-4:00 p.m.

Jack House & Gardens, SLO

 

Annual Recognition Event

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

5:00-7:00 p.m.

Monday Club, SLO

 

KidSpree

Sunday, July 22, 2012

6:00-9:00 a.m.

Kohl's, Paso Robles and SLO