UNITED WAY OF SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY

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 FY24, 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 CHILDCARE ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE FOR PARENTS COMPLETING DEGREES OR JOB CERTIFICATIONS. PROCEEDS FROM WOMEN UNITED'S ANNUAL POWER OF THE PURSE LUNCHEON AND PURSE AUCTION DIRECTLY BENEFIT THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. IN FY24, WOMEN UNITED SUPPORTED 72 FAMILIES WITH CHILDCARE SCHOLARSHIPS, INCLUDING 116 CHILDREN ENROLLED IN CHILDCARE, AND 10 SCHOLARS GRADUATED WITH A DEGREE OR JOB CERTIFICATION.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 FY24, EMERGING LEADERS HAD OVER 2,100 MEMBERS, 210 VOLUNTEERS LOGGED VOLUNTEER HOURS AT THREE (3) COMMUNITY EVENTS. ADDITIONALLY, VOLUNTEERS PACKAGED OVER 200 LITERACY KIDS FOR UNHOUSED YOUTH, DISTRIBUTED OVER 10,000 POUNDS OF FOOD TO LOCAL ACTIVE DUTY AND MILITARY VETERANS, AND DONATED 100 WARM CLOTHING ITEMS (COATS, JACKETS, HATS, GLOVES, SCARVES) 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 ANNUAL SHOEBOX PROJECT WAS A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS WITH OVER 5,000 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 APRIL 2 TO MAY 30 AND HAD MORE THAN 282 VOLUNTEERS, 25 LOCAL AGENCIES SIGNED UP TO DISTRIBUTE BOXES TO THEIR CLIENTS AND OVER 5,000 TOTAL SHOEBOXES WERE GIVEN OUT.WRITE START: THE WRITE START PROJECT IS A SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE BY UNITED WAY OF SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY THAT BENEFITS LOCAL EDUCATORS. EACH YEAR, OUR COMMUNITY UNITES TO SHOW TEACHERS OUR APPRECIATION FOR EVERYTHING THEY DO FOR OUR CHILDREN. IN AUGUST, UNITED WAY VOLUNTEERS ASSEMBLED MORE THAN 2,000 BAGS WITH OVER $40,200 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 2023, THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 2,602 MEMBERS, 473 OF WHICH WERE ADDED DURING THE 2024 YEAR, BRINGING OUR TOTAL TO 3,075 TO DATE.