Dear Friends,
Last week, Congresswoman Julia Brownley held a press conference at the Encanto Migrant and Seasonal Head Start in Oxnard to raise awareness about the Child Tax Credit payments that are coming to Ventura County families. The expansion of the Child Tax Credit will help all families succeed, from working families struggling with basic needs like food, rent, and bills, to middle-class families that need help with childcare and college savings. This helps Main Street businesses and the whole community thrive. United Way was honored to attend Congresswoman Brownley’s event with our partners from First 5 Ventura County and the Central Coast Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE). We are also pleased to share our new board of directors for this fiscal year. New members to the Board of Directors include Ashley Bautista, Public Information Officer, County of Ventura; Nancy A. Grygiel, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer, Amgen, Inc.; Tim Harrington, Regional Account Executive, Deluxe Corporation; Eduardo Lucero, Vice President of Production, Reiter Affiliated Companies; Dr. Cesar Morales, County Superintendent of Schools, Ventura County Office of Education; Marisela Rios, Senior Director of Finance, Medtronic; Manan Shah, Vice President and General Manager of California Individual Business, Anthem; and Kathryn M. Stiles, Director of Community Well-Being, Adventist Health Simi Valley.
We’re excited to welcome a diverse group of new board members as we continue working to improve the lives of our most vulnerable neighbors in need and making a lasting impact in Ventura County.
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In service,
Eric Harrison
President & CEO
United Way of Ventura County
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Advocate.
You can make change happen with your voice. United Way needs people who are passionate about education, income, and health to make some noise. To stay informed, visit vcunitedway.org/advocate. To become involved in our advocacy work, email info@vcunitedway.org
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Join Us for the “A Community Thrives Challenge”
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United, We Can End Homelessness in Ventura County!
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Join us for the A Community Thrives Challenge in supporting our United to End Homelessness Ventura County initiative. Everyone needs and deserves a safe place to call home and you can help us make a difference. The campaign runs from July 19th through August 13th. Live heroic and give today!
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Women United 2021 Education Awards – August 19
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AmeriCorps Volunteer Infrastructure Project (VIP)
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UWVC is actively recruiting cohort members for the 2021-22 AmeriCorps Volunteer Infrastructure Project (VIP). The 11-month program begins in September 2021 and runs through July 31, 2022. We will be placing one member each at Ventura County Area Agency on Aging, Partnership for Safe Families, CSUCI, and United Way.
AmeriCorps VIP Fellows build and strengthen sustainable volunteer programs in existing service organizations. VIP Fellows leave a legacy in the communities they serve by building lasting systems of volunteer engagement and management. Each VIP Fellow dedicates their service to a single Partner Site, working “behind the scenes” of service to enable volunteers to take part in meaningful service positions that meet community needs. VIP Fellows are part of a statewide network of 120 Fellows placed in small teams of 5 or more in their community who meet regularly for collaboration and training. Members receive a living stipend, health insurance, and an educational award.
Applicants for the program come from across the United States. One of the biggest challenges for recruiting for our local program is finding affordable housing for members who are living on a $1,545 monthly stipend. If you have a room or granny flat that is available to rent or know of someone who might be looking to share the cost of rent, please let us know. All of our members are vetted through an application and interview process and complete DOJ and FBI clearances. If we can help fellows find reasonably priced housing, we can increase the success of our recruitment efforts.
In addition to the 11-month VIP program, United Way is also recruiting one member to serve for six months with the Health Action Response Team (HART) program, which begins this month and continues through November 2021. The member stipend for this program is $2,000 per month and members also receive an education award.
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Free Tax Preparation Continues Through September
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Volunteer tax preparers will continue to prepare returns for households with earned income under $57,000. We encourage the community to inform friends, family, and coworkers that this service continues to be offered free of charge.
Visit vcunitedway.org/volunteer-income-tax-assistance-vita to find the list of source documents and IRS forms 13614 and 14446 needed to prepare your return and instructions for filing either virtually or via document drop-off at secure County of Ventura locations. Filers may also drop off their documents at the United Way office, located at 702 County Square Drive in Ventura every Thursday, from 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Volunteers will be available to ensure all necessary forms for preparing the return are provided.
Tax returns for prior years (2017-2019) can also be prepared.
Volunteers can also assist ITIN holders in accessing the Golden State Stimulus if eligible, but a tax return must be filed.
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CA COVID-19 Relief Program Available to Income Eligible Households
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Qualifying renters and landlords now eligible for 100% of rent and utilities owed.
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Income-eligible renters and their landlords impacted by COVID-19 will now be eligible to receive 100% of unpaid or future rent. Additionally, CA COVID-19 Rent Relief applicants who were previously paid at a lower amount will also be compensated the difference to receive 100% coverage – no need to reapply!
California’s critical eviction protections have also been extended through September 30, 2021, to help keep Californians housed.
Visit HousingIsKey.com, call 833.430.2122, or by text “RENT” to 211-211 to apply. If you’ve already applied to the program, log in to the application portal to check your status.
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LIVE United! Volunteer and Make
a Difference Today!
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Interested in volunteering and making a difference in the community? United Way’s Volunteer Ventura County (VVC) center is a great resource to connect with volunteer opportunities. VVC partners with more than 250 community organizations in Ventura County that post their needs for folks to view and respond to. There are a variety of causes and opportunities to connect with – from helping with COVID-19 rapid response & recovery, to youth, veterans, families, and more!
Current featured volunteer opportunities include:
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Mentors Needed for Women United Education Award Recipients
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Women United is seeking potential mentors in professional positions who would like to guide a single mom who is pursuing a college education to reach her career goals. This year, five new recipients of the Women United Education Award are looking to work with mentors who will guide, encourage, and support them in their professional journeys. The career goals of the students looking to be matched are in the following fields:
- Accounting and Finance
- College Counseling
- Entrepreneurship
- Healthcare Administration
- Law
Serving as a mentor is a unique and rewarding experience. Your leadership skills will be enhanced and the guidance you provide will positively impact the life of a single mother pursuing her higher education and career goals. This opportunity will provide a valuable experience for both the mentor and mentee.
Proficiency in the listed fields is not a requirement to serve as a mentor. Anyone who has professional experience in a business environment and is willing to share their knowledge with a mentee is encouraged to become a mentor.
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TEXT TO GIVE!
Did you know that United Way of Ventura County has gone mobile? Make a $10 donation to the United Way’s Community Impact Fund using your cellphone. Your donation counts! Simply text the keyword UWVC to 91999. Standard message & data rates apply.
SPREAD THE WORD!
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You can LIVE UNITED by helping us spread the word. Imagine how many people we could reach if everyone forwards this newsletter to five people.
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