United Way of Ventura County — Honoring the past while focusing on the future

For more information, visit vcunitedway.org/spirit-awards-gala.

Last month, families from Ventura County’s Westside neighborhood celebrated Earth Day with a newly refurbished learning trail at Westpark Community Center.

United Way of Ventura County, the city of Ventura, and Aera Energy partnered to revitalize this trail, which now includes colorful and interactive features with 10 stations that provide parents and caregivers a fun way to interact with children ages five and under.

This is the twelfth Born Learning Trail built and sponsored by Aera in areas where it operates. Through the work of employee volunteers, 10 trails in Ventura and Kern counties are now in service, and last spring a Born Learning Trail in Oxnard was created at Del Sol Park.

“In this day and age, everything is accessible in the palm of your hand, but nothing replaces being outside, interacting, and learning,” said Norm Rosario, an instrumentation technician at Aera-Ventura, who volunteered to be a part of this refurbishment project.

Three VITA program volunteers, representing more than 70 years of service, were recently recognized for their significant milestones at our annual Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program recognition dinner.

Tax preparation volunteers and site coordinators were presented with an IRS certificate of appreciation and shared reflections of their VITA experience this tax season.

This year’s team of 52 volunteers prepared over 1,100 tax returns, representing more than $1.9 million in total refunds–including $586,000 in Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which supports the Ventura County economy.

To learn more, visit vcunitedway.org/volunteer-income-tax-assistance-vita.

Do you have a housing unit to lease in the near or immediate future? We are seeking studios to 3+ bedrooms. Our goal is to engage our community in ensuring that everyone has a place to call home. United Way will provide financial and supportive services to ensure a smooth and mutually beneficial housing process.

Join the effort and receive a leasing bonus of up to two times the monthly rent charged for the unit! This incentive is available for landlords and separate from any costs incurred by program participants.

For more information or to learn more about the Landlord Engagement Program, contact Amy Duganne at amy.duganne@vcunitedway.org.

This spring, United Way partnered with CSUCI on three innovative service-learning projects, each hosted by an AmeriCorps VIP member.

Building Healthy Smiles

United Way’s Building Healthy Smiles program provided a service-learning opportunity for three health sciences students. During their 90 hours of service, seniors Christopher Senores, Syrena Duran, and Vincente Meza assisted with oral health assessments at multiple schools in the Hueneme Elementary School District, scribing for the dentists and assisting with oral health education. They also developed and presented an education session using the Live Well, Eat Well, Brush Wellcurriculum to First 5 parents via Zoom. At the Westpark Born Learning Trail ribbon cutting, they greeted parents and kids and shared oral health tips.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program

Stephanie Gonzalez, a senior at CSUCI majoring in organizational communication, used her service learning opportunity to capture VITA tax filer stories. Filers shared the importance of the VITA program and the value of the EITC, CalEITC, and Child Tax Credit in helping them support their families during these challenging times. The stories were also used as documentation for the California CSD CalEITC Outreach and Education grant.

AmeriCorps VIP – Born Learning

Laurie Geier, an AmeriCorps VIP member hosted by CSUCI, partnered with Aera Energy employees to paint graphics for the Westpark Born Learning Trail, providing her with a hands-on experience in working with corporate volunteers.

United to End Homelessness Ventura County

As part of the United to End Homelessness Ventura County Initiative, United Way facilitated a capstone project for CSUCI sociology students. The research presented from this project provided insight into an aging population confronted with housing instability. During their project, students and their professor conducted interviews with a group of senior community members who had experienced homelessness.

Left to right: Alec Hamrick, Dr. Sunghee Nam, and Maria Perez

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 response & recovery, to youth, families, homelessness, events and more!

To learn more and register, visit volunteerventuracounty.org or contact Susan Englund for more information at susan.englund@vcunitedway.org.

United Way of Ventura County’s Landlord Engagement Program is creating Welcome Home Baskets for our neighbors recently housed. We want to welcome them and get them started in their new homes. Please help support our community and complete a basket to welcome our newly housed neighbors! These kits will provide essential household supplies for folks to make it a home of their own.

Baskets can include items in the following categories:

We ask that if any food items are packaged in your baskets, they are store bought and have not been opened. All basket items should be new.

Once you have collected your items and assembled your basket, please contact Susan Englund at susan.englund@vcunitedway.org to arrange for drop-off at the United Way of Ventura County office.

To make an online donation, visit igfn.us/form/hEGFmg.

Women United is seeking potential mentors in professional positions who would like to guide a single mom college student in reaching her career goals. This year, new recipients of the Women United Education Award are looking to work with a mentor who will guide, encourage, and support them in their professional journey. The career goals of the students looking to be matched are in the following fields:

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.

To learn more, contact Susan Englund at susan.englund@vcunitedway.org.