Cultural, Education, Youth

United Way of Ventura County — Imagine what we can do together

by  •  • Comments Off on United Way of Ventura County — Imagine what we can do together
June 2021 E-Newsletter
Dear Friends,
This past year was a very challenging time for our community and country. But the challenges we faced also provided us with tremendous opportunities for growth. In a few weeks, we will conclude our fiscal year. It has been one of the most difficult in our 76-year history, but I’ve been continually reminded how resilient our staff, donors, and community partners are and how their passion is changing lives. Lives like those of Annalisa and her children.
“We are now living in our new apartment. Me and my two children are able to start our new chapter of life after three long months of being homeless and struggling. We are home and living happy. We can enjoy cooking, taking baths, and nice long walks around the apartment complex. We are forever grateful to United Way, thank you so much.
With hard work and faith anything is possible. As a single mom, none of this would have been possible without your help and support.”
Annalisa’s story is just one of 52 households; representing 87 individuals, 22 children, 25 veterans and 21 seniors who now have permanent housing thanks to our housing program.
Thanks to donors like you, we can also continue to bring oral health assessments to the schools through the Building Healthy Smiles Initiative, provide free tax return assistance through our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, and mobilize volunteers to assist nonprofits throughout our community when they need us most.
With just days left before the end of our fiscal year on June 30, can we count on you to make a gift to our Community Impact Fund?
Your gift will support our Education, Income, and Health initiatives–and make a difference in the lives of your neighbors. Live heroic and give generously today.
In service,
Eric Harrison
President & CEO
United Way of Ventura County
Annalisa and her son.
Give.
To make the greatest difference, direct your contribution to the Community Impact Fund, which supports the focus areas of Education, Income, and Health. Thank you for supporting us and your community!
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
Volunteer.
Get involved in your community! Find a volunteer opportunity today.
Join United Way of Ventura County’s 2021 Stuff the Bus School Supply Drive
Help provide essential school supplies for local students experiencing homelessness or from disadvantaged families.
You can help pave the path to academic success for a child from a homeless or low-income family. Furthermore, your support not only provides essential school supplies – studies show that it also promotes learning, building self-esteem, and helps ensure that our youth stay in school. Please join us in our effort to provide 1,500 full backpacks this year!
Due to the ongoing economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis, we know that the need for support among homeless and low-income families has increased greatly. So your help is needed this year more than ever.
It can cost under $11 to provide a full set of supplies for a student in need. Please consider sponsoring one or more students with a complete package.
You can make an online donation through July 9, 2021 at www.roonga.com/uwvc2021stuffthebus.
Special thanks to Aera and the Gene Haas Foundation for their generous support of Stuff the Bus and our Ventura County youth.
For more information or if you would like to host an in-house collection drive, contact Susan Englund at susan.englund@vcunited.org. Pop-up buses for supply collection and flyers are available.
Women United 2021 Education Awards – August 19
To learn more and for sponsorship opportunities visit: vcunitedway.org/women-united-luncheon.
AmeriCorps Volunteer Infrastructure Project (VIP)
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.
To apply, visit my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?id=68560&fromSearch=true. All applicants must apply online through the eGrants website.
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.
To apply, visit my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?fromSearch=true&id=103676. All applicants must apply online through the eGrants website.
New Born Learning Trail Installed at Oxnard Park with Support from Aera
A newly installed Born Learning Trail at Oxnard’s Del Sol Park provides quality early learning opportunities for young children and their families.
Kids can now learn while exploring a newly installed Born Learning Trail at Oxnard’s Del Sol Park, making a trip to the park a fun and educational experience for young children and their parents or caregivers.
The learning trail features 10 colorful stations for children to work their way through – featuring signs that promote language and literacy skills, presented in both English and Spanish. The trail was made possible through a donation to the United Way of Ventura County from Aera Energy and was installed in March with the help of volunteers from Oxnard City Corps. This is the second trail that has been installed in Ventura County with the support of Aera Energy.
The trail at Del Sol Park is the seventh learning trail that has been installed at a Ventura County park. A second trail in Oxnard is located at Southwinds Park and was sponsored by Oxnard PAL. Special thanks to the City of Oxnard Recreation & Community Services for their support and leadership in the community.
To learn more about the Born Learning program, contact Susan Englund at susan.englund@vcunitedway.org.
Free Tax Preparation Continues Through September
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.
United to End Homelessness VC Welcome Home Baskets Spotlight: Mrida
Mrida is a charitable organization based in India that works to contribute towards the betterment of children by providing assistance towards their education, medical care, clothing, and sheltering needs. To assist the community in Ventura County, Mrida contributed five Welcome Home Baskets for recently housed families! Mrida is glad to have received this great opportunity to provide a helping hand and joy to newly housed neighbors by gifting a small basket of love, happiness, and goodies.
To learn more about United to End Homelessness Ventura County, visit www.unitedtoendhomelessnessvc.org.
CA COVID-19 Relief Program Available to Income Eligible Households
Rent relief is now available to income eligible households who need financial assistance for unpaid rent and utilities through the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief program. If you have experienced a financial hardship due to COVID-19, have past due rent or utilities, and have a household income that is not more than 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI), you may be eligible to receive help to pay past due or future rent and utilities from the state of California. Landlords and renters can verify eligibility immediately by visiting HousingIsKey.com, calling 833.430.2122, or by texting “RENT” to 211-211, and if eligible, apply today.
LIVE United! Volunteer and Make
a Difference Today!
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:
To learn more and register, visit volunteerventuracounty.org or contact
Francesca DeMatto at francesca.dematto@vcunitedway.org or Susan Englund at susan.englund@vcunitedway.org.
Mentors Needed for Women United Education Award Recipients
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 motherpursuing 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.
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!
Forward this e-newsletter
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.