Dear Friends,
Later this morning, I’ll be rolling up my sleeve for the second COVID-19 vaccine dose. While I’m not looking forward to the potential side effects, I know I’ll feel safer seeing friends and family at various celebrations and gatherings that have been put on hold for far too long. You can learn more about why the vaccine is one of our most powerful tools to ending the pandemic at www.vaccinateall58.com. Last week, United Way Worldwide launched an India COVID Relief Fund to provide help with the unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases. The sudden spike has shocked India’s healthcare system, particularly in highly populated cities. It also continues to devastate India’s most vulnerable citizens. Marginalized individuals, including the homeless, poorly paid daily wage laborers, and domestic workers, are already down to one meal a day. With the rapidly worsening situation, the United Way India network has intensified its work to support the overwhelming needs of their communities.
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In partnership with corporate donors, United Way India is working to help supply medical equipment for hospitals, hygiene and food kits for the community, access to medical care and vaccinations for the most vulnerable by providing portable hospitals and vaccination vans, and support for frontline workers. Below are just a few examples of how United Way is working to combat the current wave of the pandemic in India:
- United Way of Baroda and Rishabh Software Pvt Ltd, with the support of InnoVen Capital India, have donated four Oxygen Concentrator machines to SSG Hospital in Vadodara.
- United Way Delhi has facilitated 50 cold boxes for the local Gurugram Police Department.
- With the help of Micron Technology, United Wat Hyderabad is providing life-saving medical apparatuses, including oxygenation equipment, to hospitals in Telangana, India, for COVID support, testing, and diagnosis.
For all that you’ve done and continue to do locally and beyond, we thank you.
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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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AmeriCorps VIP Fellow Spotlight:
Sara Guillen
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AmeriCorps VIP Fellow Sara Guillen is serving with Westminster Free Clinic Center where she is working on capacity building, volunteer engagement, and special projects.
Sara reflects on her experience as a VIP Fellow, “My AmeriCorps experience has been nothing short of eventful in the time I’ve been with my partner site. I was paired with Westminster Free Clinic, a non-profit that operates community care centers in Thousand Oaks and Oxnard for the uninsured of Ventura County and provides medical services completely free of cost. My main focus as their AmeriCorps VIP Fellow is to recruit more volunteers for their new Oxnard clinic, which opened in early 2020 and is focused on building capacity to effectively serve the local community.
Our biggest challenge has been recruiting volunteers during the pandemic for our weekly food distribution service at our Oxnard clinic. What started off as a small-scale project to provide our 30 weekly patients with healthy food quickly expanded into providing more than 200 families with food. Instead of trying to recruit new volunteers, I switched our focus to mobilizing current volunteers from different programs to get involved with our food distribution.
To accommodate the demand, I’ve reached out to medical scribe volunteers — many of whom are college students and recent graduates eager to gain volunteer experience — to assist us with our food distribution as they wait for their shadowing opportunities. The clinic has seen a large influx of medical scribe volunteers due to many universities still being virtual, so we have a backlog of volunteers waiting to get involved and many have been more than happy to help us with bagging food. Although this is a temporary fix, I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to grow and retain our volunteer base as our food distribution continues to grow.”
As the Supervising Organization for the AmeriCorps Volunteer Infrastructure Project (VIP) in Ventura County, UWVC is responsible for training and placing AmeriCorps members with community organizations throughout Ventura County. A VIP Fellow serves at a local non-profit for 11 months (September – July) with the objective of building and enhancing the organization’s ability to leverage volunteers in their service delivery or operations. VIP Fellows qualify for a living stipend, free health care, and an education award upon completion of service. It is a great way to serve our community while developing professional skills and networks.
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United to End Homelessness Launches Website
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United Way of Ventura County is excited to share that we’ve created a website to exclusively cover our United to End Homelessness Initiative efforts. This website will be a central hub that features resources, upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, tenant and landlord testimonials, resources, and beyond. The website will continue to evolve and expand as we develop more efforts related to this initiative.
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United to End Homelessness Symposium
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If you missed out on the opportunity to obtain a signed copy of Dr. Matthew Desmond’s Pulitzer Prize-winning bestseller “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City,” reach out to Mitchel Sloan, who has a few left, for a $50 donation!
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Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program
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Free tax preparation and filing services continue through May 17
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The VITA program will continue to prepare tax returns through June 2021. Free tax preparation and filing for households earning up to $57,000 in 2020. However, filers who owe taxes must meet the filing deadline of May 17, 2021 in order to avoid any penalty.
Don’t pay for tax prep services, instead let a trained VITA volunteer prepare your return for free and help you access the tax credits to which you are eligible, including the Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit, CalEITC, and Golden State Stimulus. Prior year returns may also be filed.
New this year, eligible workers with an ITIN and income under $30,000 may now claim the CalEITC. Self-employed workers with 1099 forms and cash earnings also qualify.
Due to COVID-19, taxes will only be prepared using either a virtual or drop-off process. There will be no face-to-face appointments with a tax preparation volunteer, as all sites remain closed.
For those who would like to prepare their tax returns on their own, visit www.MyFreeTaxes.org and click on the “On My Own” option. After providing the basic information requested, taxpayers will receive an email from MyFreeTaxes.com with a link and instructions on how to proceed to complete their tax return free of charge. There is no income limit.
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CA COVID-19 Rent Relief Program Now Available to Income Eligible Households
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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 or by calling 833.430.2122, or by texting “RENT” to 211-211, and if eligible, apply today.
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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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Covered California Open Enrollment Through May 15!
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The Biden-Harris Administration recently announced a special enrollment period allowing Americans the opportunity to purchase health insurance during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, anyone needing coverage may purchase through Covered California until May 15, 2021. Both federal and state financial assistance to reduce the cost of health insurance is available for eligible consumers.
Please note: As a result of social distancing requirements, there are no walk-in appointments available. All appointments will be by phone only.
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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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