United Way of Ventura County update for Oct. 4

Dear Friends,

Fall is here and it’s a very busy time at United Way. We recently wrapped up our 29th annual Day of Caring with over 600 volunteers using their muscles to assist 30 nonprofit agencies. Volunteerism is at the very core of our work and we encourage you to view year-round opportunities on our Volunteer Ventura County website. I would also encourage you to take a moment and view our Thomas Fire response video.

Click to view video here. 

In the video, you will hear of a story by a woman named Nadine. When I see the video of Nadine, I’m reminded that all our hard work it is worthwhile because it helps people like her. When she came into our office that day, Nadine thought she could handle everything on her own. As someone of service herself, both in her own profession and at the fairgrounds that day, she couldn’t imagine asking for assistance.

The Nadines in our community are not just stories in times of disaster. For the underserved, every day is a struggle to get by. But we are here to help. Single mothers living in poverty receive scholarships from Women United to pursue higher education. Parents of children who need a dental home and don’t know where to turn because their dentist doesn’t take their insurance are connected to a dental home thanks to our Building Healthy Smiles initiative. Thousands of individuals who benefited from our VITA program received substantial refunds they could then deposit into their savings accounts. And the working poor, who are often just one paycheck away from becoming homeless, receive assistance from 2-1-1 to prevent that from happening.

These are the issues that United Way addresses and the reason we’ve been a trusted leader since 1945. We thank you for your continued support and participation.