Valley of the Sun United Way

From all of us at Valley of the Sun United Way, we want to wish you a happy !

Our offices will be closed to observe the holiday. We will reopen tomorrow at 9am.

⚖️ A quarter of all Americans have a criminal record. Without access to second-chance employment opportunities, this vast talent pool remains on the sidelines.

Valley of the Sun United Way is proud to introduce a new Fair Chance grant opportunity for organizations looking to increase their capacity to address the needs of justice-involved individuals. Services include increased access to training, hiring and retention, housing, and more.

✔️ Interested in learning more? Register for application orientation on September 3rd or 4th at vsuw.org/apply

💪 Are you looking to create in Maricopa County?

Join the team at Valley of the Sun United Way! We are currently looking for innovative and passionate team members ready to help improve the lives of every individual in Maricopa County!

Check out our open positions and apply here: https://vsuw.org/about-us/careers

month is almost over! Have you written your free Will yet? 📜

Valley of the Sun United Way has partnered with FreeWill to provide a free and intuitive to build your legally-binding Will in as little as 20 minutes. By including a gift to Valley of the Sun United Way, you ensure that we can break the cycle of poverty for everyone in our community for generations to come.

🖥️ The tool is free to use, regardless if you leave a gift. Get started at freewill.com/unitedway

happens when our corporate partners and agency partners get together!

We connected WM with Creighton Community Foundation to support the Foundation's Saturday Food Box Distribution. Over 50 volunteers from Waste Management helped pack, sort, and distribute food to over 400 families! 👏👏

Connections like these help us to reach our bold goal of decreasing food insecurity by 50%. To learn how you or your company can get involved, visit vsuw.org

Water is crucial in helping our neighbors experiencing homelessness survive this record-breaking summer heat. 💧

We want to thank our friends at Muscletopia USA for an amazing turnout during last weekend's water bottle drive! Thank you to the members and staff for coming together to help our community ! ☀️

💪 Join us at Muscletopiausa for a drive Saturday, August 17th. Donate 10 or more cases to be entered into a drawing for a 1-month free membership to . Maximum of 10 winners will be selected.

📍 3302 N. 24th St. Phoenix, AZ 85016

Volunteers are needed for our upcoming PROJECT CONNECT event with Valley of the Sun United Way on August 28th in Phoenix!

Several shifts are available, including set up and clean up. It's a great way to give back to the community, meet some new friends and contribute to the greater good! 🥰

Volunteer Registration 👇
https://keystochangeaz.org/project-connect-volunteer-aug2024/

Project Connect in Uptown Phoenix 📅📌
August 28th, 2024
First Christian Church
6750 N 7th Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85013

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁?
Project Connect is a one-day homelessness services event. A true community effort to provide services where they're needed most - including ID replacements, pet care and pet supplies, mental and behavioral health services, haircuts and showers, housing applications, a hot meal, and more.

A huge thank you to these participating organizations:

Healthy Giving Council
First Christian Church
City of Phoenix, AZ USA
Phoenix Pride
Hot 975 Phoenix
Arizona College of Nursing
JustServe

None of this work is possible without VOLUNTEERS. If you have a group of friends or co-workers that want to sign up, reach out and we will help you coordinate! 💛

🤝 If you're a SERVICE PROVIDER, and you want to get involved in PROJECT CONNECT, we would love to work with you. We're always looking for new partnerships and ways to collaborate! Please don't hesitate to reach out to ask questions, and explore how you and your organization might be able to bring resources and relief to those in need. Questions? Please email Liz at: [email protected]

🔑

There is nothing we love more than seeing the impact our work is having on students and families in the Valley! Thank you Tolleson Elementary School District for the recognition. We hope you have a wonderful and successful school year!

📃 There are a lot of misconceptions around making a Will, including that Will's are only for people of a certain age.

The truth is, it's never too early to plan ahead. Our partners at FreeWill shared 3 reasons why you should make a will during month, including how your Will can create a lasting legacy for your community 👉 https://www.freewill.com/learn/3-reasons-to-make-a-will-this-make-a-will-month

💼 We are so excited to welcome a new cohort of Loaned Executives to Valley of the Sun United Way!

Our Loaned Executive (LE) Program provides emerging leaders from participating companies throughout the Valley the opportunity to grow their project management, public speaking, and other organizational skills while also giving back to the community. They had the opportunity to meet with a variety of our non-profit partners including Keys to Change to learn how our partnerships create in the Valley.

We can't wait to spend the next few weeks learning and growing with our LE's! For more information on our Loaned Executive Program, visit vsuw.org/loanedexecutives

⏰ and 10 minutes later you could be on your way to achieving future goals.

💸 The updated FAFSA is more accessible and more automated—meaning applicants can spend less time answering fewer questions while getting one step closer to college. Get started at https://bit.ly/DoTheFAFSA 🎓

This past spring Valley of the Sun United Way lost a passionate supporter and our community lost a tireless champion. Please join us in honoring the life and legacy of Robin Reed through contribution to the Robin S. Reed Memorial Fund benefitting Impact AZ, STN’s Community Collaborative and Treasure House.

Donations will be accepted through August 31st and can be made via Valley of the Sun United Way at vsuw.org/robinreed

PROJECT CONNECT with Valley of the Sun United Way is coming up August 28th in Uptown Phoenix and we need volunteers! 😇

Sign up to volunteer with us! 👇
https://hsc-az.org/project-connect-volunteer-aug2024/

Project Connect in Uptown Phoenix 📅📌
August 28th, 2024
First Christian Church
6750 N 7th Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85013

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁?
Project Connect is a one-day homelessness services event. A true community effort to provide services where they're needed most - including ID replacements, pet care and pet supplies, mental and behavioral health services, haircuts and showers, housing applications, a hot meal, and more.

A huge thank you to these participating organizations:

Healthy Giving Council
First Christian Church
City of Phoenix, AZ USA
Phoenix Pride
Hot 975 Phoenix
Arizona College of Nursing
JustServe

None of this work is possible without VOLUNTEERS. If you have a group of friends or co-workers that want to sign up, reach out and we will help you coordinate! 💛

🔑

☀️ On any given day, over 9000 people experience homelessness in the Valley. With the summer heat comes an increased need for access to water for those experiencing homelessness.

💧 We're teaming up with Muscletopiausa to get water to our neighbors in need, and help you jump-start your fitness journey!

💪 Join us at MuscletopiaUSA for a water bottle drive Saturday, August 17th. Donate 10 or more cases to be entered into a drawing for a 1-month free membership to MuscletopiaUSA. Maximum of 10 winners will be selected.

📍 3302 N. 42nd St. Phoenix, AZ 85016

💛 Valley of the Sun United Way is more than a mission statement - we're problem solvers, action takers, and 💪

Learn how we are creating for Maricopa County at vsuw.org/mightychange 🔗

✨ This August, we're celebrating Make-A-Will Month — an annual reminder that planning for tomorrow starts with our actions today. We’re sharing a free, online tool from FreeWill so our community can protect the people and causes they love. 👉 freewill.com/unitedway

☀️ We've been all about over here!

Whether you've helped us pack backpacks full of school supplies, life-saving heat relief kits, or food for our neighbors, thank you for working to create with us! 💪

Interesting in volunteering with Valley of the Sun United Way? Find opportunities at vsuw.org/volunteer or email [email protected] 🔗

🏀We are thrilled to share that we have received grant funding from the NBA Foundation! 🎉

This grant will support Pathways to Economic Opportunity, our program that helps young Black and Latina women close the gender and race wealth gaps through job skills training, mentorship, and more. You can read all about the program and the importance the NBA Foundation's support over the years here 👉 https://vsuw.org/blog/funding-by-the-nba-foundation-in-support-of-valley-women

Thank you for your support and helping to create in Maricopa County! 👏👏

Did you know that you can rent space at Valley of the Sun United Way? 🏣

With updated technology, variety of layouts, and free parking, our spaces are perfect for your next meeting, team training, and more!

We hope to see you soon 🥰 Make your reservation here: https://vsuw.org/facility-and-conference-rooms 🔗

📃 Security. Peace of mind. Impact. That is the power of creating a will.

During national month, we want to remind you that creating a will has never been easier. Valley of the Sun United Way has partnered with FreeWill to give you a free, intuitive way to write your will. By including a gift to Valley of the Sun United Way, you help ensure we can break the cycle of poverty for everyone in our community for generations to come.

💻 The tool is free to use, whether or not you choose to include a charitable gift. Visit freewill.com/unitedway to create your will today!

🏫 Students are deemed chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of the academic year. In Arizona, chronic absenteeism rates remain among the highest in the country. When our students miss school, they miss out on achieving critical milestones like reading at grade level.

🍎 In partnership with Attendance Works, Helios Education Foundation and Read On Arizona, Valley of the Sun United Way is proud to launch the campaign! The campaign utilizes consistent messaging to deepen the community’s understanding of the importance of making attendance a priority for our students. It also provides parents and educators with the information they need for prevention and re-engagement.

Access the tools here 👉 vsuw.org/attendance

This week, our President & CEO, Carla Vargas Jasa, joined United Way Worldwide CEO Angela F. Williams and United Way leaders from across the nation for the 2024 Advocacy Forum and Capitol Hill Day in Washington, D.C.

Along with our Board Member and Women United Global Leadership Council Vice Chair, Jenny Holsman Tetreault, we had the opportunity to build and strengthen our relationships with federal lawmakers, while sharing the extensive impact Valley of the Sun United Way has on our local community.

Thank you to Senator Kyrsten Sinema , Senator Mark Kelly , Rep. David Schweikert , Representative Greg Stanton , Congressman Juan Ciscomani and their teams for taking the time to hear about our priorities to create a more equitable and thriving future for all Arizonans!