United Way of San Diego County

When life-threatening flooding impacted San Diego County in January 2024, many families had their lives upended as the floods destroyed their residences and displaced them from their homes. The floods, which impacted Southeast San Diego particularly hard, displaced over 1,200 households and caused over $30 million in damage.  In response, United Way of San Diego County (UWSD) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) have partnered together to provide $180,000 in support to two nonprofit organizations helping Southeast San Diego residents affected by this disaster rebuild their homes.  The Harvey Family Foundation and the San Diego Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) each received $90,000 to assist with housing repairs, housing restoration, the provision of materials and appliances, and more.  SDG&E and UWSD are dedicated to standing by community members, providing support during these trying times, and ensuring the recovery process is as smooth as possible. Through this partnership, we are helping to address some of our communities’ most pressing needs to ensure no San Diegans get left behind.

On July 18th, Dream with STEAM summer program participants from Escondido High School joined UWSD staff for a behind-the-scenes tour of local defense contractor, Cubic! During the visit, students had the opportunity to explore the facilities, converse with a panel of young professionals to learn about the different career paths and enjoy a hands-on activity working with a mock circuit board for hands-on electrical engineering experience. By partnering with local STEAM businesses like Cubic, we are exposing students in historically disinvested communities to high-paying, in-demand careers and encouraging them to explore careers that they didn’t previously know existed!  Thank you, Cubic, for hosting our students!   Follow along on social to keep up with our latest updates.

Thank you to Enterprise Rent-A-Car for their continued support ensuring all children, family, and individuals have the necessary support to achieve educational success and financial security.   To celebrate their continued devotion through their workplace campaigns, we coordinated a beach clean-up at Ocean Beach for a group of Enterprise interns!   Curious to learn how you or your organization can get involved? Head to our link in bio to learn more about employee engagement opportunities!

A new report by Gallup shows that nearly 75% of employees currently feel disengaged at work, and another survey conducted by Atlassian found that workers are willing to quit their jobs if the company values do not align with their own.   Companies that have incorporated opportunities for employees to connect with their values and community have reported greater retention, shows a report by Harvard Business Review.  Is your organization looking to boost your employee engagement and give back?  United Way of San Diego County can help your organization craft opportunities that align with your corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals.   A comprehensive corporate social responsibility strategy can:   💥 Engage your employees in purposeful ways that allow them to give back while fostering your company culture.  💪 Empower your employees to give their time and talent to volunteer activities that improve our county.  🌟 Enhance your brand reputation while demonstrating your commitment to our local community.  🔎 Explore curated and tailor-made corporate social responsibility opportunities with the help of United Way of San Diego County.   Learn more at https://lnkd.in/euVRMVE     Sources:  https://lnkd.in/dP3fMyrV   https://lnkd.in/dCp-GZfq  https://lnkd.in/gZHNVvZ

United Way of San Diego County is on a mission to build resilient communities and help every San Diegan achieve financial security. Through our economic mobility programs, we put more money back into the pockets of San Diegans countywide by providing free tax preparation assistance, personalized financial coaching, and access to essential banking resources.  ✨ Our newest initiative, SparkPoint, supports low- to middle-income residents by setting personalized financial goals and creating action plans. SparkPoint coaches work one-on-one with clients to assist with budgeting, building credit, reducing debt, and more.  💡 As leaders of the San Diego County Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Coalition, we help individuals and families file their taxes for free, saving on tax filing fees and helping them claim eligible tax credits.  🏦 Through the San Diego Bank On Coalition, we provide free and low-cost financial resources, ensuring access to essential banking services and empowering informed financial decisions.  United with our community partners, we're breaking down economic barriers and building pathways to financial security so all San Diegans can thrive. Follow us to see how we're transforming lives across San Diego County through our education and economic mobility initiatives! 🌟

Recently, our Dream with STEAM program participants from Lincoln High School visited the San Diego Gas & Electric Resilience Zone, which helps students explore different careers and tasks managed by SDG&E through a simulated play experience. Additionally, students had an opportunity to connect with SDG&E professionals who shared insight from their career journeys and offered valuable tips to help them stand out when applying for jobs in the future. Program participants learned about the wide range of jobs available at SDG&E such as climate scientists, meteorologists, business administration, and financial planning. As we wrap up the Lincoln High School Dream with STEAM summer program, we are excited to be ramping up our next cycle with students from Escondido High School! Follow along to see us help local students explore STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) careers across San Diego County.

Expand your network and meet other professionals through our Emerging Leaders affinity group! Emerging Leaders is a group of service-minded professionals looking to grow, network, and connect with other professionals living across San Diego County.  Through curated opportunities such as networking events, CEO spotlights, volunteer opportunities, behind-the-scenes tours, and more, members are offered the chance to enhance personal and professional connections, explore San Diego County, and build leadership skills.   Interested in starting your journey with Emerging Leaders? Head to the link below to learn more.   https://lnkd.in/guuJaM9

A new report by Gallup shows that nearly 75% of employees currently feel disengaged at work, and another survey conducted by Atlassian found that workers are willing to quit their jobs if the company values do not align with their own.   Companies that have incorporated opportunities for employees to connect with their values and community have reported greater retention, shows a report by Harvard Business Review.  Is your organization looking to boost your employee engagement and give back?  United Way of San Diego County can help your organization craft opportunities that align with your corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals.  A comprehensive corporate social responsibility strategy can:   💥 Engage your employees in purposeful ways that allow them to give back while fostering your company culture.  💪 Empower your employees to give their time and talent to volunteer activities that improve our county.  🌟 Enhance your brand reputation while demonstrating your commitment to our local community.  Explore curated and tailor-made corporate social responsibility opportunities with the help of United Way of San Diego County.   Learn more at https://lnkd.in/euVRMVE     Sources:  ----- https://lnkd.in/dP3fMyrV   https://lnkd.in/dCp-GZfq  https://lnkd.in/gZHNVvZ

On June 20th, 21st, 27th, and 28th , our Community Impact team attended the Parks After Dark Event hosted by the City Heights Library and Recreation Center to promote early childhood literacy through the distribution of books from our Read Across America Book Drive. Over the four days, our team distributed approximately 1,200 books to local children to help build literacy-rich environments outside of school. Follow along on social for more updates on our early childhood literacy efforts!

A huge thank you to our friends at INDUS Technology, Inc. for contributing their time and incredible generosity last week! With the support of United Way of San Diego County and a generous donation from Dr. Bronner's, INDUS assembled 300 hygiene kits filled with essentials like toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, and more. These hygiene kits will be donated to the Stand Down Event by Veterans Village of San Diego, which provides local veterans experiencing homelessness with resources to support their health and well-being post-service.  Thank you, INDUS, for being a key partner in building a stronger community!