Stories

As Director of Community Collaborations and Investments here at United Way, Mayra Arreola is a tireless advocate for underserved communities and highly visible presence in our work to break the cycle of poverty in our region. We asked her to reflect on recently becoming a U.S. citizen and how her lived experiences connect to her work.

April was National Volunteer Month, and it was more evident than ever that the Portland region is powered by a strong spirit of generosity. Individuals, businesses and nonprofits came together to make some truly magical stuff happen in our communities.

We believe every kid should arrive at kindergarten ready for school success. Registering on-time is vital to ensuring kids and families have the opportunity to connect with their school and teachers and have access to important summer activities.

Despite our good intentions to date, another generation of kids and families is being left behind. Right here, in our own backyard. That’s why I applaud the Multnomah County Chair and Commissioners for taking an important step forward in the way we invest resources in the SUN Service System.

Oregon ranks dead last in the country in EITC participation. In 2012, just 73% of families in Oregon who qualified for the credit actually claimed it, leaving $124 million on the table that would have helped over 106,000 working families make ends meet. We're working hard to change this.

Over 1,800 volunteers poured their energy into 72 different projects in our region over MLK Weekend, tackling a diverse range of projects that included transforming school playgrounds, socializing shelter dogs, planting trees, cleaning donated children’s books and sewing blankets for children in need.

We know firsthand that nonprofits in our region rely on volunteers to meet their missions. What better way to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy than to join more than 1,500 of your friends and neighbors and volunteer during United Way's MLK Weekend of Service.

Dozens of community leaders gathered on November 9 to officially launch Successful Families 2020, a community partnership designed to improve graduation rates and college preparedness for kids of color in our region.

Over 100,000 kids live in poverty, right here, in our region. It's an issue we can't afford to ignore. That’s why we set an audacious goal - cut poverty in our four counties in half by 2025.

The evidence is resounding - early exposure to books is critical to a child’s long-term educational success. When kids start school behind, they rarely catch up. A unique partnership between Washington County Cooperative Library Services, Community Action and Early Learning Washington County - an initiative co-led by United Way - is working to close the gap.

You may see a bank. We see a philanthropic community superhero. For six years in a row, Wells Fargo has led the largest United Way workplace giving campaign in the United States. In 2014, employees donated a whopping $97.7 million to 30,000 nonprofits and schools across the nation.

When you fill a room with nonprofits who achieve outsized outcomes, the air takes on a special electricity. This scenario plays out regularly here at United Way of the Columbia-Willamette, and we’ve been working hard to harness the transformative energy.