SFASU Live United Day!

SFA football season opener to be dedicated to United Way

NACOGDOCHES, TX - September 10, 2013 - After two weeks on the road, the SFA Lumberjack football team finally returns to Homer Bryce Stadium for its first home game of the season this Saturday at 6 p.m. But there’s a message behind this game, a message to Live United. SFA Athletics has partnered with the Nacogdoches County United Way to dedicate this game to the United Way, and encourage everyone to Live United.

“Living United is at the core of everything the United Way represents,” Gary Lee Ashcraft, president and CEO of Nacogdoches County United Way, said. “The idea is that just by giving a little, you can change a life.”

The United Way will be involved in every aspect of Saturday’s game as a part of the Live United event. NCUW will have a premier, designated tailgate spot near the Alumni Corner on the corner of Raguet and Hayter streets. There NCUW will display the 2014 Live United Car, donated by Rex Perry Autoplex, which will be raffled off at the end of its campaign to donors who pledge at least $4 per week for a total of $208 in 2014.

Throughout the game, NCUW will be promoting its new “Connect2Give” texting campaign. Connect2Give is a fundraising service that enables organizations to collect donations and update their donors with important information via mobile devices. The community can donate to NCUW during the game by texting the keyword “NCUW”. This will allow them to enter the amount they wish to donate and to visit the NCUW mobile website.

“We are very proud to now have a text-to-give campaign, and we’re hoping that people will utilize it during the game.”

In addition, the United Way will be featured during the halftime show, where Betty Shinn will be honored as the Tim Hayward Volunteer of the Year award recipient and Amanda Horne will be honored for her leadership of the Statewide Charitable Campaign conducted on the SFA campus. Both recipients are NCUW board member. Members of the SFA Student United Way, a campus-based service organization that partners with the Nacogdoches County United Way and its agencies, will also be leading the charge of students out of the tunnel as part of the second-annual Jacks Charge.

To further promote “Live United Day,” members of the football team and the Lumberjack Marching Band will wear their purple Live United shirts all day Friday.

“This is a huge boost not only to NCUW, but also to our 2014 Live United! campaign,” Ashcraft said. “This is a great opportunity for us to showcase the United Way and what we do for the community to such a large crowd.”

In addition to Saturday’s game, SFA Athletics will host two more Live United Days this fall. The first will be during the Ladyjack soccer match versus Abilene Christian on October 13 at 1 p.m. The last event will be during the Ladyjack volleyball match versus Oral Roberts on November 12 at 6:30 p.m.

“The United Way is a fantastic organization and has such a positive impact on the Nacogdoches Community,” said SFA Associate Athletics Director John Branch.  “We are privileged to partner with them this year and use our resources to help raise awareness, showcase their great volunteers and make a positive impact on the lives of the people of Nacogdoches County.”

This will be the first year that SFA Athletics and the Nacogdoches County United Way partner on such a large scale. In the past, NCUW has partnered with the SFA baseball team and Head Coach Johnny Cardenas to host an annual “Live United with the Jacks” event that invites children who participate in programs provided by United Way agencies to attend a game free of charge and interact with the players.

NCUW’s 2014 Live United! campaign is “off to a fast paced start,” already, according to Chris Wigington, NCUW Campaign Co-Chair.

“We had a very successful, well-attended kickoff event in August that really jump-started the campaign. Our goal this year is to raise $350,000, and I am confident that our volunteer leadership will get us there.”

            Last year, NCUW surpassed its goal of $340,000, raising just over $360,000.

            This year’s campaign theme is “Give a little. Change a Life.” which really embodies the spirit of the United Way.

            “You never know who you could be helping when you donate – a small child, a family of six looking to put food on the table – and a little bit really does go a long way.” Erica Pitts, communication coordinator for NCUW, said.

            For more information, contact the Nacogdoches County United Way office at (936) 564-5869. To stay updated with all NCUW events, you can visit their website at www.unitedwaynac.com and like their Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/UnitedWayNac.

NCUW offers help through 2-1-1 service

More resources available through quick referral service

     The Nacogdoches County United Way has recently incorporated a new referral service into their process of finding help. 2-1-1 is a free and confidential referral service that guides people to the help they need. It is available 24 hours a day and takes only a few minutes to find the help you need. 2-1-1 reaches approximately 270 million people nationwide and its effective service provides a "one-stop" service for vital information specific to your situation. They provide trained professionals that search your area to find help closest to your location that are pertaining to your situation.

     The mission of 2-1-1 is "to ensure that 2-1-1 is excellent, everywhere and always" with their goal being superior service and ensured help in your area of need. This service offers help in the following areas: basic human needs resource, physical and mental health resources, employment support, support for older Americans and persons with disabilities, support for children/youth and families, volunteer opportunities, and donations. 

     If you're in need of help, call 2-1-1 to receive referrals to those that can help. For more information, visit www.211us.org for general information or www.211.org to learn about your local 2-1-1.

FREE financial classes starting Friday!

NASAC provides free financial classes during the summer for the public

       The Nacogdoches Area Service Agency Council (NASAC) under the umbrella of the Nacogdoches County United Way was created in response to individuals in the Nacogdoches community who have repeating or perpetual needs for services. The vision of NASAC is to create a council of funded and non-funded service agencies that offers an approach for community members to achieve financial and life stability. NASAC aspires to educate the community on proper habits to successfully acquire financial independence by implementing the principles of saving, financial recovery, banking fundamentals and more.  

       The free financial classes will begin Friday, June 7, 2013 and will continue until Monday, July 8, 2013. They will be held at the Judy B. McDonald library and will range from 2-4 hours long. Childcare and meals are provided. The classes will benefit all people so anyone is welcome to attend!

       Space is limited, so sign up today! For more information or to RSVP contact Ellen Denney at (936) 564-3538 or Joshua Moore at (936) 632-8838. 

Students "flock" university president's yard

SFA students cover university president's yard in pink plastic flamingos 

The SFA Student United Way “flocked” SFA University President Dr. Baker Pattillo’s on-campus residence Tuesday night as part of their “Flamingo Flock” fundraiser.

“We are very pleased that Dr. Pattillo was willing to have his house “flocked” to help support the Student United Way’s fundraiser,” Gary Lee Ashcraft, president and CEO of NCUW, said.

Over the past few months, the SFAUW has been “flocking” the yards of many people within the community, including NCUW Chair Jason Sobel.  For a $10 donation, the members of the SFAUW will put dozens of pink plastic flamingos in the yards of your specified “victim.” After “roosting” in the yard for the entire day, the flamingos move on to the next yard. The $10 donation will be put into the SFAUW general budget, which the students use to buy supplies for events, as well as other organizational needs. 

Photo caption for SFAUW members: From left to right: Crystal Davis, Rocky Madkins, Cedricka Jackson, courtney Oles, Kayci Wetherspoon, Danielle Waite

Live United with the Jacks!

Free, family-friendly community tailgate 

Live United with the Jacks is an annual community give-back event put on by NCUW, in conjunction with Head Coach Johnny Cardenas, a long-time partner of the NCUW. The free, family friendly event will be held Saturday, April 20 at the SFA Baseball Field beginning at 12 p.m. There will be free hotdogs, provided by NIBCO, and the SFA Steel Drum Band will entertain fans before they head into the SFA baseball game at 2 p.m. versus Southeastern Louisiana. In addition, NCUW will be raffling off the chance to throw out the first pitch of the game.

In addition to the tailgate event, the SFA Student United Way will have their second annual Kids Fitness Day, also in conjunction with the SFA Baseball team, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Over one hundred children from Solid Foundation and Glory Gang, two NCUW partner agencies, as well as children from Headstart, will be participating in several “field day” activities designed to promote an active lifestyle. There will be sack races, inflatables and a dance station, as well as other games. The kids will then have lunch and be able to attend the SFA Baseball game free of charge.

For more information on the media event, please contact Gary Lee Ashcraft on his cell phone at (936) 552-6408.

General admission tickets to the game are $5, tickets for children ages 9-18 are $3, and admission for children under the age of 8 is free. SFA students get in for free with their student IDs.

NCUW launches new website feature

Better connecting people in need to those who can help

The Nacogdoches County United Way has created a new feature on their website to empower people in need to find assistance. The new page, titled “Find Help,” is designed to give people in certain situations 24-hour access to information on what agencies are available to help. The site (www.unitedwaynac.com/find_help.html) features links describing some of the most frequent situations the United Way receives phone calls about, according to Jessica Layfield, NCUW communication coordinator.

“Having this information easily available on our website will allow people to find the help they need from our agencies 24/7,” Layfield said. “This will cut down on the wait time for people looking for help, especially for those in emergency situations and those who can’t call us during business hours.”

There are 11 situations listed on the website, among which are: “I am homeless or about to become homeless”; “I am the victim of a natural disaster or dealing with an emergency situation”; “I am in need of counseling or mental health services”; and “I am looking for extra-curricular programs for my children.”

“NCUW has a wide range of funded agencies that meet an equally wide range of needs in our community,” Gary Lee Ashcraft, president and CEO of NCUW said. “The goal of this page is to help connect people to agencies that can get them the assistance they need.”

 “As of right now, we only have NCUW’s funded agencies on the site,” Layfield said. “We are hoping that once more people become aware of this resource, other non-profits will contact us about including their agency as well. The ultimate goal is to become a ‘one-stop shop’ for people who are looking for help.”

Agencies that would like to be included on the “Find Help” page of NCUW’s website can download an information request from the website.

“This is one of many steps we are taking to make our agency more accessible to the people we serve,” Ashcraft said.

Close to Home program benefits City of Nacogdoches employees

Close to Home program benefits City of Nacogdoches employees

NACOGDOCHES, TX – March 25, 2013 – Businesses and offices that run United Way workplace campaigns can receive more than just the satisfaction of knowing their donations impact lives in Nacogdoches. Each of the top ten workplace campaigns that raises at least ten percent more than its last campaign is eligible to participate in the Close to Home program, a United Way program that allows some of the money from those campaigns to be put in a reserve fund for employees who fall on hard times.

Recently the City of Nacogdoches has been able to use its Close to Home funds to assist two employees struggling with financial issues.

“This week alone we [distributed] $1,200 to employees that were faced with major financial burdens that they otherwise would not have been able to meet,” Tarah Rudisill, assistant human resources director and United Way campaign coordinator for the City of Nacogdoches, said.

Employees who have benefited from this program in the past have included families who have been victims of house fires, health-related crises or loss of loved ones.

            “The Close To Home program has been in place for over 10 years, and I’d feel comfortable saying over 100 people have benefited from the program so far,” Paula Cook, a member of the Nacogdoches County United Way Board of Directors said.

                The Close to Home program functions as an incentive program for those campaigns that go above and beyond their goals, and gives those business a way to help their own employees, the people who are “closest to home.”

                “Close to Home is designed to reward the efforts and support of the companies who excel in their funding of NCUW and service to the Nacogdoches community,” Gary Lee Ashcraft, president and CEO of NCUW said.

                “To see the gratitude and relief in these employee's faces during their extremely trying times was truly touching, and reminded me of why we have a United Way campaign each year,” Rudisill said.

The other top ten campaigns from the 2013 Live United Campaign were BancorpSouth, Commercial Bank of Texas, Cooper Power Systems, Etech, Inc., Nacogdoches Medical Center, Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital, Nacogdoches ISD, Norbord and Pilgrim’s Pride.

The 2014 Live United Campaign Kickoff date has been set for August 15, and Rudisill is already thinking about the City’s 2014 United Way campaign.

“After this week I don't think we should set our goal anything below landing those Close to Home funds.  Our employees truly need us to pull through for them,” Rudisill said.

For more information on how NCUW makes an impact in the Nacogdoches community, please visit our website, www.unitedwaynac.com, or call (936) 564-5869.