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Life is about making choices. Unfortunately, for some families in Maricopa County, those choices are choosing between paying for groceries or child care and paying utility bills or rent. Many parents give up on the dream of going to college to provide for their family. Making these types of choices makes it tough to break free from the cycle of poverty.

Triple-digit heat didn’t stop 700 dedicated volunteers from showing up on Unite: Day of Action to paint murals, plant gardens, clean up graffiti, and stuff WeekEnd Hunger Backpacks in communities across the valley. In all, there were 16 different projects going on at the same time. Below are hi-lights from this large scale event!

Some things are easy to take for granted in life: a place to live, a job, a driver’s license or state-issued ID, and even a birth certificate. Think about what life would be like if you didn’t have any of these things. It’s hard to imagine, but men and women live this way on any given day in Maricopa County.

Jeremy was 16 when he stopped attending high school. Although he faced many obstacles, he focused on advancing his education to get ahead in life. He earned a GED, went to a local community college and transferred to Arizona State University. At ASU he earned Bachelor degrees in Finance and Accounting and later obtained a Master in Business Administration from Northeastern University. Now, he blends his passion for community service and personal finances to help local families. As Assistant Vice President for Retail Banking for Wells Fargo Arizona, his days are focused on quality service and education. He proudly serves customers at the Phoenix branch and leads financial education classes at local nonprofits, schools and community centers.

Imagine being a teacher and your classroom is a football field. Your students have just hours to learn the basic subjects of reading, writing, and math. It’s down to the wire. But wait! You learn there’s more to a good education than hitting the books. Students also need to learn social skills.
That’s why Valley of the Sun United way is teaming up the NFL and the Arizona Cardinals to implement Character Playbook™ – Building Healthy Relationships, in hopes of scoring the ultimate touchdown with students!

On September 10, United Way is hosting “Unite: Day of Action” where hundreds of volunteers will be uniting at locations around the valley. Bring your family out to assemble WeekEnd Hunger Backpacks, participate in an elementary school cafeteria mural project, plant a fall garden at a community center, spruce up a nurse’s office, plus so much more!

It was an amazing site! Thousands of ASU students lined up at ASU’s Memorial Union on the Tempe Campus, raring to volunteer to help those less fortunate in the valley. Many students say they were helped growing up by organizations such as United Way. So they showed up to make a commitment throughout the school year to help others – to give back!

When we wake up in the morning, making breakfast for our kids is part of the morning routine for many of us. But not all kids are so fortunate. Sadly, thousands of kids in the Valley go to school every day hungry.

My five-year old son Ezequiel has always loved learning, but because I am not fluent in English I worried I wouldn’t be an effective teacher. I know this is a concern for many other parents, too. When I discovered United Way’s Literacy Fairs and all the resources provided there, my perspective changed.

Creating a home reading plan for your child is simple to do and can be fun for both you and your child.