United Way kicks off fundraising campaign

The United Way of Hays County & Caldwell Counties held a kickoff event Wednesday at the San Marcos Activity Center,  marking the beginning of its annual fundraiser.

UWHCC’s goal is to raise $375,000 during its fundraising campaign through employee giving campaigns at local companies as well as individual donations from the general public. The United Way hopes to raise these funds and pledges by Dec. 31.

"Over 50,000 individuals were served by our programs last year,” said Michelle Harper, president and CEO of United Way of Hays & Caldwell Counties.  “When you think about that and you think about that 50,000 number, you know that there has to be a great majority of people that are in need. There's also a lot of people in need that aren't coming and asking for our services. In Hays County alone, 68% of people are what we call ALICE — Access, Limited Income Constrained, Employed —that means they have a job, they're working to make ends meet, but they're one crisis away from needing (United Way’s) services.”

United Way works to support 18 partner programs and four internal programs. The UWHCCC partners with the following local non profits: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas, Boy Scouts, CASA of Central Texas, Combined Community Action — Meals on Wheels, ECI Hays County Homespun / Any Baby Can, Girls Empowerment Network, Girl Scouts, Greater San Marcos Youth Council — Youth & Family Services, Greater San Marcos Youth Council — Emergency Children's Shelter, Hays Caldwell Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse — Prevention, Hays Caldwell Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse — Treatment, Hays County Food Bank, Salvation Army — Emergency Assistance,    Salvation Army — Mission Literacy, San Marcos Public Housing Authority — Resident Services, San Marcos Youth Service Bureau — ACT,  San Marcos Youth Service Bureau — Teen Network, Texas State University — Autism Camp. 

“Our community is this big puzzle of social services,” said Julia Ramsay New, executive director of the Greater San Marcos Youth Council, who spoke at Wednesday’s event. “So that's what's awesome about our community is that we all work together. We're all an important piece of the puzzle that is impacting lives.”

Chris Muyshondt, who volunteers at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central — a non-profit that the UWHCCC works with — told his story of helping his “little brother” Keontray. 

Chris Muyshondt, who volunteers at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central — a non-profit that the UWHCCC works with — told his story of helping his “little brother” Keontray during Wednesday's United Way fundraising event.

Muyshondt said Keontray’s father got out of jail when he was two years old and hasn't been inovolved in his life and his grandfather died when he was 15. Muyshondt has become a mentor for Keontray through his volunteer work with Big Brothers Big Sisters. 

“I didn't really know what exactly this sort of volunteer thing was going to do for me because I was just a 19-year-old kid at the time,” Muyshondt said. “I’m 22 now and it’s changed my entire trajectory in life. I graduated from Texas State in May and I plan to go on to medical school. But (Keontray) is a senior down at Lehman High School in Kyle and I knew I couldn't just step out on his last year. So I took a year off, and I go to every single one of his football games. He's got one this Friday — Go Lobos -— and he's the captain of the team. 

“One thing that really touched me is I didn't know the true depth that I held in his heart. He's 17 now, but he does have a tattoo, and his first tattoo was a cross on his forearm, and he put names on the cross. And the very first name was his mom and the one right after that was my name. And that touched me in a way that I didn't even think possible, because it was  his mom then me.”

To donate to the United Way visit United Way's website or text UWHAYS LIVESAVER to 313131 to make a donation or pledge.

“There's 50 million different ways to become involved,” Harper said. “I like to use the 50,000 or 50 million because that's how many lives we’re impacting every year here in Hays and Caldwell County.”