United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast

The United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast builds a strong community by:

• Developing children and youth to their full potential,
• Creating strong families and safe neighborhoods,
• Sustaining senior independence, and
• Supporting people rebuilding their lives.

In its role of building a strong community, the United Way is able to convene groups (nonprofit, government, business, and faith-based) around specific problems. After Tropical Storm Allison, the United Way convened the Allison Recovery Initiative with the objective of helping the most vulnerable victims of Tropical Storm Allison recover from flooding. The United Way, through its One Houston United campaign, was able to raise funds dedicated to rebuilding and refurnishing homes devastated by flooding.

The United Way plays a key role in connecting people with available services through its 2-1-1 Help Line. Individuals in search of health and human services can dial 2-1-1 to be connected to a live person that can connect them with the most appropriate service to meet their needs. This service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week with English-, Spanish-, Vietnamese-, and Cantonese-speaking personnel available.

In the event of a natural or manmade disaster, the 2-1-1 Help Line will be the centralized calling point for citizens seeking additional information. The United Way is seeking additional volunteers to staff phone lines in the event of an emergency. Bilingual operators are especially needed.