Join your fellow Bruins in supporting the United Way of Greater Los Angeles in its work to create pathways out of poverty through housing, education and jobs for families, veterans, the homeless and others in need.
“Since 1968, our contributions have helped improve the quality of life for individuals throughout our community, unifying us through a commitment to a better Los Angeles,” UCLA Chancellor Gene Block wrote in an email today to the campus announcing the 2015 campaign, which runs May 26-June 5.
UCLA faculty and staff have contributed as much as $200,000 and more to United Way every year through payroll deduction and one-time gifts. Last year alone, Bruins helped make it possible for 6,790 homeless Angelenos to move into permanent homes. Yet 58,000 people continue to struggle with homelessness in L.A. County — more than 10,000 of them are chronically homeless — and United Way is committed to continuing to bring them in off the streets and into permanent homes.
The generosity of Bruins has also come to the aid of thousands of individuals struggling to provide for their families financially — individuals like Lucille, who was featured in a recent United Way fundraising campaign. A single mother of two, Lucille served in the United States Navy for nine years, but had difficulty finding a permanent job after she left the service even though she had an M.B.A. United Way helped her access job-training programs where she added IT and other valuable skills to her already impressive résumé. Lucille now holds a permanent job that provides her family with financial security.
United Way looks to education to improve the future of the next generation as well. In the Los Angeles Unified School District, more than 16,000 students drop out of high school every year. Brian, a young man also featured in the United Way campaign, was determined to graduate even though living in a crime-plagued neighborhood made focusing on his school work difficult. Recognizing that a good education was the key to his future security, he began to increase his involvement at school, where he now maintains a 3.6 grade point average. Brian was recently chosen to participate in the United Way Student Fellow program, taking another step toward his dream of earning a master’s degree in engineering at UCLA.
Visit the 2015 UCLA/United Way website to donate with a check or credit card, through a continuing payroll deduction or with a one-time gift. To request a hard copy of the pledge form, email unitedway@support.ucla.edu or call 310-794-6880.