Meet Carlray
Meet Carlray, who has turned his life around! Before enrolling in the Fluor Craft Training Program, Carlray would walk around town, stopping into local businesses asking if they were hiring. He was determined to find work to provide for himself and his son, but was told time after time that there were no positions available. That's when he walked into United Way Galveston County Mainland's office asking for help. He was not looking for charity or a handout, but instead needed assistance on finding work. After hearing about available spots in the Fluor Craft Training Program, Carlray filled out the application and started classes soon after. He completed and excelled in the 12 week course, and received an amazing job offer from A & A Machine and Fabrication. Carlray is now employed full-time and is able to secure a lasting future for his family.
"United Way Galveston County Mainland and Fluor of Pasadena have given me a second chance and opportunity. I strive to break the cycle of recidivism, not only for myself but to pave a way for others who are in need. With the completion of the program, getting a job, and a vehicle, I have been given a better life for my son and the others around me." - Carlray
Through kindness and by partnering with United Way Galveston County Mainland, you too, can help lift people like Carlray up & out of a cycle of poverty and hardship, so that they can obtain self-sufficiency, as well as continuing to provide hope and support for others in need.
Marathon Fishing Tournament
Marathon Galveston Bay Refierny hosted its 3rd annual fishing tournament and seafood cookoff on August 2, 2019. Marathon Petroleum Galveston Bay Refinery raised a whopping 112,000 dollars for UWGCM through this event! After an exciting day of fishing and great food in San Leon, participants had the opportunity to find out the winners of the tournament.
The inshore first place winners included Hector Castillo from PinnacleART (heaviest red), Brad Anderson from Turner Industries (trout), Jake Lehrman from Amspec (gafftop), and George from Turner Industries (stringer). Additionally, second and third place for stringers was Henry from Excel and Bay Area Auto Rentals. As for the seafood cookoff, Total Safety and SWAT were first and second for chef's choice of fish, Ohmstede and Repcon came in first and second for open seafood, and Stronghold and Ohmstede placed top two in seafood gumbo.
We would like to thank Marathon Petroleum Galveston Bay Refinery for hosting this wonderful event, as well as all those who came to participate to support the United Way of Galveston County Mainland!
Campaign Kickoff
UWGCM hosted the 2019 Campaign Kickoff Luncheon on August 28, 2019 at the Doyle Convention Center in Texas City. There were over 400 guests in attendance, including over 75 companies and agencies represented. Several companies were highlighted for their campaign efforts and goals.
·Marathon Petroleum & Marathon Petroleum Employees at the Galveston Bay Refinery have already hosted two major events for us, including several smaller ones this year. From those events alone, they have raised $396,587, including their company match. Their employee campaign is ongoing and we appreciate all that they do for us!
· A & A Machine Shop continues to show their support year after year, and has set their goal this year to $17,000 for their employee campaign!
·DOW & DOW Employees have set a tremendous goal of $110,000 this year for their employee campaign! Way to go DOW!
·Eastman & Eastman Employees are at it again. They have set a goal this year of $50,000 for their employee campaign!
·American National & American National Employees have started their campaign already and have set a goal of $40,000.
The UWGCM 2019 campaign video was shown to the audience as part of the program. To view the video please click here
UWGCM would like to thank the following individuals for helping us with this luncheon: Bruce Blankenship for taking photos; U.S. Coast Guard Ceremonial Honor Guard, The Sunshine Center’s Boy Scouts Troop #190, Captain Nathanael Doria from The Salvation Army, and all the volunteers that helped us set up the luncheon! The 2019 campaign has officially kicked off to a great start! Change Doesn’t Happen Alone!
Meet Tony!
UWGCM has the privilege and honor of hosting a high school intern this school year. Tony has jumped in and helped the UWGCM staff in so many ways. He brings new and exciting life to the UWGCM offices. Tony has been instrumental in the development of the new website. He has also played a major role in 2019 Campaign Kickoff, including the new campaign video. Please enjoy an introduction to Tony in his own words.
My name is Tony Patsatzis and I am a senior at Lutheran South Academy. I also have a younger brother who is a sophomore in high school. Some of my hobbies include soccer, the stock market, and running. I plan on attending college in the fall of 2020 and studying finance. This year, I've had the privilege to be an intern for the United Way, and plan on doing so for the remainder of my senior year. Community service has always been a passion of mine, and I'm always eager to help my community in any way I can. I am currently a member of the National Honor Society, where service work is one of the main focuses of the organization. Having the ability to witness the impact that one can have on the community by just giving their time to volunteer is something that I've fallen in love with over the years. That's why I was thrilled when I found out I would be able to work with the United Way Galveston County Mainland. Seeing all the work they do for so many different causes is truly inspiring and something that I'm extremely proud and grateful to be apart of. Everyone here is like family, and seeing firsthand each person's passion for what they do is something that I will carry with me for years to come.
If you are interested in volunteering or becoming an intern with UWGCM please click here to contact us.
Miles for the Mainland Fun Run
United Way Galveston County Mainland will host the Miles for the Mainland on November 23, 2019. We have a date change from our previously scheduled date. The Run/Walk will take place at Rainbow Park, 800 Bay Street, Texas City. This is a certified timed10k, 5k, Kids' 1k run and 5k walk. Teams are welcome and can compete in the Industry Cup for the Plant that brings the most runners/walkers and a Community Cup for our local businesses and organizations. Teams of 10 or more qualify for group discounts. Please click here for more information about Miles for the Mainland.
Agency Highlight
The United Way of Galveston County Mainland is proud of all of the work and commitment of our partner agencies in the mainland communities. We plan on highlighting an agency in our newsletter each month to give an in depth look at what they do for the community. DePelchin Children's center offers a unique and beneficial program called "The Skills for Success". The Skills for Success program utilizes the Positive Action and Life Skills curriculum, which are alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention education programs targeting youth and adolescents. Students are taught the dangers of abusing substances, educated on refusal skills, and are informed on how to make decisions that will positively affect their lives. Programs like these make a substantial impact on the community and allows the younger generation to become educated on drug prevention.
DePelchin Children’s Center is excited to announce that through the Back-to-School Drive, we were able to distribute over 675 fully stuffed backpacks to the children and families utilizing our services in the Houston and the Greater Houston offices this year in addition to gift cards for 13 out-of-state families! This was due to our long list of generous donors and volunteers.
Region 6 Post Adoption hosted our annual Back-to-School Come-and-Go Event on Friday, August 2. There were 104 families that registered for 225 backpacks. Representatives from The CHOSEN Mentorship Program, Council on Adoptable Children (COAC), and Houston Behavioral Healthcare Hospital were able to provide resources to our clients. And Region 5 East Texas Post Adoption Team hosted their annual Back-to-School Bash, on Saturday, August 3, 2019! The event was held at the Skate Ranch in Lufkin, Texas and was a huge success!
For more information about DePlchin or any of the other UWGCM partner agencies please click here to learn more about our Partner Agencies.
Website Launch
UWGCM launched a new website at the 2019 Campaign Kickoff Luncheon. The new website facelift will provide visitors with easy access to partner agencies, training programs, upcoming events, and much more. A campaign toolkit will allow workplace campaign leaders and employees to have all the tools readily available to run a successful campaign. Please view our new website by clicking here.
Upcoming Trainings
The UWGCM training program focuses on health, education, and financial stability for our community members. The training department hosts trainings that focus on educating the community. All of the trainings hosted at UWGCM are free of charge and open to the public. We have three upcoming trainings, with one in September and two in October. To find out more, please visit the training page on our website.
