Guide to Giving Back This Holiday Season
Guide to Giving Back This Holiday Season
Written by: Claudia Chow, Digital Marketing Manager, UWSD
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Centennial Celebrating the 1960s
Centennial Celebrating the 1960s
Written by: Alli Temnick, Senior Development Executive, UWSD
In celebration of our Centennial Year, United Way of San Diego County (UWSD) is revisiting our history by highlighting a different decade each month. This month, we are taking a closer look at the 1960s, which was a pivotal and transitional decade in history.
The population of San Diego grew by 30% during the 1960s, and the city transformed to accommodate its increasing size. The formerly dilapidated downtown area became the focus of an urban renewal project that resulted in the Gaslamp Quarter. The Mission Valley Shopping Center and Sea World were built, as well as the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge. In addition to new construction, the city gained prominence when the American Football League Chargers started their first season in the fall of 1960 and the minor-league San Diego Padres became a Major League Baseball team in 1969.
With all of these changes in mind, it is probably not surprising to learn that the 1960s was a transitional decade for United Way as well. As the decade began, fundraising had stalled and local leaders began to lose confidence in the organization. Community leader James “Jim” Mulvaney created a committee to discover the source of the problem. The committee recommended increased partnership in the community and, as a result, United Community Services of San Diego County was formed in 1962. In 1965, this partnership was bolstered by the addition of the Combined Federal Campaign which allowed federal employees to give to the community through United Way. The next seven years brought increased growth in fundraising for the organization.
James “Jim” Mulvaney’s involvement in numerous nonprofit boards and organizations for 50 years would later be recognized by United Way with the creation of the James F. Mulvaney Community Leadership Award. This award is given to exceptional local leaders who have demonstrated long-lasting service to the San Diego community.
As we look back at our history, we are reminded of two things. The first is that we must always be willing to adapt to meet the demands of our time. Our team is proud to have launched the Worker Assistance Initiative to meet the needs our neighbors who have experienced job loss or reduction of wages as a result of COVID-19. Secondly, the change that we instituted at United Way in the 1960s laid the groundwork for the organization that we are today. Our strength is derived from our partnerships, and this year alone we will align over one hundred partners, to leverage resources and transform lives.
We hope you will partner with us by giving your time, treasure, or talent to help continue supporting the critical needs of our community.
To learn about the Centennial Celebration, visit uwsd.org/centennial.
Centennial Love Your Community
Centennial Love Your Community
Written by: Claudia Chow, Digital Marketing Manager, UWSD
To continue our Centennial Celebration, board member and Tocqueville donors David and Marti Andrews hosted an intimate event at the Santaluz Clubhouse on Thursday, February 20th. The beautiful outdoor event space, coupled with perfect weather and a stunning sunset, made for an incredible backdrop. Guests included United Way board members, Tocqueville donors, and members of the executive leadership team at National University. Board Chair Rich Pattenaude warmly welcomed guests, along with host David Andrews, and our President and CEO, Nancy Sasaki.
Each month this year, we will highlight a different decade since United Way of San Diego County was founded in 1920. This month, we focused on the 1930s. In the 1930s, United Way of San Diego County went by the name Community Chest and used the tagline, “This is the chest – that raises the money – that helps our neighbors – that builds for the future – a better community for all of us.” Community is not only a place, but it’s the sense of fellowship among others, as a result of sharing common interest and goals. United Way aims to not only support the children, young adults, and families in our community, but to share the goals and passions of our organization. Community Chest posters from the 1930s were framed and displayed at the event. In the 1930s, the Community Chest raised over $2,000,000 to support the local community – which would be over $38,000,000 in today’s dollars!
Additionally, the 1930s were marked by a few other exciting developments, including the end of Prohibition (1933) and the launch of chocolate treats like Snickers (1930), Mars Bars (1932), Kit Kats (1935), and Rolos (1937). To celebrate, our guests enjoyed a wine and chocolate pairing hosted by Eclipse Chocolates.
We hope you will continue to travel through the decades of our history as we celebrate United Way of San Diego County’s contributions to society over the last 100 years, and that you will be compelled to help us be even more impactful in the future. Please keep an eye out for announcements for our monthly Centennial events leading up to our Gala on 10/10/2020.
To learn about the Centennial Celebration, visit uwsd.org/centennial.
