United Way of the Wine Country

07/13/2026

This news story raises an important question for Sonoma County and communities across California.
211 is often described as an information and referral service. But for thousands of people each year, it is much more than that. It's a trusted connection point during moments of uncertainty, crisis, and transition.
In Sonoma County, someone connects with help through 211 approximately every 4 minutes.
This story invites us to consider what happens if 211s across our region and state are forced to reduce or suspend services, adding further pressure to public systems, healthcare providers, emergency services, and community organizations that are already stretched thin.

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

07/07/2026

https://c4x6hshbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001yqvyqSuwH4NnUhmNAHIW_UmhhO-Ix-F5_AiTAfiXSM09kdqhGeY8YckdXLJrJi6d12Q_paR0aMIzQGWl2A-0qSpBYdNnHmHTNEC9F-UvLdlFEGt0BRhqMXcMSuxkaPuO5pbTAlGq-XILZ2DiqUMU6RULPnt9W9DvElbAoyuiuCzOzI-CKcpdqEGH3S41Kqtvy8EzYxYcMx6qS5QYVxsG_gqPk-nSGkHFn6C_CXkt9rbZ0mx6yMwL3vQslqkz4OJzukbN95Pe7BQ=&c=qNjmU-IMyxKVr5M6b53tjYi0CtueKL7HRb6YHpKTullnDR6VlHOn2w==&ch=7yNIQa6oWy5M9f3teMEnujqI-lg2qfXzdlQ83zkqA5QcdQQB16vynQ==

06/24/2026

https://www.linkedin.com/.../we-are-deeply-concerned.../...
The recent news out of Arizona about 211 service reductions—including the loss of live answer support—isn’t just a regional issue. It’s a warning. A canary in the coal mine for what could unfold across California if we don’t act now.
211 is essential infrastructure. It’s the 24/7 front door to help—connecting people to food, housing, healthcare, and disaster support—and a critical partner to 911 and 988 in keeping communities safe and stable.
But here’s the reality: Unlike states such as Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Texas, and Florida, which embeds 211 in its hurricane response planning and activation, the State of California does not invest in 211 as a statewide system and has not yet acted to embed 211 in its statewide emergency planning.
Fifteen (15) California counties do not have active 211s, even in disasters.
In addition, 24 of the remaining 43 counties are now at risk of losing or severely reducing 211 services, just as wildfire season intensifies and federal policy changes increase demand for basic needs support.
Here in Sonoma County, someone reaches out to 211 every 4 minutes. Yet 211 Sonoma is among the programs at risk due to the loss of local funding and expiring grants.
And the impact won’t stop at county lines. Our region—Marin, Napa, San Francisco, Alameda, Solano, San Mateo, Santa Cruz—is deeply interconnected. All 211s in these counties are also at risk. When one part of the safety net weakens, the strain is felt everywhere.
We’ve seen what happens when this system erodes: Without 211, more people turn to 911 for non-emergencies—overwhelming first responders and delaying help for true crises.
That’s why United Way of the Wine Country, alongside 211 California and United Ways of California, is advocating for a $20 million one-time state investment to stabilize this critical infrastructure and embed 211 with the California Office of Emergency Services.
This isn’t about creating something new. It’s about sustaining something millions of Californians already rely on—especially in times of crisis.
Arizona is showing us what happens when we fail to invest.
California still has a choice-please help us make the right one!
#211 See less

05/20/2026

Deep Listening and the Courage to Stand for What Matters Most

https://www.unitedwaywinecountry.org/podcast-episode-9

Today’s conversation on We’re the Leaders We’re Looking For is an invitation—an invitation to listen deeply, beyond the noise of policy debates and headlines, and to remember what dignity, courage, and love look like when they are lived day after day on behalf of people whose voices are too often excluded, erased, or actively silenced.

Our guest is Renee Saucedo, Coordinator of the Sonoma County Sanctuary Coalition—a leader whose wisdom is rooted not in abstraction, but in proximity. Proximity to immigrant families, farmworkers, and neighbors living with fear and uncertainty today. People who have shared their lifeblood to help make our community the vital, dynamic, and beautiful home we know—and who are still too often spoken about, but rarely spoken with.

04/29/2026

In this week’s episode of We’re the Leaders We’re Looking For, we are honored to share a powerful conversation with Charlie Toledo, Executive Director of the Suscol Intertribal Council.

In our conversation, Charlie reflects on the vital importance of showing up every day—for ourselves and for one another—and of always speaking the truth, first to ourselves and then to the people closest to us. She names this practice as essential to our commitments to racial, social, gender, economic, and environmental justice—and also as one of the hardest things we are asked to do. Truth-telling, she reminds us, is not abstract or theoretical; it begins in relationship, in accountability, and in love.

Available at https://www.unitedwaywinecountry.org/podcast or on your favorite podcast platform.

03/19/2026

Huge THANK YOU to Redwood Credit Union for funding our Earn it! Keep it! Save it! Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program! Our volunteers are so grateful for your support, and we have been happy to give RCU a shoutout wherever and whenever we can!

02/24/2026

Dial 2-1-1 to make a FREE tax appointment with UWWC's Earn it! Keep it! Save it! FREE tax assistance program!

Visit our website for what to bring and more information! https://www.unitedwaywinecountry.org/

01/26/2026

Sincere thanks to Congressman Mike Thompson for sharing this with his local constituents!

01/20/2026

United Way of the Wine Country is looking for neighbors who believe in lifting each other up!

Every tax season, United Way’s Earn It! Keep It! $ave It! program brings hope to thousands of local families by helping them claim the refunds they’ve worked so hard for. With the support of trained volunteers, more than $120 million has been returned to our community over the past decade — money that helps pay rent, buy groceries, cover childcare, and build a more secure future.

In fact, in 2025, we helped over 6,000 neighbors secure more than $13 million in tax refunds, credits, and preparation savings. This impact doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because caring people step forward.

If you value economic security, dignity, and community, we’d love to have you join us as an EKS volunteer. No experience is needed — just a willingness to learn and a heart for service. Your time can change someone’s year… and sometimes their life. Be part of something that truly matters.

Click here to volunteer: https://www.unitedwaywinecountry.org/eks-free-tax-help
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHGz1s6fb_M&t=4s

United Way of the Wine Country’s free tax support has returned over $90M in refunds to local families. Learn how you can benefit from this program!

12/24/2025