United Way of Metropolitan Dallas kicked off its 98th annual campaign with $3 million in investment for three North Texas companies.
The three local recipients of United Way’s Centennial fundraising campaign were Dallas-based Comerica Bank and Trinity Industries and Plano-based Frito-Lay. Each organization will receive $1 million to support ongoing efforts to improve education, income, and health in Southern Dallas.
All three locally-headquartered corporations are visionaries in their respective industries and communities, said Jennifer Sampson, McDermott-Templeton president and CEO of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.
“More importantly, they back up their vision with commitments of time, talent, and financial resources to ensure all North Texans have the opportunity and access to thrive,” she said.
Each company will use the monies received to prepare students for school success, equip them with career or certification training, and provide job access, according to United Way’s “United 2030” roadmap. The three individual investments will also support health and wellness through increased food security and expanded access to health care coverage.
Aspire United 2030 is a broad set of goals seeking to drive transformative change and increase opportunities for education, income, and health in North Texas. These goals include:
- Increase by 50% the number of students “reading on grade level” by third grade.
- Increase by 20% the number of young adults “earning a living wage,” adding nearly $800 million in wages per year in North Texas.
- Increase to 96% the number of North Texans with “access to affordable health care insurance.”
When speaking at United Way’s “United 2030” roadmap launch in late 2020, Sampson expressed enthusiasm about the organization’s community-based goals.
“We want to ensure that kids are graduating from high school,” Sampson said. “We want to ensure that families have the financial independence and economic mobility to sustain themselves and their families through retirement.”