December 2021

It's a Wrap!

Year-End Giving

Home Comings

Meet Kelly Whitley

It's a Wrap! 350+ Bright Beginnings Students to Receive Three New Books Each

United Way's auditorium became Santa’s workshop on Dec. 2 as 50 WI members creatively wrapped more than 1,060 art and music books that will be enjoyed by United Way Bright Beginnings youngsters for years to come.

Matthew Lawrence, a fine arts consultant with Bright Beginnings, started the evening on the right note by performing “I Miss You, You’re My Favorite,” which is a song he and his students wrote during COVID-19. Through the music program, students were able to share their feelings about missing friends while learning important coping skills for handling the sadness they were experiencing.

Ribbons, bows, and a big thank you go to Jay Fairley, Jane Jones, and Amanda McMillian for sponsoring this event.

Check out the Photo Gallery to see more pictures from this event.

Make Your Year-End Gift Today

April 15 may be Tax Day, but December is the time to make year-end tax-saving gifts. So, if you need an easy, tax-effective way to make a gift to United Way of Greater Houston, consider donating appreciated securities, including stocks or bonds.

Giving before the end of the year lets you:

• Avoid paying capital gains tax on the sale of appreciated stock
• Receive a charitable income tax deduction
• Help us further our mission today

Visit the Giving Securities page on United Way's website to get the information necessary to send a gift to United Way through appreciated stock.

Thank you for your generous support!

WI Members Enjoy Member-Hosted Happy Hours

During November and December, Decie Autin, Libby Cheney, and Sue Kean opened their lovely homes for small-group evening happy hours to allow WI members to safely reconnect post-quarantine style. These informal gatherings allow us to leverage our network, create community, and spend time learning about each other and our collective efforts.

If you’d like to see more of these types of events, please give us feedback on our LinkedIn or Facebook pages.

Meet Kelly Whitley

Kelly is the VP Investor Relations and Communications at Murphy Oil Corporation. She has been a member of the Women’s Initiative since 2016.

Why do you like giving your time and treasure to the United Way?
As one person said to me, “United Way looks out for my blind spots.” We all can give at our places of worship and have various charities that are near and dear to our hearts, but United Way really knows how to allocate the resources in our community as well as respond quickly in moments of crisis. The Women’s Initiative is a neat way to connect with community minded women and help out in our community - oh yeah, and have a little fun, too.

What is your favorite book?
Right now, my favorite book is “The Lazy Genius Way” by Kendra Adachi. The book details how to embrace what matters, ditch what doesn’t, and get stuff done. Being a working executive mom with a middle school daughter, our family’s calendar can get over-scheduled and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the mixed messages of what it means to live well and have it all. The author of the Lazy Genius movement invites you to live well by your own definition and equips you to be a genius about what matters and lazy about what doesn’t. Everything from your morning routine to planning birthday parties without guilt falls into place with Kendra’s thirteen Lazy Genius principles – I know we all love lists! One of my favorite principles is Decide Once, which for me includes only wearing a black dress (or suit) on Monday mornings. “Yikes, what am I going to wear?” is one less decision I have to make and makes starting the week a little easier. I highly recommend reading the book and signing up for the podcasts: thelazygeniuscollective.com.

What is the best advice your mother gave you?
My mom always told me to wear a blazer and always have a manicure. Both make you look polished and professional, and you never know who you are going to run into.

Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn.

Upcoming Events

The WI Events Committee is planning in-person events for the new year. Stay tuned to the WI LinkedIn and Facebook pages and your email for updates and invitations. In the meantime, below are some events already on the calendar.

Women Who Rock (Montgomery County)
Mar. 4, 2022
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The Woodlands Waterway Marriott
1601 Lake Robbins Drive
The Woodlands, Texas 77380

Year-End Campaign Celebration
May 2022
Amegy Tower
1717 West Loop South
Houston, TX 77027

ADT: Member Appreciation Dinner
April 5, 2022
The Ion

ADT: Member Self-Funded Trip
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Summer 2022

Connect with Us

Stay up to date on events and happenings, connect with fellow members, and learn more about the impact we make together in our Women's Initiative Facebook and LinkedIn groups.

About the Women's Initiative

Women’s Initiative members enjoy engaging networking events, personal and professional development programs, and volunteer opportunities where they learn about community issues and the impact United Way programs make. Members make personal gifts of $2,500 or more annually and collectively contributed more than $4.7 million in 2020-2021.