United Way of San Luis Obispo County is pleased to offer the following ongoing programs and events, supporting nonprofits, youth, families, donors and volunteers.
Flavor of SLO – We are proud to partner with Rotoract SLO for the next Flavor of SLO on Saturday, May 6, 2017! Join us for an afternoon of tasting, sipping, and mingling at our 9th annual tasting event showcasing the very best food, wine and beer that the San Luis Obispo region has to offer. The event will be held in beautiful downtown San Luis Obispo. Check out www.FlavorOfSLO.com for more information. Special thanks to the Flavor of SLO 2016 sponsors!
Stuff the Bus - This is an annual donation drive for new school supplies which are then distributed throughout eleven local school districts. Every summer, just before school starts, the community is invited to literally stuff a big yellow bus with school supplies. Volunteers will help collect school supplies outside of Target in SLO, Walgreens in Atascadero and Walmart in Arroyo Grande and Paso Robles. Meathead Movers is donating boxes to hold the supplies, Atascadero Unified, Lucia Mar Unified, Paso Robles Joint Unified and San Luis Coastal Unified School Districts donated the use of the school busses and the drivers volunteered their time. Our 7th annual Stuff the Bus will be on August 11-14, 2016. Click here for links to donation sites and volunteer opportunities!
Make a Difference Day – Make a Difference Day is a national day of service, organized locally by the Center for Community Engagement at Cal Poly and United Way of San Luis Obispo County, sponsored by Cal Poly and Union Bank. Every year, hundreds of volunteers come out to support our local nonprofits by helping with hands-on projects such as painting, gardening, light maintenance and cleaning. The day begins with a light breakfast and fun kickoff at Chumash Auditorium on the Cal Poly campus. The service projects are completed from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. All volunteers receive a complimentary event t-shirt. Make a Difference Day is on the fourth Saturday of every October. Thank you to the 750+ volunteers who made a difference in 2016!
Boogie on the Bluff - Featuring live music by Louie Ortega & Rio Salinas, delicious tastings from local restaurants, wineries and breweries, and fun for the whole family, all with breathtaking view of the Pismo Coast at SeaCrest OceanFront Hotel. Click here for all of the details about Boogie on the Bluff 2016, and save the date for October 22, 2017!
Coats for Christmas Day - For the past 19 years, the San Luis Obispo community has generously provided our County’s homeless with a wonderful home-cooked Christmas Day dinner, live entertainment and much needed winter clothing care packages. The latter contain brand new: sleeping bags, hooded sweatshirts, winter jackets, socks, underwear and toiletries. Donate today!
There are currently more than 1500 homeless residing in our small county. Only 13% of this number sleeps at emergency shelters. For all of these individuals, these winter clothing items are essential and they speak volumes about the San Luis Obispo community. Please click on the link below to donate or send a check to United Way of San Luis Obispo-write ‘Coats for Christmas’ in the memo - or donate online. For more information about the Coats for Christmas Drive or the Christmas Dinner for the Homeless, please contact Sheri Eibschutz at 594-1999.
Annual Recognition Event – At our annual reception and awards on September 30, 2015, United Way honored several individuals and businesses, who have partnered to improve education, income and health in San Luis Obispo County and were vital to making 2014-15 a success. Special presentations were made to the 2015 Innovation Award recipient and the seventeen 2015-2016 Community Impact Fund grant recipients. Thanks to our sponsor, Joan Gellter-Sargen for making this event possible.