LIVE UNITED Y’All!

By Natalie Harris

I came across this article,  The Case for $320,000 Kindergarten Teachers, by David Leonhardt, in the New York Times business section this morning, and with all the buzz about our recent Kindergarten Countdown event at Slugger Field, I thought the timing was too good to be ignored.

While the article is a bit of an opinion piece (ultimately treading into some potential education policy minefields), I thought the greater point of the study discussed was clearly worth mentioning:  kindergarten, when done well, has an incredible long-term impact.  As Leonhardt sums up:

Students who had learned much more in kindergarten were more likely to go to college than students with otherwise similar backgrounds. Students who learned more were also less likely to become single parents. As adults, they were more likely to be saving for retirement. Perhaps most striking, they were earning more.

An that “more” is nothing to sneeze at:

A student who went from average to the 60th percentile — a typical jump for a 5-year-old with a good teacher — could expect to make about $1,000 more a year at age 27 than a student who remained at the average.

The study discussed, “How Does Your Kindergarten Classroom Affect Your Earings? Evidence From Project STAR”, ultimately concludes that an outstanding kindergarten teacher is worth $320,000 a year.

This could definitely be viewed as depressing news in these days of budget cuts, school closings (i.e. bigger classrooms), and big challenges for even the best teachers — the ultimate toll all this can take on the community is alarming — but it should also be viewed as a call to action.

The work Metro United Way does in support of early childhood education (Success By 6, Gheens Bridges to Tomorrow, Born Learning and more) pushes us towards one goal:  making sure that our children arrive in kindergarten ready to succeed.  This moment of economic crisis makes it even more imperative that we do the work, with our community’s help, to meet this goal.

Education, Events, General early childhood, kindergarten, Kindergarten Countdown, Metro United Way, Success By 6

Stakeholder Relationship Team shows what's important to them!

I remember as a kid there always seemed to be someone on my block who would always tell  my mother or father what I did or did not do.  That individual was called a tattle tale.  Tattle taling is passing information through “word of mouth.” The saying goes that a person will tell at least 10 other people about a good or bad experience they had with a company, organization or an individual. And more often than not, those 10 people may tell at least 10 other people. I know I have experienced both giving and receiving that type of information.

Think for a moment about “word of mouth” or WOM. The simple act of conversing with another is a powerful way to spread a message. 

The June 23, 2010 edition of The Agitator discussed how WOM is a powerful way for non-profits to spread their message and build relationships. 

 Here’s a report from Online Media Daily on an interesting Yahoo study that has attempted to drill into WOM behavior. It notes that 76% of all WOM still occurs face-to-face … however, increasingly it just might be that two individuals are sitting side-by-side talking about something they are viewing on their respective smartphones! The study says that 38% of all WOM conversations, however they occur, are informed by internet-derived content.

No one’s really examined WOM specifically as it works in the nonprofit space, but there’s no reason to expect the underlying principles would differ. In our own DonorTrends surveys, we’ve seen that 15-20% of donors self-identify themselves as individuals who have recommended a specific charity or cause group to someone else.

In building relationships we know that personal contact is the best way to increase the depth of the relationship. In today’s world of social media, i-phones, i-pads, email and yes, the old standby face-to-face conversations, their are unlimited  opportunities to talk about experiences, causes, ideas and really almost anything. 

How do we utilize our WOM opportunities to connect with people we know, meet with, talk on the phone with, Facebook with, are LinkedIn with to spread our Metro United Way message? In this past week there were at least two opportunities to WOM with others about helping others. First is the opportunity to Adopt Camp Kindergarten Schools and the second is the need for Volunteers to Drive Cancer Patients to Treatments. What wonderful opportunities to use the power of WOM.

What is the power of WOM. I think the power of WOM is best described by doing the math. We can use the earleir reference about one person telling 10 other people about an experience, idea, opportunity to calculate the power of WOM.

I tell 10 people about opportunities to adopt Camp Kindergarten classrooms and the need for volunteers to drive cancer patients. If those 10 people will tell 10 other people, we now have 111 people WOMing about these opportunities. If the last 10 we  WOM with tell another 10 we are up to 211 WOMers. This is the power of WOM and the power of 10.

As Metro United Way works to forge lasting relationships with our stakeholders, let’s use the simple act of WOMing to Change People’s Lives.  Give, Advocate, Volunteer! Be a WOMer today!

General Community, future, give, Live United, making a difference, Volunteer, youth

Did you know that every day 7,000 students dropout of high school in this nation? That’s about one every 26 seconds and about 1.3 million students a year. In Louisville, one out of four students entering ninth grade do not graduate on time four years later. High school dropout rates impact us all. Are there any ideas for what we can do?

Thomas Edison once said, “The value of an idea lies in the using of it,” and that is exactly what AT&T, the America’s Promise Alliance, and a group of spirited high school students in our region are doing – taking action. The America’s Promise Alliance, founded by General Colin Powell and his wife Alma, came up with the idea of addressing the high school dropout catastrophe by bringing people together. AT&T came up with the idea of investing capital in America’s Promise so that 10 local communities across the nation could fund $500- $1500 youth-led projects designed to contribute to keeping students in school and increasing graduation rates. The most exciting aspect of this approach – 11 high school students from our region decided to seize the opportunity and take action to expose the community to their creativity, thoughtfulness, and concern regarding the high school dropout issue.

I’m proud to say the early results show success. Young people have stepped forward and offered their own thoughts on how they would get their peers to graduate on time. Some of the ideas that have been submitted to the local and national application review panels include projects with teen-friendly names like:

• Let’s Get Started
• Don’t Miss Out
• Community Youth Talks
• Dropout No More
• Cap and Gown Club
• Miles of Merry Miracles,
• Vision to Victory,
• Self Engaged Enrichment Kids (SEEK)
• Community Leadership Workshop.

It has been such a pleasure to learn about, promote, and manage this project. In fact, I remember smiling as I read through the “My Idea” applications and envisioned each of these young applicants getting an opportunity to experience a potentially life-changing leadership development moment. I imagined each of the applicants experiencing the full rewards of being engaged and connecting in deeper ways to their peers, teachers, parents, community organizations and businesses in ways that open up career opportunities never imagined.

The “My Idea” applicants who attend high schools in Jefferson County and Southern Indiana, like Central, Male, Ballard, Eastern, Moore, Seneca, and Floyd Central, have clearly responded to an opportunity to serve the community by curbing the dropout crisis and leaving a positive lasting impact in the community. The “My Idea” youth student applicants prove that young people are assets and that their voices must be considered if we are going to solve this tough challenge of increasing high graduation rates. Thank you AT &T and America’s Promise Alliance.

General

By Jan Sherrell

I’m not a big talker. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve usually got an opinion and am ready to offer it up, but in the grand scheme of things I can be very succinct when I speak. Okay, some might call it curt. I think I learned it from my dad. Dad was very direct, not a lot of chat, and to the point. Hurt my feelings a lot of times now that I mention it, but that is another topic.

I’m working on getting a little chattier, to listen better and encourage others to voice their opinions. But still, sometimes when the phone rings, I’m tempted to let the machine get it. Maybe the caller can just leave me a message and I can save that 10 minutes of my life for peace and quiet.

Maybe I over think things – especially for the more difficult conversations. Do you ever rehearse the conversations in your head? You’ve got the perfect script all worked out and when the moment arises for you to have that conversation it ends up with a muttered, “um I’m here if you need me, you know…if you ever do” or “um, I thought you were going to call me…..I waited for you….” Yep, I told them didn’t I?

I recently had some tough work conversations. I literally wrote down my thoughts and ordered them logically. It helped me make sure I covered what I needed to and helped me think through my word choices. Knowing my “to the point” nature it also allowed me to make sure I fully fleshed out my thoughts. The conversation went well. I felt better after addressing that tough conversation.

You know sometimes just showing the effort, making a pitch, be it inadequate or not, the attempt was made to open that conversation. Go ahead and take that phone call and use the “oh, the pizza guy is here, I have to go” line if the conversation runs too long. Extend a hand to someone even when you don’t exactly know what to say. Begin those difficult conversations, you can always go back and use your practiced speech the next time if the first time doesn’t work out.

Humans need that interaction. Offer a smile to a neighbor or coworker or youth and sharpen your social skills with some friendly small talk. Or really get your nerve up and broach the subject that has been on your mind, but do it kindly with good intentions, you don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings.

What is your way of dealing with tough conversations? How’s that working for you?

General Community, make change, opportunity

By Patty Belden

I couldn’t wait to get off the school bus. The thirty minute ride was beginning to seem like a lifetime and I was bursting at the seams to share my good news.  It was 1987 and I was finishing my first week of first grade at St. Anthony’s Catholic School.  The sun was hot and my knee was stinging from a kickball mishap during morning recess.  My white uniform shirt was stained with chocolate milk and my perfect pigtails were no longer perfect.  My late arrival to the bus had forced me to share a seat with a fourth grader. This particular situation would usually fill me with anxiety causing me to slouch in my seat, tightly hug my backpack and pray she wouldn’t speak to me.  Fourth graders were cool and tough and talked about things that I didn’t understand.  My sister was in fourth grade that year.  I never understood her phone conversations with her other fourth grade friends.  And of course I never stood a chance of learning anything because she was quick to slam her bedroom door when I would try to eavesdrop.

Today was different though and none of those things mattered.  I might as well have been sitting next to a kindergartener.  I was sitting straight, confident, and smiling at the big news I was holding inside.  Nothing could bring me down today, because today I had become a Unicorn!   

I flew off the bus and darted through the yard.  When did our yard get so big?  The front door seems miles not yards away.  I burst through the door and screamed for my mom.  She must have mistaken my thrill for distress as she ran to my side, gathered my cheeks in her hands and asked if I was okay. I thought to myself, of course I’m ok. I am better than ok, I am GREAT.  I am a Unicorn!  The words rolled off my tongue so naturally, “I’m a Unicorn!”.  I couldn’t wait for her reaction.  Silence combined with a strange look and polite smile was all I got. 

Eventually my mother came to understand my life as a Unicorn.  She was very proud and encouraging.  I realize now that a little explanation would have resulted in a more enthused reaction…the “Unicorns” were the advanced-level reading group for St. Anthony’s first grade class. 

My passion for reading has carried on into my adult life and I can’t imagine life with out a good book.  I have to credit those supportive adults in my life who offered constant encouragement and made reading exciting.  As a tutor at Brooklawn Child & Family Services, I am able to share my love for reading with a child who may not otherwise receive that extra support. 

Are you passionate about reading, writing, or education in general?  Check out Metro United Way’s website for education-focused volunteer opportunities in our community. 

Education, Volunteering Brooklawn Child & Family Services, tutor, tutoring

By Jan Sherrell

It may not be apparent to the reader but we’ve begun naming monthly themes for this blog. It helps us work through various topics and might bring a more consistent message. It also gets our blogging juices focused and flowing.

So Success Stories is July’s theme. My work is directly with our agencies and I hear and see great things going on in the community, affecting hundreds of people. But today, when I think success stories, I can only think of Kristina Witten.

Kristina passed away July 5, 2010. “Passed away” doesn’t express the victory or success Kristina experienced in life and in death. Kristina believed in God and is breathing easy in heaven right now. That is a victory and a success.

Kristina had Cystic Fibrosis. I recently heard someone say having Cystic Fibrosis is like taking every breath as if breathed through a pillow. Kristina could have done less, expected special treatment and become concerned only with her self, but she didn’t. Kristina had such a heart for others. She had built a whole community around her through the internet, her sorority, church and friends. Daily she reached out and lifted others up.

Kristina was always showing concern for others. Maybe CF made her more empathetic to the situations of others. Though it is very difficult saying goodbye to such a beautiful young lady, I strive to keep in mind that the grief is for those left behind. Kristina is breathing easy. Her life was a success.

How do you measure success?

General Community, cystic fibrosis, success

by Kelly Hutchinson, Donor Relationship Manager

At Metro United Way we spend a fair amount of time sharing stories with one another. I think one reason we do this is because stories make us all feel good about the work we do each day. Stories of lives changed and opportunities created help us feel successful in our role and contributions. Even more importantly, stories are important in helping us communicate with you just exactly how you make a difference and together in our community we are advancing the common good.

Our stories include the people and organizations who bring passion, expertise and resources together with Metro United Way to get things done in our community.

Here is one recent brief story that flew into my Outlook Inbox in March from Ron Jackson one of the talented leaders in the Community Impact department. Ron is the director of the Bridges to Tomorrow initiative –and he has a smile that will light up a room –yes, I do digress.

The enthusiastic email from Ron read in part “I am so excited about the progress made by Sandra and others involved in Gheens Bridges to Tomorrow. There is nothing more pleasing than to see one of the Family Leaders become inspired by what they learn in this project and then act on a dream they have had for years.”   

Ron’s email told the story of Sandra (a single mother in our community) who became involved in Metro United Way’s Gheens  Bridges to Tomorrow program in 2009. In the program, she had the opportunity to complete a Financial Stability workshop led by PNC Bank volunteer instructors in March of 2009.

I am sure you would agree the purchase of a home is a long term dream for most. It is easier for some than others, and not considered possible by still others. Sandra however did dream bigger. She shared a dream for herself and her family. Through the Bridges to Tomorrow, Sandra created what’s called a family success plan and in it she included her dream of purchasing a home. In the program she becomes identified as the “Family Leader”. Sandra identified and then focused on what she needed to do to reach the dream. She worked from her budget and created a savings plan. She had encouragement and a new-found support system with a “Family Coach” working with her to transform her life. After twelve months, in March of 2010 she purchased a home!

Sandra’s success story and accomplishment of this dream allows also for a transformation in her life and that of her 3 year old son. There is a 3 year old boy now who will have a greater chance at being prepared and ready for kindergarten and to be successful in school. He now has an engaged and empowered parent who knows how to dream and achieve goals.

The story continues as does Sandra’s involvement in Gheens Bridges to Tomorrow, but the odds for further success have just tipped much greater in the favor of Sandra and her little boy!

What other things in life do you think are a part of the american dream?

Education, General, Giving, Income, Volunteering First time home owner, Gheens Bridges to Tomorrow, PNC

By: Angie Ditsler

This past weekend I went to the wedding of a friend and former co-worker of mine.  This particular wedding was more than just a celebration of love and marriage, however: It was a celebration of triumph and success- and not just for the bride, but for many of her guests, as well.

I met my friend Zahra about 6 years ago when we worked together at Kentucky Refugee Ministries.  At the time, Zahra was an interpreter, receptionist, mediator, and caseworker.  As a refugee herself from Somalia in the early 90s, Zahra was the most trusted and relied upon person on our staff among the clientele.  As the years went by and I changed jobs, Zahra continued to push herself as she furthered her own education and career.  Knowing Zahra as I do now, it’s hard to imagine all the obstacles she’s faced in her life: escape from Somalia, survival in a refugee camp in Kenya, arriving in the U.S., learning a new language, and adapting to a new way of life.  A recent article in the LEO describes Zahra’s life prior to coming to America: http://leoweekly.com/news/seeking-refuge

Seeing how beautiful she looked on her wedding way was particularly touching because it was a reminder of how far she has come, and the exciting adventure that still awaits her as she continues her life journey in Colorado with her new husband. 

The wedding itself was a bit of a reunion of sorts.  Catching up with former colleagues and clients was wonderful, especially being reunited with those people I had met years earlier just days, or hours even, after they stepped foot on U.S. soil for the first time.  Watching the women dance in their beautiful dresses the other night with smiles on their faces made me smile. Being introduced to their own children for the first time- children born here in the United States- was proof that not only Zahra, but all the women there that night have overcome so much adversity and are thriving.  I was reminded once again of the reason I chose Louisville as my new home six years ago: this is a place where cultures and languages are bridged together, and families can thrive.

Advocacy, General Community, culture, refugee, success

By Michael Cordy

For all of my life I have been somewhat lucky and very fortunate. I was raised in a loving family, was taught to work hard, save money, treat others with respect and all will work out as planned. I was taught at an early age the value of hard work and always desired a big successful career and was taught that to be successful in life I had to be successful in my job. For many of us, our identity is wrapped up in what we do professionally and for me this was definitely the case. So for 20 plus years after college, my life was on track and it seemed fairly simple and straightforward “I have this down pat!”

I had everything one could want until one Monday last year this all changed.

In June of 2009, I lost my job due to no fault of my own – just a sign of the times. Although at the time it was difficult to process and I now had a lot of time on my hands, I was hopeful for the future and my next great job. I promised myself I would take sometime and “find myself.”  I took a few weeks to collect myself, reconnected with family, friends and past colleagues, took an exotic vacation, lost 25lbs and yet I still was left with a void. I thought this void was not having a job and kept believing this and knew that it would all fall into place when I landed my job.

So I worked harder, applied for more jobs, did more networking and kept trying to do more and more to land this very elusive perfect job. Each week I became more and more unsuccessful and more unhappy and I knew something had to change.  I knew I had to do something new, something unfamiliar, something to get outside of myself and then things would begin to fall into place. I wasn’t sure what this was but deep down I new I had to shift my focus to service work but didn’t know where to start.

This was totally unfamiliar territory for me. I was much more comfortable with talking about my experience and qualifications and past business wins than to be myself offering a level of service. After all, what service skills did I have? I was a private sector business guy and would much rather talk about my accomplishments in business, business strategy and negotiate deals than volunteering or connecting on nonprofit purpose levels.

It wasn’t until I attended a social function and met a couple of guys that have become both friends and mentors in the world of volunteering. Both were involved in local service organization in addition to their careers: one on the board of Metro United Way and the other on the board of House of Ruth. In our socializing, I said I had always wanted to get involved (and I had) but having the intentions and doing it were two very different things.

I think they saw through me at this point in taking the talk vs. walking the walk. So right then, I threw myself into the unknown and said “put me to work.” I didn’t care what I would be doing and had all intentions of doing the grass roots stuff- stuffing envelopes, painting a room, making calls etc.

I didn’t care what the task was I just wanted to be part of something bigger than myself, and most importantly, the process of rediscovering myself I was becoming humble again.

What came next was completely unexpected. They and a few others saw something in me that I had lost seeing in myself: a set of skills and level of confidence that is greatly needed in the service community. A few weeks later and after some introductions, I was asked to be on the House of Ruth Development Committee as well as the Metro United Way 2010 Campaign Cabinet, and just recently, the Board of Directors for House of Ruth. I had no idea my skills were needed and valued to these organizations in the work they do and the services they provide. These truly are gifts that have changed my focus and purpose in life.

I am still in job search mode but my priorities for what I want are much stronger. I believe I am a stronger candidate, I come across with more confidence, conviction and honesty than I have ever before and I know the right thing will come along. I have found a home here in Louisville through my service work and I am doing all that I can to stay and continue this work and hopeful the right job will come along.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my story and I look forward to helping where I can. I also look forward to the rewarding experiences that will come in return. Doug, Rod, Linda, Beth, Kelly, Jill, Joel, the entire Metro United Way Staff and the entire House of Ruth Staff I am truly grateful for your gifts.

Thank you for believing in me when my own belief had waned.

Volunteering Skills based volunteering