LIVE UNITED Y’All!

Nearly everyone would like to have a little more change in their pockets going jingle, jangle, ling.  It’s fun to think about planning a vacation, eating at a nice restaurant, or going to a concert when you’ve got some extra money.  However, for many individuals and families, meeting their basic needs is a daily struggle, and having some extra income is vital for taking care of the necessities – food, housing, safety, and health.  When stresses about life’s necessities mount, education takes a back seat.  However, we all know that the more education you have, the more money you make.  So what about those who are struggling to make ends meet, how can we help them with their education when other needs must be addressed first? 

Metro United Way understands the importance of addressing basic needs, so we are involved in efforts that boost income to make it easier for those of us under financial stress to focus on education.  We view this approach as providing the insulation of the education pipeline – making sure necessities are addressed so we can effectively remove barriers to educational attainment.

One of the efforts we support is making sure that local residents get all the tax credits for which they are eligible.  Since 2001, Metro United Way has actively promoted and supported efforts to provide free tax preparation and filing services, with a goal of making sure families who qualify with incomes up to $49,000 are taking advantage of the earned income tax credit (EITC).  The EITC can place as much as $5,666 back into the hands of hard working families.  With our partners –  the Louisville Asset Building Coalition, the Southern Indiana Asset Building Coalition and HJW Career and Financial Literacy Institute, we are making sure that individuals and families can get their taxes done free and receive eligible credits like the EITC.  Since we began working in this area, our partners have collectively served over 54,000 individuals and families, returning $59 million in federal and state tax refunds, of which over $25 million has been in the form of the EITC.  We have also saved filers an estimated $10 million in tax preparation and filing fees.   Learn more by clicking on the links above.

In addition, Metro United Way is working with Louisville Metro Government to promote a campaign known as “Through Any Door”, which provides benefit screenings for programs such as SNAP (food stamps), K-Chip (health insurance for kids), WIC (supplemental food for families with young children), Free and Reduced Price School Lunches, and other benefits.  The goal is to increase the uptake of these benefit programs for eligible families by streamlining the application process by working through a variety of trusted community partners.  Since launching in the Spring of 2009, this effort has assisted over 1,600 individuals, with annualized benefits in the millions of dollars.  We anticipate that this effort, along with others that are forming, will connect these benefits, also known as work supports, to more families than ever before so that basic needs can be met, and that families have more time and resources to support the educational attainment of their children. 

Bottom line:  Efforts like these help provide more money for food, housing, safety, and healthcare, and for educational attainment.  Jingle, jangle, ling!

General, Income benefit screening, Education, Income, tax preparation

By: Ron Halpern and Angie Ditsler

This story is Part II of a four-part series that spotlights the successes of the Gheens Bridges to Tomorrow initiative and the Horn Opportunities Fund.  The following success story demonstrates the power of believing in oneself and “dreaming big.”  Thanks to the generosity of the Mildred V. Horn Foundation and other funders like the Gheens Foundation, Chase Bank, PNC Bank and the Humana Foundation, people like Billie have overcome obstacles, established personal goals, and charted their own paths to success.

Billie Jean is a mother of three.  For quite some time, she did not feel economically stable, and at times, had difficulty making ends meet and paying bills on time.  Billie Jean often felt as though her lack of education was setting a bad example for her teenage son who, at the time, was considering dropping out of high school.  When Billie Jean’s family coach offered her financial assistance subsidized by the Horn Opportunity Fund she was ecstatic.  The Horn funds she received allowed Billie Jean to pay for a semester of classes and books at Jefferson County Technical and Community College (JCTCS).  That first semester of college gave Billie Jean the motivation to continue her education even further and set goals for herself. She is currently working towards finishing her degree in Business Administration.  Billie Jean is also financially stable in her current job and is looking forward to growing her career in business administration.  She is most proud of the example she has set for her children, having shown them the correct path to education and stability in their lives as adults.  As Billie Jean exclaimed, “I am more economically stable, and it’s wonderful!”

General, Income Chase Bank, Gheens Bridges to Tomorrow, Gheens Foundation, Humana Foundation, Mildred V. Horn Foundation, PNC Bank

By Kelly Hutchinson, Donor Relationship Manager

If you’re like me, every year you resolve to lose weight, eat healthier, exercise, quit a habit… Health is no doubt very important but what about other areas of our life where we may be less accustomed to setting a resolution. Do you include these too? What about resolving on some things that will also positively impact and improve the lives of others? Would you gain a sense of accomplishment from resolutions for others as much as you feel like you would from your personal ones like exercising more or losing 15 lbs?

Here are a few thoughts on other resolutions that, simple and obvious as they seem, can truly help improve your life and the lives of all in 2011. 

Give:  In order to either start giving or increase what you currently give then you will want to make sure you have something to give, right?  Giving a charitable donation is meaningful for yourself and those who are helped -whether you decide to support many causes and spread out your generosity or make a significant investment in work that matters to you—the bottom line is still the same. Steps to help you increase your giving might include increasing your financial stability, eliminating credit card debt and saving.   Looking for inspiration? Check out Carlo at Living Philanthropic. Carlo is a man of modest means but he vowed to give to charity every single day for one year. His mission is you only need to be rich in spirit and is built on a belief everyone can make a difference. He gives everyday. He is very cool in my book.

Advocate: Find your passion and share your opinions. Sign a Pledge to support education and check out how things might really change in your region if educational attainment was improved. Sustainable progress often requires changes in public policy. Do you know who your legislators are? Why not reach out to them? Join the campaign for the common good and work with United Way in your community and across the nation to cut the high school drop out rate in half. If you are still reading this then you could probably also thank a teacher.

Volunteer:  Resolve to give more of your time.  Whether it is an hour a week or an hour a month there are so many ways that you could honor and keep a new year’s resolution around volunteering. Have you checked out the needs lately in our community? Curious about the homeless population in our community? Want to help? Start here.

Advocacy, Education, General, Giving, Health, Income, Volunteering

By: Ron Halpern and Angie Ditsler

The goal of Gheens Bridges to Tomorrow is to encourage families to set goals for themselves and “dare to dream bigger.”  The Horn Opportunity Fund, a component of the Gheens Bridges to Tomorrow (B2T) initiative, was made possible by the Mildred V. Horn Foundation.  This fund was created to empower Family Leaders enrolled in B2T to reach their goals as described in their individualized success plans.  Funds can specifically be used to ensure families are able to access opportunities, like a new job, for example or to remove barriers for families that may be prohibiting them from reaching their goals.  For example, assisting a Family Leader with something as simple as a car repair or utility bill may, in turn, open up doors for someone to pursue a much larger goal or dream.  Below is the first of a series of success stories from Family Leaders enrolled in B2T who have achieved great success thanks to resources made available to them through the Horn Opportunity Fund.

Holly’s Story

            Holly T. is a mother of three who was able to turn her life around with the assistance of Gheens Bridges to Tomorrow and the Horn Opportunity Fund.  Holly felt unfulfilled at her previous job , and was having trouble paying her monthly bills.  Holly felt that her lack of a high school diploma was limiting her earning potential.  Holly’s dream was to work in the healthcare industry, but she had always lacked the technical skills and credentials needed to pursue her dream.  Holly was awarded Horn funds which enabled her to complete a healthcare GED class.  That particular class confirmed Holly’s career passion. She pursued her dream, and was soon awarded a Healthcare GED, which then led her to an associate position at the Plasma Center.  She is now financially stable and feels truly fulfilled in her career.   Holly’s dreams continue to grow, and she now has plans to continue her education even further.  “It’s been a Wonderful experience,” says Holly.

Education, General, Health, Income dream, Gheens Bridges to Tomorrow, Horn Opportunity Fund, Mildred V. Horn Foundation

By Jan Sherrell

It is November. November is the month we are more intentional about giving thanks. Heck, they named a holiday after it.

I thought I’d share some stories of Metro United Way agencies and their thankful clients.

Three year old Colten’s parents are thankful for Visually Impaired Preschool. When they were told at two months that their son Colten had significant vision impairment, Colten’s parents were scared. Now they are thankful that visiting VIPS allowed them to meet toddlers without sight learning to adapt and play and live to the fullest. They had millions of questions regarding Colten’s diagnosis and prognosis. They are thankful VIPS staff helped them find the answers.

Mrs. C is thankful for the daily phone calls she receives from Multi-Purpose Community Action volunteers. She is very appreciative of someone showing an interest in her and being available to offer other resources when she needs them. Mrs. C looks forward to the phone call daily; they are her window to the world.

Patrick is a 45 year-old male with mental challenges. In 2007 he was living in a homeless shelter. Now Patrick knows how to do numerous industrial tasks at Custom Quality Service’s sheltered workshop. Patrick is thankful for his own place and for Custom Quality Services giving him a chance at independence.

Eighty-three year old Mr. G admits he sometimes has to force himself to attend the Arthur S. Kling Center. His poor health and no energy can make it a struggle to get motivated. But he knows that when he gets there he will enjoy the camaraderie. He enjoys a hot lunch, plays pool, exercises and uses the computer. He is thankful for the social workers available there to help him and their care for him inspires Mr. G to visit others in poor health.

And me?  I’m always thankful for the contingent of agencies serving our community and improving lives. What are you thankful for?

General, Health, Income Agencies, community change, Give Thanks, Live United, parenting, United Way

by Judy Schroeder, Manager of Neighborhood Engagement

Because of Darlene Seabrooks, I’m meeting some wonderful young moms who are getting involved with our Ages & Stages “Action Research.”  I want you to meet some of them, so we’re making a video that I’ll post for you in a few weeks.

Since Metro United Way plans for every child in our Greater Louisville community to be prepared and ready for kindergarten, we have to be asking…HOW? (Where’s Superman when you need him?)

The Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) is one tool used by hundreds of local parents to learn more about what their child is learning, and what they, as parents, can do for their infants and toddlers. After all, free and confidential assistance is available to all Kentucky children under age 3 who have developmental needs, regardless of income. Let’s figure out how to use that!

Nearly 900 families from all backgrounds, scattered throughout dozens of different zip codes, are already involved. That tells me parents from all backgrounds are looking for information about their child’s development, and they are getting it with a personal touch provided by your Metro United Way.

Right now, we’re finding that around 20% of our children generally need some help. Those parents get a personal phone call to discuss great community services that can do that.

Maybe because of my special bias as a Portland neighborhood resident, I always have to ask whether the families who are getting involved include our poorest neighbors.

GREAT NEWS:  In the course of this Action Research study, we’ve seen the few returns we started with from predominantly poor/moderate income zip codes (which were 5% or less) rise to at least 27% of the returns we have now.  We find that some of those neighborhoods are doing better than others. For example, in Shawnee up to 75% of the children are scoring “typical” or better.

It’s also true (at this point in time) that our Action Research neighborhood has the highest participation numbers across Jefferson County. That’s good. The outreach helped.

What’s really important though, is that 60% of these scores are saying that children need some specific help, three times the results in the general population, from what we see now.

Returns from Parkway Place Housing, where there is a median household income of less than $15,000 per year, jumped in July-August 2010 due to participation by our partner, the California Child Development Center, and Darlene Seabrooks. Ms. Darlene is the trusted community advocate and mentor at the Housing Authority’s after-school Tutoring Center who graduated from the Center for Neighborhoods’ Neighborhood Institute with the idea that she wanted to make a difference for children and families’ education.  She has!

She is connecting us to interested parents, who are involved only because Ms. Darlene figured out how to get them involved. Now let’s keep them involved, because parents are the real Superman to their children.
*****
To request an Ages & Stages Questionnaire, call 2-1-1, or complete a request form for Ages & Stages Questionnaires on Metro United Way’s website.

Advocacy, Education, Income Ages & Stages Questionnaires, ASQ, Children, Community, early childhood, making a difference, Neighborhood Engagement, parenting, Success By 6

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 John Nevitt

I heard a statistic not too long ago that very few Americans know their neighbors except for those on either side of their home or apartment. Why should that be troubling to us? Well, if it truly takes a village to successfully raise a child, we need to know who we can turn to in our neighborhoods for help. Plus, if we want to reduce our chances of being burglarized, the more neighbors we know, the more sets of eyes to help protect our property.

Another reason to get to know your neighbors is to strengthen our broader community. Our vision at Metro United Way is to build the most vital, caring community in the nation. We accomplish this by getting to know one another, sharing ideas, stories, (and food) which leads to a sense of connection, and more often than not, a group of allies who are there to support us.

A number of years ago, I took a leadership development class that encouraged us to design a project that would enhance a “community” of our choosing. Community can be defined as a group of interacting people sharing a common geography, intent, belief, resources, preferences, needs, risks, etc. I chose to work with two neighborhood communities – the east end neighborhood where I lived and the inner city neighborhood where I worked. I wanted to get to know some of my neighbors better and foster a sense of connection within our broader Louisville community.

Essentially, I organized a neighborhood exchange where we could share a meal together and get to know one another. We gathered in a circle and asked everyone to talk about their hopes, dreams and aspirations, and what was helpful to them along their pathway and what did they see were the barriers. As I listened, it was interesting to hear some major differences between the two groups of neighbors, but I was more intrigued by what we had in common. I created an intention that participants would experience a sense of connection, and would have a better appreciation and understanding of residents from another neighborhood. As we debriefed from our gathering, many reported the recognition that, though very different on the surface and facing very different challenges, we all want the same thing for ourselves and our loved ones and there was an immediate sense of connection.

Deep down, I believe that what we all want is for our children to be successful in school and beyond, we want to be self-sufficient, and we want to experience good health throughout our lifetime. In other words, we care about education, income, and health, the three building blocks of Metro United Way.

So, how do we help ensure we have what we all want? Getting to know our neighbors is a great place to enhance our chances for success by tapping into the caring power of our local community. Consider inviting your neighbors to a pot-luck dinner, join (or start) a neighborhood association, organize a block party, or begin a book club or discussion group with your neighbors. It only takes a small step to get started, and the potential rewards are tremendous.

For a list of ideas on how to meet community residents and to get more involved in your community, visit the website www.bettertogether.org/150ways.

What step will you be taking in the upcoming weeks?  Do you have a great success story about building neighborhood connections that you would like to share?<

Advocacy, Education, Health, Income building community, Common good, Community, connection, Neighborhoods, neighbors

By Judy Schroeder

I’ve seen the research that says that impoverished children can be expected to accomplish as much as 3 times more when the place they call their neighborhood is a mixed income community. Why? No big mystery: communities can supply stability and security for each other where family resources are thin. That “mix” doesn’t even have to be very broad to be the safety net that lifts more children to higher expectations.

What does that mean in a place like Louisville where anyone who has been here even a short time understands that East, West, and South have their own unspoken, separate realities of wealth and family income?

Well, where I live in West Louisville, in a place that averages less than $18,000 annual household income, it means that families on my block – renters and owners – are part of a support system: every time they are walking a neighbor’s child to the bus stop, sharing a ride to the grocery, or passing around the news about better place to shop. Not too different than any other neighborhood, right? You all probably see something like that, especially where there are children.

That’s what I thought when we moved here. It just turns out that it’s even more crucial in a neighborhood like mine.

The time a couple of middle-school girls were helping me with some yard work was a real eye-opener. When I overheard one say to the other, “My Mom says I should eat all of the bread I want between meals when the check runs out,” that was more than just passing information! That was survival training. …I got my reputation for always having fresh fruit in the house that summer.

Through Metro United Way we all contribute to programs at Neighborhood House and the Presbyterian Community Center, or the Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCA, that help sustain that slim support system, stability and security, when families need that extra help. It was a blessing to be able to introduce my girls’ moms to the Kids’ Café, which served nearly 11,500 meals at Neighborhood House last year, and Dare to Care Food Banks which provided an additional 12,000 people with healthy emergency food.

Communities where people care for each other provide children with Hope for Tomorrow. Our network of services are in place, providing both Help for Today and Hope for Tomorrow.

Income Agencies, food security, Kidz Club, Louisville neighborhoods, neighborhood work, Participating Agencies

By Kelly Thompson, Director of Engagement Initiatives

If you live in the Louisville-area and don’t know about the great things going on in southwest part of Jefferson County prepare yourself to be amazed at the growing community pride brewing in neighborhoods like Valley Station, Pleasure Ridge Park, Fairdale, and Shively. The establishment of the Southwest Dream Team is one of the many new movements sparking a renaissance of community pride and civic involvement taking the area by storm.

Over a year ago I did a video story on Jim and Kathy Pullen from Southwest Louisville VITA site or the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site run by Louisville Asset Building Coalition. Jim and Kathy are a great example of the kind of people that are making places like Southwest Louisville.

Here is what Jim and Kathy have to say today about their experience being volunteers for such a vital community program:

I wanted to take a minute to write about a community of volunteers.  My husband and I are site coordinators for the Southwest VITA (volunteer income tax assistance) site.  The people of our community have done a tremendous job of stepping up to provide this needed tax service.  We are open almost 30 hours each week including Sat.  Over 20 volunteers have donated countless hours each week since Jan. 19 to make this happen.  Actually, we have counted those hours…..over 1800!  They even came out when the roads were bad and schools were closed.

Many of our volunteers also find time to help other non-profit organizations.  One of our volunteers found herself unemployed and decided to spend her ‘free’ time helping others.  Another works in our area but lives in another part of the county.  He stops one evening each week on his way home to help and even comes back of Saturdays!

Although it’s been an exhausting experience, we leave everyday proud to be a part of Southwest Jefferson County.  We are a community of people who cares about our neighbors and demonstrates that caring through our actions.  We will have provided free tax preparation to over 1000 people by the time we close our doors on April 15.  A feat that is only made possible because we have a community of volunteers in Southwest Jefferson County.

Jim and Kathy Pullen

Site Coordinators

Southwest VITA

Giving, Income, Volunteering Southwest Dream Team, Valley Station