Versus Becomes And---Finding Common Ground

Management vs. Labor. Ford vs. GM vs. Chrysler. Comerica vs. Chase vs. Fifth Third. Lear vs. Visteon. City vs. Suburbs. Politically Right vs. Politically Left. Domestic vs. Global.

Most days, we can find competition between groups or organizations fighting for market position, or for social justice, or for a particular point of view. Yet, what often goes unseen is when those same competitors come together around common purpose.

United Way is one of the few places in community that VERSUS becomes AND. I am often in work where companies/individuals that compete fiercely check the competition at the door and sit next to each other---work with each other--- for the purpose of improving community. Quite honestly, I get to see each day our region at its best.

The other day, management AND Labor Detroit Newspaper Partnership, Detroit Free Press, Detroit News came together to help community. Many in our region often have the imprint of strife from the strike long ago. Not today. Not now. Not for the purpose of community.

This is one example of how the leadership of management (Publisher David Hunke) and the leadership of labor (local union presidents/representatives) put community first. The focus is on writing a 'new story' of progress for the region.

If you would like to see this coming together for community, just click on the short video below.

"Hustling Hope"

You could just tell that every word out of her mouth came with conviction. Experience. Determination. Purpose.

Eylastine Green-Roberts is the Superintendent of the YMCA Service Learning Academy --- school for over a thousand youngsters in elementary and middle school located near seven mile and the Southfield Freeway.

Of her students, 75% qualify for the free lunch program because of the presence of poverty at home.

Eylastine used a term that stuck with me. She leaned forward on the table, looked me straight in the eye and said, "We are hustling hope. That's what we are doing. Hustling Hope."

She recognizes that for many of her students, they have never been beyond his/her own neighborhood. One of her goals is that every student in her school gets a chance to travel while in school. Already, the students have made their way to Chicago, Toronto and Ann Arbor. That isn't good enough for Eylastine. She wants all her students to travel overseas.

Why?

As Eylastine said, "So they can see that this world is theirs. We just need to help them see it."

In case you are wondering, her total student population scored 92% on the MEAPS. Eylastine and the teachers at the Academy might be 'Hustling Hope', but they also are making a significant impact on 1,000 futures.

A key area of focus for United Way is having students ready for his/her future. Whether it is programs like Metro Detroit's Promise, Success by Six, Attendance Initiative or our literacy initiative, all are targeted to make sure kids are ready for school and experience success.

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Poverty Defined

I was asked recently--- "what does someone mean when they use the term 'poverty rate'?"

What is poverty?

"Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, is fear for the future, living one day at a time. Poverty is losing a child to illness brought about by unclean water. Poverty is powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom."
As described by the World Bank

How is poverty defined in the U.S.?

Condition of people whose annual family income is less than a "poverty line" set by the U.S. government

How is the Poverty Line set?

Poverty thresholds were originally derived in 1963-1964 using U.S. Department of Agriculture food budgets designed for families under economic stress and the data about what portion of their income families spent on food. That calculation continues, with some modification, today.

What is that line today?

For a single individual, the poverty line is $9,810. An individual working full time at minimum wage would be below the poverty line.

For a family of four, the threshold is $20,000. If you had a job at $10 an hour and you were supporting three children, you would be below the poverty line.

What are some facts I might not know about poverty:

• From 1970 to 2000, the number of urban census tracks with poverty rates over 40% doubled: that was also true for Southeastern Michigan.
• In the tri-county area, over 440,000 residents live in at or below the poverty line: that would fill up the "Big House" at U of M four times over.
• Concentration of neighborhood poverty leads inexorably to the concentration of school poverty, undermining almost every other effort by the public, private, and volunteer sectors to educate the children of low-income families.
• While there are more whites in poverty in America than individuals of color, poverty has affected disproportionately minority communities --- particularly African American.
• High Poverty Urban Neighborhoods (defined as having a poverty rate higher than 40%) are especially detrimental to labor market prospects of young black men. For example, 51% of young black men in High Poverty Neighborhoods in Detroit weren't in school or employed.
• In 1980, there were 3 times more black men in college than university/college; in year 2000, there are more black men in prison than in college/university.
• A 1-percent increase in city employment raises home values by $6,000 in nearby suburbs.

Where can I learn more?

National Poverty Center - University of Michigan

Brookings Institution

The World Bank

Institute for Research on Poverty

U. S. Department of Human Services

U. S. Census Bureau

If I or I know of someone who needs help, where do I begin?

You can call United Way's help line by dialing 211.

Is there work being done to make progress on the issue?

I wrote recently about this --- you can learn more by clicking here.

Thanks reading....pass it on.

Learn to Read by Grade Three: Read to Learn Grade Three and Beyond

After telling me she liked broccoli, could make pancakes, and loved to draw, Toya, age 5, leaned over and whispered in my ear, "You know what I am really good at?"

I said, "no, tell me."

"Reading. I'm really good at reading."

I had just started my day long journey after lighting the United Way Torch at 6:40 am to launch the 58th Torch Drive Campaign.

To get to Toya, I left Heart Plaza and headed up I-75 to begin traveling over a 100 miles in our region: from the corner of Ferry and Chene on the east side of Detroit where Neighborhood Service Organization is located, to Leaps and Bounds on Packard Ave off of Van Dyke in Warren, to Oakland Family Services at the end of Orchard Lake Rd. in downtown Pontiac, to the Rouge River Library/Guidance Center downriver.

I saw a wide spectrum of socio-economic, racial diversity and physical surroundings. But one thread I saw in common: a fierce focus on teaching our youngest citizens to read.

There were professionals, parents and volunteers working at these resource centers (where your United Way dollars are at work) to ensure that our children are acquiring one of life's most important skills: reading.

Why?

Research has taught us over and over that 80% of the brain develops by age three. The most powerful indicator of academic success is being able to read at grade level by grade three. Simply, children LEARN to READ by grade three; they READ to LEARN grade three and beyond.

We are asking every resident in the tri-county area to join in. Imagine what we can do if we work together. When we combine financial resource, with proven paths of success, with trained professionals, and committed volunteers, neigborhoods make progress. Families make progress. Children make progress. Just like Toya.

To get involved, just click on www.onewaytohelp.org.

Thanks for reading....pass it on.

The Other Divide

There has been a great deal written about the current Digital Divide facing America and the world. As we learn through Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat, the availability of access to knowledge through the web is creating new access to knowledge and networks.

The Digital Divide---those who have access to the technology/knowledge versus those who don't--- is one gap that stunts the impact of this force. But as importantly, is the Other Divide ---the time to learn and use it, the ability to navigate it, and the inclusion of people actually using it. That is, there are millions of individuals that have "access", but don't have either the time, ability or the sense that the technology includes them.

When a mom is working a job (or two), raising children and keeping all things going forward, the luxury of having the time to touch this "flat world" is difficult. Hence, there is lost opportunity for all.

When a elder resident has access to the tools, but finds frustration in navigating and utilizing technology---then gives up trying, we miss an important contributor.

When users of technology have a commonality of interests, but there is an absence of racial diversity, strength is not created.

For example, the three-day international Wikimania conference at Harvard Law School had only one African-American in attendance. Ndesanjo Macha, a trained lawyer and now the director of the largest Boys and Girls club in Greensboro, N.C. is that person.


He said in a recent New York Times article, "They are all white, and to me its very interesting-- it shows that the world is not flat, that the world is still round." Mr. Macha is championing the expansion of Wikipedia's Swahili dictionary.

As technology 'empowers' the world, civic organizations must make sure every possible channel of participation are utilized to ensure all are welcome and all have a path to be included. Absent of that discipline, progress will not be as great.

Why?

An observation by Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault/Nissan, in a recent Time magazine article describes this strength:

"It's amazing how much people of different backgrounds and cultures working together can deliver, vs. people of the same culture on the same problem. The solutions are richer, much more innovative and often more powerful because they are completely thinking out of the box and are not determined by any preconceived ideas, as when you are coming from the same culture."

That is why the Community Action Survey of United Way utilized many paths to garner input: face to face meetings, group forums, hand written surveys, the personal interviews on the telephone (211) ---along with the use of the web. No one channel is the path, but combined, we all end up with a more powerful result.

Finding the ways to have technology broaden the inputs/voices/knowledge, not lessen, is one of the keys to progress. Take a look at how technology was used to include the voice of the wider community in United Way's recent effort around --- Feed the Mind.

Poverty: A Way Forward?

The question facing communities across the country and right here in Southeastern Michigan is:

"When you have so much need in so many areas, how do you make progress?"

Many private organizations (foundations, United Ways...) and public institutions (City governments, State governments...) are reaching similar conclusions.

• Focus efforts and resources against an agreed set of priorities
• Work together instead of in silos
• Cross the geographic, social, racial and economic barriers
• Measure your work and results
• Build on what we know --- through research and experience
• Make sure all are welcome

There is a powerful description of this in action in the New York Times on the recent report by Mayor Bloomberg's Commission on Economic Opportunity who were charged by the Mayor to eradicate poverty in New York City. The commission is being led by Richard Parsons, the chairman of Time Warner and Geoffrey Canada, who runs Harlem Children's Zone, one of the most recognized anti-poverty programs in the country. They looked locally, nationally and internationally for the best work, strongest research, and the most promising practices in order to put forth recommendations. Their conclusions put focus on three populations

1. Young Children
2. Young Adults
3. Working Poor

Immediately, the report caused worries that the recommendations don't include other pivotal populations --- like the elderly, unemployed and homeless. Yet, Merryl Tisch, chairwoman of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, called the focusing of efforts "realistic." "You can't do everything in one fell swoop," she said.

The work of United Way today is striving to bring focus on areas within the region that citizens feel great progress is possible. The journey of focus is reaching out through traditional and non-traditional channels to ensure the voices of residents are heard and included.

For example, click here to listen to one mom describe the future she desires for her children.

To read the article on the work in New York City, click here.