Impact the Triangle for Good…Join Us?

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Jennifer Bosk

This morning we announced our first ever Community Impact Plan…a list of goals and outcomes we plan to achieve, with agency partner help and your help, to impact our Triangle for good!

Early last year, volunteers and corporate, community and nonprofit agency partners worked with United Way to shape a focused Community Impact Plan with accountability for specific goals. Together we developed a new approach and new plan for our community based on:

Assessment of our communities’ needs and identification of the priorities to be addressed.
An open invitation to all Triangle nonprofits to apply for funding and undergo our rigorous certification process.
A successful 2012 campaign that raised $5.3 million of donor designated funds and $5.3 million of Community Impact Funds, the first increase in several years.
The allocation of Community Impact Funds to selected agency programs to achieve specific goals.

We are putting $1,889,676 towards Education/Youth Development programs in 2013 and some things we plan to achieve as a result include: Continue reading →

Rich Blocks, Poor Blocks

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Jennifer Bosk

Those interactive maps are addicting – at least to me. So when this one popped up, I had to take a look. I suggest you do, too, by clicking here.

It’s a map of income and rent in every neighborhood in every city in America. I’m guessing that, just like me, you went right to your neighborhood.

But I hope you’ll take the time to zoom back out and look at not just your neighborhood but also at surrounding neighborhoods, your city, your county and your state.

What do you see? Are you surprised by what you see?

The reason I ask is I’m wondering if we’ve come to just accept there are huge pockets of extreme poverty right near our own backyards?

What do you think?

Image from blog.reillypainting.com

The People on the Bus

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Jennifer Bosk

Joe Burgess is the manager of United Way of the Greater Triangle’s Technology Outreach Program. He works in our Teaming for Technology location on McCrimmon Parkway in Morrisville. He is an avid bicyclist but on inclement days he rides the bus. This is his story.

Every day is always an experience when you take the bus to work; you make friends and chat with those around you. You get to meet all sorts of people and even the bus drivers themselves can be quite entertaining.

The other day I left work early because it started to ice. The bus home was packed and I took the last seat. I sat next to two ladies in their late sixties. The woman to my left said her home heater just broke and she didn’t have any money to fix it. I felt bad for her because it was one of the coldest weekends we’ve had around here. She moved to Raleigh from Barbados 30 years ago and I thought how warm it must be there.

I sat perpendicular to the other lady. She was on her way to church to fold bulletins for the weekend service. She saw my Kindle and reckoned she didn’t think she would like to read books on what she called a digital screen. But as she scrolled through historical artworks, one of the scenes was a famous picture called St. Jerome in His Study, and the church lady knew that one right away. She pointed out the lion and dog in the foreground. By the end of the ride we were all friends, with the church lady and the lady from Barbados calling each other “Sisters in Heaven” though they had just met.

Then a sad incident happened which I’ll never forget. Brooks Avenue is typically a busier stop where people get on and off. The last person to get on was an 83 year old woman. She was a tiny thing, all bundled up in her jacket and hat. As she got on, we waited so the driver could give her time to get seated. Everyone moved their stuff out of the way to give her space to walk down the aisle. Because it was icy out, I’m sure her feet were wet and slippery as she made her way down the bus aisle. Continue reading →

Hope (and help) When You Need It Most

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Jennifer Bosk

The following is from United Way of North Carolina in celebration of National 2-1-1 Awareness day today, February 11, 2013.

I know who to call when I need help. In an emergency, I dial 9-1-1. When I need the number to my favorite Thai restaurant, I try 4-1-1. When I’m navigating the challenges in life that fall somewhere in between, I can call 2-1-1.

2-1-1 is help when you need it most. This Feb. 11 (2-11), we celebrate National 2-1-1 Awareness Day and the vital role this service plays in our communities. Across the nation, 90 percent of residents have access to 2-1-1, which fields more than 16 million calls each year.

2-1-1 is a free community service information line that links people to health and human services in our community 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The service is confidential, and calls are answered by professional referral specialists who assist callers in prioritizing their needs and exploring their options of services that can help.

Anyone can call 2-1-1, regardless of the language they speak, and receive information on thousands of services, including food, housing, utilities, childcare services, financial education, health care, job training, counseling, mental health and substance abuse, senior services, volunteer opportunities and many others.

More than 87 percent of North Carolinians live in the 2-1-1 service area and can connect to a network of more than 18,000 resources by phone. That area is growing, and we add new counties to our system every year. Already, every resident can access information about resources in their area online through the comprehensive database at www.nc211.org .

Later this week, North Carolina’s 2-1-1 will roll out a new marketing campaign to increase awareness of the information line as “help when you need it most.” I hope you will be on the lookout for our new commercial, billboards and other materials and help us spread the word about the importance of 2-1-1.

2-1-1 was certainly important to Brent. Although Brent enjoys his work in retail, he doesn’t make a lot of money and had to discontinue his insurance to afford his rent and utilities. Following back surgery, Brent made a full recovery physically, but financially he fell behind in his payments.

When he called 2-1-1, he only needed about $100 more to be able to pay his rent without damaging his credit. Mindy, a referral specialist, connected him to a resource he was unfamiliar with that stepped in to help, and Brent was able to pay his rent. He was so happy he wrote Mindy an e-mail to let her know everything worked out OK and to thank her for her support.

That’s the moment when “help when you need it most” becomes “hope when you need it most.” I’m gladd 2-1-1 is there for Brent. And for me. And for you.

Financial Stability for the State of NC

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Stan Holt

Any good financial literacy program that we fund at United Way of the Greater Triangle has at its very core a simple philosophy. It must teach smart budgeting and in order for households to get ahead, there has to be more income than expenses. Unfortunately, the State of North Carolina is beginning to walk on some very thin ice as the General Assembly begins planning for changes in the tax code. These changes are supposed to improve state revenue. However, the recent plan that is being considered by North Carolina’s Senate leaves North Carolina and its middle class and poor citizens vulnerable.

The proposed plan would eliminate personal income tax, corporate taxes, and business license taxes. That eliminates $12 billion in revenue that is used for public schools and human services across the state. So how do they propose to raise revenue? The plan’s proponents suggest increasing sales taxes on goods and services. Sounds reasonable, I’d love to pay fewer taxes on my personal income. Oh wait, that means the tax on food, gas, home repairs, and car repairs will all increase. Hmmm. I wonder if we are “robbing Peter to pay Paul.”

The opponents of this argue that expanding the sales tax means a much bigger contribution from the non-wealthy. According to the Budget and Tax Center, “Under the (proposed Senate) plan, a family earning $24,000 would see its taxes increase by $500, or by 2.1 percent of its income, while a household earning $1 million would get a $41,000 tax cut, representing 4.5 percent of its income.” It also means that if personal income tax goes away things like the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Care Tax Credit are likely to go away too. Cutting these tax credits are essential ways that working households are increasing their income. In fact we know one of the best antipoverty strategies around is helping qualified households receive the Earned Income Tax Credit.

United Way of the Greater Triangle is committed to helping provide services in our communities to those of limited wealth. However, I fear the path the state may go could undermine efforts to improve each households situation. I’m worried that we will see even greater human service needs if services and education take further cuts because the state’s primary revenue stream has been eliminated.

Graphic from antiguaobserver.com