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.

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

Posted on October 17, 2012 by Jennifer Bosk

Today is International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. World leaders at the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000 committed to cutting the number of people living in extreme poverty (living on less than $1.00/day) in half by 2015.

What are you going to do today to help eradicate poverty….poverty that exists right here in the Triangle?

Let me know and I’ll send you one of our United Way “Make Poverty History…Live United” bracelets.

Thank you!

What about personal responsibility?

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Stan Holt

Last weekend I had a great priviledge of doing a two hour training on poverty for Raleigh’s Support Circles. Support Circles is a program of Catholic Charities. It matches up small groups of congregational volunteers with homeless households to provide them social support as these households move to self-sufficiency. I spend some time defining poverty, sharing some of the most recent data and talking about how poverty impacts health and education. As part of the discussion, one of the support circle volunteers asked me, “You haven’t talked about personal responsibility? Don’t you believe that people have personal responsbility to improve their situation?” Of course, this comment comes during the week following Mitt Romney’s comments regarding the 47% who believe they are entitled to public support and do not take personal responsibility to care for their lives. So perhaps talking about personal responsibility and poverty is a timely thing to talk about.

I just saw this article written by a woman who was on welfare and shook my head. I remember many variations of this story when I was working as Genesis Home’s Executive Director. It was true, the majority of families who found themselves homeless and living in this transitional housing program were in a temporary situation. However, they needed some government assistance to move out of their current situation, a homeless shelter, and needed to continue that assistance until they were stable.

So as I thought about the volunteer’s question on Saturday, I asked the question: What in your life have you been able to control, and what in your life have you not been able to control? In my own life, there were things I could control and things I couldn’t control. When I can’t control something, I don’t feel like I can take responsibility. Suppose I have a job, and I am laid off because the plant is moving overseas. Am I responsible? No. Am I going to need assistance to make ends meet? If I haven’t managed to save up enough, I might need unemployment assistance. Do I have control over getting a new job? Well, not really, that is dependent upon an employer’s decision, not mine. I do have control over completing applications, preparing for interviews, and ensuring I make a good impression, but even a good impression is someone else’s judgement of me. However, what if jobs are scarce in my community? Do I settle for a part-time position, with no benefits? Perhaps. After all that is in my control and having some income is helpful. What happens though, if in the cycle of applying for jobs and getting rejected, I feel discouraged? Hmm. It begins to feel as if I have no control, frustration rises, and I’m hooked into a cycle of feeling like the system is against me. Guess what, it is going to be hard for me to take responsibility; particularly if it feels like things are spiraling out of my control.

The good thing is that I have a support system that would help me think about what I can and can’t control. Some individuals and families may not have that support. I’m glad the Support Circle volunteers are asking these tough questions and talking about what they can do to help. Sometimes personal responsibility can seem elusive, but when we help others discern what they can and can’t control, and help them understand the small steps to take, confidence will lead to greater personal responsibility and that is another step in the process toward self sufficiency.

Image from caregiverland.com

Top 10 ways to get involved with United Way

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Edwin Jeffords

Sometimes when I tell people I work for United Way, they smile and say, “Oh that’s a great organization.” They’re right, it is a great organization. Most times, that is the extent of the conversation. However, occasionally, someone will pepper me with follow up questions and want to know more about United Way and how they can get involved.

Below are my top ten ways you can get involved with United Way, and more specifically, United Way of the Greater Triangle:

10. Visit our website. If you haven’t already, the easiest way to get to know us, is to check out our website. There, you’ll see event photos, details about how we fund programs, T4T, 2-1-1, our Board of Directors, our senior staff, and more.

9. Subscribe to our e-newsletter. We send this out quarterly, and provide valuable information about what United Way is up to in the community, and with its partners. Go here to subscribe now.

8. Tour a partner agency! We have dozens of partner agencies that we help support. If you really want to see the work being done on the front lines in the Triangle the partner agencies are where you should go first. Want to setup a tour for you or your company? Contact Reah Nicholson.

7. Volunteer with us at a Day of Caring, Day of Action, or MLK Jr. Day of Service. These are our three largest community-wide volunteer days each year. Our projects vary from art to woodworking to basic needs. This is a great way to dip your toes into the world of United Way in just one afternoon.

6. Come to a United Way sponsored event like our Campaign Kickoff, WLC cake auction, Food Truck Rodeo, CEO Sleepout, or one of the volunteer events listed above. Each event will have many United Way staffers and advocates there for you to speak with about United Way.

5. Run a company campaign. This is the primary source of our revenue. The more revenue our campaigns raise, the more that is placed in the areas that need it most, right here in the Triangle. If you would like to speak to someone about running a United Way campaign at your office, call Jim Green at 919-463-5019.

4. Donate a computer to our Teaming for Technology program. T4T, as we like to call it, takes gently used computers and refurbishes them so a school or nonprofit in North Carolina can benefit from a low-priced piece of technology that will serve them for several years. If you would like to donate your old computer, check here for more details.

3. Volunteer with T4T. The program mentioned above is a vital part of our United Way. Nonprofits and schools depend on our technology to allow them to place computers in the hands of children and students who would otherwise not have access to one. In order to meet the demand of our orders, T4T is always looking for committed volunteers who can spend time at our location helping to refurbish computers. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Al Reynolds.

2. Follow, fan, tweet, retweet, like, subscribe, etc. If the tool exists in social media, chances are, we have a presence there. Find us on facebook, twitter, pinterest, youtube, linked in, google+ and others. Interact with us in your chosen social space. We love feedback and online conversations with our friends. Like us, follow us, and send us your story, pictures, or video!

1. The most important thing you can do to become active with United Way, is advocating for us among your friends, coworkers, and business partners. While we have a very recognizable brand in the public eye, many times people do not fully understand the value we bring to the Triangle. Help us out with word of mouth advocacy of our programs, services, and agencies.