What Sesame Street, my son and others have taught me about “food insecurity”

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Jennifer Bosk

In my day it was known as plain old ‘hunger’. What’s up with “dressing up” the issue by calling it ‘food insecurity’? It seems like now I’m hearing that term all the time. So I started thinking that maybe I didn’t fully understand ‘food insecurity’ and it turns out it is much more than just hunger.

I started learning about food insecurity from my son who is an elementary school principal at a Title I school where the majority of children live in families with little to no income. While he knew that most of the children would qualify for free lunches, he was apalled at how hungry they were. When it dawned on him the children would only eat that one meal each day at lunchtime at school, he implemented free breakfasts for the students as well as provided backpacks filled with food for the weekends from his local Backpack Buddies program.

Another time I learned about the ‘food insecurity’ issue was in a Sesame Street special featuring the new muppet, Lily, who comes from a food insecure home. She’s a pink muppet in a blue dress and she is hungry. She goes to a community garden for food where she meets Elmo and Grover and shares a bit of her story on how her rumbling tummy is about much more than hunger. Continue reading →

How can you compete with a billionaire?

Posted on April 23, 2013 by mrodgers

Do you know who Warren Buffet is? Bill Gates? Of course you do. How about Patrice and Precious Motsepe? Not ringing a bell? Well, Mr. and Mrs. Motsepe are a couple from South Africa – and they also happen to be among the wealthiest individuals and families in the world.

Another thing they have in common with Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and most recently Richard Branson, along with another 101 billionaires (so far!) around the world is they have pledged to donate half – or more – of all their wealth to charitable causes during their life or immediately upon their death. They have all embraced a philosophy of philanthropy created by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet called “The Giving Pledge”.

At the core of the pledge is this affirmation: “We are inspired by the example set by millions of people who give generously (and often at great personal sacrifice) to make the world a better place.” Each donor decides how much they will ultimately pledge, and to what organization and causes.

According to the National Philanthropic Trust, 81% of the high net worth individuals in the U.S. that donate to charity cite “giving back to the community” as their chief motivation for giving.

But all of this is only for “high net worth” individuals, right? Well, according to the same report 65% of all households in the U.S. give to charities. And while the average amount of all donations was $2,213, the middle amount given was only $870. You don’t have to be a “high net worth” individual to donate $870.

And in 2011, 73% of all charitable giving came from people – like you and me. And while billionaires can easily afford to pay someone to research the 1,080,130 charitable organizations to decide where to donate, you don’t have to.

United Way of the Greater Triangle supports many successful and vital programs in the Orange, Durham, Johnston and Wake county area. Eighty-seven agencies and 162 programs that focus on hunger and literacy, safety and well-being of children, single parents, homeless and more provide services for the 1.4 million people of the four counties.

That’s a powerful reach that helps “make the world a better place.” And while you may not have the money of a billionaire, your money, along with your neighbor’s and mine, can have a powerful and lasting impact on our world right here in the middle of North Carolina.

Go to http://www.unitedwaytriangle.org, look around our website and see the ways you can help. If you can’t donate money, there are plenty of other ways you can give – donate your time, advocate our mission to help others, tell someone about 2-1-1. Just know that we’re here to support your community, and a better community is better for you.

Kick in the gut…

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Jennifer Bosk

If you’ve been there – then you know it is a kick in the gut. If you haven’t been there – then it’s a lesson in deep frustration and extremely educational. No matter how you come to be at one of our Poverty Simulations, you will NOT leave untouched!

A participant in one of our Poverty Simulations.

The Poverty Simulation is a unique tool that educates everyone about the day to day realities of life with a shortage of money and an abundance of stress. The participants role-play the lives of low-income families, from single parents trying to care for their children to senior citizens trying to maintain their self-sufficiency on Social Security.

The task of each family is to provide food, shelter and other basic necessities during the simulation while interacting with various community resources staffed by volunteers. These resources include social workers, loan officers, employers, grocers, utility collectors, police officers, teachers and more.

It is a powerful way to help citizens understand what it is like for people who live in poverty. It opens people’s eyes and provides insight into the state of chronic crisis that consumes so many working poor families.

During the simulation, participants are seated in family clusters with community resources located at tables around the perimeter of the room. To start the exercise, each family is given a card explaining its unique circumstances and a small amount of money. Although it uses play money and other props, fictional scenarios, and time limits, the Poverty Simulation is not a game. It is a simulation tool that enables participants to view poverty from different angles in an experiential setting.

Interested in having a Poverty Simulation at your workplace, warehouse, place of worship? Fantastic! Contact Stan at (919) 463-5023 to arrange for one today!

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 →

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.