United Way kicks 2007 Campaign into Gear

Summer may be winding down but United Way is gearing up -- for our annual fundraising campaign that is, which kicks off on Sept. 7.

“Together, we can make a difference for those in need in our community,” said Troy Clarke, United Way campaign chair and General Motors North America President and Group Vice President, Manufacturing. “Every contribution – in every amount – matters.”

Clarke leads 40 volunteers who are serving on this year’s campaign cabinet, which is responsible for steering the campaign. Additionally, about 1,000 volunteers are expected to help United Way engage contributors by coordinating workplace campaigns across Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.

The goal for the annual campaign will be set this month, but many activities are already in the works to motivate current donors and connect new participants to United Way’s work. Employees at Chrysler LLC, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. are eagerly joining the effort, kicking their campaigns off prior to Sept. 7, and bringing early momentum to the drive. Organized labor also kicked off its campaign in early August at the General Motors Hamtramck Plant. Clarke joined United Way board member and International Union UAW Secretary-Treasurer Elizabeth Bunn, Metropolitan Detroit AFL-CIO President Saundra Williams and International Union UAW Director of Community Services Linda Lash at the event.

United Way also recently launched Leadership Next, which engages emerging leaders across the region. Already, the group has seen excellent turnout at three events, including networking functions and skill-building workshops.

The official start of the campaign will be marked with the traditional lighting of the United Way torch at the intersection of Woodward and Jefferson in downtown Detroit. Following the early morning ceremony nearly 1,000 volunteers are scheduled to participate in community service projects throughout the tri-county area as part of United Way’s annual Days of Caring – continuing through Sept. 9.

Volunteers can choose from approximately 50 projects that range from spending time with youth through Big Brothers Big Sisters to grounds beautification at a host of nonprofits across the region.

By contributing to the campaign, you help tackle the most pressing issues facing this region. Your gift, no matter how large or small, makes a difference because it is combined with others. The impact of that collective investment is significant.

Through the Agenda for Change, our new business plan for the region, United Way is focusing our efforts on educational preparedness, financial stability and basic needs. We believe that by doing so, we can make lasting improvements in the lives of individuals and families in southeast Michigan.

To make a difference in the community through United Way, please support the campaign.  There are still volunteer opportunities available for the Days of Caring projects. To sign up, click here.

More Oakland County Callers Dialing 2-1-1

Calls to United Way's 2-1-1 from Oakland County topped 18 percent for the first time since the service was launched and overall, users across the region are dialing into the call center at a higher rate than in 2006.

The 2-1-1 call center handled nearly 70,000 calls through July 31, a 40 percent increase over the prior year. Volume for the month – at 11,105 – was up 7 percent from June’s rate, according to the July 2-1-1 monthly report. [PDF]

Oakland County residents, who typically account for about 11-12 percent of calls, have been calling with increasing frequency. Callers have been most interested in getting assistance with utilities, rent and food pantries.

“The Oakland United Way office, its Local Community Committee and many agencies in Oakland County have been very diligent to getting the word out on 2-1-1. We are seeing the result of this ongoing effort,” said Bill Sullivan, director of operations.

LCCs are volunteer groups made up of residents of each county and the city of Detroit who assist United Way in the planning and development of programs in their respective community.

Another interesting 2-1-1 development has unfolded in Wayne County, where for the first time since 2-1-1 debuted, the majority of callers are requesting help finding food.

Utility assistance has consistently ranked No. 1 on the list of 2-1-1 service requests. However, in July, 23 percent of Wayne County callers were looking for food pantries, while 22 percent needed help with gas bills.

Typically, 2-1-1 sees a spike in calls regarding food pantries in July because most children are home on summer recess and no longer receiving free meals in school, Sullivan said. But this is the first time since 2-1-1 debuted in December 2005 that food requests have ranked No. 1.

Employment, electric utilities and housing assistance rounded out the top five service requests in Wayne County.

In Macomb County, assistance with gas bills was by far the top request, followed by food, shelter and rent assistance.
 
Based upon the first two quarters of 2007, projected annual 2-1-1 call volume is 150,000, a 50 percent increase over 2006.

In addition to increasing needs across the region, more metro Detroiters are dialing 2-1-1 because of United Way’s involvement in a number of collaborative efforts like the statewide mortgage foreclosure initiative led by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and other agencies.

United Way is also working with the Detroit Wayne County Long-Term Care Connection, which connects Detroit area residents to long-term care services.

And through the Osborn Project, a Good Neighborhoods Initiative, 2-1-1 links callers to agencies that help address their overall financial needs. The Project was developed to promote economic self-sufficiency and stability for area residents.

With our Agenda for Change, United Way is working to help more people of all ages meet their needs and move toward financial stability.  In addition to focusing on educational preparedness and financial stability, our basic needs work is integral to this mission.

ONE D: Transforming Regional Detroit

About 100 people gathered last week in Detroit to get an update on progress being made by One D: Transforming Regional Detroit and learn more about how they can get involved.

The Aug. 15 event at the Detroit Youth Foundation’s YouthVille facility was the fourth in a series of community forums hosted by One D around the region. Other informational sessions have been held in Sterling Heights, Taylor and Warren, and the gatherings have attracted diverse crowds of public- and private-sector professionals and representatives of various community groups.

One D members laid out the group’s vision for the region and reviewed plans for making progress on the five regional priorities identified by the community as key to southeast Michigan’s future --educational preparedness, economic prosperity, quality of life, race relations and regional transit.

Organizations interested in getting involved in One D’s work were asked to share information on their work in any of the five priority areas for a database the group is using to establish collaboratives, reduce redundancy and increase efficiency. Details are available at www.oned.org.

This latest session was jointly led by United Way for Southeastern Michigan President and CEO Michael Brennan, Detroit Renaissance President Doug Rothwell, New Detroit President and CEO Shirley Stancato and Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau President and CEO Larry Alexander.

Other One D partners include the Detroit Regional Chamber and the Cultural Alliance of Southeastern Michigan. The executives of the six partner agencies have split time between each of the events, including chamber president and CEO Richard Blouse and Maud Lyon, founding director of the cultural alliance, and all of them have been equally represented during the series.

Focus measures for each of the five priorities were reported, and the group plans to make public an annual report card on progress.

One D provides an opportunity for the private sector to speak with a unified voice, to impact public policy from Lansing to Washington, and to attract private sector funding needed to get action plans off the ground. The group will help local foundations, businesses, and civic and nonprofit groups focus on regional priorities.

Volunteer Spotlight
Warren resident helps others become independent

After building more than 50 wheelchair ramps, Linda Whaley knows firsthand the difference a ramp makes in helping someone become self-sufficient.

“It’s amazing to meet these people and hear their stories,” says Whaley, a journeyman toolmaker at Chrysler. “Some of them haven’t been out of the house in so long.”

Countless men and women across southeast Michigan find it impossible to leave their home without assistance. Not only does their lack of mobility affect quality of life, it puts people at serious risk in emergencies, like a house fire or flood.

Whaley first got involved in United Way’s Ray West Memorial Ramp Project in 2004 when she entered Chrysler’s job bank. Initially, Linda used the opportunity to volunteer with her church, but was soon asked to help build ramp modules for United Way’s Days of Caring projects.

She hasn’t turned back.

Three years later, she is still building and repairing ramps throughout the region. When she resumes a full work schedule, she still finds time to volunteer on the weekends.

Whaley has also formed bonds with ramp recipients that go beyond the two days it takes to install a ramp. She often checks on the completed ramps to ensure they haven’t been damaged and makes necessary repairs. One afternoon after a snowstorm, Whaley stopped to visit a woman she knew lived alone. She shoveled snow off of the ramp and made sure the woman was safe before leaving.

“We take for granted being able to leave our homes,” Whaley said. “There was one recipient in Detroit who worked out of her home. Once we completed her ramp, she commented that she couldn’t wait for it to snow so she could go outside by herself and let the snow fall on her. We look at snow and think ‘oh no’ but she was so excited about it.”

United Way’s Ray West Memorial Ramp Project has built more than 115 ramps in the past three years, helping individuals throughout the region move toward greater independence.

Whaley continues to give her time to United Way outside of the ramp project, serving as a volunteer speaker and encouraging others to give back to the community.

Upcoming Events
Kickoff United Way’s annual campaign with a day of caring

The dollars you give to support United Way’s annual campaign allow the organization to improve lives and communities across the region, and while those funds are sorely needed each year, the time you donate to help out those around you is valuable as well.

That’s why United Way is asking you to mark your calendar for the Days of Caring campaign kickoff event Sept. 7- 9.Those interested in participating in this annual volunteer blitz can sign up online by clicking here, or call 313.226.9337.

The Days of Caring kickoff effort attracts thousands of metro Detroiters who give anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days over a weekend each year completing beautification, ramp building, tutoring children, sorting donated food items, tree planting, home construction projects and other activities that make a difference in communities across Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. United Way invites you to join them.

Over 45 organizations have already come forward this year looking for volunteers. Both individual and group opportunities are available. In fact, families, service organizations and groups of workers from area companies are encouraged to participate.

"This is an opportunity for groups, families and individuals to come out, roll up their sleeves and help others in their community. At the same time, engaging your organization in a community volunteer project is a great team-building activity and morale booster," says Angela Walker, volunteer program specialist at United Way for Southeastern Michigan.

"Having colleagues roll up their sleeves to volunteer to help the people and communities United Way serves is a hands-on experience that leaves a lasting impression."

Kurt’s Corner
Race and ethnicity in metropolitan Detroit

Sept. 4 is the last day to experience the“Race: Are We So Different?”exhibit at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, and I encourage everyone to get over there before it is too late.

The museum, in partnership with New Detroit Inc., kicked off the national tour of the exhibition on May 25, and after this initial stop, it will make its way around the rest of country. The American Anthropological Association and the Minnesota Science Museum collaborated on “Race: Are We So Different?” Together, they produced a powerful combination of artifacts, historic and contemporary photography, hands-on activities and multimedia components that address topics of race and racism from the perspectives of science, history and everyday experience.

The following describes the exhibit from the three perspectives:

Science: In this section of the exhibit, visitors will discover that human beings are more alike than any other living species, and no one gene or set of genes can support the idea of race.

History: Ideas about race have been around for hundreds of years, and they have changed over time. This section of the exhibit demonstrates that, throughout American history, economic interests, popular culture, science, politics and the struggle for power have played a role in shaping our understanding of race.

Everyday experience: Though race may not be a real, biological concept, it certainly is real both socially and culturally. In this section of the exhibit, visitors will explore race in our schools, neighborhoods, health care systems, sports and entertainment industries and other aspects of life through a variety of interesting personal experiences shared by others.

The exhibit makes it quite apparent that race is more a social construct than an anthropological fact, which is significant given the fact that race has long played a huge role across a broad spectrum in metropolitan Detroit. In fact, in the UWSEM community assessment survey conducted in 2006, residents identified racial segregation and racial gaps as critical barriers to our success as a region. The 40th anniversary of the 1967 “Detroit Rebellion,” which began on July 23 of that year, also stimulated a great deal of discussion regarding the role that race has played in metro Detroit history.  We will soon be releasing the results of a “Survey on Race” that UWSEM recently conducted, in partnership with New Detroit.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Census Bureau released its 2006 county population estimates by race and ethnicity. 

“Nearly one in every 10 of the nation’s 3,141 counties has a population that is more than 50 percent minority. In 2006, eight counties that had not previously been majority-minority pushed the national total to 303,” the bureau stated in the opening of its release on the national findings.

This signals the continuation of a trend that has demographers forecasting a nation that will be more than 50 percent minority by the year 2050, if not before. The forecast for Southeastern Michigan mirror the national trend.

Wayne County, which became majority-minority in 2004, showed the “minority” population accounting for 50.2 percent of the population. Macomb and Oakland counties have also experienced a decreasing white, non-Hispanic population and rapidly increasing African-American, Asian, Latino and multi-race populations. These changes are the result of significant immigration streams from Mexico and Latin America, Asia and the Middle East. Additionally, the decade of the 1990’s brought the first significant waves of African-Americans to the suburbs from Detroit – a trend that has not only continued but actually intensified over the past 10 years. Table 1 provides detail on the groups by county.

 
Table 1.  Racial/Ethnic Change in Southeast Michigan, 2000 - 2006

A significant factor driving continued growth in minority communities is the fact that they are younger than the white, non-Hispanic communities.  Not only do minority populations have higher birth rates, but their representation among “child-bearing ages” is much higher, which means they will have a larger share of future births.  Figure 1 offers a snapshot of landscape, highlighting the share that minorities represent within each age group.¹

[Click here for full-size graphic]

Figure 1.  Minority Share of Population by
Age in the Tri-County Area, 2006

The trend of increasing minority representation with decreasing age is readily apparent. While minorities represent 20-25 percent of tri-county seniors, at least 40 percent of our youth belong to a minority group.  The highest share of minorities fall within the 25-29 year age group, and a major contributor to this fact is immigration. Data shows that immigrants to southeast Michigan fall most heavily in the 20-34-year-old age group, with females outnumbering males. While a number of these individuals might end up going back to their native country, the vast majority will seek to establish themselves and either summon relatives to join them or find a spouse in the area and begin a family.

UWSEM’s Agenda for Change recognizes the wide gaps that exist in literacy, educational attainment, employment, income, asset development and home ownership, to name a few categories, across racial and ethnic groups.  While our outcomes are geared to community-wide change, we recognize that community change can only occur when all members of the community succeed and the gaps facing individuals are reduced significantly, if not eliminated completely.

Take action now
Support early childhood education

As part of United Way's focus on Educational Preparedness, we are advocating for the Education Begins at Home Act, which will give many more children across the nation a quality early childhood experience. If this bill passes, Michigan would be eligible for $13.1 million that will provide quality early childhood home visitation programs for targeted communities and strengthen the home visitation component of Headstart. Home visitation is an effective, research-based and cost-efficient way to bring families and resources together to ensure that children grow up healthy and ready to learn.

United Way needs your support to reach out to legislators and tell them how critical federal funding for early childhood programs is.

Click here to find out how you can help.