United Way stands $58 million strong

United Way for Southeastern Michigan raised more than $58 million so far during this year's annual fund drive, and continues to collect contributions.

The announcement came during a Nov.15 celebration, from Troy A. Clarke, president of GM North America and GM group vice president, and 2007 campaign chair. Approximately 200 volunteers and contributors representing labor, nonprofits, individuals and workplace campaigns attended the event.

"We are proud to celebrate this remarkable accomplishment," said Clarke. "The millions of dollars raised during this campaign make it possible for United Way to bring about long-lasting, positive change in our community; and that commitment continues. In an unprecedented show of support, several companies have come forward and asked United Way to leave the door open for them to continue running campaigns already in progress," he added.

United Way CEO and President Michael Brennan added, "We are going to continue to seek contributions toward $59 million. I am encouraged by the fact that even in this challenging economic climate, people still want to contribute to United Way. Our response to that resolve is: We will never quit; the work before us is just too important to the future of this region. United Way and our partner agencies remain committed to working against our Agenda for Change, and providing the best programs that are able to deliver the most impact in our communities."

Clarke noted the highlights of the 2007 campaign, including United Way's continued broadening of its support base beyond the manufacturing industry. As campaign chair, he welcomed AT&T as the newest member of the "million-dollar club." AT&T's employee campaign and corporate gift totaled $1.015 million. Clarke also offered a special thank you to financial services companies that stepped up their support. Five firms --Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, KPMG, Plante & Moran and PricewaterhouseCoopers -- increased their combined giving 13 percent from last year to over $1.1 million.

Dura Automotive joined those receiving special recognition. A long-time campaign participant, Dura dropped out last year as it went through bankruptcy. Having now emerged from that ordeal, the company renewed its participation in the United Way Campaign and, contributed $33,600 toward this year's goal.

"In all of my time with United Ways across the nation, this has been the most challenging climate in which to run a campaign," said Brennan. "With that in mind, we owe an incredible debt of gratitude to the generous commitment of thousands of volunteers, the Campaign Cabinet, and of course, the staunch leadership of Troy Clarke. Troy cheerfully dedicated his expertise, commitment and resolve for the benefit of the people of Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties."

Other event highlights included:

• 96 companies ran a Torch Drive campaign or gave a corporate gift for the first time.
• Leadership Giving initiatives, like the Virgil H. Carr Society and the Women's Initiative, foster philanthropic participation, encouraging new and increased leadership gifts of $1,000 and above. Currently, leadership gifts make up 25 percent of the overall campaign total.
• The Tocqueville Society's Automotive Matching Gift program maximizes new leadership gifts by providing a dollar-for-dollar match for new or increased Tocqueville Society gifts of $10,000. There are currently 300 Tocqueville Society members.
• Leadership Next, a new initiative to engage the next generation of leaders, began in June. This dynamic group of individuals is committed to increasing financial security and educational preparedness in our region.

Elizabeth Bunn, secretary/treasurer, International Union, UAW, expressed her gratitude to the men and women of organized labor.

"Members of organized labor are so proud to work with United Way and its member agencies to assist those in need," said Bunn. "We've been a part of the United Way family for more than 60 years, and truly value our long-standing relationship."

Clarke also passed the torch to the 2008 campaign chair Dave Hunke, CEO of Detroit Media Partnership.

Contributions for the 2007 United Way Campaign will still be accepted at www.unitedwaysem.org, or by dialing 2-1-1.

Whether or not you realize it, learning the alphabet as a child was one of the most important accomplishments of your life. Odds are, you hardly think about it. In fact, most of us take literacy for granted each day as we routinely read newspapers or important memos at work. But for many people across our region, reading is both a daily struggle and a major barrier to success.

Through Operation ABC™, United Way hopes to break down that barrier.

Operation ABC™ is a mobilization effort aimed at helping children develop the literacy skills they'll need to succeed.

Working with 55 schools in 13 school districts around the tri-county area, along with public- and private-sector partners, United Way is mobilizing 1,000 volunteer tutors to work with first and second graders. Each volunteer will be assigned to a classroom and spend one to five hours each week reading to students. Their work will augment each school's current literacy curriculum and help keep children's reading and comprehension skills assessed in third grade.

More than 6,700 children in the tri-county area were unable to read at grade level by third grade last year, according to recent MEAP results. United Way expects Operation ABC™ to reduce these numbers substantially.

"We know that children learn to read from birth through third grade and read to learn from third grade on," said Rebecca Slay, co-chair, Operation ABC™ and director of United Way's Detroit Area Office. "Operation ABC™ will focus on this important point in a child's education and support schools as we work together to reverse the alarming statistics the MEAP scores reveal."

Community involvement is crucial to the success of Operation ABC, and residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties are strongly encouraged to get involved. United Way also invites area companies and other organizations to adopt a school by allowing interested employees to give time during the work day to tutor students. By participating in this community-wide effort, you will play a direct role in making lasting progress to combat the problem of illiteracy in our region.

Each volunteer will be required to participate in training sessions before serving as a tutor. United Way expects to have tutors begin at 13 schools in early 2008, and will phase in the entire group of 55 schools over the next year.

For more information, go to www.uwsem.org/operationabc.

Volunteer Spotlight
Expo volunteer gets passionate

If all goes according to plan, Louis Smith hopes to watch the new All American Football League Michigan team kick off its inaugural season on April 12, but odds are he won't be relaxing.

Smith handles marketing, operations and special events for the yet-to-be named team, and still finds time to volunteer, which he did recently at the Southeast Michigan Employment, Training and Family Resource Expo.

Smith joined about 250 other Expo volunteers, and spent the day helping job seekers prepare and polish up resumes. He also doled out plenty of advice about what it takes to keep a steady job and to succeed in the workplace -- to anyone who would listen. His plan was to teach the job seekers he assisted that landing steady employment takes more than a resume.

"My passion is for helping youth, particularly young men, avoid the traps in their environments and become successful," Smith said.

United Way for Southeastern Michigan was a partner in the Expo, held Oct. 10 at the Michigan State Fairgrounds. About 6,000 individuals attended the event.

As an Expo volunteer, Smith said he personally helped about 30 job seekers who filtered through the technology center for help creating resumes and searching for work online through the Michigan Talent Bank. The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth, which oversees the MTB, made the technology center possible, for the third straight Expo.

Smith spent part of his career working for the U.S. Department of Labo's Job Corps, a workforce preparedness program that helps young people get jobs they can use to build productive lives. He said he enjoyed helping the youths explore vocational options and an effort to zone in on the ideal career.

His mantra was a simple one… "Find a job you like and you'll never dread going to work." It's an adage that he still preaches today.

"It's not about getting a job or preparing a resume. It's about selling yourself and your passion (for a particular vocation) to companies," Smith said.

Although the players are still to be scouted, those who eventually sign with the Michigan AAFL team will be actively involved in community service. That's Smith's plan anyway. He looks at the relationship between the National Football League and United Way of America, as something he would like to replicate with United Way for Southeastern Michigan.

"Giving back is something I want to make sure our guys are involved with. They will be giving back to the community, and I think it is important to lead by example," Smith said.

Upcoming Events
Adopt-a-Shelter seeks volunteers

Volunteers are needed for what could be considered the most special three hours of the holiday season for hundreds of homeless children and their parents living in shelters across metro Detroit.

For one day each year, a group of compassionate volunteers from around the region agree to throw a holiday party at select area shelters, that's the premise of the Adopt-a-Shelter project, which celebrates its 18th anniversary this year. You have an opportunity to join them, and in the process, help these individuals and families have a more enjoyable holiday season. That's the goal of the annual Adopt-a-Shelter program.

The parties include toys, clothing and other gifts, as well as a snack or meal, craft projects for the children and entertainment -- all of which volunteers agree to provide. Many of the volunteers either donate items or the money to purchase supplies, or hold toy or clothing drives to collect items necessary for the event.

Adopt-a-Shelter 2007 takes place Dec. 1, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, and includes 11 area shelters. Volunteers are still needed at many of the sites, and donations of food, beverages, clothing, toiletries and other items are still being accepted. If you would like to participate - as an individual or group - please e-mail volunteer_impact@yahoo.com today.

Kurt's Corner
National picture of homelessness

To assess the status of hunger and homelessness in America during 2006, the U.S. Conference of Mayors surveyed 23 major cities - including Detroit - with members on its task force on hunger and homelessness^{1 2} and what they found could help planners across the country make much-needed progress on the issue.

City officials were asked for data and estimates on demand for emergency food assistance, emergency shelter and the capacity of local agencies to meet that demand. They were also polled on the causes of hunger and homelessness in their cities, along with the demographics of those populations, the existence of exemplary programs or efforts to respond to hunger and homelessness, the availability of affordable housing for low income individuals, and the impact of the economy on hunger and homelessness as well as their future outlook.

Major findings

During the past year, requests for emergency shelter increased in the survey cities by an average of 9 percent, with 68 percent of the cities registering an increase. Requests for shelter by homeless families alone increased by 5 percent, with 59 percent of the cities reporting an increase.

An average of 23 percent of the requests for emergency shelter by homeless people overall -- and 29 percent of the requests by homeless families alone -- are estimated to have gone unmet during the last year. In 86 percent of the cities, emergency shelters may have to turn away homeless families due to lack of resources. In 77 percent of cases they may also have to turn away other homeless individuals

People remain homeless an average of eight months in the survey cities. Thirty-two percent of the cities said that the length of time people were homeless increased during the last year.

In 55 percent of the cities, families may have to break up in order to secure space in a shelter. In 54 percent of the cities families may have to spend daytime hours outside of the shelter they use at night.

Mental illness and the lack of necessary services lead the list of causes of homelessness identified by city officials. Other causes cited, in order of frequency, include lack of affordable housing, substance abuse and the lack of needed services, low-paying jobs, domestic violence, prisoner reentry, unemployment and poverty.

Officials estimate that, on average, single men comprise 51 percent of the homeless population, families with children 30 percent, single women 17 percent, and unaccompanied youth 2 percent.

The homeless population is estimated to be 42 percent African-American, 39 percent white, 13 percent Hispanic, 4 percent Native-American and 2 percent Asian-American. An average of 16 percent of homeless people are considered mentally ill; 26 percent are substance abusers. Thirteen percent are employed; 9 percent are veterans.

The average percentage of homeless families headed by single parents in the survey cities is 71 percent. On average, children represent 24 percent of the cities' entire emergency shelter population. Eighty-seven percent of the cities indicated an increase in homeless children in the emergency shelter system.

Ninety-five percent of the cities have developed plans to end chronic homelessness, 25 percent of those cities say their plans have led to a reduction in the number of people living on the streets. While the outlook seems promising, most cities say it is too early to say what impact their plans will have on ending chronic homelessness especially with regard to cost savings spent on a chronically homeless person.

Requests from low-income families and individuals for assisted housing increased in 86 percent of the cities during the last year.

Three out of four cities anticipated increases in both emergency food assistance and emergency shelter requests to increase in 2007.

An average of 23 percent of the demand for emergency food assistance is estimated to have gone unmet in the survey cities over the last year.

Causes of hunger
Officials in the cities surveyed attribute hunger to a number of factors -- many interrelated. Those most frequently identified were unemployment and other employment-related issues, high housing costs, poverty or lack of income, medical or health costs, substance abuse, utility costs, mental health problems, transportation costs and lack of education.

Causes of homelessness
A number of diverse and complex factors (many interrelated) were reported to have contributed to the problems of homelessness in the cities surveyed. Listed in order of frequency were the following causes: mental illness and the lack of needed services, lack of affordable housing, substance abuse and the lack of needed services, low-paying jobs, domestic violence, prisoner re-entry, unemployment and poverty.

Twenty-five of the cities say their plans to reduce chronic homelessness have led to a reduction in the number of people living on the streets. Detroit was unable to report results as its 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness was finalized in October 2006 and the implementation phase has just begun. A summary of Detroit's plan, as well as those for Macomb, Oakland and Out-Wayne counties, can be reviewed by clicking here.

¹ The data was collected from the cities for the period of November 1, 2005 to October 31, 2006 during November and December 2006. It was supplemented with data on population, poverty and unemployment available from the Bureau of the Census and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Take action now
Raise your group's advocacy IQ

United Way is raising the region's public policy IQ by making it easier for tri-county residents to get up to speed on the issues that matter to them.

Through the Public Policy Academy, United Way helps metro Detroiters learn more about various levels of government and ways to get involved in advocating for matters that are important to them. From effectively communicating with elected officials to the role government in education and other community issues, the Public Policy Academy provides insight on a variety of subjects.

The Academy can accommodate both large and small groups, and is open to all ages. United Way's Public Policy team customizes the content of the curriculum based on each group's interests.

For example, the Academy has worked with local children of ex-criminal offenders to teach them about the impact of policy decisions on the prison system and how to communicate their opinions to legislators. In addition to companies, the Academy also works with block clubs, church groups, schools and other organizations to educate individuals on specific government issues.

For more information or to make arrangements to bring the Public Policy Academy to your organization, contact Rachel.Harris@LiveUnitedSEM.org.