Wednesday, November 30, 2011

The Importance of an Income Focus

By Meg Harsh
Immediate Past President of the United Way Board of Directors

As an active volunteer within the community, I am constantly amazed at the generosity of the citizens of Washington County, and the great work provided by so many local agencies. In my time with the United Way, I have had the opportunity to work more closely with two very dynamic partners – R.E.A.C.H and The Washington County Community Action Council.

While both organizations are most commonly known for providing emergency services and crisis intervention, both groups work tirelessly to promote self sufficiency within the customers they serve. They partner with each other and across the community to offer emergency shelter, transitional housing for those who have lost their residence, and affordable housing alternatives.

When you think about the breadth of these issues and services, you might question what affordable housing really means. Given the recent publicity about the drop in real estate, one might think that housing is cheaper so it has to be more affordable. However in Washington County our median income levels barely put fair market housing in reach to the average citizen.

According to HUD, housing costs including utilities and insurance should represent no more that 30% of our monthly income. If you own your home, maintenance and taxes should also be considered in this figure. The median income in Washington County is $53,600. At 30% of their monthly salary, a family can afford $1339 in housing costs. Fair market rent for a three bedroom establishment is $1200 in Washington County. This means that almost 50% of the families in Washington County cannot afford rent and utilities. Similar research indicates that to maintain $1200 a month on housing expenses, families would not able to afford a home that costs more $189,000 (assumes 30 year mortgage at 6.25%)

This issue is further compounded by a shortage of jobs that pay at median income levels. Washington County is largely comprised of retail, service, hospitality, and warehousing opportunities. The Maryland Department of Labor forecasts the majority of growth to occur in these sectors more so than in higher paying occupational areas. Families will be challenge for both parents to work or for a single parent to work more than one job; further deteriorating quality of family life.

The inability to afford shelter creates a snowball effect in other areas of a family’s financial stability. As more money is spent on rent or mortgage, less money is available for other basic needs including health care, food, and transportation. Issues in any of these areas contribute to missed work days. Missed work days contribute to a person’s ability to maintain gainful employment, which in turn calls into question the ability to afford shelter. Maybe a better metaphor is a spider web versus a snowball.

No easy answer to this problem exists. I firmly believe that we need to continue to support the agencies previously mentioned, as well as those groups helping our citizens to locate and maintain employment in Washington County. We need to bring new programs into the county like Housing First as outlined in the strategic community impact plan. We should be partnering with local developers to offer tax incentives for building affordable housing within new neighborhoods.

Lastly we need to support our educators and our youth in not only improving high school graduation rates, but also in obtaining advanced degrees and certifications to qualify for higher paying jobs. As the level of education increases, we will be able to better partner with our local economic development groups to not only recruit more business to Washington County but to shift the occupational landscape from a largely service, retail, and warehousing community to one with more highly skilled positions.

As our education improves, so will our income. As our income improves, so will our job opportunities. As we achieve greater financial stability we remove the barrier of affordable housing. Once our home is stable we can truly then focus on the components contributing to a higher quality of life.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Phone-a-thon

by Andrew Sargent
United Way Board President

One of the time-tested, traditional ways of raising money is to pick up the phone and call people, en masse and impersonal. The professionals know exactly what to say: "Good evening. Is the person who makes charitable decisions in your house available?" Or "Hello. This is Joe Givemore from the XYZ Charity. I am calling with a fantastic opportunity for you to feel better about yourself."

Here at United Way, we are a little more personable and a lot less polished. Maybe it's because we don't make calls on a routine basis. Maybe we know you professionally or socially. Maybe we remember how we feel about receiving these types of phone calls ourselves, last night, at dinner, while the kids were crying. Maybe it's because we are better at showing you why giving to United Way makes such a focused impact. Or maybe it is because we just ate a veggie wrap that is acting like a prisoner planning a jailbreak and we don't have long to talk.

Regardless, telephone calls are an important way to remind our citizens that we are here, doing yeoman's work to make the greatest advances possible in the overall health of our community. And so we must join our ancestors in picking up the phone and calling many of you.

This week kicked off our annual phone-a-thon. It will be accomplished by a small group of volunteers dedicated to reminding folks to support our United Way.
If you get a call, please forgive our unpolished awkwardness. Disregard the urgency with which we speak. And if we are unclear, please ask that we show you personally how we assist the community with your good support. But if your caller ID says it is United Way calling, pick up the phone and listen.

It won't take long. I promise.

Friday, November 18, 2011

The Value of Education

Did you have the chance to catch this article on msn.com?

http://lifeinc.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/17/8861013-yes-college-degree-has-value-try-1-million#.TsWCcbmBRto.facebook

What are your thoughts on the value of education? How can our community prepare our children to reap the benefits of education?

Friday, November 11, 2011

A PERSONAL reflection

By Mike Harsh
United Way Board of Directors Vice-President
Professor at Hagerstown Community College


Let me tell you why I participate, donate, and volunteer for United Way of Washington County:

Washington County is my home and the home of my lovely first (only and current) wife; my beautiful daughters; handsome sons-in-law; ‘interesting’ family; tolerant friends; my absolutely incredible grandson (ask me to show you some photos); current and former cherished students; thousands of wonderful folks; and to be perfectly honest, 14 complete jerks. In plainest terms, this is a real place populated with real people, who have real needs: yes, even the jerks.

After over 35 years working as an educator and raising a family here in Washington County, I have been blessed to find my way at the local United Way. That way is the authentic American way – as authentic as hog maw, Krumpe’s donuts, steamed crabs, and Superior Dairy ice cream.

Education, good health, a safe place to live and a decent job are the key elements for the American Dream. These are the realities I help pursue through the United Way. Not giving out, or handing out, or passing out, but reaching out with an open hand and heart to my neighbors who can use some temporary assistance in achieving that dream. The United Way is the American way; we help each other discover the strength and resolve to work harder ourselves to achieve that dream.

United Way is not a ‘liberal’ give away, it is a radical process that empowers us all to achieve our potential.

When we Live United and give of our time, talent, and treasure to the United Way, we participate in the authentic American tradition of neighbor helping neighbor. We create stronger, safer communities populated by folks like us who simply need a hand up to reach the American Dream. Those who receive our services are transformed into those who then provide their hearts and hands in assistance to others.

I like to think of my role with our United Way as partnering with my community in replacing a life full of ‘should not’ with a life full of ‘could be.’ Could be thinking and acting and Living United creates opportunities for individual and family achievement to be healthier, safer, and smarter: we really can ‘fix stupid’ and reduce the jerk population, making Washington County an ever more wonderful place for all of us.

That’s why I ‘Live United’!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Nuture Hope


A few years ago a friend of mine gave me this small stone
plaque, an office-warming gift after I took the position at United Way.
Engraved in the stone are the “ABCs of Life,” quotes of sorts meant to remind
me to “Accept differences”… “Be kind” … “Count my blessings” … and so
on. Years later the plaque still sits on my shelf and each day, for
whatever reason, I look up and read something different. Today it was
‘Nurture Hope’.

I spent the last few weeks painting a mural for the Women’s
Shelter at REACH. I’ve never been homeless. That’s not to say that
I couldn’t have been, just that I haven’t. I have been alone, scared and
worried about my future. I’ve been at a place in my life where I needed
someone else’s strength to get me through. I’m grateful for each
person who got me here. I can say that nothing in the last year has
inspired me more than simply standing there at that wall painting that
picture. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because of my own story;
maybe it’s because I know the faces of some of the women who will be looking up at that picture each morning.

The picture is nothing fancy, just a painting that captures
everything I want to say to those staying at the shelter this winter. In
the picture there’s a flowered path finding its way through a grouping of
trees. You can’t tell if its sunrise or sunset, but you see that the path
comes from two different places, connecting only in the middle toward the
sunlight. While I hope each woman sees something different, there is
something I hope everyone sees, something I didn’t know how to paint into the picture. Hope.

I have needed in my life - the specifics of which are for
another conversation, another blog. Still, I’ve been at a place in my
life where I’ve had to rely on the kindness of others. I’m thankful they
were kind. What I know from that time in my life is that no matter where
you come from, there is a purpose to the journey. We must never
forget that life experiences are just that, experience. Nothing
defines who we can become. As long as there are paths to take, a past to
leave behind, and a future to look forward to …there will be hope, and those of
us who will be here to nurture it.

-Leah Gayman, Executive Director

33 West Franklin St., Suite 203, Hagerstown, MD 21740 | TEL 301 739 8200 | FAX 301 797 2293

Copyright 2009 United Way of Washington County MD

Site Design By High Rock Studios