United Way's 2013 Community Impact Report

REDUCING POVERTY IN ERIE COUNTY

UNITED WAY OF ERIE COUNTY

COMMUNITY IMPACT

GIVE. ADVOCATE. VOLUNTEER.

United Way of Erie County unitedwayerie.org

REPORT

IMAGINE...

Imagination. It was a critical component last year when we laid out our bold vision to reduce poverty and increase self-sufficiency in Erie County by 2025. We invited all of you to imagine how much better our community could be if there were 10,000 more local families able to meet their basic needs without any form of public or private assistance.

Over the past 12 months, we have begun laying the tracks toward making that dream a reality. And you have clearly shown to us that you approve of this new direction. We are projecting to raise over $6 million dollars during our 2012-13 Campaign, making it our largest fundraising campaign ever! Thank you so much for providing us with the resources needed to transform our community.

Now we ask you to imagine with us once again. We are thrilled to announce the arrival of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Erie County. This potentially game-changing program has achieved amazing results in hundreds of other communities across the country, and we know it will do the same here.

Over the next few pages, you will learn what we have accomplished over the past year, and what we plan to accomplish in the year to come.

Together, our collective impact can turn a bright future from imagination to reality. That’s what can happen when we LIVE UNITED.

Bill Jackson President

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James B. Ohrn Chair, Board of Directors

United Way of Erie County

LIVE UNITED

2025 What would happen if children received a quality education, individuals had the resources they needed to become financially stable, and families had access to quality healthcare?

How would their lives be different? How would our community change?

Now imagine if we had the ability to make this a reality. With LIVE UNITED 2025 we can. LIVE UNITED 2025 is United Way of Erie County’s long-term vision to transform our region.

OUR LIVE UNITED 2025 GOALS ARE AMBITIOUS:

United Way of Erie County’s Bold Challenge to the Community: Reduce the number of families struggling to meet their basic needs by one-third by 2025.

We have embarked on a bold journey: one that links solid, research-based community strategies to the resources needed to implement them. By connecting families to the building blocks of economic stability - Education, Income, and Health - United Way and our partners will ensure people have the tools they need to thrive.

United Way’s work goes well beyond our historical role of funding strong nonprofit partners. Today we are mobilizing all our assets: funding, volunteers, legislative advocacy, technology, in-kind resources and corporate partnerships to deliver transformative, measurable results.

Community Impact Strategy

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REDUCING POVERTY BY INVESTING IN EDUCATION Education is the key to helping more people in our region become self-sufficient and breaking the cycle of poverty. To achieve our goal of 10,000 more self-sufficient families by 2025, we as a community need to prepare at least two-thirds of our high school graduates to succeed in education after high school.

In 2012, after a highly competitive process that involved years of research and careful planning, United Way identified the local programs and initiatives that are most effective and efficient at achieving measurable results in education among children from low-income families.

These programs and initiatives will transform the educational environment by providing services to lowincome youth in Erie County that address one (or more) of the following key milestones: Children are prepared socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually for kindergarten Children are proficient in literacy by the end of third grade Students are engaged in school and hopeful about their futures Students of all ages articulate age-appropriate career paths Students graduate from high school on time with a career plan and the skills necessary to be successful in post-secondary education

After School Youth Group (A program of Bethesda Children’s Home/Trinity Center)

Enhances children’s academic performance; teaches the skills needed to remain drug and alcohol free; and gives children and families a safe place to learn, interact, and connect as a family and neighborhood.

Big Brothers/Big Sisters (A program of Family Services of NW PA)

Provides children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better.

Childcare (A program of YMCA of Greater Erie)

Provides quality early care and education to prepare children for kindergarten and beyond.

Discoverers (A program of Boys and Girls Club of Erie)

Helps children succeed intellectually, emotionally, socially and physically. Through their involvement in a variety of educational programs, children are helped to progress towards high school graduation.

Dropout and Truancy Project (at Strong Vincent and Union City High Schools)

Reduces and then maintains the rate of drop-outs and truancy by promoting the overall health of our youth through the implementation of specific measures to increase accountability for every student.

Early Learning and Child Care Centers (A program of Early Connections)

Ensures children will be successful in high quality early childhood care and education that is a safe, welcoming place with professional, caring adults.

Erie Together (In partnership with GECAC and the Mercyhurst Civic Institute)

Mobilizes volunteers and organizations working together to make the Erie Region a community of opportunity where everyone can learn, work and thrive.

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United Way of Erie County

Erie Vital Signs (In partnership with The Erie Community Foundation, the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership, Erie Together, and The Nonprofit Partnership) Monitors community progress in eight major areas for the next decade. This project will help us maintain focus on key community issues to clearly demonstrate areas of community pride and areas where we are falling short.

Erie’s Future Fund (In partnership with The Erie Community Foundation, Early Learning Investment Commission, and Success By 6)

Provides scholarships for approximately 285 low-income children to attend quality early care and education in the 2012-2013 school year. Families are provided guidance on the skills and knowledge necessary to promote school readiness throughout their child’s early years.

Head Start (A program of GECAC)

Promotes school readiness by enhancing the social, emotional, physical and cognitive development of children through educational, health, nutritional, social and other services to enrolled children and families.

JFK After School Kids Cafe (A program of John F. Kennedy Center)

Helps lower income children, ages 5-18, living in the disadvantaged neighborhood surrounding the John F. Kennedy Center, have a safe place to go during out-of-school time; to grow up healthy, learn, and be hopeful about their future.

Leaders In-training For Tomorrow (A program of Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania)

Use the unique benefits of Girl Scouting to help at-risk girls develop skills and experiences that will encourage participants to be engaged in their education by graduating with proficiency, pursuing higher education, being hopeful and prepared for their careers, being leaders in their community, and effectively advocating for their best interests.

Newspapers in Education (A project of the Erie Times-News)

Promotes and enhances literacy levels of all local school children. Encourages life-long daily reading habits that will create informed, literate and educated citizens and promote self-sufficiency, self-confidence and self-esteem.

Parents as Teachers (A program of Union City Family Support Center)

Provides the information, support and encouragement parents need to improve parenting capacity, parent practices and parent-child relationships, helping them engage effectively in their child’s education and reduce the likelihood of neglect and abuse.

Positive Youth Development (Administered by Susan Hirt Hagen CORE Penn State Erie, The Behrend College) Creates healthy, caring and responsible individuals by promoting developmental assets, the building blocks of healthy youth development.

Small World Child Care (A program of International Institute of Erie)

Provides high quality child care and early childhood education, preparing children for future academic success and accepting people without regard to their culture, disabilities or special needs.

St. Martin Early Learning Center (A program of St. Martin Center, Inc.)

Helps young children become productive and independent citizens by guiding them through their formative years.

United Way Success By 6 (Administered by Early Connections)

Raises public awareness of the importance of quality early learning opportunities, building literacy and kindergarten readiness skills and creating smooth transitions from early learning programs to kindergarten.

Youth Social Development (A program of The Salvation Army)

Supports the needs of working and impoverished families, by strengthening young people’s academic skills while encouraging healthy behaviors, and physical wellbeing in a safe and healthy environment.

Community Impact Strategy

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ONE

ONE

BIG IMPACT

SMALL

GIFT

Imagine if every child in Erie County entered school eager to learn and with a love of reading.

Currently, over 43 percent of children under the age of five live in low-income families, leaving them more likely to lack the necessary resources to enter kindergarten prepared to learn. 60 percent of Erie County children enter school without adequate language and literacy skills, and nearly one-third of third graders in Erie County scored below proficient on the 2010 PSSA reading test.

It sounds almost too simple to be true, but by reading regularly with young children during their preschool years, they are given the biggest boost toward a successful education they will ever receive. The American Academy of Pediatrics “strongly recommends reading to children every day, starting after they are first born,” because “reading stimulates the development of the brain, language, and a closer emotional relationship with the child.”

What Is Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library?

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library will help parents read with their children. There are many reasons parents do not read to their child, but we can eliminate one of them. Every child will have books of their very own...at no cost to their family.

A new, carefully selected book will be mailed in the child’s name directly to his/her home each and every month from birth until he or she turns five years of age. Titles are chosen by a blue ribbon panel of educators, are age-appropriate and have concepts that build upon each other.

All children in Erie County, regardless of household income, are eligible for the program. Children can look forward to new and exciting reading adventures from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library until they turn five years old, as long as they remain residents of Erie County. Should a child move outside Erie County, he/she automatically exits the program.

The Imagination Library is a FREE GIFT to our children! All families have to do is read to their children.

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United Way of Erie County

What Kind of Results Have Been Achieved?

The Imagination Library has served nearly 700,000 children in almost 2,000 communities across three countries, and it has consistently produced incredible results.

Nearly 75 percent of families involved in the Imagination Library read more to their children after joining the program. The impact on frequency is greater among low-income families.

In one community, the percentage of parents who do not read with their children dropped from nearly 12 percent to just 1 percent. Over 70 percent of parents reported their children’s interest in reading increased as a direct result of their involvement in the program.

How Do Families Get Involved?

We want to involve as many children in our community as possible in the Imagination Library. Parents only have a few responsibilities to become involved: 1. Be a resident of Erie County.

2. Submit an official registration form, completely filled out by parent or guardian (form must be approved and on file with United Way of Erie County). Forms are available at many local libraries, child care centers, community centers and businesses, and also online at UnitedWayErie.org.

3. Notify United Way of Erie County any time their address changes. Books are mailed to the address listed on the official registration form. If the child’s address changes, parents must contact United Way of Erie County in order to continue receiving books.

4. Read with their child.

Eight to ten weeks after a registration form has been received, books will begin arriving at the child’s home and will continue until the child turns five or moves out of Erie County.

How Can I Help?

Do you know a preschool child in Erie County who is not receiving books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library? Give their parents a brochure/registration form and encourage them to fill it out and mail it to the address below. Telling them about this FREE program can make a huge difference in their future and the future of our community.

While this program is free for all families involved in the program, there is a significant cost to operate it. If you would like to sponsor a child, or if you know of a business, organization or individual who would like to donate funds to support this gift to our children, please contact United Way of Erie County by calling 814-456-2937 or visit us at UnitedWayErie.org to make an online donation.

A United Way of Erie County initiative in collaboration with The Erie Community Foundation and our other funding and community partners.

Community Impact Strategy

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REDUCING POVERTY BY

INVESTING IN INCOME TO ACHIEVE OUR GOAL of 10,000 more self sufficient families by 2025, we as a community need to reduce the number of low income families that are asset poor by one-third.

Income poverty is one aspect of household finances that defines who is poor. Asset poverty is another aspect of household finances that provides a realistic picture of what it means to be poor. A household is considered to be in asset poverty if it does not have sufficient savings or other assets to cover basic living expenses (equivalent to what can be purchased with a poverty level income) for three months should income stop, for example, due to job loss, or catastrophic illness or accident.

According to a study commissioned for Erie Vital Signs, 38 percent of households in the City of Erie and 27 percent of households in Erie County are asset poor. Both the City and County are above the state and national averages (19 percent and 26 percent respectively).

To accomplish our goal, our community must transform the economic environment by working to ensure these key milestones are met: • LEARN: Families learn how to successfully manage their personal finances • EARN: Families maximize their income • SAVE: Families save by using safe, affordable financial products and services • INVEST: Families turn and grow savings into wealth- building assets • PROTECT: Families protect themselves from financial setbacks As part of its fact-finding, United Way’s Income Impact Council conducted a comprehensive scan in January 2013 of all programs in Erie County focused on promoting financial stability and independence for students, adults and/or seniors. The primary goal of this effort was to determine which of the Community Outcomes for Income were being adequately addressed and to identify where our community should focus more resources.

In March 2013, United Way of Erie County’s Income Impact Council issued a request for proposals to address these key milestones. In spring 2013, United Way of Erie County will align its investments with those organizations specifically and effectively addressing one or more of these Income milestones through a competitive allocations process.

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United Way of Erie County

THE ASSET POOR IN ERIE COUNTY

Asset poverty is a measure that expands the notion of poverty to establish a minimum threshold of wealth needed for household security. A household is asset poor if it has insufficient net worth to support itself at the federal poverty level for three months in the absence of income, i.e., net worth of less than $4,632 for a family of three in 2011. Asset poor households would not have enough savings or wealth to provide for basic needs during a sudden job loss or a medical emergency.

HOUSEHOLDS

IN ASSET POVERTY …

38%

BY GEOGRAPHY

27%

Erie

Erie County

19%

26%

Pennsylvania

United States

BY RACE & ETHNICITY

BY EDUCATION

13%

Advanced Degree

Bachelor’s Degree

52%

55%

24%

19% 30% 29%

Associate’s Degree or Some College Only High School Degree Only

BY AGE OF HOUSEHOLDER

BY FAMILY STATUS

48%

27%

< 35 years old

35-44 years old

20%

15%

45-54 years old

55-64 years old

BY POVERTY STATUS

22%

Married households Households with Children Single-parent households

All Households of Color

White

Black or African American

BY HOUSING TENURE

10% 63%

15% 31% 51%

of Homeowners

of Renters

BY HOUSEHOLD INCOME

Households above the poverty line

52%

32%

Below $24,988

$24,988$45,654

20%

12%

5%

2011 POVERTY LINE (family of 3): $18,530

57%

Households below the poverty line

$45,655$70,014

$70,015$107,289

Above $107,289

Note: Asset poverty figures at geographies below the national and state levels in the Profile are estimates derived from a model based on 2010 data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) and the 2008-2010 American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample. While these estimates are CFED’s best efforts to measure local wealth holding, the model is based on a national survey of approximately 50,000 households, and caution should be used when interpreting data at a local level.

MUNICIPAL PROFILE: ERIE COUNTY 2013 Community Impact Report

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It was a banner year for United Way Erie FREE Taxes, as more people in Erie County than ever before were able to take advantage of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and keep their hard-earned dollars in our community. Erie FREE Taxes is a program that helps low to moderate income wage earners claim the federal EITC, a cash refund, by providing them with free tax preparation and filing services at volunteer tax sites.

This year, Erie FREE Taxes returned more than $6,677,000 in income tax refunds, including $2.7 million in earned income-tax credits. These dollars provide an important economic boost to families as well as local businesses. Erie FREE Taxes prepared 3,966 federal tax returns, up 19 percent from 2012, and saved local tax filers approximately $880,500 in tax preparation fees.

In total, nearly 1,500 local tax filers received earned income-tax credit refunds through Erie FREE Taxes, an increase of 13% from the previous year. The rise in numbers is due, in part, to a large increase in the number of volunteer tax preparers and expanded marketing efforts.

Created by the federal government in 1975, the EITC is the most effective poverty reduction program in the country. The EITC is a federal tax refund intended to offset the loss of income from payroll taxes owed by low wage-earning workers. The EITC supplements their incomes, thus playing a critical role in helping them and their families to move towards economic self-sufficiency.

Erie FREE Taxes began as a project of The Erie Community Foundation and is now run by United Way of Erie County, with significant funding still provided from The Erie Community Foundation. Learn more about the program by visiting http://www.UnitedWayErie.org/ErieFreeTaxes.

Erie Together is a movement of hundreds of local individuals and organizations working together to make the Erie region a community of opportunity where everyone can learn, work and thrive.

Erie Together’s Countywide Action Teams are finding strategic ways to reduce poverty and help more Erie County residents become self-sufficient.

Among their successes are the first ever Kindergarten Readiness and Work Readiness checklists for our region.

Visit http://www.ErieTogether.org to learn about the results achieved through Erie Together and find out how you can get involved.

A collaboration between The Erie Community Foundation, The Nonprofit Partnership, United Way of Erie County, Erie Regional Chamber & Growth Partnership and Erie Together, Erie Vital Signs is critical to United Way’s efforts to track progress as we work to reduce poverty in Erie County by 2025.

Erie Vital Signs tracks indicators that reflect and measure our county’s well-being in eight topic areas. The goal of this project is to inform and inspire by presenting sound, unbiased information, with clarity and transparency, on the issues our community identifies as important to our quality of life.

Learn more about Erie Vital Signs by visiting http://www.ErieVitalSigns.org.

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United Way of Erie County

GIVE.

Looking Back At a Year of LIVING UNITED

During the 2012-13 Campaign, our community invested over $6 million in United Way of Erie County! We are projecting this to be the largest fundraising campaign in our organization’s 98-year history. THANK YOU!!!

Throughout this campaign, we heard how you were inspired by our bold vision to reduce poverty by 2025, and that you were excited to join the movement and advance the common good in Erie County.

Thank you for accepting our invitation to LIVE UNITED!

ADVOCATE.

In early 2012, United Way joined forces with other organizations across the Commonwealth to oppose the reintroduction of the payday lending industry in Pennsylvania. Payday lending is a predatory financial practice that targets the working poor, the elderly, veterans and anyone living paycheck to paycheck by offering short term loans with interest rates in excess of 300%, trapping these people in a cycle of debt that is extremely difficult to escape.

As a result of the coalition efforts, the industry and its lobbyists were unable to move HB 2191 from committee to a full vote on the Senate floor in 2012.

While new legislation designed to reintroduce payday lending is expected to be introduced in Harrisburg soon, United Way of Erie County will continue to mobilize our community in opposition to these efforts. To date, at least 10 other nonprofits and religious groups in Erie County have joined the state-wide coalition at our request.

VOLUNTEER. We all have special talents. Things we can do to help. And when we reach out a hand to one, we influence the condition of all. In 2012, United Way volunteers spent over 28,800 hours helping us reduce poverty in Erie County! According to estimates, that’s a value of more than $600,000!

Whether it’s reading to children, or leading financial literacy classes for hard-working families, or delivering meals to homebound seniors, there are hundreds of volunteer options available every day.

That’s why United Way of Erie County partnered with The Nonprofit Partnership to launch Get Connected (http://getconnected.unitedwayerie.org) in 2012. Get Connected is a simple and revolutionary web-based solution for helping individuals find local volunteer opportunities that fit their interests and skills.

Volunteer opportunities on the site have been viewed more than 15,000 times since the site went live in November. Visit http://getconnected.unitedwayerie.org today to find the opportunity that is right for you. Give the gift of you. Volunteer!

2013 Community Impact Report

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NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

ERIE, PA PERMIT NO. 370 420 West 6th Street, Suite 200 Erie, PA 16507 (814) 456-2937 UnitedWayErie.org

The Imagination Ball October 19, 2013

This fun and unforgettable celebration of imagination will be a one-time-only fundraiser for the Imagination Library.

Tickets are $150 each.

Contact United Way at 814-456-2937 for ticket and sponsorship information!