United Way of San Diego County August 2011 Community Impact Progress Report

United Way of San Diego County

COMMUNITY IMPACT PROGRESS REPORT August 2011 What does it mean to build a community where everyone has the aspirations, resources and opportunities to reach their potential? Where it requires everyone in the community to work together? It’s called Living United, and nowhere is it more evident than in the pages that follow.

At United Way of San Diego County, we know that together we can create real, lasting change that provides the building blocks for a good life: education, income and health. By combining our resources, we ensure that all children receive an education to achieve their potential; that families earn enough money to live well; that everyone has access to good health.

This latest report about our work in the community shows the encouraging results of our collective efforts. Change can’t happen without you; we thank you for being part of our mission to improve lives in San Diego County.

To follow our progress, visit uwsd.org to sign up for e-news. For real-time updates, “Like” us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter (@liveunitedsd.org). You can also watch us on YouTube.

Latest News:

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In June we announced a three-year volunteer challenge to recruit 10,000 readers, tutors and mentors for San Diego children. Bill Walton signed up as our first volunteer by reading to 2nd and 3rd graders at the Monarch School. UC San Diego was the first organization to take the pledge.

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The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) coalition brought $8.2 million in EITC credits back to the community in the 2010 tax season, an increase of more than $900,000 over the prior tax year.

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Project 25, the Frequent User Initiative that is part of our Home Again campaign, reports ongoing success. A total of 29 of the most frequent users of public resources are now enrolled in the program, with 15 permanently housed and 7 others soon to move into their own apartments.

Bill Walton with children from the Monarch School.

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EDUCATION—Help children and youth achieve their potential Voices for the Common Good: San Diego Speaks out on Education: After several months listening to a cross-section of San Diegans, United Way issued a report on the community’s aspirations for education. From Oceanside to Chula Vista, East County to the beaches, residents gave their views on what we can do as a community to support children’s academic and personal success.

The key findings:

School Days Educational achievement is directly related to regular school attendance, which helps set the stage for personal, health and economic success. It also guards against poverty, illiteracy, substance abuse and criminal behavior.

—The Children’s Initiative, “Data to Action” report

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People believe that good schools and good communities go hand in hand. Jobs and community issues can limit parents’ involvement in and our ability to maintain great schools.

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People feel disconnected from schools. The greater community is struggling to connect with schools and educators.

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Kids need role models just as much as academic support.

Many people believe the entire community needs to help instill values, not just academics, in local youth.

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We’re at a turning point in education. The community is ready to take action. People also see a need for “real world” education.

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Schools can’t do it alone; the whole community must be involved. Preparing children for the future requires involvement beyond teachers and parents.

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Military families face special challenges. Kids in military families face additional challenges because of constant relocation.

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Immigrants and refugees feel more disconnected. The local immigrant and refugee communities have difficulty engaging, often due to language and cultural barriers.

United Way Volunteer Challenge: To engage 10,000 volunteers to increase the scholastic and personal achievement of San Diego children through reading, tutoring and mentoring. Partners include:

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Big Brothers & Big Sisters of San Diego County

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Reality Changers

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Rolling Readers

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Chula Vista Serves

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San Diego County Office of Education, Foster Youth and Homeless Education Services

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UC San Diego Community Impact Progress Report–August 2011

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School Attendance Project: For the past three years, we’ve funded this middle school pilot program focused on improving attendance.

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Schools use a customized toolkit of resources to help them identify and address causes of absenteeism.

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Latest reports show an average 35% improvement in attendance, with increases ranging from 6% up to 72%.

INCOME—Teaching financial self-sufficiency to struggling families and youth Our new Bright Futures initiative offers financial education and job skills development for low-income adults and youth struggling to make ends meet. The program offers 3 levels:

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Youth (basic financial education for those under age 18)

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Adult (basic financial education over ages 18 and over)

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Adult Intermediate (financial education plus workforce development and benefits screening/enrollment)

Eight local agencies have implemented Bright Futures, including Community Housing Works, International Rescue Committee, MAAC Project, Money Management International, North County Lifeline, SAY San Diego, San Diego Housing Commission and South Bay Community Services.

San Diego Futures Foundation (SDFF) assists under or unemployed individuals by training and certifying them for IT occupations using refurbished donated computers.

• 40 unemployed or under-employed individuals receive 200 hours training, internships and IT certification • Anticipated outcome: 75% of participants will remain employed for at least six months.

Medical Assistant Training, a program supported by the San Diego Workforce Funders Collaborative and other local funders, gave workers in the medical field a chance to improve their salaries by acquiring additional job skills.

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United Way funded transportation, childcare and classroom expenses, including books and other materials that allowed more people to participate.

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Earned Income Tax Credit coalition: As a leader in the coalition, United Way’s involvement helped bring record increases to San Diego residents this year:

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5,244 eligible taxpayers claimed the credit

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Increase of 601 taxpayers claiming the credit

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Total EITC dollars claimed totaled $8,191,536

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Increase in dollars claimed totaled $994,407

Along with free tax preparation, 1,752 individuals were screened for benefits and additional income supports. Over 1,000 were eligible for CalFresh (formerly food stamps) benefits of approximately $260 per month.

Labor Participation: The United Way’s Department of Labor Participation served as logistics coordinator for the annual Letter Carriers Food Drive, which generated great community support this year.

• 17 agencies, two food banks, four trucking companies and 650 volunteers participated. $167,000 in food, electric and rental assistance helped more than 1,000 San Diego families.

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HEALTH—Improving community health Homeless Outreach & Prevention Project 25, Home Again’s frequent user initiative, targets the costliest users of homeless resources including emergency, medical, law enforcement and other City or County services.

Aaron McBride, on the streets for years, was the second person to be housed through Project 25. His neurological disorder often kept him in hospitals for more than a week at a time.

As a result of this groundbreaking collaboration between United Way, the city, the county and our partner agencies, many people are now in permanent housing and receiving support services, or on their way back to leading full lives.

In the past two years, United Way has also funded other efforts to prevent or address homelessness: • San Diego Rescue Mission/Recuperative Care Program (RCU): Provides short-term housing, meals, medical services, case management and social serCommunity Impact Progress Report–August 2011

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vices to chronically homeless people recovering from acute illnesses. Of the hundreds served, 66 are now out of RCU and living in permanent housing.

Alpha Project/Permanent Supportive Housing Program: Ongoing outreach to at least 300 people monthly.

Extending opening hours for the Neil Good Day Center in downtown San Diego.

Increasing units of permanent supportive housing through Townspeople Crisis House/Regional Access Center: Moved 10 people to more permanent housing situations.

Stopping Child Abuse & Neglect All San Diego’s children need a safe, positive home environment that prepares them to be successful in school and life.

Home Start Maternal Shelter, a new initiative funded by United Way, will help 8 to 12 pregnant or parenting teen mothers, up to age 21, who might also struggle with substance abuse.

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Better Dads, Better Kids is improving parenting skills for a broad crosssection of fathers living in San Diego County.

A unique facility that teaches parenting skills, job readiness, GED or high school completion, financial literacy and community engagement skills.

Better Dads, Better Kids: This parenting program teaches lowincome, military, Latino, and other dads to be more engaged with their children through in-home visitation, parenting classes, and support groups. In its first year, 345 dads enrolled and all have completed the program. As a result,

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95% evaluated their parenting skills as excellent or good, reflecting a 50% increase.

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Nearly three-quarters of the participants were better able to manage anger and stress.

SafeCare® , an evidence-based program proven to reduce the reoccurrence of abuse and neglect, has changed the way the county handles child abuse cases. As a result of our funding over the past five years:

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Highly skilled and trained home visitors can be found in all regions of the county — a total of 38 certified trainers.

900 families and over 1,712 children have benefited.

SafeCare’s innovative approach is now a systematized Community Impact Progress Report–August 2011

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way to help San Diego’s most vulnerable children.

Trauma Counseling provides trauma treatment for children and their families. Social workers, therapists, and psychologists specializing in trauma treatment were also trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

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Last year 150 therapists were trained.

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More than 750 youth benefited.

Forensic Interviewing helps children and teen victims or witnesses of sexual or physical abuse.

For the past few years, we have funded specialized counseling that helped hundreds of children traumatized by abuse and neglect. We also increased the numbers of San Diego therapists trained in cuttingedge counseling techniques.

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Specialists use a protocol more likely to produce evidence that will stand up in court. It also prevents repeated interviewing and re-traumatizating children.

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Of the 229 interviewed, 145 resulted in disclosures that could lead to criminal court filings.

Camp Connect San Diego for Youth in Foster Care reunites siblings separated by foster care during summer camps and other year-round events, including trips last year to Legoland, Knott’s Berry Farm, and the ARTS Center. With our partners at County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency and Promises2Kids, another camp is set for August 2011. Follow-up events are planned for September at the Mission Bay Yacht Club and a holiday event in December.

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ABOUT OUR WORK For 90 years, United Way has served the San Diego region with leadership in the broader community and in the nonprofit sector. We bring innovative, proven solutions to bear in solving some of our county’s toughest issues.

Our Mission To improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of the San Diego community.

Advancing the Common Good We are working to advance the common good by focusing on education, income and health. These are the building blocks for a good life — a quality education that leads to a stable job, enough income to support a family through retirement, and good health.

Solving tough issues with research-based solutions Our goal? To create systemic, positive change and to solve problems at their root cause. We carry out that vision by employing a “Community Impact” model — bringing innovative, research-based solutions to San Diego, funding those partners most effective at implementing them, and measuring the impact on our community. Under the umbrella of Education, Income and Health, we are working on issues that affect youth, low-income working adults and the chronically homeless. You can track our progress by signing up for e-news on our website, following us on Twitter @liveunitedsd or by liking us on Facebook.

Leadership in the nonprofit sector An important aspect of United Way’s work in the community is the leadership we provide to others in the nonprofit sector, specifically in Health & Human Services. We facilitate critical forums and trainings so best practices can be shared among all of us working to serve the community. We offer expertise in new approaches to philanthropy or in capacity building to help agencies better handle the rising demands of our community. In fact, many important community organizations had their beginnings at United Way —211 San Diego, Volunteer San Diego, and LEAD San Diego among them.

Your support of United Way extends to the broader community, changing all of our lives for the better. We invite you to be part of the change.

United Way of San Diego County is a nonprofit organization that improves lives and creates lasting change by raising money and mobilizing the community to solve education, income and health issues. To learn more, visit our website at uwsd.org

United Way of San Diego County 4699 Murphy Canyon Road San Diego, CA 92123 www.uwsd.org

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