AT UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL OHIO,
WE FIGHT POVERTY. United Way of Central Ohio has made fighting poverty our sole purpose. With the help of thousands of volunteers, donors and corporate partners, we fight poverty every day in every neighborhood. Specifically, we fight for strong families, vibrant neighborhoods and smart community solutions. Because these are the three essentials for a thriving community. We may not see or experience poverty in our daily life, but it affects each of us. It prevents our neighbors from reaching their potential—particularly the children and youth—and diminishes the promise we see in our community. No matter where we live, we all pay for the economic drain poverty causes. And it’s unacceptable that 1 in 3 people still struggle to meet their most basic needs when unemployment is at historic lows.
In a recent three-day series, The Columbus Dispatch examined the economic segregation and wage disparity that divides our community. The series brought to light the glaring contrasts between central Ohio neighborhoods and the struggles many families are up against.
Columbus Dispatch March 19, 20, & 21 2017
We know Columbus has much to celebrate and be proud of, but many residents and neighborhoods are not sharing in the rewards of a strong economy. According to The Dispatch: The economic segregation that afflicts most urban areas in the
United States is especially stark in Columbus. Research conducted by Ohio State University for The Dispatch reveals striking contrasts that have persisted, and by some measures worsened, even as the Columbus area recovered from the Great Recession more quickly than many other cities.
their needs and connect them to community resources. Once issues are resolved, people are better equipped to get and keep good jobs.
Restoring Vibrant Neighborhoods In The Dispatch series, Columbus’ mayor addresses the growing issue of poverty in our community: Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther acknowledged that there is a growing divide here. He said that people who have been “working and playing by the rules have fallen behind the last six to seven years.”
Economic Stability for Strong Families
The series highlights a number of troubling trends contributing to economic disparity in central Ohio, including: • Unemployment in Franklin County sits at 4.6 percent, yet the share of residents officially poor or nearly so — a population that surged during the recession — has stayed roughly the same. About one in three live at or below 200 percent of the poverty line, which is now $49,200 a year for a family of four. The measure includes the working poor and is only slightly lower than the county’s median household annual income of $52,341.
At United Way of Central Ohio, we have targeted investments and strategies that help prepare people for employment opportunities, and help them find and keep jobs that move them out of poverty. We focus on high-quality workforce development programs that provide job and skills training, resume services and support to people who are unemployed or underemployed.
• Work remains tenuous for many. From 2009 to 2015, the number of temporary jobs in Franklin County grew by 49 percent, nearly five times the rate of overall job growth. The Dispatch also found that 35% of Columbus workers earn $15 an hour or less and that a startling 57% of families have less than $2,000 in savings.
“THE DIVIDE IS CLEAR:
Median household incomes in two census tracts less than 2 miles apart can easily differ by more than $70,000. One tract in Clintonville, west of I-71 and north of North Broadway, has distinct and pricey homes, leafy streets, and a median annual household income of $100,284. In a tract just to the east across the interstate in North Linden, northeast of Oakland Park Avenue and Karl Road, many of the houses stand empty or have been turned into rentals. The median household income there: $27,702.” – Columbus Dispatch March 19, 2017
COLUMBUS
Because Place Matters United Way invests heavily and strategically in education—from preschool to high school graduation— because the neighborhood where a child is born and grows up is often the determining factor in that child’s future. As The Dispatch series notes: • A nationwide study by economists from Harvard University and the University of California at Berkeley in 2013 found that low-income children in metro Columbus had just a 5.1% chance of reaching the top fifth of household income by age 30, making Columbus one of the least-promising places in the nation for kids who start near the bottom to climb the financial ladder.
Many people need help with obstacles that make it difficult or impossible for them to maintain or find steady employment—a sudden housing crisis or difficulty finding quality childcare, for example. United Way’s Care Coordination Network brings support together for hardworking families and helps them take step-by-step action toward a set of objectives that move them down a path toward success. Because families often face a variety of barriers, coordinators work with each family member to assess Our investments in education support school readiness programs like Columbus & Franklin County Kids that help children develop the skills and behaviors they need to enter kindergarten ready to succeed. United Way also focuses on helping young people graduate from high school prepared for success by funding quality after-school programs in South Linden and the South Side, and throughout central Ohio. These programs keep kids safe, give them access to tutoring and educational supports, and are a necessity for working parents. Additional investments in mentoring programs, counseling services, career exploration, youth development and parent engagement programs all
United Way of Central Ohio recognizes that the success and vibrancy of our community is intertwined with the success and vibrancy of our neighborhoods. To move the needle on fighting poverty, we determined it is critical to focus our efforts in the neighborhoods of greatest need, but also of greatest potential. We’re engaging and working side by side with residents in South Linden and the South Side to clearly understand community needs and co-create solutions with them that address the factors that contribute to poverty. We’re actively participating in neighborhood partnership groups and building alignment to accelerate revitalization in these proud, historic neighborhoods.
work together to result in higher graduation rates, which increase the likelihood that our youth—no matter what neighborhood they are born in to—will become successful, financially stable adults.
Tiwuan grew up in Linden and remembers not having a home and not having enough food. His mentor, Andrei, helped him see beyond his circumstances and encouraged him to ignore negative influences. Tiwuan was the first in his family in over a decade to graduate from high school and the first to go to college.
Filling Gaps with Smart Community Solutions The complexity of poverty requires tackling the issues from multiple fronts. United Way of Central Ohio has evolved to become even more targeted, nimble and responsive to the various needs of those facing poverty in our community. We’ve established new collaborations with hundreds of local partners, and we’re spearheading system and policy changes that get at the root causes of poverty. Tax Time, Fresh Foods Here and Stable Families are among the innovative community-wide efforts that work together to help families in central Ohio and to fight poverty.
JOIN US IN THE FIGHT. Poverty is THE most pressing issue we face in central Ohio. As The Dispatch series points out:
Columbus turns up among the worst cities for neighborhood disparity and income mobility in recent national reports, say researchers who study the problem. That runs counter to the city’s image as a thriving and welcoming magnet for young professionals, immigrants and the LGBT community. So we fight. With your support, we win. Find ways to get involved at wereducepoverty.org.