United Way 2-1-1’s presence is growing across the region as more users reach out for help, and a greater number of callers are connecting to the service in different ways for different needs.

In addition to expanding our reach into communities throughout Monroe and Washtenaw counties, United Way 2-1-1 now links callers to 21,448 services and 6,610 programs across the region. The three-digit helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and offers assistance to callers in multiple languages. In February, 19,607 users dialed 2-1-1, an increase of 161 percent over the same month a year ago. February's volume was also 13 percent higher than in January.

While most callers last month were interested in securing assistance with gas and electric utility bills, along with food, rent and other services needed to help them get by, a growing number of users turned to 2-1-1 in an effort to access the Earned Income Tax Credit and mortgage foreclosure prevention resources -- a trend that is expected to continue.

These initiatives are tied to our Agenda for Change, through which we focus on addressing educational preparedness, financial stability and basic needs as the most effective means of changing individual lives and communities across Southeastern Michigan in measurable and lasting ways. Both the EITC and the mortgage foreclosure initiative align with the financial stability focus of the Agenda, which seeks to increase financial literacy, increase and sustain home ownership and increase financial resources across the region.

For the second consecutive year, United Way and our community partners are recruiting and training volunteers to prepare tax returns for low-income residents help more of them access the EITC, which provides a rebate of up to $4,700 that families can use to pay off debt, cover tuition or get a fresh start. More than 8,300 people were served in 2007, and a larger number are expected to benefit this year. The volunteers staff free tax preparation sites across the region, and in February, referrals to these sites was a top 10 request from 2-1-1 callers from Macomb, Wayne, Oakland and Washtenaw counties.

Along with EITC assistance, callers are screened to determine whether they qualify for federal economic stimulus package benefits. The government plans to provide more than 130 million Americans rebates ranging from $300 to more than $1,000 this spring, depending on marital status and the number of children in the family. In order to collect the rebate, individuals must earn at least $3,000 in income, provide valid Social Security information and file a 2007 income tax return. 2-1-1 callers who meet the requirements are referred to a volunteer tax site where they can have their returns prepared at no cost.

In conjunction with other 2-1-1 operations across the state, United Way 2-1-1 is deeply involved in mortgage foreclosure prevention work. Our response to the crisis affecting a growing number of Michigan families is to sharpen our focus on sustaining home ownership. Requests for assistance with mortgage payments, staving off foreclosures and related services are increasing each month. 2-1-1 launched a supplementary Web site this month to provide homeowners who are struggling, delinquent or facing foreclosure a collection of valuable and instructive resources.

In Wastenaw County, 2-1-1 is involved in a program to help working class residents facing eviction pay rent during crisis situations. The program is designed to slow the growing rate of evictions in the county, while improving housing stability in communities threatened by decline.

As part of our community outreach in the area of basic needs, 2-1-1 is partnered with the Michigan Dental Association to assess and schedule callers with children between the ages of 4 and 18 for the Give a Kid a Smile Day. Volunteer dentists provide free screenings and cleanings for nearly 500 children who otherwise would not have gotten the care. Call center specialists were able to connect children to the care providers simply by asking callers to 2-1-1 whether they were parents and letting them know about the free program. This is a procative way 2-1-1 helps those in our community with limited resources -- making preventive care accessible to vulnerable residents, addressing issues before they become problems. 2-1-1 is playing a major role in our work to create positive, lasting change for the region.

To find out what else is new at 2-1-1, or to view monthly reports with information on your county, visit www.uwsem.org/211.

Citizens advocate against predatory lending

Michigan residents have spoken and our elected officials are listening. House Bill 4645, which requires clarification for people seeking refund anticipation loans, also known as rapid refunds, is moving through the state legislature and on its way to becoming law. This bill is an important step in regulating predatory lending practices that target low-income individuals and families.

State Rep. Steve Tobocman (D-Detroit) introduced the bill, and the Michigan House of Representatives approved it in February. United Way, the Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition, and other partners have worked with Tobocman to spread the word and urge Michiganders to voice their support for the bill.

As part of United Way’s Agenda for Change work, our public policy team is committed to advocating for legislation that helps families become financially stable. During tax season, countless people use refund anticipation loans to access their tax refunds sooner. However, these loans come with high interest rates and other fees that are deducted from the tax refund, diminishing its worth and taking critical money out of the hands of those who need it most. This bill is a critical step toward helping individuals and families stop wasting money and gain financial stability by developing a better understanding of their options.

H.B. 4645 would require those who facilitate “rapid refunds” to do four things:

• Explain that rapid refunds are a loan and must be paid back, with additional costs
• Review with taxpayers the actual total of the interest and all other fees that will be deducted from the tax refund
• Explain how much the individual would receive as a refund by avoiding the anticipation loan
• Provide comparison of expected wait times for traditional and rapid refund option

These steps would help individuals make informed decisions about their refund options.

A Senate committee is currently reviewing the measure, and during this important time, your voice could make a difference. United Way urges you to contact your state senators and voice your support for this important bill.

Volunteer Spotlight
ASB '08 is the start of something great
"We didn't give up spring break, we took advantage of it."

The mere mention of spring break causes most of us to conjure up images of lazy days in the sun or wild parties on far-away beaches. But for 60 young volunteers from across the United States and Canada, the break they had this year was something completely different from any they have ever experienced -- thanks to United Way's Alternative Spring Break.

ASB is a two-year-old project that brings together young people interested in spending their spring break completing community service projects, and for the first time Detroit was included among the list of cities hosting volunteers. From Feb. 23 to March 1 ASBers spent their days either working outside in single-digit weather or sweating away on maintenance projects inside, at a number of nonprofit agencies across the region. And while it doesn't sound very glamorous or much like a break, a good time was had by all. In fact, we were hard-pressed to find a single one of them who wouldn't do it all over again.

When asked by friends why he would spend his spring break working outside in the cold, U of M Dearborn student and ASB volunteer Tom Wille didn't hesitate to shoot down the perception that he was missing out on something.

"We didn't give up spring break, we took advantage of it," Wille says.

Since 2006, United Way's ASB program has drawn over 400 volunteers to hurricane-ravaged regions in Mississippi and Louisiana. This year, the ASB volunteers worked on service projects throughout the metropolitan Detroit area. Holding ASB outside of the Gulf Coast region for the first time is a pilot to see whether the "work in your own backyard" approach could work.

And work, it did.

Five teams of volunteers spent the week building a wheelchair ramp for a family in Detroit, clearing grounds for an impending Habitat for Humanity build in Macomb County, refurbishing the boiler room at Vista Maria in Dearborn, working on beautification projects at Lighthouse Path in Pontiac, and painting and tiling rooms at an eastside Detroit community center. On days when it was too cold to work outside, outdoor volunteers spent time inside mentoring youth, serving meals to homeless individuals, painting a gymnasium and even refurbishing a long-forgotten bowling alley at Franklin Wright Settlements. A sixth team, comprised of students from U of M Dearborn's Campus Video Network, spent their spring break documenting the work of the ASB volunteers. The complete collection of videos produced as a result of that work can be viewed at youtube.com/unitedwaysemich.

"We called a local company to see what they would have charged us to paint our gymnasium," said Suneil Singh, director of fund development and communications at Franklin Wright Settlements. "They told us it would take a team of seven painters a week to do it, and it would cost $9,000. The ASB volunteers painted the whole thing in just a few days."

The monetary savings ASB provided nonprofits is only one small benefit the program provides.

"Realizing the impact that I could have in such a short period of time and knowing that a small amount of people could be the catalysts for such great change is the indescribable part," said ASB volunteer Stacy Boone.

More ASB Volunteer Reflections

"This past week was the best week of my life. I signed up for ASB to help and be part of something that makes a change in our community. I never thought that I would change as dramatically as I did." - Khurram Imam

"This has completely changed my perspective on life and given me so much hope. I can't wait to come back next year and learn even more about myself that I never knew was possible." - Heather Wigley

"I can't wait until we all get together and do it again - making a difference in even more people's lives and changing spirits all over." - Ben Walters

"In the middle of a dusty, dirty, broke-down, sweaty boiler room I took a second to stop sweeping a floor that was buried under rust and chipped paint. While watching my team work flawlessly together I realized that there was absolutely NO other place I would want to spend my spring break. " - Tammy Russell

Upcoming Events
Video contest will honor outstanding volunteers

Volunteering can involve as little as taking a neighbor to a weekly doctor’s appointment or as much of a commitment as becoming a mentor to a troubled youth. United Way for Southeastern Michigan believes all acts of volunteerism, large and small, should be recognized and we need your help to honor those people and groups who give back through community service.

Now through April 11, United Way is accepting nominations in six award categories. To nominate someone, you must create a video that tells the audience -- in two minutes or less --why the volunteer being nominated should be honored with an award and submit a nomination form. United Way will also be involving the community in the award selection process, allowing individuals to view videos of the top three volunteers in each category and vote for who they believe should win each award.

“We wanted to create an experience that allows the entire community to lift up the volunteers it feels truly make an impact,” said Angela Walker, manager, United Way Volunteer Center. “Allowing everyone to vote on the volunteers they want to honor creates a community-wide celebration of volunteerism.”

You may submit more than one nomination, and the video can be as simple or elaborate as you want as long as it conveys the volunteer’s impact on our community. A panel of United Way staff and volunteers will review the video award entries and select the top three volunteers in each award category. The semi-finalists will then have their videos posted on our Web site and the public will be invited to vote for the winners during National Volunteer Week, April 27-May 3.

Awards will be given in six categories:

Bernie Firestone Award – Recognizes an outstanding rank-and-file member of a local labor union dedicated to community service. A $1,000 donation is given to a nonprofit of the winner’s choice.

Exemplary Group Service Award – Recognizes families, couples or groups who strive to improve the lives of neighbors, friends and their community through volunteer work. A $500 donation will be made to a nonprofit of the winning group’s choice.

Heart of Gold Award – This has become one of the most distinguished volunteer awards in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. Winners are a select group of individuals whose efforts, enthusiasm and immeasurable commitment to volunteerism are set apart from all others. Awardees receive a 14-karat gold heart in tribute to their dedication. Two individuals will be recognized with the Heart of Gold award this year.

Outstanding Youth Award – Recognizes a youth, 12-18, who is taking action to make our world a better place to live through volunteering. Nominees in this category show leadership, commitment and character through their service in many different activities or in giving a significant amount of time to one project. In honor of the award, a $250 donation will be made to a nonprofit of the winner’s choice.

Young Adult Award of Excellence – Recognizes an adult, 19-25, who represents the highest standards of service, leadership, commitment and character in their community. A $250 donation will be made to a nonprofit of the winner’s choice.

Outstanding Business Award – Businesses recognized by this award excel in and are committed to community involvement through volunteering. This commitment can be made by all employees, both hourly and salaried, and can take many forms including, but not limited to, corporate volunteer programs. Any small, medium or large company that supports volunteerism is eligible. A $1,000 donation will be made to a nonprofit of the honoree’s choice.

Nomination forms and video submission instructions are available online at www.uwsem.org/volunteer2008. If you don’t have a video camera, consider borrowing one from a friend or relative. Your employer, or perhaps a community organization you belong to also might have a video camera that you could borrow. Public libraries and schools often have video equipment as well. In any case, grab a camera and start filming, because your favorite volunteers deserve to be recognized!

Kurt's Corner
Increasing union numbers could benefit United Way

United Way for Southeastern Michigan and other United Ways across the country have been partnering with the men and women of organized labor practically since our inception in the 1940s. The contributions of time and money union members provide each year continue to be critical to the success of our work. Just last month, for instance, the International Union UAW committed to recruiting 1,000 volunteers from its ranks to support United Way's newly lauched Operation ABC -- a unique initiative focused on getting every child in the region to read at grade level by third grade. Union members also contribute to ongoing United Way work that takes place across southeast Michigan year 'round.

It is in this context that we recognize the importance of recent news from the U.S. Department of Labor. In January, the department'sBureau of Labor Statistics announced the number of workers represented by a union nationwide rose by 311,000 to 15.7 million in 2007. Michigan ranks fifth among the states with union membership above the national average.

The represented workforce accounted for 12.1 percent of employed wage and salary workers, essentially unchanged from 12 percent in 2006. In 1983, the first year for which comparable union data are available, the union membership rate was 20.1 percent.

Highlights from the 2007 data include:

• Workers in the public sector had a union membership rate nearly five times that of private sector employees
• Education, training and library occupations had the highest unionization rate among all occupations, at 37.2 percent, followed closely by protective service occupations at 35.2 percent.
• Among demographic groups, the union membership rate was highest for black men and lowest for Hispanic women.
• Wage and salary workers age 45 to 54 (15.7 percent) and age 55 to 64 (16.1 percent) were more likely to be union members than were workers age 16 to 24 (4.8 percent).

Membership by Industry and Occupation

The union membership rate for public sector workers was substantially higher (35.9 percent) than for private industry workers (7.5 percent). Within the public sector, local government workers had the highest union membership rate - 41.8 percent. This group includes many workers in several heavily unionized occupations -- teachers, police officers and fire fighters, among others. Private sector industries with high unionization rates include transportation and utilities (22.1 percent), telecommunications (19.7 percent) and construction (13.9 percent). (Table 1)

Among occupational groups tracked in 2007, education, training and library professions (37.2 percent), and protective service professions (35.2 percent) had the highest unionization rates. Farming, fishing and forestry workers (2.7 percent), along with sales and related occupations (3.3 percent) had the lowest unionization rates.

Table 1. Union Affiliation of Employed Wage and Salary Workers by Industry

Demographic Characteristics of Union Members

In 2007, the union membership rate was higher for men (13 percent) than for women (11.1 percent). The gap has narrowed considerably since 1983, when the rate for men was about 10 percentage points higher than the rate for women. The rates for both men and women declined between 1983 and 2007, but the rate for men declined much more rapidly.

Black workers (14.3 percent) were more likely to be union members than were whites (11.8 percent), Asians (10.9 percent) or Hispanics (9.8 percent). Within these major groups, black men had the highest union membership rate (15.8 percent), while Hispanic women had the lowest rate (9.6 percent).

Among age groups, union membership rates were highest among workers 55 to 64 years old (16.1 percent) and 45 to 54 years old (15.7 percent). The lowest union membership rates occurred among the 16 to 24 age group (4.8 percent). Full-time workers were about twice as likely as part-time workers to be union members, 13.2 compared with 6.5 percent.

Earnings

In 2007, among full-time wage and salary workers, union members had median weekly earnings of $863 while those who were not represented by unions had median weekly earnings of $663. The difference reflects a variety of influences in addition to coverage by a collective bargaining agreement, including variations in the distributions of union members and non-union employees by occupation, industry, firm size or geographic region.

Union Membership by State

In 2007, 30 states and the District of Columbia had union membership rates below that of the national average, 12.1 percent, while 20 states had higher rates (Table 2). At 19.5 percent, Michigan placed fifth, behind New York, Alaska, Hawaii and Washington state.

The largest numbers of represented workers lived in California (2.5 million) and New York (2.1 million). Nearly half (7.8 million) of the 15.7 million union members in the U.S. lived in six states (California, 2.5 million; New York, 2.1 million; Illinois, .8 million; Michigan, .8 million; Pennsylvania, .7 million; and New Jersey, .7 million) though these states accounted for only about one-third of wage and salary employment nationally.

While Michigan’s total wage and salary employment dropped by 2.6 percent between 2006 and 2007, representing a loss of 106,000 jobs, the number of workers represented by a union dropped only 1.6 percent, from 879,000 to 863,000. This resulted in a slight increase in the share of workers who were represented from 20.4 to 20.6 percent.


Table 2. Union Affiliation of Employed Wage and Salary Workers
Ranked by State

Take Action Now
Media Monitoring tracks Agenda issues

United Way for Southeastern Michigan continues to build our investment, policy, fundraising and business models around the Agenda for Change, our plan to create lasting change across the region. The Agenda focuses on educational preparedness, financial stability and basic needs, and to keep people informed about what's going on in these three issue areas we have developed Media Monitoring.

Media Monitoring is a series of three weekly e-mails that provides subscribers the latest news from local, state and national media related to our Agenda work. We invite you to subscribe to one or more of the three editions of Media Monitoring using the links below. The links also allow you to view this week's editions of Media Monitoring.

• Educational Preparedness edition (Click here to subscribe)
• Financial Stability edition (Click here to subscribe)
• Basic Needs edition (Click here to subscribe)

As always, you may opt-out at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the top of each e-mail.

For additional information about Media Monitoring, please contact Brad Frost at Brad.Frost@uwsem.org, or 313.226.9284.