If you have questions please contact Jill Williams
at 214.303.2138 or jwilliams@CitySquare.org.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Friday, February 27, 2015
Why wait?
We need to discover a radically different approach to attacking, beating back and at least managing poverty and its frightening growth in Dallas.
We don't need more data--data plays a key role, but we have more than enough for today.
As Todd Williams noted at this week's COMMIT! Partnership festival, "we're not here to admire the size of the problem". . . we know we have a problem already!
What we need are solutions, hope and a plan to act.
While our problems confront us with daunting complexities, pervasive affects and little sign of real progress (check this news report--listen past the weather update!), we must not back away from the challenge. And, we must not settle for more talking, analyzing and reporting.
The time has come for action.
So today, I'm in a "what if" mood as I consider the more than rapid growth of poverty in my hometown.
What if. . .
. . .we decided as a city to get dead serious about poverty in Dallas? You know, the kind of "serious" that puts poverty reduction on the agenda of every single Dallas City Council meeting and in the economic development strategy of the City Manager? The level of commitment that served as a formula for settling disputes at City Hall about where to allocate limited resources?
. . .we identified one public elementary school, possibly with a focus on one grade/class within that school? Or, if we could muster the courage, take on all the families represented by students on the target campus?
. . .we enrolled a cohort of families to participate in our 3-5 year process?
. . .we laid out cohort requirements in a membership contract for parents to sign on to (things like regular meetings, coaching, financial literacy, Safe Conversations about marriage and family, health and wellness screenings, life plan development, imagination trips/tours, etc.)?
. . .we recruited another cohort of resource partners who would sign on to target our family cohort with benefits and savings (I'm thinking of the principal and staff at the chosen DISD elementary school, folks from Health and Human Services, staff and leaders at the City of Dallas, major corporations, all public utilities, at least one serious bank partner, Dallas County, Parkland Health and Hospital System, expert but wide-ranging non-profit organizations, faith communities and others)?
. . .we located as many resources for the cohort as possible inside the target public school, transforming the school into a beehive-active community center? Included would be mentors, reading partners and many other expressions of the smart, effective volunteer activities that have proven beneficial to schools, communities, families and children.
. . .we cut down on as much cash "outflow" as possible via free or near-free Internet/Wi-Fi access complete with computers or tablets, reducing all utility rates for the target cohort households, planning a monthly diet building exercise that would focus on both health and cost containment (via food pantries and the North Texas Food Bank, and lots of other creative cost reduction strategies we could begin to imagine together.
. . .we went to work providing aggressive, unrelenting counsel and action to increase cash and non-cash benefit flow into all of those who agree to join the cohort? Here I have in mind a long list of resources that need to be obtained systematically as a part of enrolling in school and joining our cohort: all HHS benefits, SNAP, CHIP, WIC, SSI/SSDI, Medicaid/Medicare/ACA, EITC, child care, child care tax credits, workforce training, AmeriCorps membership for some, home improvement subsidies/incentives, "school success" backpacks that took advantage of purchasing in bulk/coop style (uniforms, supplies, books, etc.). This essential component would call for an up-front investment to staff the target school with the financial advisors/counselors needed to handle the enrollment and sustainability of the discovered resources.
. . .during or staged across the process, we invested a direct cash benefit into a savings/bank account for cohort members--parents and children (possibly with an Individual Development Account type asset) with the agreement that we could study the impact of this direct, hard investment on family stability, academic performance and overall well-being?
. . .we marshalled and focused the city's code enforcement assets to ensure that the area around the target school provided a clean, safe and livable environment, complete with well-maintained parks, sidewalks, streets and private properties?
. . .we informed and involved the Dallas Police Department in the project with community policing, "beat cops" and even mounted officers who were long on teaching children about equestrian skills, appreciating horses and even visiting the community's horse park?
. . .we engaged a research partner to measure impact, document outcomes and advise us on program modifications for rolling out our successful pilot effort to another target school/neighborhood?
. . .we proved to the inevitable naysayers the depth of our commitment by finding, raising and appropriating the on-going funds needed to achieve our objectives?
What if?
Overcoming poverty, or at least working together to see good people climb out of its depths, calls for hard-nosed, economic choices.
Here's my hypothesis: the cost to engage families in a "dispelling poverty cohort" will turn out to be an incredibly wise, smart and effective investment.
Forget about our community values or the moral/ethical considerations.
The effective ROI for the city, its neighborhoods, its schools and its social fabric would be beyond enormous.
In my view the successes realized in one neighborhood could lead to program expansion, as the early adopters of the approach actually could end up paying for the next steps in the effort. Our research partner could document our progress for everyone to see and understand.
We know enough right now to act.
Why do we tarry?
Confession seldom heard. . .
"Saint Francis Xavier, the noble Jesuit missionary, said that in the confessional men had confessed to him all sins that he knew and some that he had never imagined, but none had ever of his own accord confessed that he was covetous."
Christianity and the Social Crisis
Walter Rauschenbusch
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
COMMIT! report to the community
The Commit! Partnership helps drive student achievement throughout Dallas County from cradle to career by leveraging data, community expertise and collaboration, to measure what matters, identify best practices and spread what works.
I was glad to be asked to say a few words about what I consider to be our number one challenge in Dallas and our region.
________________________________
COMMIT! Update
February 24, 2015
·
Impressed by and grateful for this public show
of concern and commitment to see our children receive the best in education
across the region
·
My 5-minute assignment is a perfect length: you’ll likely leave here with “data overload”—so,
I’ll be easy on you
·
Here’s the deal:
1.
Poverty
is the biggest challenge/problem/obstacle facing us and the education of
our children
2.
Poverty
is pervasive: almost 9 of 10 DISD
students receive free and reduced meals at school; if we look at the county
public schools that number is 3 of 4 students
3.
Poverty
is growing: between 2000 and 2012
the population of the city of Dallas grew by a modest 5%; while for the same
period the number of us trapped in poverty grew by 41%!
4.
Poverty
is deepening: during that same time
frame the number of census tracts experiencing concentrated poverty almost
doubled.
5.
Our
poverty problem calls for new imagination as to how to use schools to
strengthen entire families/neighborhoods—relationally, intellectually,
financially, skillfully, spiritually & politically
New imagination as to how to
regard one another with respect, value, love and commitment.
Monday, February 23, 2015
Homeless Bill of Rights
Every human being arrives in this nation with "certain inalienable rights." What applies to the housed, applies also to those men, women and children without homes. Thinking about that and talking it through with my friend, Jonathan Grace has led me to propose a first draft of a homeless persons' bill of rights.
Essential Articles
1. Every person who experiences homelessness has a right to a permanent place to call home.
2. Every person who experiences homelessness has a right to personal security and safety.
3. Every person who experiences homelessness has a right to restroom and hygiene facilities.
4. Every person who experiences homelessness has a right to police protection.
5. Every person who experiences homelessness has a right to privacy.
6. Every person who experiences homelessness has a right to educational options.
7. Every person who experiences homelessness has a right to treatment services.
8. Every person who experiences homelessness has a right to basic human respect from others.
9. Every person who experiences homelessness has a right to sit down and rest in public places without harassment or derisive treatment.
10. Every person who experiences homelessness has a right to be heard in the public dialog of the cities where they reside.
11. Every person who experiences homelessness has a right to access food.
12. Every person who experiences homelessness has a right to receive adequate health care.
13. Every person who experiences homelessness has a right to basic human services and income supports.
14. Every person who experiences homelessness has a right to secure his/her belongings without fear of loss.
15. Every person who experiences homelessness has a right to a decent life.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Religion or Reality?
Walter Rauschenbusch
Christianity and the Social Crisis
Friday, February 20, 2015
Loving beyond the data
Philanthropy Must Lead With Its Heart
As Valentine’s Day approaches, we are struck by a paradox that confronts philanthropy. The very meaning of the word philanthropy is “love of humanity”—yet the concept of love is almost never discussed in our sector.
In the race for philanthropic impact, we’ve got our heads in the game, but what about our hearts?
This is not, as some might claim, a question of fuzzy emotions. Instead, as we hear that nonprofit leaders are advised to avoid words like “love” or “caring” for fear of being seen as “not strategic,” we believe we face a larger problem that could ultimately limit what philanthropy dares to achieve.
Over the last 10 years, we’ve been lucky enough to become financially independent, and at nearly the same time, to become stewards of a large foundation we’ve called the NoVo Foundation. Neither of these things were expected. At all.
After spending a decade in this altered state, we have come to some basic conclusions. People are incredibly resilient. Nature is a phenomenal teacher and the most advanced technology we’ll ever see. As humanity progresses through time, our narcissistic tendencies may be getting the best of us. It’s imperative that we see ourselves in a loving relationship to each other and our planet if we are going to survive—collectively and quite possibly individually.
Perhaps most important: We’ve searched long and hard, but we can find very few indicators that tell us things are truly getting better for more people. Or that they will anytime soon. As our foundation seeks to address the root causes of big global challenges, all we see is symptom after symptom of a poisoned root. It’s systemic: education, agriculture, politics, media—the planet and the people—all commoditized to buy and sell.
This has led us to a new way to think about our role: alchemy. In a world in which everything is a commodity, we’re going to try to turn money into love. Into trust. Into safety. The first elements in the periodic table of relationships.
And we hope that by sharing some initial ideas from our work at NoVo, we might also start a broader conversation about putting love back into the world of philanthropy.
There’s a reason love songs are so numerous and popular. Love can’t be quantified. But it seems to matter. So how can we infuse love into the motivating force behind moving money? There are certainly other unquantifiable forces at work—greed and fear to name two. How can we put money out of its misery?
We live in a wildly dynamic time in history. When so much of our social fabric appears to be frayed, the solution is not to sew faster but to find new material. Like Dorothy in the “Wizard of Oz,” it’s been here all along. And the road starts by leading with our hearts.
- See more at: http://m.philanthropy.com/article/Philanthropy-Must-Lead-With/189987/?cid=pw&utm_source=pw&utm_medium=en#sthash.rHvEg6DI.dpuf
In the race for philanthropic impact, we’ve got our heads in the game, but what about our hearts?
This is not, as some might claim, a question of fuzzy emotions. Instead, as we hear that nonprofit leaders are advised to avoid words like “love” or “caring” for fear of being seen as “not strategic,” we believe we face a larger problem that could ultimately limit what philanthropy dares to achieve.
Over the last 10 years, we’ve been lucky enough to become financially independent, and at nearly the same time, to become stewards of a large foundation we’ve called the NoVo Foundation. Neither of these things were expected. At all.
After spending a decade in this altered state, we have come to some basic conclusions. People are incredibly resilient. Nature is a phenomenal teacher and the most advanced technology we’ll ever see. As humanity progresses through time, our narcissistic tendencies may be getting the best of us. It’s imperative that we see ourselves in a loving relationship to each other and our planet if we are going to survive—collectively and quite possibly individually.
Perhaps most important: We’ve searched long and hard, but we can find very few indicators that tell us things are truly getting better for more people. Or that they will anytime soon. As our foundation seeks to address the root causes of big global challenges, all we see is symptom after symptom of a poisoned root. It’s systemic: education, agriculture, politics, media—the planet and the people—all commoditized to buy and sell.
This has led us to a new way to think about our role: alchemy. In a world in which everything is a commodity, we’re going to try to turn money into love. Into trust. Into safety. The first elements in the periodic table of relationships.
And we hope that by sharing some initial ideas from our work at NoVo, we might also start a broader conversation about putting love back into the world of philanthropy.
- First, love means understanding that we don’t have the solutions to the problems we hope to solve and that the real breakthroughs come from the people who live with those challenges every day. After all, it’s the people who are most affected by a problem who most often hold the solutions.
- Just as love doesn’t do well being locked up, money doesn’t either. And we’ve observed that if money isn’t moving in philanthropy or any sector, it’s because of fear. If we are inspired by love, we should challenge ourselves whenever possible to spend more of our assets to move money to where it’s needed now.
- In practical terms, love also means providing grants that cover a longer period of time and that provide general operating support. We’re not dictating the direction. Not unlike an investment philosophy we learned from Peter’s father, we’re not interested in tinkering with passion and commitment.
- Love means actively seeking out collaboration and partnership with others, rather than rushing to claim credit for oneself or one’s own organization.
- It means investing in people—because people create lasting change. And that means truly embracing mistakes as part of a natural learning process, not simply paying lip service to the need for experimentation or risk.
- Love means accepting that social change is ultimately about human capacity, human relationships, and human happiness and that progress in these areas is never easy to measure. After all, how do you measure a girl knowing she’s safe? How do you measure a worker’s dignity? How do you measure joy?
There’s a reason love songs are so numerous and popular. Love can’t be quantified. But it seems to matter. So how can we infuse love into the motivating force behind moving money? There are certainly other unquantifiable forces at work—greed and fear to name two. How can we put money out of its misery?
We live in a wildly dynamic time in history. When so much of our social fabric appears to be frayed, the solution is not to sew faster but to find new material. Like Dorothy in the “Wizard of Oz,” it’s been here all along. And the road starts by leading with our hearts.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Monday, February 16, 2015
The Battle: Questions
For poor folks
Striving to live,
Not some ordinary,
Solitary, eeking
Existence; but
Really to live life
Even as preachers with
Suspect theology would
Suggest!
Can my children succeed?
Can my home be safe?
Can my diabetes be controlled?
Can my girl earn a fair wage?
Can my table be spread?
Can my old car start?
Can my boss be fair?
Can my son be promoted?
Can my momma be lifted?
Can my color be an asset?
Can my father know my love?
Can the cops love me?
Can my side of town be honored?
Can my clothes be pressed?
Can my offering be valued?
Can I find a quiet place?
Can I expect better?
Can I pray and see progress?
Can I find real hope?
Can someone see me for who I am, really?
Can I love my community?
Can I love my enemies?
Can my enemies learn enough to love me?
Can we all get along?
Can my soul be found? Saved?
Can playgrounds be built?
Can playgrounds be safe?
Can sidewalks be repaired?
Can homes be built?
Can neighborhoods be made over?
Can re-investment come my way?
Can opportunity be multiplied?
Can REITs work where I live?
Can I relocate to a "high opportunity" community?
Can the national dream be realized?
Can I contribute to someone's life and well being?
Can I be truly needed?
Can a child look up to me?
Can I be worthy of respect?
Can crack houses disappear?
Can City Hall work at last?
Can I win
the Battle?
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Friday, February 13, 2015
AmeriCorps at CitySquare: Getting things done!
CitySquare AmeriCorps is recruiting for Summer 2015!
Help us
spread the word about our summer of service opportunity by forwarding this
information on to friends, peers, family, coworkers and anyone else you think
might be interested! The application is attached and available online at http://www.citysquare.org/becomeamember/
.
Members
commit to 300-450 hours of service during the summer, receive a biweekly living
allowance while they serve and upon successful completion receive money for
school! More details are available in the attached Handout.
This summer
we have over 225 positions with following programs:
Food on the Move – Serve with a mobile feeding
program that provides daily meals to 10,000 children residing in low-income
apartment communities in Irving and Dallas. Members must be willing to serve
outside all day in the heat, be energetic, have reliable transportation and
thrive in a team environment. Preference is given to applicants 21 or over,
bilingual (English/Spanish) and with access to reliable transportation.
Education - Help eliminate summer learning loss with one of our
twelve community partner agencies; members support structured summer
programming to provide daily enrichment activities to youth in low-income areas
of Dallas and San Antonio. Members must have reliable transportation and
interest in working with youth.
Member Eligibility:
- Available full-time beginning June
1, 2015
- 17 or older by June 1, 2015
- US Citizen or Permanent Resident (Deferred
Action does not qualify)
- Available all summer (Education
ends August 7; FOM ends August 14)
- Reliable Transportation
Priority
consideration is given to applications received by March 13, 2015 and on a
rolling basis until all summer positions are filled. We encourage applicants to
apply early! Interviews will begin next week!
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Counting misery
CitySquare sent a team to work on the project. About 20 of us took our assignment to survey/interview anyone we found on Louise Street or its environs. We know this part of town, the Opportunity Center sits right in the middle of the neighborhood.
The night was bitter cold and wet. This will likely be good for the final tally, as most folks found places inside to spend the night. Local shelters open their doors wider, and some find places to spend the night with friends. Since the census documents the presence of all in shelters, it drives the count up, though we have no way to count folks who find places inside with friends or family.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Poverty and education
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Monday, February 09, 2015
My privileged life. . .
Every day I. . .
- start with breakfast, coffee and my iPad
- freely access a private bathroom, complete with shower, sinks, toilet, mirrors, towels, etc.
- start one of my two cars and drive to work or to some weekend, enjoyable destination
- spend about an hour working out in the YMCA Downtown (Gordie's torture chamber!)
- enjoy conversation with my wife, family, work mates, friends, neighbors, strangers without fear or concern
- read something worthwhile
- study and think and dream because I have the "space" to do so
- plan and strategize on how to achieve my vision for work, life, faith
- laugh with good reason
- experience good reason to hope
- freely access wellness and health enhancing activities and resources
- exist in a space to imagine better times
- don't worry about meals
- don't worry about clothes
- don't worry about keeping my "stuff" secure
- pet my cats
- wonder what next blessing might fill me up
- live in the midst of absolute privilege
- thank God
- beg for mercy from above, within and all around
- receive mercy freely
- brag on my four grandchildren--have I told you about Gracie, Wyatt, Owen and Henry lately?
- don't worry about becoming poor
- know that if I get sick or injured, I'll be cared for in a state-of-the-art medical facility
- wonder, "Why me?"
Sunday, February 08, 2015
Saturday, February 07, 2015
Wounded
The Wound
If the white man has inflicted the wound of racism upon black men, the cost has been that he would receive the mirror image of that wound into himself. As a member of the dominant race, he has felt little compulsion to acknowledge it or speak of it; the more painful it has grown the more deeply he has hidden it within himself. But the wound is there, and it is a profound disorder, as great a damage in his mind as it is in his society. This wound is in me, as complex and deep in my flesh as blood and nerves. I have borne it all my life, with varying degrees of consciousness, but always carefully, always with the most delicate consideration for the pain I would feel if I were somehow forced to acknowledge it.
But now I am increasingly aware of the opposite compulsion. I want to know, as fully and exactly as I can, what the wound is and how much I am suffering from it. And I want to be cured; I want to be free of the wound myself, and I do not want to pass it on to my children. Perhaps this is only wishful thinking; perhaps such a thing is not to be done by one man, or in one generation. Surely a man would have to be almost dangerously proud to think himself capable of it. And so maybe I am really saying only that I feel an obligation to make the attempt, and that I know if I fail to make at least the attempt I forfeit any right to hope that the world will become better than it is now.
Friday, February 06, 2015
Great IT training options open to South Dallas-Fair Park!
Our
first ever IT-Ready class at Per Scholas Dallas is
kicking off February
23 at our new location in the CitySquare Opportunity Center.
We are seeking applicants for this exciting
opportunity. Per Scholas training is offered at 100% scholarship to
unemployed, under-employed, and low income adults interested in pursuing a
career in IT.
What is a Per Scholas IT-Ready course?
IT-Ready is an 8-week, full time, tuition-free IT training
opportunity comprised of rigorous tech skills and soft-skills training essential
to IT workplace success. CompTIA A+ certification prepares graduates for
entry-level employment in IT in positions such as Data Center
Technicians, Desktop Support Specialists, IT Support Analysts, and
Network Field Technicians.. 3
out of 4 Per Scholas grads land jobs upon graduation, with an average
starting salary of $30K.
Who is a good fit for
Per Scholas IT-Ready?
·
someone who has a genuine interest in
pursuing a career in the IT industry
·
someone who needs A+ certification to
find employment
·
someone who is not afraid to work hard to
accomplish a life-changing goal
Refer today! Now
is the time to apply. Interested individuals should complete our online application here.
More information can be found at perscholas.org/dallas
Please forward this to
anyone in your network who might be right for this
program. You can also download & print the flyer below. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Billy Lane
Managing Director,
Per Scholas Dallas
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Thursday, February 05, 2015
Opportunity in Denver
Thanks to an invitation from His Hands Christian Ministries, CitySquare has been connecting to the Denver community for almost a year.
Johnny and Susie Davis founded this amazingly compassionate and welcoming non-profit organization in March 2008. Since that time, His Hands has grown in reach, scope and capacity.
Last year CitySquare and His Hands reached an agreement that promises to further expand the overall effectiveness of the Denver effort. Now known as CitySquare Denver, the team operates a large food and clothing distribution center and more for low-income, working families, as well as for homeless persons.
Last summer CitySquare's Food on the Move initiative served about 300 meals each day throughout the summer to Denver school children who qualified for the free and reduced meal program in public schools.
Now CitySquare intends to launch a comprehensive program of community and human development that will, from the beginning, attempt to find ways to support already functional efforts on the ground in Denver. As in Dallas, we will listen to "the poor," seek out partners already at work and innovate to achieve greater outcomes from our "customers," both neighbors in need and partners working alongside us.
Our first step is to find a Denver leader. We are looking for a person who shares our mission of battling the causes and effects of poverty through service, advocacy and friendship. We are looking for a mission-driven leader with an "entrepreneurial soul."
If you know anyone who would be interested in providing aggressive leadership to our Denver efforts, please let me know by email at ljames@CitySquare.org. I'll be pleased to share a job description. I can't wait to visit with interested, potential leaders.
Wednesday, February 04, 2015
Tuesday, February 03, 2015
Mayor Mike Rawlings
Take a moment to take a look.