Apparel for the New Year!

Need some casual apparel as we head into the New Year? 

Visit the CitySquare Store here.

You'll be able to pick up some nice items and support CitySquare's work in the inner city in the process!

Happy New Year from CitySquare!

Moving the income/wealth needle

Our work at CitySquare takes us in a number of directions pragmatically. 

Our mission remains fairly straightforward and ambitious:  CitySquare exists to fight the root causes of poverty by partnering with those in need. Working together as a community, we feed the hungry, heal the sick, house the homeless and renew hope in the heart of our city.

Of course, as they say, the devil's in the details.

A growing concern and constant focus for us is how do we measure impact, change and "success" as we do our work? 

Increasingly, funding organizations, including foundations, the United Way and public agencies, expect clear reports that measure "return on investment" of their scarce dollars. 

As we move forward, we are developing precise measurement tools and techniques designed to reveal whether or not individual and/or family wealth is growing or shrinking.  Using a common intake form, our various departments are now benchmarking income as folks enter the CitySquare. 

Along the way, we will revisit the income status of individuals and families to see if we are "moving the needle" in the right direction or not.  The exercise will provide us another objective measure of program effectiveness.  Programs and strategies that improve household income will be further developed.   Those efforts that do not "pay off" for households will be evaluated for improvement or discontinued as our focus turns toward more effective responses to poverty. 

The idea of "wealth managers" working at the bottom of the economic pyramid may seem strange. 

It shouldn't. 

The vehicles for wealth creation may be different, but the principles remain the same.  Employment and wage improvement, evaluating and bundling public benefits and on-going community support and belonging will all play key roles in seeing our neighbors progress upward in our economy. 

As Peter Drucker once said, "What gets measured gets managed." 

CitySquare is all about helping to create new trajectories for our neighbors and friends who call the inner city home.  I hope you'll join us.

What we do

The most common question that I'm asked about CitySquare is a simple, but important one:  "What exactly do you do?"

We spend a good bit of our time answering that key question.  Usually we refer people to our website (http://www.CitySquare.org/).  Often we arrange for a tour that provides us the opportunity to provide a more detailed answer.  In an elevator we talk about our four major areas of concern:  Health, Hunger, Housing and Hope--the 4Hs!

In almost every case the best way to answer the question is to invite a neighbor who knows CitySquare  because of their personal experience in receiving our services.

Here's an example of just that sort of answer.  I share it in an attempt to answer the question one more time!  After you watch and listen, share it with your friends, your business network, your church and your other associates.

As you watch and listen, notice how a number of options fell into place for our friend, including AmeriCorps.

You can help today. . .

Fact:  During 2010, CitySquare served, touched, supported, partnered with over 53,000 DIFFERENT individuals to see real improvement in their lives. 

Fact:  CitySquare exists to engage "the poor" in crafting better lives for themselves and, in most cases, their children.

Fact:  Hunger and worry about what to put on the table remains a real, pressing issue for far too many Dallas area families and individuals.

Fact:  For more than two years now CitySquare has seen long lines around our Food Pantry, as more and more families depend on our presence to meet their food/grocery needs.

Fact:  The quality of our food products has improved dramatically so that now we distribute fresh produce on a daily basis. 

Fact:  All that we do demands a steady stream of funding.

Fact:  You can help today!

Here's how:

1)  Visit www.CitySq.org or click here right now:  DONATE.

2)  Commit to become a monthly donor.

3)  Join the "1,000 Voices Campaign"--for information contact me at ljames@CitySq.org or call me at 214.303.2116.

4)  Walk with us over the next 10 days by making a contribution that will enable CitySquare to raise $10,000 by Tuesday, March 1, 2011!

5)  Very important:  Forward this post to all of your contacts on Facebook, Twitter, other social media, email contact lists and on blogs.

Don't wait!  You can make a huge difference right now!

Diabetes and depression--hand-in-hand?

Type-2 diabetes continues to ravage low-income, inner city communities.  Many factors contribute to the escalating health challenge, including diet, obesity and the lack of safe places for exercise.  Now comes a study indicating that diabetes and depression may be feeding each other. 

As I read the report below from the "Health Day" section of Bloomberg News, I recalled a conversation I had with an elderly woman from South Dallas years ago. 

"Brother Larry," she said, "around here we carry our grief in buckets."  Her way of describing the many sources and forces behind her own depression.  The work we do creating hope and friendship as a vital part of our daily response to diabetes is right on target. 

Diabetes, Depression Can Be Two-Way Street


By Ellin Holohan
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Nov. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Diabetes and depression are conditions that can fuel each other, a new study shows.

The research, conducted at Harvard University, found that study subjects who were depressed had a much higher risk of developing diabetes, and those with diabetes had a significantly higher risk of depression, compared to healthy study participants.

"This study indicates that these two conditions can influence each other and thus become a vicious cycle," said study co-author Dr. Frank Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. "Thus, primary prevention of diabetes is important for prevention of depression, and vice versa."

To read the entire report click here.

CitySquare: theological reflection

After spending well over a year on the creation of our new "brand identity," I began to reflect on the new name, CitySquare, from a theological/biblical perspective.  Subconsciously I think our new name jumped out at me when I first saw it among a number of other choices that we had before us. 

If you scroll down to my post last Sunday, November 7, 2010, you'll see my thoughts on the struggle of Job and how his entire life seemed wrapped up in the city or public square where the witness of his life worked itself out. 

Today I'm thinking of the time of Nehemiah. 

Consider the following account of the reading of the Torah to the captives now returned to their city, Jerusalem: 

All the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.


So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.

Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there.  They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.

Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law (Nehemiah 8:1-8).

Note the key phrase as to the location of this event:  "in the square before the Water Gate." 

A city square is a place for values clarification, for law and for the understanding of custom, rules, justice and public policy.  Part of our work will always involve this matter of pouring our values and our standards into the mind of the larger community. 

CitySquare--it's a name that contains much meaning and it's working for us.

CitySquare

People ask me, "What's up with the new name?"

Maybe this will help!

Let me hear your reactions after you've watched.