United Way starts anti-poverty campaign

from Whittier Daily News

By Kevin Smith Staff Writer

The United Way of Greater Los Angeles has revamped its operating strategy.

The nonprofit corporation just unveiled a new 10-year action plan that is broadly proactive, placing a stronger emphasis on reducing poverty.

The plan targets three vital areas:

meeting basic needs such as food, shelter and health care;

improving the educational achievement of the region's youths;

helping families with the opportunities and skills they need to become financially stable.

"The history of the United Way has revolved around our fund-raising goals," said Elise Buik, president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. "So we've raised money and given it to nonprofits that have good programs, always checking to see that they are financially sound."

But research by the organization reveals some big changes have occurred over the past 20 years.

"More children are living in poverty, and that has a lot to do with the fact that wages have remained primarily static while living expenses have gone through the roof," Buik said. "We have a burgeoning homeless population, about half of which is women and children. That didn't appear to the case in the 80s, but this intersection of wages, high housing costs and high health care costs have put more people in that line."

Buik noted that the Los Angeles County occupations with the most job openings are all low-paying positions.

They include:

retail sales positions - 59,660 openings with a median hourly wage of $9.77;

cashiers - 56,020 openings with a median hourly wage of $8.41;

waiters and waitresses - 46,360 openings with a median hourly wage of $7.78.

San Gabriel Valley statistics show that 12.6 percent of the region's residents are living in poverty, 22 percent of adults ages 18 to 64 are uninsured, and 12 percent of expectant mothers receive either no prenatal care or late prenatal care.

Equally alarming is the fact that more than 26,000 San Gabriel Valley children have no regular source of health care and more than 206,000 adults did not receive dental care during the past year because they couldn't afford it.

In Los Angeles County, 88,000 people sleep on the streets every night, and two in five of those are women or children. One in four children in Los Angeles County live below the poverty line and only six out of 10 high school students are graduating on time.

The United Way's new action plan also calls for an increased focus on public policy at the city, county and state levels to influence laws and regulations that affect the lives of Californians.

Ability First, a Pasadena-based nonprofit that provides programs and services for children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities, has long been a partner agency with United Way of Greater Los Angeles.

The organization operates 23 locations throughout Southern California.

"We get funding from United Way, which is used to help support our general programs for children and adults with disabil-

ities," Ability First President Lori Gangemi said.

"We have a great relationship with United Way. We're on their speakers' bureau. We
give presentations to employer groups that want to see where their money is going."

Gangemi said Ability First's relationship with United Way is likely secure because the organization provides affordable housing and work opportunities for its clients - a big component of United Way's mission.

"We have a waiting list of years for some the housing," she said. "It's rent-subsidized. Many of our clients need housing but don't have the income to afford it."