Source: The Dallas Morning News
February 9, 2017
By Holly Haber
At the halfway point of a 10-year effort to lift 250,000 North Texans out of poverty and achieve improvements in health and education, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas put has 192,130 people on the path to financial stability.
That's according to the board members who spoke Tuesday at a luncheon for major donors at the Hotel Crescent Court.
One key has been job skills training tailored to the specific needs of area businesses, particularly in information technology and health care, said board member Anne Motsenbocker, managing director of JPMorgan Chase Bank.In addition, volunteer accountants have helped 40,000 people get $64 million in income tax refunds, she said.
It's difficult to measure the percentage of high school graduates who are ready for college or careers due to recent changes in state assessment tests, said Bill Morrison, a board member and
vice president and assistant general counsel of Tenet Healthcare. Overall, the organization has funded programs for 1.2 million students, parents and caregivers. Morrison said he expects an emphasis on preschool education via agencies such as Early Childhood Matters to make a clear difference in the future.
Deborah Gibbins, a board member and treasurer of Mary Kay Corp., said that United Way's Healthy Zone schools initiative developed with the Cooper Institute has succeeded in lowering body mass index, improving aerobic capacity and increasing academic performance. It's currently in 141 schools.
"We feel like we have a really proven model with that," she said.
The charity is also working to improve access to health care, reduce emergency room visits, boost prenatal care and combat domestic violence and substance abuse.
To learn more, visit unitedway.org.