Category: Blog

Has America Given up on Arts Education?

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Here we are heading into another school year, and, once again, communities all across America are struggling with funding cutbacks that affect teachers, school programs and school facilities. Much like marketing is the first department to be cut back when a business has to downsize, the arts-education departments are the first to lose funding when schools are in trouble. This is evident just by looking at the history of our government’s National Endowment for the Arts program; in 1992, we were funding it at $176 million a year, and now it’s only $146 million. Contrary to what many of our political leaders think, the arts in school are essential to creating the innovative workforce of tomorrow.

Arts education is one way to help develop critical and creative thinking, according to PBS. For instance, music education may improve skills like reading, writing and foreign language learning, because it trains auditory skills. It takes discipline to learn to play an instrument, which increases concentration skills. Making music involves more than the voice or fingers—a child taps into multiple skillsets using their ears and eyes, as well as small and large muscles. Music also helps kids visualize various elements that should go together, much like the thinking they would use in solving a math problem. Solving these multistep problems prepares children for careers in architecture, engineering and technology.

A study at the University of Kansas showed elementary schools that had superior music-education programs scored 22% higher in English and 20% higher in math on standardized tests, compared to schools with low-quality music programs. Theater participation where students recreate stories may strengthen memory and verbal skills, and, because it involves roleplaying with others, may help in understanding the viewpoints of others in real life. Creating art and […] visiting museums [both] boost analytical thinking by teaching students to notice details in paintings, which may help train them to consider details in their future.

Research by the NEA found that at-risk students who have access to the arts show better academic results, [have] better workforce opportunities and [demonstrate] more civic engagement. They found that low socioeconomic status (SES) students who had a history of arts involvement in the eighth grade were more likely to have plans to earn a college education. […] These SES eighth-graders were nearly 30% more likely to read a newspaper and volunteered at a rate of […] 20% [more] than that of the other students.

In […] Arizona, a model program by the Tucson Unified School District known as Opening Minds Through the Arts (OMA) was inspired by the ongoing research into brain development and music. [The] program […] integrates arts education with core curriculum from Kindergarten through eighth grade. OMA uses instrumental music, opera, dance, theater and visual arts to help teach reading, writing, math and science. Each school has an Arts Integration Specialist and a team of seven artists working alongside classroom teachers, adapting each lesson to support teaching of core content and knowledge. In addition, the children learn to play the recorder, violin, a wind instrument and keyboard. The OMA program employs 26 artists from the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Arizona Opera Company and [the] University of Arizona’s School of Music who teach 30-minute twice-weekly classes for 36 weeks of the school year. The quality of this program and the documented student achievement results [have] gained national recognition from the U.S. Department of Education, Harvard Project Zero and the Arts Education Partnership.

Innovation is needed in today’s competitive workforce. Innovation relies on a broad mix of skills [and] several types of people, [primarily] scientists, developers [and] entrepreneurs. Skills by job group obviously are different, but certain skillsets overlap most innovative jobs. Technical skills need content and procedural knowledge, thinking and creative skills question ideas and find solutions to problems, and social and behavioral skills involve communication, collaboration and persistence. These jobs all need a skillset that pulls in knowledge from several different experiences. Having kids exposed to music, drama, dance, choir, [the] performing arts, literary arts, media arts and visual arts starts them on the path to innovative thinking.

We know most school districts have arts on the back burner. What can adults passionate about the arts do to help? If you love the arts, you can volunteer in the schools sharing your enthusiasm for music, performing arts or the visual arts. If you don’t have the time to volunteer, there are several organizations that will take your donations to help students. The Afterschool Alliance enriches kids when school is over. The Scholastic Art & Writing program encourages students on a local level [by holding] exhibitions of [their] work. Americans for the Arts works on advancing the arts and art education. The Arts Integration Solutions’ mission is to transform the education system by bringing the classroom practice of arts integration to every child. […]

Arts education matters. People exposed to the arts play a significant role in the continued innovation of the United States. The arts are an essential part of our heritage and vital in what makes us human and separates us from other creatures. Our lives are infused with the arts as we listen to music, watch TV dramas and comedies, read fiction, attend museums [and] theaters, and watch the dance of “The Nutcracker.” Our lives and our children’s lives would truly be empty without the arts.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/has-america-given-up-on-a_b_7860710.html

How Do We Include All Kids?

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If an American family has an exceptionally bright child, we can usually figure out how to surround them with the right educational opportunities to help them excel. The National Association for Gifted Children estimates there are three million gifted children currently in U.S. classrooms. According to this group’s definition, these are children “who demonstrate or show the potential for high performance, and it is our responsibility to provide the optimal educational experience to fully develop the talents of as many children as possible for the benefit of the individual and the community.”

But what is happening to the psyches of our better students when everyone becomes the valedictorian, considered the best in their high school? The Tahoe Daily Tribune just did a feature story where, of the 70 graduates from North Tahoe High School, 18 were declared valedictorians and one was salutatorian. The Columbus Dispatch reports that 20% of all graduating seniors in Dublin’s three high schools became valedictorians—that’s 222 valedictorians! When I went to high school many, many years ago, we were all chasing the top student in my class, […] and no one could catch up to his intellect, so he deserved to be our only valedictorian. How did all our kids get so smart that so many now share in top honors? Are our children smarter than we were, or has our society changed how we measure success, and is that change really for the better?

U.S. News just reported that 24% of American 15-year-olds cannot successfully complete basic math and science tasks. They estimate that if the U.S. educational system could get these students to understand the basics of math and science, the economic gains over the working lives of these students would add up to more than $27 trillion. This report goes on to say that “improved skills do not automatically require more money, just more focus. As a result, the world is no longer divided into rich and well-educated countries and poor and badly educated ones. With the right policies, countries can break out of the cycle of rewarding the best and penalizing the rest.”

The Supreme Court unanimously underscored the idea of equal education opportunities for all in “Brown v. Board of Education” 61 years ago. The court said, “Education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments. It is the very foundation of good citizenship. It is the principal instrument in awakening the child to cultural values, preparing for later training and adjusting normally to the U.S. environment. Education is a right that must be made available to all on equal terms.”

So how do we help our schools lift up the 24% of Americans needing the basic skills and the other students not standing on the stage as valedictorians? One way is to volunteer your time or donate to tutor organizations that help those in need. If you can’t find a local organization to help with tutoring, A List Education has a strong list of organizations that help tutor those who require the most help. Junior Achievement, whose mission is to prepare young people to succeed in a global economy, can use our help. They impacted 4.5 million U.S. students in 197,000 classrooms last year and can use additional volunteers and donations. […]

During the tough economic times since 2008, national, state and local governments have failed to adequately and fairly resource our schools. Budgets, staff and updated equipment have been sacrificed because we have not been able to adequately fund these schools. If the economy had not tanked, it would be a different story, but we have to deal with reality where we just don’t have the money to lift the kids who need it most. We need a school system that prepares all of our students for the ever-changing opportunities our economy offers, and that is why we all need to work on the local level to make educational funding the priority of all upcoming budgets; [o]therwise, we are just cheating our future. While we will always have valedictorians, those students who need the most help will become greater than 24% of our population.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/how-do-we-include-all-kid_b_7641156.html

Is Small Business for Me?

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There are 28 million small businesses in the United States, according to the [U.S. Small Business Administration, or] SBA. [These businesses] created 63% of new private-sector jobs [last year] and [account for] 42% of private-sector payroll[s]. Headlines are grabbed by young entrepreneurs who are starting high-tech companies, but, in reality, people over 50 own 51% of small businesses, while those […] under 35 own [just] 16%. [Additionally], On Strategy reports that 66% of new businesses survive for at least two years, 50% make it at least four years, 40% make it to six years, and one-third make it to 10 years.

[W]hy do new businesses fail at such a high rate?

  • Running out of money too quickly. When starting a business, you need to plan as if you had no sales for six months and have that money sitting in the bank to cover all the startup issues. Before the recession, business owners could borrow against the equity in their homes, but we don’t have that same home equity in 2015. New business startups are rolling the dice and not having as much in the bank, hoping they won’t have to face this issue. Established small businesses also face cashflow issues, because […] their clients are paying slower, so payrolls get missed and lights go off.
  • Overconfidence in their product. […] If you don’t test [your] market first or you are not keeping up with the trends, there is a good chance customers won’t purchase your goods.
  • Poor pricing strategy where [the] competition may have a cheaper solution. If you must lower your price, there still needs to be enough margin to pay the bills.

Other reasons for business failures include an over-dependence on one customer. This country is littered with manufacturing startups that were thrilled to get Walmart as a customer. They put too many eggs in one basket, and when Walmart decided to go overseas to knock [out] their products [for less], [these startups] soon went out of business, [especially] if Walmart accounted for more than 50% of their sales. Small-business owners do not know how to say “No.” Some small-business owners promise the world, but going after all the business at one time drains your cash and profitability, and you may lose sight of quality, delivery time and followthrough. If you miss the mark with an inferior product or late delivery, your customers will put you out of business.

Many of my relatives […] are in a family business. According to the Curchin Group, 70% of family businesses never get past the first generation, 85% don’t make it past the second generation, and 97% never get past the third generation, leaving only 3% of family businesses making it to the fourth generation. There are all kinds of reasons for the death of family businesses, but, in reality, they are not much different than what happens in real life. According to The Globe and Mail, over half of family businesses do not have a succession plan. Entrepreneurs are hesitant to place their passion into the hands of others, and so they lack the plan to create a business roadmap. Internal family conflict—where not everyone has the loyalty to go in one direction—causes breakups. Generational conflict—where there is a disagreement in core values and business missions and where the next generation rejects established methods and the entrepreneurial vision—can bring down a business.

So the odds seem against you whether you want to open your own business or join your relatives in their business. It is much safer to join a big business, work hard and get your gold watch, [b]ut the Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported that the average person born between 1957 [and] 1964 has held 12 different jobs, [a]nd Forbes reports that 91% of those born between 1977 [and] 1997 expect to stay in a job for less than three years, which means they will have 15 [to] 20 different jobs over their lifetime. [I]s taking a chance and opening your own business any different than working for a big business?

If you want to take the plunge into opening a business, America is there to help. One way is through a new program, Big Ideas for Small Business, [which] was launched last year by the National League of Cities in partnership with the City of Chicago’s Innovation Delivery Team. They have produced a toolkit that helps local leaders create ecosystems [to] support small-business growth with city resources and provides business owners with access to new sources of capital. Another resource is SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), […] whose mission is to foster small-business communities through mentoring and education. […] The NFIB (National Federation of Independent Businesses) […] is [also] a great resource for information and interaction with other small businesses.

This alarming failure rate of small businesses is a concern to every community. For our cities to recently jump in and realize this is a local issue that must be solved reinforces that these entrepreneurs are not in this battle alone—they have their village looking out for them. This is a good start to reverse our small business death trend, [b]ut it also takes individuals in our communities spending in small businesses. […]

America has been great since our independence, because, on the back[s] of small businesses, we have built an exceptional agricultural, industrial and intellectual powerhouse economy. We can’t afford to let these small businesses die, because just about every impressive economic accomplishment in our country started in the mind of an entrepreneur.

Original article here: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/is-small-business-for-me_b_7309902.html

Death of Honor

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This month is full of celebrations honoring our military. May 1 is Loyalty Day, which started in the 1920s to counter the rise of communism. […] May 8 is V-E Day (Victory-in-Europe Day), which commemorates the end of fighting in Europe during World War II. Military Spouse Day is also on May 8 this year, and it celebrates the silent heroes of our military. Armed Forces Day, created to honor all branches of the service, is on May 16. Lastly, Memorial Day is on May 25, and it’s dedicated to the military men and women who gave their lives for our country.

According to the National World War II Museum, […] World War II was the deadliest military conflict in history, [with 15 million battlefield deaths]. Add to this the 45 million civilian deaths and 60 million people who were lost in this war, and you have the current combined population of California and New York.

In World War I, according to PBS, there were 10 million battlefield deaths and 7 million civilian deaths. In this war, the U.S. mobilized 4.3 million people and lost 126,000. The last surviving American veteran of World War I, Frank Buckles, died at the age of 110 on Feb. 27, 2011.

According to the National Archives, 9 million military personnel served during the Vietnam War, and we lost 58,156 Americans. More recently, 650,000 served in the Gulf War from August 1990 to July 1991. Since 2001, between the [wars in] Afghanistan and Iraq, over 2.5 million Americans were deployed, and 6,800 […] died.

Currently, according to The Washington Post, there are 22 million veterans in the United States. Out of these, 92% have at least a high school diploma, and 26% have a bachelor’s degree. Veterans own 9% of all U.S. businesses and employ 5.8 million people.

In theory, Americans have not forgotten about these brave heroes. Since last year, the government has been working on cleaning up the Veterans Affairs’ (VA) hospitals that veterans depend on for help. The VA is working on helping homeless veterans, according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, [with the number of veterans spending their nights on the street falling from] 57,849 [one year ago] to 49,933 [today]. [Still], the underlying causes of homelessness—shortage of affordable housing, lingering effects of post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse—remain.

In addition to veteran homelessness, 22 veterans take their own lives every day. Reasons for this could be the difficulties of readjusting to civilian life, lack of civilian work experience and combat injuries. There’s also the added pressure that 90% of military spouses are underemployed and earn 38% less than their civilian counterparts while also being 30% more likely to be unemployed.

Poorly performing VA hospitals, homeless veterans on the streets and veterans who do not want to live—how did we let this happen to the heroes who keep us the freest country [in the world]? Most of our citizens join the military because of their pride for this country. No matter the generation or the war, America’s military has always been determined, tough and proud to do their duty. These fighters are sustained by not only the bonds shared within their units, but [by] the love and strength they draw from those at home—their families, spouses, children, parents and communities. It is time for our communities to step up and help veterans in need.

Besides celebrating our military with these special days in May, we must all do more than just wave the American flag or take the day off and watch the parade. We have to help and embrace our veterans so the transition from military life to civilian life is not as painful. If you own a business, you can make a real effort to hire veterans, [o]r, if you’re not an employer, you can still help by donating to Hire Heroes, a nonprofit dedicated to creating job opportunities for veterans and their spouses. Another great [way] to donate [is through the Welcome Back Veterans initiative], which was created to help returning veterans. One of my personal favorites is Soldiers’ Angels, and you can donate directly on their site.

In 1945, we had 12 million active military personnel, and today, we have 1.4 million (not including active reservists). They are our friends, family and the bravest in our communities. These are men and women who sacrificed everything for us, [so] shouldn’t we do the same for them? If we take care of our service members today, it can only strengthen our military for tomorrow.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/death-of-honor_b_7073908.html

Can’t Blame the Teachers for Getting Us into This Mess

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In today’s America, why would anyone ever want to become a teacher? The budgets for our classrooms dwindle each year, and teachers continue to take money out of their own pockets to provide their students with supplies. The schools are getting older, and fewer new schools are being built annually. Based on the school shootings over the last few years, teachers must now worry every day about the security of students and themselves. All of this seems to eclipse why teachers wanted to teach in the first place.

In spite of the pressure on teachers, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics, public schools employed 3.1 million teachers this year. There were 284,000 new teachers joining public schools compared with 222,000 a decade ago. Thankfully, the spirit to teach has not been lost on our newest college graduates. Why teachers choose to teach can be a very personal decision, but common themes include giving back, being a caring adult in a child’s life, proving one person can make the difference and inspiring students.

This year, 49.8 million students attended public elementary and secondary schools. There are 13,600 public school districts with 98,300 schools between them. We will spend $619 billion on our schools, which works out to $12,281 per student, [a]nd 3 million students will graduate from public schools [in 2015].

It does pay to stay in school. Today’s working adults ages 25 to 34 with a bachelor’s degree earn $46,900 [annually on average], while those with an associate’s degree earn $35,700 [per year]. High-school graduates earn $30,000 [annually], and [the average drops to] $22,900 [per year] for those without a high-school diploma.

The fact that the United States is ranked 14th [in the world when it comes to education], according to Pearson, is a real wake-up call. […] South Korea is ranked first, followed by Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Finland, the United Kingdom and Canada. Pearson found that the top-ranked countries offer teachers higher status in society and have a culture emphasizing education. Society’s attitude about education and its underlying moral purpose seem to be stronger in the top-rated countries—[a]nd to think that just three decades ago, the United States was ranked first in the world.

It continues to amaze me that people want to become teachers. New teachers make around $36,000 [annually] and can earn $58,000 [per year] after 20 years, so striking it rich does not seem to be a reason to pursue this career. There are so many stories about teachers helping others that remind us that there is spirit within these individuals that the rest of us don’t possess.

ABC News had a story about Lindsey Painter, a first-grade teacher in New Braunfels, Texas, who is donating her kidney to one of her students. The Arizona Republic reported about a Phoenix fifth-grade teacher, Reid DeSpiegelaere, who helped the school’s families when their rent was increased. Many of the families were immigrants from war-torn countries who could hardly pay their current rent and were very connected to the school, teachers and staff. DeSpiegelaere organized the effort to find the families other places to live in the district. “In modern education, especially in this area, we need consistency,” DeSpiegelaere said.

Schools are the heartbeat of our community, [a]nd it isn’t only teachers who mold our kids, as People reports. Charles Clark is a janitor in Euless, Texas, and for 26 years, has been mentoring poor and fatherless kids. Trinity High School’s 2,400 students name Clark as the most influential person at their school, and he has hundreds of thank-you letters from students.

With what is going on in Congress, it is very unlikely that our schools will be receiving additional funding in the near future. Add to this the fact that teachers this year took an average of $513 out of their own pockets for classroom supplies, food for hungry kids in their classrooms, instructional materials, and books for their students, and we have a no-win situation for students and teachers. It is up to concerned citizens and parents to make a difference and give teachers well-deserved help.

The National Teachers Assistance Organization gathers donations for professional assistance for teachers. At Donors Choose, public school teachers post classroom project requests, and you can donate to the project that most inspires you. At Start Donating, they match donors with teachers in need of supplies. […]

It takes an entire village to bring quality education to the next generation. We have the teachers and the staff already in place. Painter shows us that teachers truly do care about their students. DeSpiegelaere reminds us that for a school to be successful, it must care about the neighborhood. […] Clark teaches us that all of us, whether we are teachers or not, mold our community. As teachers finish this school year and start to prepare for the next, it is up to our [legislators], community leaders, parents and ordinary citizens to support our kids before it is too late.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/cant-blame-the-teachers-f_b_6904132.html

Shelters to Help Those in Need

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According to [the] Metro-wide Engagement for Shelter and Housing, […] it costs $32 [per day] for an adult and $125 [per day] for a minor to be in a shelter. On any given night, 600,000 Americans experience homelessness, of which 138,000 are children—[b]ut who ends up in these shelters?

Americans needing shelters have a long history. According to a history of homelessness, displacement […] has many causes: wars, medical problems, widowhood and racial inequities, to name a few. During the 1820s, people began migrating from farms to cities in search of jobs, [and because] so many could not find employment, they began walking the streets. This caused the country’s first panhandling ordinances, and city jails became de facto shelter systems. Poor safety regulations [in these jails] caused physical disabilit[ies] and, [frequently], death. The disabled and widows, many with dependent children, became the next wave of homeless. In the 1850s came the first documented cases of homeless youth, many of them kicked out of their homes because their parents could no longer afford to raise them.

The Civil War was the first war in which morphine was used, [a]nd, with that, opiate addiction came to the hundreds of thousands of war veterans. The Sears [& Roebuck] catalog sold morphine and heroin with syringes in its earlier days in the 1890s. The Civil War was the start of what is now known as post-traumatic stress disorder, [or PTSD].

Whereas all types of shelters are needed in our country, one of the newest [types] are [for victims of] domestic violence. […] According to Saint Martha’s Hall, [historically], British Common Law allowed a man to hit his wife with a stick no greater than the length from the last joint to the end of the thumb. In 1871, Alabama and Massachusetts became the first states to criminalize domestic violence, [b]ut it wasn’t until over a century later in 1973 that the Women’s Advocates opened the country’s first domestic violence shelter.

By 1983, there were 700 [domestic violence] shelters […] across the country, serving 91,000 women and 131,000 children. In 1994, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), [which] funds services for victims of domestic violence and rape [and] provides training to increase police and court officials’ sensitivity to domestic abuse. Between 1994 and 2000, $1.6 billion was spent to jumpstart VAWA. Its reauthorization in 2000 created a legal assistance program for victims and expanded the definition of crime to include dating violence and stalking. […]

Providing shelter for those in need cannot be solved by the government alone, especially in times of government gridlock and lack of funds. This is a major problem that affects all of us. Those that need help could be the war hero [who] dedicated [his or her] life to protecting our country or the woman down the street who was hurt by an abusive husband.

There are many ways we […] can help make a difference by donating to these shelters. Covenant House opens up its doors to help homeless youth. Stand up for Kids helps homeless street kids. Support Homeless Veterans works to get forgotten heroes off the street. Women’s Shelters connects [those in need to] over 2,300 women’s shelters. […]

It hurts everyone when our neighbors have to seek out shelters. Our society suffers when we deny children a good night’s sleep and a nourishing meal. Our communities suffer when a veteran loses out on the shot to attain the “American dream.” This is not a political or religious issue; it’s a moral issue that our society needs to embrace. With a little help from all of us, these 600,000 Americans can find shelter for another night.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/shelters-to-help-those-in-need_b_6662444.html

For the Love of Animals

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While on Valentine’s Day, we show our love for other humans, February 20th is “National Love-Your-Pet Day,” where we turn to our four-legged friends to show them how much we love having them around. The Humane Society estimates there are 67 million [U.S.] households that have pets. […] The pet industry made $58 billion in sales in 2014, [which] includes retail pet stores, online sales, grooming, pet hotels, innovative pet product manufacturing and even pet funerals. Considering the cosmetic and toy industries brought in $56 billion and $22 billion, respectively, the pet business has turned into a significant piece of our economy. On February 20th, we should not only be loving our pets but thanking them for helping drive our economic recovery!

Sadly, we often hear about pets being abused all over the country. Just in 2015, the former mayor of Sorrento, La., was accused of torturing and abusing cats. There’s also the retired Phoenix police officer [who] collected over 100 animals—zebras, horses, chickens and pigs—and kept them without proper shelter, food or water. [T]here’s the individual cruelty, like the dog in San Diego whose owner used rubber bands as a muzzle and caused severe injuries to the poor dog’s face. […] This disregard of compassion for animals cuts to the core of human nature. It is not only about how we treat our beloved best animal friends, [but, in] a sense, it is about how we treat each other.

So where do […] unwanted, unloved animals go? According to the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), there are 13,600 community animal shelters nationwide. There are 7.6 million animals entering shelters each year, of which 3.9 million are dogs and 3.4 million are cats. Each year, 35% of [these] dogs are adopted, 31% are euthanized, and 26% are returned to their owners. For cats, 37% are adopted, 41% are euthanized and only 5% are returned to their owners.

There is a major strain on our community animal shelters this time of year. With the temperature below freezing in many parts of the country, it does not take long for an animal to freeze to death when left outside. Luckily for these animals, [several] communities [are taking] action. […] Cleveland just passed a new law to protect animals being left outdoors without shelter. The city ordinance requires that [those] left outside have shelter large enough to stand up, turn around and lie down in freely, and the shelter must have one entrance and exit with a door or flap to protect the animal from the elements.

Besides weather, the inhumanity of our fellow human beings continues to burden these underfunded shelters. The Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter just took in over 70 dogs that were seized in a major dogfighting operation. […] Evidence seized in this case included firearms, treadmills, breaking sticks, heavy chains, steroids and bloodstained dogfighting rings. I just cannot image the physical and psychological wounds these abused animals now have.

It falls back on all of us to have the heart to help defenseless animals that can’t speak for themselves. There are plenty of concerned organizations that need our support to fight animal abuse—great nonprofits like [the] ASPCA, Humane Society and the American Humane Association. There are also many lesser-known animal nonprofits like World Animal Protection [and the] Best Friends Animal Society. […] If you can’t support these helpless animals with money, donate your time to help care for them at the shelters. All shelters welcome people who will feed, walk and groom these ignored animals.

Those of us with pets know they provide therapeutic benefits for many of life’s invisible scars. Our pets help us socially and emotionally. The unconditional love pets give us transcends work issues, family conflicts and death. Animals don’t care about the color of your skin, whether you can read or not, or if you are missing a limb. […] Donate to animal shelters and organizations to help care for these innocent animals. Volunteer at your local shelter to help the animals cope with being alone. No one wants to be alone, and your simple act of kindness goes a long way for animals that don’t have anyone.

Original article here: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/for-the-love-of-animals_b_6459194.html

Can’t Stop the Giving

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Now that the season of giving is officially over, we are approaching the harshest time of year, when underprivileged, poor and homeless fellow Americans need our help the most. The average high [temperature] across the United States in January is 42° F and the average low is 27°, [making it[ the coldest month of the year. In February, the average high moves to 44° and the average low is 28°. […] Using New York […] as the example, the cost of heating oil jumps in the winter, with [the] January [2014] cost per gallon [at] $4.13 and February’s cost [at] $4.34. […]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a family of four is considered living in poverty if their annual income is under $23,850. The current […] U.S. […] poverty rate is 14.5%, [amounting to] 45.3 million people living in poverty. […] The poverty rate for children is 19.9%; for people ages 18 [to] 34, it is 13.6%, and for those over 65, the rate is 9.5%.

We can’t rely on our government to take care of the poor—or can we? The New American just reported that 65% of our children live in households [participating] in at least one or more of these government aid programs: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program […]; the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC); Medicaid; [or] the National School Lunch Program. The “War on Poverty,” which was part of the “Great Society” plan of President Johnson, […] celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014. Our government has spent $22 trillion over these 50 years to support this war.

So does the U.S. welfare system actually hamper dignity while claiming to grant it? We continue to hear stories of recipients abusing the social safety net designed to help those who truly need our help. Do some of these programs trap people into the poverty they are trying to escape? Our government programs address complex social problems with a one-size-fits-all solution. Local nonprofit organizations and local governments have a better vantage point to identify and address the true poverty issues in their communities, [making them] more invested in the success of the families and individuals living [there].

[N]ow that the holidays are over, we are back to focusing on ourselves. Whether it is finding a gym to get back in shape or a diet to lose the holiday pounds, our attention naturally shifts away from those who need our help 365 days a year. [Fortunately], there are several nonprofit organizations that don’t give up after the holidays. […] One of my favorites is One Warm Coat. This nonprofit organization started [in 1992] with a Thanksgiving weekend coat drive, [and, since] then, they have organized thousands of groups across America that collect coats to give to those in need. […] Another favorite is Operation Warm, which started in 2002 and [relies on] organizations like [local] Rotary [clubs] and firefighters to distribute over 300,000 coats to impoverished children annually.

Each of these caring organizations began way before the recession, survived the recession and continues to serve the underprivileged as the country recovers. The Salvation Army [is] the second largest charity in the country, receiving $2.08 billion in donations annually. The largest charity is The United Way, who took in $3.87 billion [within its] network of over 1,300 units across the country. […]

With the impasse in Washington, [D.C.], which looks like it will be getting even worse in 2015, we cannot rely on our government to pick up the slack to take care of those Americans who truly need our help. Gas prices are going down, giving all of us more discretionary income to spend. The holidays are over, […] and now it is time […] to step up and begin to funnel [that] extra gas money back into our local communities to help our neighbors pull themselves out of poverty. We, as citizens, need to create a new grassroots effort—our own local “War on Poverty.” Having 45.3 million people living in poverty is not what any of our forefathers envisioned, and it is not the country we want to leave to our children.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/cant-stop-the-giving_b_6390550.html

Donating: Is It the American Way?

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In the United States, there are 1,429,801 tax-exempt organizations made up of 966,599 public charities; 96,584 private foundations; and 366,618 other types of nonprofits, including chambers of commerce, fraternal organizations and civic leagues, according to the National Center for Charitable Statistics. These [tax-exempt] organizations paid for 9.2% of all wages in [our nation last year] and accounted for 5.5% of GDP. Charitable contributions are over $320 billion, with religious organizations receiving 32% […] and educational institutions getting 13%.

Over the last five years, the World Giving Index rates the United States as the most giving country, followed by Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada and the United Kingdom. What is driving the No. 1 rating is the fact that helping a stranger is more commonplace in [our country], with 77% of Americans saying they helped someone they did not know. The United States ranks third globally in volunteering and 13th in donating money.

[Americans] have a long history of giving back. [T]he Pilgrims […] relied on neighbors to survive the harsh winters. The settlers raised each others’ barns, hosted quilting bees for the community and built common areas in their towns. Benjamin Franklin […] is known as the Founding Father of American Volunteerism; [in] the late 1700s, [h]e gathered volunteers to sweep the streets of Philadelphia, organized the nation’s first volunteer fire department [and] established a voluntary militia. […] His philosophy was “individuals working together, un-coerced, for the common good.” In the 1830s, two groups who felt their lack of power—women, who had no right to vote, and the clergy, whose political authority was weakened by the constitutional separation of church and state—formed benevolent societies to focus on issues [like] slavery, cruelty, drinking [and] illiteracy.

[B]illionaires [also] have given to improve [American] society. Andrew Carnegie, who made his fortune in the steel industry, helped fund 3,000 public libraries, […] 7,000 church organs and […] Carnegie Hall in New York City. […] John Rockefeller, Jr., who made his fortune in oil, donated land along the East River in Manhattan for the United Nations headquarters in his belief that the world together can get better. […] Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, probably the two best-known billionaires, created the “Giving Pledge,” which now has 127 billionaires committed to pledging at least half of their wealth to help nonprofits.

These are examples of the very visible givers. There are hundreds of others who have given to help hospitals and schools and the underprivileged that are not in the news.

Overall, Americans give, on average, 3% of their income to charity, a figure that has not budged significantly for decades. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that there are significant differences in how much the average American gives; [i]n Utah and Mississippi, households [donate an average of] 7% of their incomes to charity, while in Massachusetts and three other New England states, giving is under 3%. Middle-class Americans give a far bigger share of their discretionary income; households earning $50,000 [to] $75,000 [annually] give an average of 7.6% of their income to charity compared to 4.2% of people making over $100,000. […]

What are the reasons people help other people? According to Gaiam.com, giving to charity improves your sense of well-being, [because you know] that you sacrificed time, finances or property to help others. Supporting a cause can help keep you informed about issues of social injustice. Giving to charity out of spiritual conviction can strengthen your spiritual life. Volunteering with a charity may result in physical and social benefits—[a]nd donations are tax-deductible.

Having donations as a tax-deductible item has been in the fabric of our taxes since the Revenue Act of 1917, which established […] an individual income-tax deduction for contributions made to tax-exempt charitable organizations. According to CNN, the charitable deduction is the ninth-largest tax expenditure in the federal budget. In 2014, the amount of revenue the government will forgo from those claiming charitable deductions is estimated to reach $52 billion. Giving, on one hand, helps those in need, while on the other hand, [it] pushes our government into greater debt.

Community service is not political, and it is not mandated by the state. It is something that comes from deep within our core values. A true definition of this can be seen with the Society of Secret Santas, who[se members] give away $100 bills of their own money to the needy to help reinforce the self-worth and image of those they help. […] They give in anonymity; [lead] by example; [share] their wealth in a humble, selfless way; [and] show compassion through random acts of kindness, tapping into the human spirit by giving the recipient hope and belief.

Anonymous givers set the stage to teach our kids about the selflessness of being kind. Whether it is cleaning out your closet to help a charitable organization or spending time to help the elderly or volunteering to help a neighbor do yard work or shovel snow, the examples we adults set today by our actions will influence how the next generation views their obligations to others. […]

From Ben Franklin to Andrew Carnegie to Warren Buffet, well-known leaders set the example for us, but you don’t have to be a billionaire leaving a legacy to make a difference. [V]olunteering still forms the core of the American character—[i]t is who we are and how we pass on freedom and caring to the next generation. Maybe that is one reason that seniors volunteer at a higher rate than our children. The experience of life that seniors [possess] is precious, and if we can teach the younger generations to care more about others, we can continue to be the most charitable nation, just like our forefathers [envisioned].

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/donatingis-it-the-america_b_6222052.html

The Homeless Need More Than Blankets

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In this land of plenty and this land of opportunity, [more than] 600,000 Americans experience homelessness on any given night, [including] 138,000 […] under the age of 18. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the national rate of homeless persons is 19 [in every] 10,000 people, with the highest [rate] in Washington, D.C., [at] 106 [for every 10,000]. Veterans are homeless at the rate of 27 for every 10,000, with [our nation’s capital] again [rating] the highest at 156.

[L]ack of affordable housing is considered the primary cause of homelessness. The government agency HUD […] has seen its budget slashed by over 50%, resulting in the loss of 10,000 units each year of subsidized low-income housing. Thirteen percent of the nation’s low-income housing has been lost since 2001. This country needs 7 million more affordable apartments for low-income families, but, because we don’t have enough, 11 million families spend over half of their monthly income on rent. Add on top of this the over 5 million homes that have been foreclosed on since 2008, and it easy to understand why this country is where it is with our [inability] to help the homeless.

Homeless children, as defined by the federal “No Child Left Behind” program, include not just those living in shelters or transitional housing, but also those sharing housing [with others] due to economic hardships; living in cars, parks, bus or train stations; or awaiting foster care placement. Using this definition, the National Center for Homeless Education reported in September 2014 [that there are] 1,258,182 homeless children in [our country’s] public school [system], an 8% jump from 2013. Youth homelessness has increased 72% in the last seven years, [and] many of these youths exchange sex for food, clothing, shelter and other basic needs. Seventy-five percent of [our nation’s] homeless youth have either dropped out or will drop out of school.

As a caring society, what can we do about this?

Sports Illustrated (SI) just published a fascinating article on how more than 100,000 students on school teams are homeless. In the Mobile, Ala., county school system, 27.6% of homeless students competed for middle- and high-school teams. In Kansas City, Kan., 20% of homeless students competed. SI concludes that athletic programs are keeping homeless athletes away from outside factors that derail their chances for a successful future. Coaches often become mentors and surrogate parents, and pregame and post-game meals provide essential nourishment, while kids benefit from the exercise and structure in sports. […]

Homeless veterans are another story. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans reports that 1.4 million veterans are considered at risk for homelessness due to poverty, lack of support networks and substandard housing. [Approximately] 49,933 of these veterans are homeless on any given night. America’s homeless veterans served in World War II, the Korean War, [the] Cold War, [the] Vietnam War, [the] Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq. Half of our current homeless veterans served during the Vietnam era. [Eight] percent are female, while 40% are African-American or Hispanic.

The Washington Post reported our new Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary, Bob McDonald, […] announced an additional $207 million in funding for rapid-assistance grants to help 70,000 veterans keep their homes or return to permanent housing. [Another] $62 million will be dedicated to a rental-assistance program that would bring more than 9,000 chronically homeless veterans off the streets. [In total], the VA has committed more than $1 billion in 2014 to strengthen programs that prevent and end homelessness among veterans. They have changed their approach to a “housing-first strategy” where they are focusing on providing veterans a place to live first and then help[ing] them with drug abuse, job searches and mental health. Previously, the VA insisted on health services first before offering housing.

Homelessness cannot be solved by the government alone, especially in times of government gridlock and lack of funds. This is a major problem that affects all of us, whether it involves the classmates of our kids or the war hero who was dedicated to protecting our country. There are many ways the average citizen can help by donating or volunteering. The Covenant House opens up its doors to help homeless youth. Stand Up For Kids helps homeless street kids. Move for Hunger helps collect food for those in need. Support Homeless Veterans works to get these forgotten heroes off the streets. […]

We all suffer when we allow our neighbors to go homeless, even for just one night. Our society suffers when we deny any of our children a good night’s sleep and a nourishing meal. With the limitless potential that many homeless youth have to make a lasting positive contribution to our communities, whether it is in science, humanities or sports, we cheat not only them but ourselves by not allocating dollars, either in the taxes we collect or the disposable income we can spare. Every child, veteran or family in need should have a shot at attaining our American dream, and, with a little help from all of us, America can help those 600,000 a night who suffer. This is one issue that is not political.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/the-homeless-need-more-th_b_6064668.html