Tag: huffpost

Back to School: It’s Make-It-or-Break-It Time for the Economy

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Spending this fall for students K-12 is expected to drop 12%, according to a National Retail Federation survey reported in The Wall Street Journal. The average that will be spent on each kid is $634.78, down from $688.62 in 2012. Even those going to college are expecting decreases from $836.80 this year [compared to] $907.22 last year.

[I]t looks like the payroll tax hike, the sequestration and the continued sluggish job market are finally going to rear their ugly heads during the first major sales season of the year. This is troublesome news for retailers, because the back-to-school (BTS) season is like the canary in the coal mine; BTS sales trends historically predict how the holiday fourth-quarter sales will turn out. [I]n another BTS warning about the economy, 47.7% of college students expect to live at home [in 2013], up from 42.9% in 2012.

These depressing numbers tell us that the American family has begun to focus on the needs of their children for BTS rather than the wants of their kids. If working Americans are having trouble getting their kids ready for BTS, what about the children in families stuck in poverty or not working at all? According to The Hechinger Report, poverty is getting so concentrated in America that one [in] five public schools is classified as “high poverty” […] by the U.S. Department of Education. To be classified as [a] high-poverty [school], 75% of [its] elementary, middle or high school students must qualify for […] free or reduced-price [lunches].

Moyers & Co. reports that […] poverty affects 46.2 million people [in the United States], [including] 16.1 million children. […] Deep poverty, [or a household income below] $11,510 [annually] for a family of four, hits 20.4 million people, [or] one in 15 Americans. On top of all this, we have 1,065,794 homeless students enrolled in U.S. preschools and K-12 schools, and […] only 48% of poor children are ready for school by the age of five, compared to 75% of children from moderate- and high-income families.

[W]e have parents who are going to be spending less on their children for BTS, [a]nd we have poverty creating a major burden for schools to figure out how to deal with accommodating these kids’ needs. This is a bleak time for not only our economy but to the answer of how we cope with an all-inclusive society so that no child is left behind.

Some organizations are rising to the occasion with drives to provide the underprivileged with what they need to go back to school with dignity—staples like backpacks, school supplies and clothes. Fox News reported [that] in St. Louis, the National Council of Jewish Women brought a “[b]ack-to-[s]chool store” to 1,200 children in need. […] The Broomfield Enterprise in Colorado reports the organization Crayons to Calculators hopes to provide 9,000 students with new backpacks full of supplies [in 2013]. The City Wire in Arkansas reports on [a] “Stuff the Bus” campaign supported by the United Way, where bright yellow buses will be scattered throughout Fort Smith to collect school supplies for children in need [for] the ninth year. We can all help online at Operation Backpack, where they are gathering backpacks for New York City children in need. […]

We have been putting up with this recession since late 2007. It has been close to six years where the poor are getting poorer, the needy are getting needier, and now it looks like our schoolchildren will be getting less. Spending less for BTS is a major blow to our economy, and when word of this decrease becomes widespread, it will be a major blow to the American psyche. As Americans, we have to do what we can do to ensure the long-term survival of our educational system, because all these kids—rich and poor—are our future. Dig deep into your pockets and help out your local backpack drive by donating backpacks, school supplies or cash so they can buy what is needed for the underprivileged. If you are a parent or grandparent, spend a little more on your kids for BTS so we can prove the predictions wrong. If this BTS season is truly less than last year, then we are in for a long, cold fall and winter retail season, which will keep us in this recession for another year.

Original article here:https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/back-to-school-its-make-i_b_3671731.html

To Give or Not to Give

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Every day, we read about famous Americans supporting nonprofit organizations, [whether it’s] Warren Buffett, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, [the] Lilly Endowment, the Walton Family Foundation or the Ford Foundation. [Many wealthy] and middle-class Americans [alike] give because it is the right thing to do, and they do not need recognition because philanthropy is an expression of personal and family values.

The New York Times recently reported about how many buildings in New York [City] have their donors’ names on them. There are many reasons donors want their name on a building, including getting proper recognition for being a philanthropist and inspiring others to contribute to causes you believe will make a difference. On the other side, there are many reasons to give anonymously, such as being able to give credit to those performing the services rather than those providing funding, [as well as] ensuring you won’t be overwhelmed by other [organizations] chasing you for money and [exposing] your [potentially] deep pockets if you […] get involved in [any] litigation.

Judeo-Christian [beliefs] caution us against self-promotion, which would tend to support anonymous giving. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches that “when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets” [and] “do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that your giving may be in secret.” The Jewish sage Maimonides wrote, “It is best that the giver and receiver not know each other’s identities—in this way, the poor person’s dignity is preserved.”

I was recently moved when I saw on national TV a story about “The Kalamazoo Promise,” [a] scholarship program started in 2005 for all graduates of Kalamazoo, Mich., public schools. It is funded by anonymous donors who pay up to 100% of tuition […] to Michigan’s colleges and universities. [As a result] of [this] program […], the school district has grown by 16%, which helps the economy of the city; test scores have improved; and a greater proportion of high-school graduates are attending college. […] There are now over 20 [similar] scholarship programs around this great country. […]

What are the real reasons we give […] our time and money? Helping others who are struggling is an act of compassion that most Americans are taught as we grow up. Community service is not political, and it is not mandated by the state; [i]t 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 give away $100 bills of their own money to the needy to help reinforce the self-worth and image of those they help, as well as [to] show unconditional love to those who feel society has stopped caring about them. We do not know who these Secret Santas are—[t]hey give in anonymity, they [lead] by example, and they [share] their wealth in a humble, selfless way. They show compassion through random acts of kindness, tapping into the human spirit by giving the recipient hope and belief.

“Promise” organizations, the Secret Santas and […] other 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, spending time to help the elderly, or volunteering to help a neighbor do yard work or shovel snow, the examples we […] set today […] will influence how the next generation views their obligations to others. […]

All of us want our children to be smart, funny and athletic, but much of those traits depend on the child’s genetic makeup. Being kind, though, is an entirely learned behavior that is influenced by how the kid’s parents and mentors react to different situations. Setting an example of how to be kind to others, whether you shout your generosity from the highest building or you give to others anonymously, may be the best lesson we pass on to those who will eventually take our place.

Original article here:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/to-give-or-not-to-give_b_3480094.html

Charity is in Our DNA

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Since the beginning of America, we have been a giving people.

  • [I]n 1630, [Pilgrams] relied on each other to survive the harsh winters. The settlers raised each other’s barns, hosted quilting bees for the community, and built common areas in their towns.
  • Benjamin Franklin, the founding father of American volunteerism, […] gathered volunteers to sweep the streets of Philadelphia, organized the nation’s first volunteer fire department, established a voluntary militia and organized a philosophical society. 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, illiteracy and more.

[Our passion for giving] continues [today] with the forming of the Red Cross, local libraries, community parks, defeating polio with the March of Dimes, and Paul Newman’s Foundation donating $300 million of [its] profits to his “Hole in the Wall” camps for kids with serious diseases and helping the nonprofit, Feeding America. […]

Many of us participate in charity in some form. It can be as simple as taking cookies to an aging neighbor or donating items you no longer use to a good cause. The Corporation for National & Community Service reports that 64.3 million Americans volunteered in a formal organization [in 2012], an increase of 1.5 million from [2011]. This is 26.8% of the population giving 7.9 billion hours, which has a value of $171 billion. The four most popular service activities were fundraising or selling items to raise money (26.2%); collecting, preparing, distributing or serving food (23.6%); engaging in general labor or transportation (20.3%); and tutoring or teaching (18.2%). One in three volunteers is […] age 55 and older, giving this group a lifetime of experience to tap into to help those in the greatest need.

According to the World Giving Index, the United States was the fifth most charitable nation [in 2012]. Australia was first, followed by Ireland, Canada and New Zealand. […] We [Americans] like to be No. 1 at everything, so it’s surprising [to me] we don’t even finish in the top three! Is it because we have lost the passion of our forefathers, or are we just too selfish to help others because the “me” generation stretches from birth to death?

This country has been so successful because it reaches out to others through immigration; government-sponsored help like social security, head-start [programs] and food stamps; and nonprofit organizations who coordinate projects from feeding the poor to aiding the homeless to providing for the sick. More of us have volunteered this year than last year, but we are still not at the point where we lead the world in kindness.

[The year 2013 is when] we need to pull the charity gene out of our DNA and use it to help our fellow Americans. Our economic recovery is still quite tough, and we are many years away from [returning to] where we were before [the] recession. More people need […] help now because [of] the [recent] implementation of […] sequestration. […] If you can’t make the time to volunteer to help others, at least give some financial support. Online, the Network for Good and Just [Giving] are a good start to help nonprofits needing our backing. […]

More than 200 years ago, [Benjamin] Franklin felt the average citizen must share in a commitment to the greater good of their community and their country. [Today], volunteering still forms the core of the American character. It 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. […] Now, if we can teach the younger generations to care more about others, perhaps we can become the No. 1 most charitable nation, just like our forefathers [envisioned].

Original article here:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/charity-is-in-our-dna_b_3385806.html

Sequestration: Public-school Kids, Teachers the Big Losers

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Here we are at the end of another school year, and, once again, teachers throughout the United States are facing uncertainty. Will they have a job next school year, and, if so, will their classroom balloon to unmanageable sizes? Congress has not acted, and now the impact of sequestration on federal educational programs is beginning to take hold.

According to The Atlantic, the worst victims of the education sequester are special-needs students and poor kids—the students who need our protection the most. […] Title 1 (federal support for low-income school districts) and Head Start […] serve these children. The Department of Education’s financial support is up to 25% of educational spending for special-needs students. Of the $78 billion in federal spending on elementary [and] secondary schools, half goes to Title 1, special education and Head Start. [One-]third goes to support school lunches, improvements and aid. The National Education Association estimates that 7.4 million students and 49,365 school personnel will be affected as the sequester takes hold. School districts are obligated by law to provide services to special-education students, [b]ut with these cuts, […] children with the most needs may be crammed into crowded, unsafe classrooms and […] receive less speech or physical therapy. Other consequences of these cuts may be more subtle—school districts becoming more reluctant to classify kids with disabilities […] and local districts reducing art and music education for non-special-education kids to make up for this budget gap. […]

So why would anyone in their right mind want to be [a teacher], a job that is constantly under attack? […] We all know that when there is uncertainty in our job[s] or in our lives, we don’t perform [as well]. We worry about getting a paycheck at the end of the week, how we are going to pay the mortgage, and what [e]ffect all of this will have on our family. Uncertainty creates doubt, which undermines our performance and, in the case of teachers, will rob our kids of the quality of education they deserve.

With Congress involved, [as well as] state and local politicians, how can one parent or concerned citizen make a difference and help our teachers help our kids? There is a wonderful group, the National Teachers Assistance Organization, that is taking 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. […]

This is also the time ordinary Americans need to be communicating with their representatives in the House and in the Senate. […] [A lack of] action on their part has caused […] crucial programs like Head Start and special education to fail [those] needing the most help. Just about every teacher I have ever known teaches because they want to help others and are passionate about what they teach. We need our teachers to focus on their passion and not have to worry about if they are the next ones to lose their jobs because our political leaders could not act to protect the educational system [that], for so many years, has been the backbone of our society.

As our teachers finish this school year and start to prepare for the next school year, let’s hope our leaders come to their senses before it is too late for our kids and, in the long run, the future of this country.

Original article here:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/public-school-kids-and-te_b_3211596.html

Pet Care: Why Don’t We Care Every Month of the Year?

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April has more pet-awareness events than any other time of year. It is the ASPCA’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month, [the] American Red Cross’ National Pet First Aid Awareness Month, National Heart-worm Awareness Month, National Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week, National Pet ID Week, National Kids and Pets Day, National Hairball Awareness Day, World Veterinary Day, International Guide Dog Day, and National Adopt-a-Shelter-Pet Day. Why do we care so much about our animals for us to celebrate them so often in just one month?

[Nearly every day], the news [reports] a bizarre story of humans’ disregard for animals. Today, it may be the 100 animals rescued at a home in Howell, N.J., or the 20 horses in Larimer County, Colo., rescued from a ranch; tomorrow, it could be the 60 malnourished dogs rescued in Monroe, Conn., or the pet groomer accused of aggravated animal cruelty in Slidell, La. County by county, state by state, human cruelty to animals happens every day, everywhere.

According to the ASPCA, there are 5,000 community animal shelters nationwide, and close to seven million animals enter these shelters each year. Sixty percent of the dogs and 70% of the cats are euthanized. Only 2% of cats and 20% of dogs are returned to their owners from shelters because they are identified with tags, tattoos or microchips. More than 20% of people who leave a dog at a shelter adopted [the dog] from a shelter.

Now consider that 62% of American households have a pet. We own 78.2 million dogs and 86.4 million cats. The average cost of basic food, supplies, medical care and training for dogs and cats is $750 each per year. Inc. magazine reported that in 2012, the pet industry did $52.87 billion in sales, and [the publication] rank[s] “pet care” as the seventh best industry to enter if you are an entrepreneur looking to start a business. This industry includes grooming, pet hotels, online sales, retail pet stores, innovative pet product manufacturing and even pet funerals.

So how come such a large industry can’t step into our daily lives and help all these poor animals in need? Why do we even need to have a month like April, filled with reminders […] cruelty to animals [is still at] the forefront of the news? I don’t have the answer to this because it cuts to the core of human nature, and it’s not only about how we treat our beloved best animal friends but […] how we treat each other.

If the pet industry can’t step up and use some of their profits to help the less-fortunate animals and to help fund the 5,000 animal shelters, then it falls back on all of us. […] The people of Dallas County, Texas, have stepped up and […] funded a [new] unit in their District Attorney’s office that strictly focuses on cases involving harm to animals. All the major animal rights groups—the ASPCA, the Humane Society and the American Humane Association—gladly will take your donations to support their humanitarian causes. […]

The majority of us own pets. […] The unconditional love our pets give us transcends work issues, family conflicts, death and divorce, [s]o, during this month-long celebration honoring our best friends, do the right thing. Give […] your money to help these shelters and caring organizations ease the burden for these defenseless animals. Volunteer at your local shelter to help these animals cope with being alone. None of us want to be alone, and your simple act of kindness goes a long way for animals who can’t talk for themselves.

Original article here:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/april-animal-awareness_b_2964019.html

What Happens When Unemployment Runs Dry?

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[According to Forbes], short-term unemployment—six months or less—was 4.9% [in January 2013], […] only 0.7% above the pre-recession rate. Long-term unemployment […] is at 3%, which is three times higher than before the recession. The long-term unemployed make up 38% of all workers without jobs. This troubling [statistic] not only [affects] the societal safety net supporting them, but [also] their own personal well-being, because the longer they are out of the daily workforce, [the more quickly] their skills decline from [disuse].

Long-term unemployment is [seen] at a higher rate [in] young [adults], [older generations], the less-educated, and African-American and Latino workers, [according to a recent report in] The New York Times. Older workers are less likely to be laid off than younger workers, but they are about half as likely to be rehired. [As a result], older workers have seen the largest proportionate increase in unemployment during this recession recovery. Unemployment for people ages 50 to 65 has doubled, [a]nd, as their unemployment drags on longer, the reemployment of older workers declines severely. Older workers (those ages 50 to 61) who have been unemployed for [at least] 17 months have only a 9% chance of finding a new job in the next three months; [t]hose over 62 have only a 6% chance.

[Today, more than] four million Americans are considered long-term unemployed. They are not only disconnected from the workforce but, [often] mainstream culture. If we can’t get them reconnected, we are looking at devastating costs to not only them but [to] our society as a whole. There is a 50% increase in death rates for older male workers in the years following a job loss, and they can expect to live [a year-and-a-half less] than [someone] with a job. Unemployment [also] has a weighty effect on family members; [d]ivorce rates increase by 18%, [and] children whose fathers lost a job when they were kids earn 9% less annually as adults. […]

All of this takes its toll on the safety net provided for those out of work. Our government extends food stamps for those in need through SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), and the Workforce Investment Act, or WIA, helps equip workers with the skills they need to find jobs in [today’s] workforce. […] Churches constantly are helping those in need, and [The] Salvation Army is there to help the underprivileged, [b]ut […] all of this is being stretched to the limits. The latest controversy in Washington, [D.C.], is the issue with raising the federal debt ceiling to accommodate all the needs this country has. I am sure like all of the other [crises] recently in our capital, this, too, will [result in] cuts in federal spending [to] programs that help those who need it most—like the […] long-term unemployed.

To support this suffering segment of our population, we […] have to come together. The United Way, the largest nonprofit in the country, has […] a simple program where anyone can just pick up the phone and call 2-1-1 […] to obtain assistance from local and national social service programs, as well as local and national governmental agencies. […]

Unemployment takes its toll not only on those out of work, but it stresses an entire community. Our government can help relieve some of that stress by addressing the federal debt ceiling and making sure there are incentives left for everyone to contribute more to the nonprofits who help those most in need. […] The government can aid the long-term unemployed by […] increasing access to small-business financing so these business[es] can hire more people. Our leaders can help by implementing subsidies for businesses that make the effort to hire the long term unemployed. No one in America wants to be unemployed. No one in America wants to see our fellow citizens suffer emotionally and financially. This is truly a pulling-together moment.

Original article here:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/what-happens-when-unemplo_b_2812090.html

Is Entrepreneurship Dead in America?

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Over 200 years ago, James Madison wrote, “[T]he greater proportion of citizens who are their own masters, the more free, the more independent, and the more happy must be society itself.” Entrepreneurship is a critical measurement of our country’s political vitality and our own personal liberties. The more independent citizens become, power and responsibility will be distributed broader, which, in turn, strengthens our democracy. We, as Americans, have always viewed entrepreneurship as a fundamental way for upward mobility, where average people can build their wealth through a business venture that can be passed on to their kids or sold at retirement age. It could be the family farm, a local restaurant or a retail store that provides income and a place to teach their children and others the value of responsibility and working hard.

The Washington Monthly reported that compared to a generation ago, it is now much harder to start a business in America and keep it running. In 1980, “young firms”—companies [fewer] than five years old—account[ed] for 50% of all going concerns; [t]oday, it is less than 35%. In 1977, there were 35 new employer businesses for every 10,000 citizens; [t]oday, there are fewer than 17—a 50% drop! Startups made up 12% of U.S. companies in 1980, and today, they are less than 8%. We now average 7.8 startup jobs per 1,000 Americans, compared to 10.8 during the Bush years and 11.2 during Clinton.

So what is causing Americans to be less entrepreneurial than their fathers and mothers? We can all point to this recession we have been grappling with over the last four years, but I think it is deeper than that. In addition to new regulations of healthcare reform, an increase in regulatory activity in several industries, and the uncertainty about taxes, there are several causes that come into play that make it so hard to become an entrepreneur today:

  • There continues to be a shortage of financing alternatives to start businesses. Before the housing bubble, many Americans were using the equity in their homes as collateral for the financing of their business. Now that this equity has disappeared, borrowing against your house is just a pipe dream. [While] venture capitalists are in the news [almost every day] funding the big hitters, in truth, only an extremely small fraction of startups have access to venture funds. Venture investors with billions of dollars are pursuing a select group of entrepreneurs. Even though they fail to recoup their cash on 75% of their deals, the other 25% is big enough for investment companies to continue to be looking for those few new cutting-edge companies but has no effect with the mom-and-pop shop[s]. Add to this that bank loans to small businesses fell to a 12-year low in 2012, and financing may be the most powerful reason for the dramatic drop in entrepreneurship.
  • Technology […] is also responsible for displacing independent businesses across several […] verticals. How many travel agents have lost their business to the Internet? Where are the video stores, the record stores, the bookstores? Why do you need to see a middleman to buy products when you can go right onto the Internet to find goods? [T]echnology [also] provides the opportunity to combine small businesses into a few big ones—just ask Amazon.
  • The well-financed chain businesses are killing the little guy. Look what Staples has done to the office supply industry or [what] The Home Depot did to hardware stores or Best Buy did to electronic stores. Walmart controls close to 50% of some lines of the grocery and the general merchandise business, where a generation ago, thousands of families made their living selling these goods.

The Economist though still thinks America is a beacon for entrepreneurs. Our country was settled by innovators and risk-takers who were willing to sacrifice what they knew to be safe for new opportunities. In our current day, we continue to read about Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, who inspire us with how they built companies out of their garage. In a sense, this country was set up to encourage individuals to follow their dream:

  • Our culture encourages risk-taking. American companies have the unusual freedom to hire and fire workers and at the same time workers have the freedom to leave companies for better opportunities. We [believe] our fate still lies in our own hands.
  • Throughout our country, there are close relationships between universities and industry. Our universities are economic engines rather than ivory towers. They promote technology offices, science parks, business incubators and venture funds. Stanford University gained $200 million in stock when Google went public, [and] close to half of the startups in Silicon Valley have their roots in the university.
  • Historically, the United States immigration policy has been fairly open. We are a country of immigrants, and the brightest from overseas can see this. Just look at Silicon Valley again, where 52% of the startups were founded by immigrants, up from 25% just 10 years ago.
  • American consumers are unusually willing to try new products of all kinds, even it means learning new skills and taking a bigger chunk out of their savings. The bold American consumer is vocal in getting manufacturers to improve their products to meet their needs. This is not a bashful country.

On one hand, we have statistical proof that entrepreneurs are fading from the American landscape; on the other hand, we have many pieces in place to nurture and grow the entrepreneurial spirit. Are we at a crossroads where the determination of our forefathers built our great society, yet this generation is going to let it fade away?

America has realized that we have to do more to encourage entrepreneurs to follow their dream. Startup America Partnership was formed by the Kauffman and Case foundations to help entrepreneurs get their companies off the ground by delivering free or low-cost services and connecting them with larger corporations. Score is a nonprofit association helping small businesses succeed by using volunteer mentors who share their knowledge in an effort to give back to their community.

These are challenging economic times. A third of all startups fail within the first two years, and 60% are doomed to fail by the fourth year. Who in their right mind would play these odds, especially during these financially uncertain times? [A]s a society, we must look back to our founding fathers, [who] had the vision to create a nation that strengthens democracy through individuals taking the initiative and the chances to better those around them. Entrepreneurship is not dead; it is just reemerging on a different playing field, where innovative people need to be technologically in tune with new roads to travel. Now is the time to stop dreaming and begin to act on your dreams. When you think that 16 out of the 30 corporations that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average started during a recession, why can’t that be you?

Original article here:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/is-entrepreneurship-dead-america_b_2551281.html

Everyone Needs a Bed

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Homelessness, poverty, recession—you would hope that a new year would wipe away all of the bad things that have happened to our nation, but it does not. We still wake up in 2013 with the same issues we had in 2012. Is there any hope in sight?

According to the U.S. Census, the official poverty rate was 15%. There were 46 million people in poverty. Mississippi was at 20.8%, New Mexico was 19.7%, Louisiana was 18.2%, South Carolina was 17.7%, and Arizona came in at 17.6$. To add more heartache, the poverty rate for children under age 18 was 21.9% across the country, with 32% of children in poverty in Mississippi, 31% in New Mexico and 29% in Louisiana.

Talking about our kids, the Annie E. Casey Foundation reported that the number of working youth dropped by almost half since 2000, and employment among young people is at the lowest level since the 1950s. Nearly 6.5 million U.S. teens and young adults are neither in school nor in the workforce, which will lead to chronic underemployment as adults and failure to gain the skills employers will need in the coming years. This just feeds the cycle where they become another taxpayer cost with our government spending more to support them. When you consider that 20%, or 1.4 million, of these youths have children of their own, the cycle accelerates where this group can’t find full-time work and build a career, which now perpetuates an intergenerational cycle of poverty.

The dire consequence of poverty is homelessness. The National Alliance to End Homelessness reports there are 633,782 people experiencing homelessness on any given night in the United States. Of that number, 239,403 are people in families and 392,945 are individuals. About 10% of the homeless population, 62,619 are veterans. During the year, 3.5 million Americans experience homelessness. Twenty-three percent of people experiencing homelessness on any given night are children. Seven-hundred [and] seventy thousand homeless children are enrolled in public schools. An estimated 50,000 youth experience long-term homelessness. Also, homeless people spend four days longer per hospital visit than the normal population.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has $2.146 billion to spend to help the homeless, which is an increase of $245 million from last year, [b]ut this is really a town-by-town, city-by-city issue that has to be solved locally with help from the HUD budget. The Chicago Tribune reported in December where the DuPage County Public Action to Deliver Shelter, or PADS, finished 12 apartments partially funded by HUD to help transition the homeless into permanent residence. One woman had been homeless for nearly five years after working for more than 30 years. A family affected by unemployment and a disabling health condition was moved into an apartment. PADS served 1,398 individuals and 138 families that included 236 children. This was a 29% increase in families and 30% increase in children from last year. PADS gets the children enrolled in school and gets the family into a healthcare system so they don’t have to continue to use the emergency rooms.

As was reported in The Boston Globe, the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless did a recent count one night, and 150 individuals were sleeping outside. The total number of homeless was 1,000 compared to 850 last year. Advocates say they need over 400 more beds to meet the demand of the winter season. [I]t goes on city by city, state by state—we are all counting those sleeping outside and the number of beds we need to take care of the underprivileged.

Now that the holiday season is over, many of us are suffering from compassion fatigue. We showed kindness, consideration and care to those in need from Thanksgiving through Christmas. It’s a new year, and we need to move on with our lives. The homeless, the poor—they can’t move on like the rest of us.

No one wants to be poor. No one wants to be homeless. As our leaders are battling in Washington, [D.C.], about how to spend our taxes, the issues of poverty and homelessness have got to be top of mind. Our leaders need to know that we as a nation can’t stand by and watch our fellow Americans suffer. Write your congressman. [W]rite your senator. Everyone needs to have a bed as we head into 2013.

Original article here:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/everyone-needs-a-bed_b_2396580.html

The Poor, the Elderly, the Disabled Stand to Lose the Most

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More Americans used food stamps to buy their Thanksgiving dinner than any time in our history according to U.S. News & World Report. Forty-two million of us are on food stamps, and the food-stamp program (now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or “SNAP”) cost the U.S. government $72 billion last year. This means one in seven U.S. residents receive[s] SNAP benefits.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, three out of four SNAP households include a child, a person age 60 or older, or a disabled person. Households with [a] very low income of about $8,800 a year are the receivers of SNAP. The average monthly SNAP benefit per household was $287, or $4.30 per person per day. This was a 70% increase in SNAP benefits from the 26 million people who received benefits in 2007. If we need one measurement of how crushing this recession has been, this is it.

So here we are in the last month of 2012 with our government facing another crisis (commonly now referred to as “the fiscal cliff”), and wouldn’t you know that charitable giving is once again in the forefront of cuts. According to CNN, the charitable deduction is the ninth-largest tax expenditure in the federal budget. In 2014, the amount of revenue the government would forgo from those claiming charitable deductions is estimated to reach $52 billion. Currently, the wealthiest Americans can write off as charitable deductions 35% of their total contributions, and President Obama wants to move that down to 28% in the latest rounds of negotiations on Capitol Hill.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that there are significant differences in how much we give. In Utah and Mississippi, households average 7% of their income 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, with households earning $50,000 to $75,000 giving an average of 7.6% of their income to charity compared to 4.2% of people making over $100,000. Religion has a big influence on giving patterns. Two of the top nine states giving the most as a percent[age] of income are Utah and Idaho, [which] have a high number of Mormon residents [who] have a tradition of tithing 10% of their income to the church. All of the other seven top states are in the Bible [B]elt.

Although not all [of a] nonprofit[‘s] income is tied to tax incentives, the fear among nonprofits is that much of it is tied to what Washington, [D.C.], will be deciding in the next few weeks. According to The Arizona Republic, […] 28% of Arizonans claimed federal tax deductions for nonprofit organizations that totaled $2.73 billion. The charitable deduction is especially popular as you climb the income scale; whereas 12% of taxpayers earning less than $50,000 claimed this deduction, 81% of those making more than $100,000 claimed the charitable deduction.

Who is going to help those in need if our government decreases the incentive many Americans have to give? In states where the population has a tendency to give anyway, those in need may be propped up, but in states where tax incentives drive giving, those in need may be in real trouble. […]

In reality, giving has got to come from the heart, not because you are saving some money in taxes. In actuality, though, movements by the government to guide how we live and spend our money are a major influence on how nonprofits get funding. All of us who trust in the good of nonprofits must let our leaders know that we believe it when the nonprofit organizations tell us that they fear this fiscal cliff will shut down donations, and this result touches us all. […]

This recession has taken its toll deeper than anyone expected. When over 42 million Americans have to rely on our government for food stamps and most nonprofits must also rely on our government to help influence donations coming their way, we cannot absorb any more hits to our charity safety net. The lame-duck session is now going on in Washington, D.C. We cannot afford lame-duck results.

Original article here:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/tax-incentives-donating-_b_2203796.html

Holes in the Safety Net

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America’s national safety net of social services is a curious public/private mix supporting the most vulnerable people in our society. It has been clearly pointed out to us this fall that in our current economic crisis, the government will have to be doing less, because the dollars are not there.

According to the [National] Council of Nonprofits, because [C]ongress has failed to act to reduce the deficit, $54.6 billion will be chopped from domestic programs. This includes $600 million from Head Start, $140 million in financial aid to college students, $2 billion from rental assistance programs, and $600 million for disaster relief and block-grant funding for health and human services. They also posit that special education will be cut by $1 billion; childcare and development cut by $187 million; and food for women, infants and children (i.e., the WIC Program) will be cut by $543 million. America is very lucky that in just about every community, there are nonprofits there to help catch us as we fall, although these government cuts will certainly be more than they can handle.

Let’s take a look at a few of the nonprofit safety nets that are out there today to help:

  • The Salvation Army […] is the second-largest charity in America. […] There are […] nearly 8,000 Salvation Army locations and more than 4.5 million volunteers assisting 32 million people each year. [T]he charity operates in 125 countries [and] in 175 different languages. They operate over 1,300 thrift stores in the United States and support causes for disaster relief, soup kitchens, drug and alcohol counseling, camps, community centers, and homeless shelters.
  • Goodwill […] was founded in 1902 in Boston, where they began to collect used household goods and clothing in the wealthier areas of the city, then trained and hired those who were poor to mend and repair the used goods, which were then resold or given to the people who repaired them. Goodwill has turned into a $4 billion nonprofit organization operating a network of 165 independent community-based organizations in the United States, Canada and 14 other countries. They provide employment, training and support services to 4.2 million individuals.
  • The Association for Gospel Rescue Missions (AGRM) [Editor’s note: In fall 2018, AGRM became CityGate Network] was founded in New York City in 1913 to provide emergency shelter, food, youth and family services, education and job training programs, rehabilitation programs, assistance to the elderly poor, and assistance to at risk youth. AGRM has a network of 275 rescue missions providing 43 million meals and 26 million nights of lodging with 300,000 volunteers.
  • [The Marine] Toys for Tots [Foundation] began in 1947 in Los Angeles and then expanded nationwide. They have provided 351 million toys to 166 million needy children and conduct local campaigns in 516 communities.

The Wilmington Star News [in North Carolina] reported this October that nonprofits have seen huge cuts in government support, including agencies that help seniors, children and the mentally ill, and organizations that oppose domestic violence. […] One-third of [the state’s] nonprofits cut services. In North Carolina, nonprofits create 450,000 jobs, which is one-tenth of all state jobs, equal to the employment in retail. [North Carolina’s] nonprofits pay $13 million in wages. Add onto this the planned government cuts at the end of this year, and [the] state […] will be reeling in cutbacks to those who need it most. I don’t know how our big charities can step up any more than they are doing now to pick up the pieces.

In this election year, the Social Science Research Network published a report comparing the charitable giving based on your political affiliation. They concluded that conservatives and liberals are equally generous in their donation habits. They then showed that while levels of giving were roughly equivalent, liberals are much more likely to donate to secular organizations, while conservatives are more likely to donate to religious causes. Their final conclusion was that charitable contributions fluctuate based on the political landscape. [One of the two major parties] donate[s] less money when [the other major party] occupies the White House.

We all know that the most vulnerable part of our society is going to be in real trouble for the next several years as we struggle to get this economy back on track. This is the season where the rest of us have got to pitch in and support those fine organizations that are creating the safety net while our government gets its act together. Get interested in The Salvation Army. Get interested in Goodwill. Get interested in AGRM. Get interested in Toys for Tots. […]

It does not matter if you are a Democrat or Republican or Independent; [w]e are all obligated to help the less fortunate in our community. If you can’t help out with cash or donated clothing, help out by becoming one of the volunteers that ring the bell or sorts the toys. We, as human beings who have compassion and humanity taught to us from the beginning of life, can make a difference for those less fortunate.

Original article here:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/non-profits_b_2057546.html