How Your Dollars are Helping

EDUCATION INCOME HEALTH

EDUCATION

For many newcomer families adjusting to life in their new country, the ability to communicate well in English is an important first step toward advocating for their children in local public school systems.

Meera Batra, program director of Neighborhood House’s Community Approaches to Building School Success (CABSS), knows full well the importance of empowering newcomer parents so they can become successful in their communities. “When families come with limited English proficiency, they find it really hard to deal with basics like homework, reading notes from teachers, and understanding expectations regarding family involvement in schools.”

Many families served by the CABSS program are emerging from war-torn parts of Africa and the Middle East. Most do not have any prior experience with American school systems.

“The parents we work with are very shy to ask for help. They often feel reluctant to voice their concerns, or ask anyone for anything,” says Meera. “Our goal with the program is to help families to bridge the gap between their home culture and school expectations.”

Now in its second generation of United Way funding, CABSS is focusing on family literacy by providing opportunities for parents to take English as a Second Language classes. Formerly centered in southwest Portland, the program is expanding into other areas, including schools in Tigard and North Portland.

INCOME

An important component of United Way’s focus on “Income” is allowing seniors to live independently. Typically, older adults dealing with a host of medical issues must manage multiple medications prescribed by their doctors. Keeping track of dosage, drug interactions, and other issues are challenging for some seniors who live alone in their own homes.

“Medications interacting poorly can cause a lot of different side effects. If seniors are not taking their medications safely, they are essentially putting their life in jeopardy,” says MaryHelen Clausing, a program manager at Hollywood Senior Center.

A new United Way program through Hollywood Senior Center is establishing collaborations among nursing schools and Multnomah County District Centers to provide seniors a customized solution for managing their prescriptions. The program will pair up seniors currently served in the centers with nursing students who will provide a home visit and develop a medication management plan.

Without the medical management program, the only option for seniors is expensive private pay options. It could cost up to $75 an hour for a home visit by a registered nurse to help with prescription management. That option is out of reach for many seniors who live on fixed incomes, says MaryHelen.

“Working together, the case manager and nursing student will work with the senior to come up with a management plan tailored to individual needs,” she says.

HEALTH

Survivors of domestic violence who are staying in shelters are typically required to get a job before getting housing. But jobs are increasingly scarce in a difficult economy.

“It’s taking an average of six months before people can find work. During that time, most survivors are ‘shelter-hopping,’ “ says Melissa Erlbaum, program director at Clackamas Women’s Services. “Plus, a lot of new families entering shelters have never been homeless.”

In the past, shelters, which may not be appropriate for all families, were the only option for survivors.

“What about those situations where the abuser leaves? The home is not unsafe, so it may not be necessary to uproot the family and put them in a shelter. But due to the loss of income, the family may need additional financial resources to stay in their home,” Melissa says.

The “Beyond Shelter Housing Initiative,” funded by United Way, brings together the expertise of NW Housing Alternatives, Clackamas County Social Services and faith-based groups to help survivors of domestic violence find or retain stable housing.

The program focuses on addressing the economic barrier that’s keeping people from housing stability: whether it’s preventing an eviction, job support, or providing rent subsidies or help with utility bills. The initiative also is working closely with Clackamas County landlords to open up more rental units for families in transition.