Category: Organization

In the latest Assets & Opportunity Scorecard released this January, North Carolina ranks 46th in the nation from a household financial security perspective – only faring better than South Carolina (47th), Alabama (48th), Georgia (49th), Nevada (50th), and Mississippi (51st).

Published annually by the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED), the Assets & Opportunity Scorecard offers the most comprehensive look available at Americans’ ability to save and build wealth, stay out of poverty and create a more prosperous future. It also includes data on the growing number of families who are “liquid asset poor,” meaning they lack adequate savings to cover basic expenses at the federal poverty level for just three months if they suffer a loss of stable income.

Despite an improving national economy, 51.5% of North Carolina households are in a persistent state of financial insecurity. The number of households who have little or no savings to cover emergencies or to start building a better life has continued to increase, continuing a four year upward trend in family financial insecurity, and rising from last year’s 50% level.

The Scorecard evaluates how residents are faring across 66 outcome measures in five different issue areas— Financial Assets & Income, Businesses & Jobs, Housing & Homeownership, Health Care and Education.

North Carolina received an “F” in Businesses & Jobs, and placed in the bottom three states in the issue area. The “F” rating in Businesses & Jobs was a result of North Carolina’s ranking of 42nd in small business ownership rate and 42nd in disparities in business ownership by race, with white residents more than twice as likely to own a business as residents of color. The state also ranked 43rd in unemployment, with its 8.6% rate much higher than the national average.

North Carolina received a “D” in Health Care, with the 37th highest percentage of uninsured residents and the 30th and 44th highest rates of uninsured low-income children and parents, respectively.

The state received a “C” in Financial Assets & Income, meaning many residents are not building wealth or achieving economic security. Over 30% of North Carolina households are not connected to the financial mainstream. Over 9% of adults do not own a bank account; they get all or most of their financial services from check cashers and other non-bank “alternative” providers, or they rely entirely on cash.

In Education, North Carolina received a “C”.

Click here to learn more about United Way of Greater Greensboro’s local work to improve family financial stability.

Click here to read the full scorecard for North Carolina. 

2-1-1 is a free, confidential, easy to remember phone number that connects North Carolinians to essential community information and services.

Dial 2-1-1 or Search NC211.org to find help from more than 18,000 resources in North Carolina that offer:

•  food, housing, and utilities assistance
• child care and youth programs
• financial education and counseling
•  job training
• access to health care, support groups, mental health and substance abuse
• senior services
• disaster services and much more.

NC 2-1-1 is free, confidential, and available 24-hours everyday in any language. Supported by United Ways across our state, NC 2-1-1 is an important service to help our neighbors find help when they need it most. 2-1-1 can provide information to individuals who are facing unemployment, or direct people in need to lesser known resources, taking pressure off front line agencies. In times of natural disasters, 2-1-1 has proven itself invaluable in taking call volume off the 9-1-1 system for assistance needs that are not immediate emergencies.

Celebrate 2-1-1 Day by sharing this information with a friend, colleague, or neighbor.

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Greensboro leaders urged to shape future of health care
By Nancy McLaughlin nancy.mclaughlin@news-record.com | Posted: Thursday, November 14, 2013 7:33 pm

GREENSBORO — Guilford County’s public health director made her way through the crowded hallways at Mount Zion Baptist Church, the host for Thursday’s Healthcare Faith Summit.

“I think I know about everyone here,” Merle Green said — impressed. “It’s especially nice to see local doctors leave the walls of their practices and see how all the pieces can work together.”

That leaders and others in medicine, faith and education are focusing on health care issues and the power of community is deemed even more important by people like Greene with the closing of community clinic HealthServe. The nonprofit clinic provided the uninsured a safety net before losing its funding. It had 8,500 active patients and logged an average of 25,000 to 30,000 visits a year.

“The summit is the most important conversation about the future of the community’s health this year,” said Vincent Francisco, an associate professor in UNCG’s Department of Public Health Education.

The community gathering — a collaboration of local nonprofits and others tapping into the work and captive audiences of local houses of worship — has focused in the past on topics such as jobs and the economy.

Thursday’s sessions included leaders of two of the area’s largest health care providers — Cone Health CEO Tim Rice and Cornerstone Health CEO Dr. Grace Terrell — and ranged from the challenges of caregiving and the plight of the mentally ill. This year’s theme was “We Are All in This Together.”

“The notion of we can let things happen or we can control our destiny,” said Michelle Gethers-Clark, CEO of the United Way of Greater Greensboro.

Earlier in the morning, the top White House official on religious issues urged the hundreds of people taking part in the conference to help the uninsured sign up for the Affordable Care Act.

Melissa Rogers, the executive director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, acknowledged President Barack Obama’s displeasure with website glitches, but said now is not the time to abandon the landmark policy.

“These benefits are available and so many people need them,” she said.

Her overall remarks focused on the connections available through houses of worship and collaborations that factor into a person’s health needs — from feeding and housing the poor to provide re-entry into society for people getting out of jails.

“Often what needs to be healed cannot all be treated within the walls of hospitals,” said Rogers, who served as director of the Wake Forest School of Divinity Center for Religion and Public Affairs.

Rogers also applauded local partnerships, including faith-based congregational health programs that might provide the only regular checks for a heart patient’s blood pressure. Vandalia Presbyterian, for example, started a food pantry that opened the door for a nurse to provide basic health services.

“You are pioneering a model we can all learn from,” Rogers said.

Rice carried on the theme of the work of dealing with the whole person. He and Dr. Tom Wall, medical director for the Cone-affiliated Triad HealthCare Network, used the example of a woman who showed up at Moses Cone’s emergency room 130 times last year.

The woman, an insulin-dependent diabetic, didn’t have a refrigerator to store her medicine.

“She had a cell phone and a charger so her primary physician was 911,” Wall said.

Health professionals worked with community agencies to piece together a support system that helped the woman get prescription drug assistance program and a refrigerator.

“She has not been to the ER one time this year,” said Wall, whose job is to find Medicare savings.

Mount Zion’s pastor, the Rev. Bryan J. Pierce Sr., put it in perspective: “We can move this forward.”

http://www.news-record.com/news/local_news/article_ee1c8456-4ccf-11e3-bf7d-001a4bcf6878.html

Hear an Overview of the North Carolina State Budget, Economic Forecast, and Issues Affecting Your Community & Add Your Voice to the Discussion!

When: Thursday, November 21, 2013 – 9:00-11:00am
Where: 8818 West Market St., Girl Scouts’ Carolinas Peaks2Piedmont Triad Service Center, Colfax, NC 27235

This year United Way and the NC Budget & Tax Center  are teaming up to share the story of the economy and the state budget.   How are changes impacting your local community?  Learn more as we unpack the local story.  When you leave, prepare to roll up your sleeves and put what you learned into action right where you live and work.  Here’s a snapshot of what you can expect:

• How have the state budget and the economy impacted your community?
• What budget trends are developing, and how long will it take for NC to recover from the Great Recession?
• Is NC falling behind in areas like Education, Health and Financial Stability?
• How can you impact the issues you care most about?  Join with others to focus your local advocacy for the greatest outcome.

Speakers:

• Jill Cox; Government Relations and Communications Director, United Way of North Carolina
• Alexandra Sirota; Director, NC Budget & Tax Center

This event is co-hosted by United Way of Greater Greensboro, United Way of Greater High Point, and United Way of Forsyth County.