United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties: Bold approach for a brighter future

A bright future. That’s a unifying theme across our community. It’s what parents want for their children. It’s what owners want for their businesses, teachers for students, coaches for athletes and more. It’s what we all want for ourselves and our community.

Our community continues to make progress in so many areas. As TRIDEC notes, “The Tri-Cities economy continues to out-perform its neighbors.” Our counties experienced a 26 percent increase in population from 2005 to 2015. That growth provides both challenges and opportunities.

Not all progress has been positive. During that same time, we’ve experienced a 23 percent increase in the number of unemployed adults and a 47 percent increase in the number of people living in poverty. Poverty is closely tied to educational attainment; one in five adults does not have a high school diploma, and our high school graduation rate is lower than the state average.

More than 21,000 children live in poverty in our community. Children living in poverty are five times more likely to drop out of high school and only 9 percent will finish college.

We’ve had a slight reduction in the number of people who don’t have enough to eat. But, one in five kids still regularly goes hungry. We also have other challenges. We have more uninsured adults, teen births, sexually transmitted infections and alcohol-impaired driving deaths than the state average.

These trends affect us all. High poverty, poor health and low education rates impact both the quality of our workforce and our quality of life. So, how do we change those trends that threaten our bright future? How do we ensure that all families can succeed?

There is some sunshine brightening this picture. Every day, Tri-Citians provide time and resources to help meet critical needs. For example, Second Harvest and the Tri-Cities Food Bank feed more people because of donated food and thousands of volunteer hours. The Boys and Girls Club, Junior Achievement and the Children’s Developmental Center are a few of the organizations that equip kids for a brighter future. Generous donors also contribute nearly $4 million a year through United Way to invest in education, health and financial stability for all Tri-Citians. What a difference we collectively make!

Many organizations have plans to improve lives. Twelve years ago, United Way collaborated with more than 600 people to create a comprehensive health and human services plan, called Community Solutions, to drive its efforts. Strong organizations, like our educational institutions and local governments, and healthy non-profits, like Benton Franklin Community Action Committee and the Benton Franklin Community Health Alliance, also have their own strategic plans. Could we be more effective if we joined forces, shared plans, identified gaps and built a unified plan?

The data tells us that even with great partners and plans, we are losing against poverty. Needs are increasing and resources are shrinking, making collaboration and coordination more important than ever to ensure a strong safety net and to invest in strategies that remove barriers to self-sufficiency. For a brighter, better Tri-Cities, we need a bolder strategy.

Let’s break the cycle of intergenerational poverty and move our community forward with a bold, unified plan. Other communities successfully navigate this challenge—so can we!

United Way is focusing its partnerships and resources toward this resolve—a better future for all. We bring best practices and data into the conversation. We provide a neutral, safe place for candid conversation and serious planning. We invite all who are committed to sustainable change to join this campaign for a bright future.

Invest time now to make our future even brighter. Find out how you can be involved at brightfuture@unitedway-bfco.com.

This story was originally published March 22, 2017 at 12:00 AM with the headline "United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties: Bold approach for a brighter future."