Blog Changing Focus

We're about to change the focus of our blog to include more reflections from staff members and other contributors. Up to this point in time, most of the stories on the blog have just been re-postings from our website. As we move forward, we'll leave most of the news to the website and use this space to enhance the website and keep stories up to date.

For example, I have just returned from United Way of America's Staff Leaders Conference. We normally don't include that type of thing on our website, but you might be interested to hear about what took place at the conference in Detroit. It was a tough week for that great industrial city as they received ongoing bad news about the declining situation with the domestic auto industry and also heard U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan advocated for Detroit's new mayor Dave Bing to take over the city school system because of the ongoing problems with the system Both Duncan and Bing spoke at the United Way conference.

Duncan also told United Way conference attendees that partnerships with nonprofits are a key way to ensure that schools stay open for many hours after classes end. "We can run the schools from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.," Duncan said. "You can run the schools from 3 to 9 at night. We have to make sure that schools are open extra hours."

United Way of America has a national goal of improving high school graduation rates all across the country over the next decade.

Dolly Parton also addressed the conference and brought an education related message. She woke the crowd up with a stirring rendition of her hit song "Nine to Five", but then really wowed the crowd in describing her Imagination Library program which aims to help prepare preschoolers for their entry into schools by providing them with age appropriate books to help foster a love for reading prior to school entry. She and United Way of America President Brian Gallagher also announced a partnership between Parton's Dollywood Foundation and United Way to double the number of United Way's sponsoring the program in local communities over the next three years. Valley United Way is heavily involved in the early childhood Discovery effort and will look to see if Parton's program would be a good fit for the Valley.

Perhaps the most inspiring speaker of the entire conference was Chris Gardner. You may not know his name, but you probably know his story - Will Smith was nominated for an Oscar for portraying Gardner in the 2006 movie "The Pursuit of Happyness". It's an amazing story that brings humanity and hope to those who struggle with homelessness. Gardner's story shows that determination and the support of the nonprofit community can make a real difference in a person's life. I'm sure that our own Spooner House could share many stories of success on a local scale.

Those are just a few of many thougts coming from the conference in Detroit, and myself, Pat Tarasovic and Laurel Vicidomino will be sharing more on this blog in the days and weeks ahead. We hope that you find it interesting and share your thoughts with us.

Jack Walsh