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Author: United Way of Metropolitan Dallas

Legislative Session Pre-Briefing: Education

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In preparation for the 2023 Texas legislative session, which begins Jan. 10, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas recently partnered with the United Ways of Tarrant, West Ellis, Grayson and Denton counties to host a special three-part virtual public policy series. During each event, our panels of experts explored the most pressing state policy issues facing North Texans in the areas of education, health and income.

The first virtual event, held Sept. 20, focused on education policy and featured experts who delivered insights into some of the key educational topics that are likely to come up this legislative session:

  • Melanie Rubin of the North Texas Early Education Alliance, who discussed childcare and early learning
  • Chandra Villanueva with Every Texan Equity, who explored education and school finance
  • Ashley Harris from United Ways of Texas, who tackled the topic of digital equity and inclusion

These topics directly impact our own educational priorities, which center around ensuring more North Texas students graduate high school prepared to succeed in college or a career.

View a video recap of the speaker’s remarks, or read on for highlights:

Melanie Rubin, North Texas Early Education Alliance – Childcare & Early Learning

 

Chandra Villanueva, Every Texan – Equity in Education & School Finance

 

Ashley Harris, United Ways of Texas – Digital Equity

Our three experts agreed that next year’s legislative session is likely to have significant impacts on the state’s education policy.

Rubin explored the variety of gaps that exist in our state’s early education system and how the legislature could improve our childcare infrastructure.

“[During the session], our priorities are to increase access to quality, affordable childcare to help parents get back to work and to improve compensation and working conditions for the early childcare education workforce,” she said.

Addressing the topic of school finance, Villanueva stressed the importance of bringing the basic allotment for school funding up to the national average and including an inflation adjustment to ensure schools have the funding they need.

“Another big priority for us going into session is going to be looking at enrollment-based funding,” she said. “Currently our schools are funded based on attendance, and that leaves a lot of kids behind. On average, every year, over 300,000 students are not counted at all in our school finance system. Moving to an enrollment-based funding system would better serve all our kids.”

On the topic of digital equity, Harris pointed out that many Texans face barriers to digital connectivity, including affordability, access to appropriate devices, digital literacy and more.

“We know our state can and should do more to ensure all Texans—including K-12 students, adult learners and other higher education students—have the opportunity to engage in and thrive in a digital world, which we know will ensure they can succeed on their pathways to college and career and long-term financial stability,” she said. “Some of the emerging priorities that we’re trying to explore include ensuring that Texas uses state funds to supplement federal funds to build out more infrastructure for broadband and close that digital divide.”

 

Advocate with United Way

As you can see from our All Eyes on Austin education event, the upcoming legislative session is poised to have a big impact on state education policy in North Texas. We invite you to join us in advocating for our key education priorities:

  • Strengthening affordable high-quality early education
  • Closing student achievement gaps and improving college and career readiness
  • Achieving digital equity and inclusion for all

Throughout the 140 days of the 2023 legislative session, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas will work with advocates like you to demonstrate community-wide support for key policy issues that impact education, income and health in North Texas. No one organization or person can successfully create significant change on any given issue; rather, we are most successful when we can rally the entire community—individuals, corporate partners, nonprofits and more—and make it a true movement.

We make it easy to advocate for lasting change. Sign up for our Advocacy Alerts, and we’ll let you know when and how to contact your elected officials to make the biggest possible impact.

Interested in learning more? Read our blog about how and why we advocate.

 

Message from 2022-23 Women of Tocqueville Chair

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What an honor it is to serve as the 2022-2023 Chair for the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas’ mighty Women of Tocqueville. I accept this position from my brilliant friend, Michelle Thomas, whose vision for our collective impact—a mighty constellation…when all stars align—inspired beautiful outcomes for families across North Texas. I am thrilled to announce that, Michelle Horton, Partner/Principal, PwC, will join me in leading our efforts as WOT Chair-Elect. Together with our incredible WOT Steering Committee, we are dedicated to advancing the 15-year legacy of our Women of Tocqueville leadership.

As United Way’s Women of Tocqueville, our mission is to advance the efforts of the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas in leveling the playing field of access and opportunity so that all of our neighbors can thrive. We believe that North Texas can be the absolute best place to live, work, and raise a family, but we recognize that not all of our neighbors have access to the resources and opportunities that make our community great. As the pandemic-era restrictions have eased, now is the time for our radiant WOT all-stars to get back into the community in a tangible and visible way—we hope you will join us!

In alignment with our north star, Aspire United 2030 goals, we will:

  • Educate our WOT members and community on the challenges facing our region in the areas of education, income, and health.
  • Energize our membership through tangible volunteer, advocacy, and investment opportunities that will positively influence community members, shape public policy, and fund economic opportunities.
  • Engage our neighbors and newcomers through targeted outreach to share the United Way impact story and to create awareness of the Aspire United 2030 goals.

Raised in a family of educators, I have seen firsthand the impact that great teachers make on their students every day. I am drawn to the Aspire United 2030 goal of increasing by 50% the number of North Texas students reading on grade level by third grade. This year we will focus our volunteer efforts on education—the great equalizer. No matter the background, a quality education sets the trajectory of a child’s future, positioning them well for a lifetime of success. Our kids deserve the chance to shine!

Beyond volunteerism, there will be opportunities to support the direct investments of the WOT Fund for Women and Children which continues to grow, thanks to the generous support of our members. Our calendar is also filled with opportunities for us to connect and engage with each other through social events like WOT2Eat/Drink–including the impactful “DINE! Discover differences, Include one another, Navigate new perspectives…Eat!” dinners.

Whether it is our volunteerism, advocacy, or fundraising efforts, we will leverage our diverse perspectives, backgrounds, networks, and expertise to accomplish our goals—and knowing this group as well as I do, we will have a great time while we are doing it!

The energy and enthusiasm that the mighty Women of Tocqueville bring to this important work is unparalleled. It is this collective energy and passion that has inspired our 2022-2023 WOT theme—“Together we SHINE!  With Servant Hearts we Inspire our Neighbors to Engage in the community.”

“Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.” – Maya Angelou

Ladies, let’s do this!

 

Mandy J. Austin
2022-2023 Women of Tocqueville Chair
Dallas Market President, Bank of Texas

Michelle Horton
2022-2023 Women of Tocqueville Chair-Elect
Partner/Principal, PwC

Our First All-Women Incubator Cohort

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At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we approach all our work through a lens of racial equity. Social innovation is one area in which racial equity is particularly important, because not all entrepreneurs who are looking to launch a creative new venture have access to the resources and opportunities they need to develop their business and secure funding.

To reduce those gaps in resources and opportunity, we created the Social Innovation Incubator, an organizational and leadership development program designed exclusively for early-stage social ventures that are led and staffed by women and people of color. And we’re proud to announce that our second Incubator cohort is comprised of all women entrepreneurs.

 

Supporting Women in Social Innovation

Social innovation is a key component of the work we do. By partnering with social entrepreneurs, we’re able to continually drive progress toward our Aspire United 2030 goals, which include increasing the number of local students reading on grade level by third grade, increasing the number of North Texas young adults who earn a living wage and growing the percentage of individuals with access to affordable health insurance.

Each year, we help develop nonprofit and for-profit social ventures that take a creative new approach to systemic challenges impacting North Texans in the areas of education, income and health.  The innovators in the Incubator have exciting ideas that are poised to have a direct and lasting impact on their communities. By supporting these ventures, we’re able to infuse greater equity into the North Texas social innovation scene—which can be difficult to break into.

Jasmine Hillman, senior manager of innovation at United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, leads the Incubator program. She says she is inspired to work with the program’s first all-women group and excited to see the impact of their ventures on the North Texas community.

“For as long as I’ve been working with entrepreneurs, I’ve always wanted a cohort of all women,” she said. “Knowing the gender gaps that exist regarding opportunities and resources, as well as the systemic barriers that keep women business owners from advancing forward, I love that this group emphasizes the need and importance of building a bridge to innovation, where women get to lead with fresh ideas that are impactful and, in some ways, historical. It’s very empowering, and I’m inspired daily getting to not only oversee the Social Innovation Incubator but also serve as a mentor to two of the ventures and contribute beyond my role as a manager of this work.”

The goal of the Incubator—to develop and support social entrepreneurs who are women and/or people of color—aligns with the work of the United Way Women of Tocqueville, who in 2017 launched an endowment fund to provide targeted financial and skill-based investment in the areas of education, income and health for North Texas women and children.

This year, organizers of the Fund for Women and Children chose the Incubator as their second investment from the fund. Meanwhile, several Women of Tocqueville members are serving as mentors for the current all-women Incubator class.

“Our goal through the Women of Tocqueville Fund is to encourage an equitable economic environment in which all women and children can achieve financial stability,” said Robbi Luxbacher, chair of the Women of Tocqueville Advisory Fund. “We chose to invest in United Way’s Social Innovation Incubator because it allows us to directly impact women entrepreneurs, who often face greater obstacles in launching a business or nonprofit. The inspiring women in this year’s cohort are developing innovative solutions to long-standing community challenges, and the Women of Tocqueville Fund is honored to fund this important work.”

 

Meet the Entrepreneurs

The 2022-2023 cohort of the Social Innovation Incubator will go through a 14-week online learning program in which they will validate their business plan, receive personalized leadership coaching and seed funding, and set their venture up for future success.

This year’s all-women cohort includes entrepreneurs with bold visions for improving access to education, income and health in North Texas:

  • The Caregivers Toolbox: A business focused on supporting caregivers to show them how to provide effective and empathetic care, keep effective records and be better advocates for the people they are caring for.
  • Code Pink Productions Inc.: A nonprofit that incorporates an appreciation of the arts, community-based programs and trained volunteers to help support women’s medical research, health and wellness programs. Their mission is to build a better community by developing the potential of low-income families, at-risk young girls and women through effective action and leadership.
  • Commissary is Very Necessary: A nonprofit that develops card games that bring families together and teach children solutions to everyday problems, such as having a toothache or needing to repair a flat tire. As an organization, CIVN focuses on solving the problems that affect North Texans and empowering parents and guardians to teach children about finding solutions to problems that happen to everyone.
  • Cortina’s Venture: A nonprofit that aims to provide transformational services for women of domestic violence so they can make a new start. Services will include housing for one year through a rapid rehousing government program; opportunities for film, acting and speaking engagements; employment opportunities; and housing, healthcare, childcare and court services.
  • Delighted to Doula: A nonprofit serving mothers in South Dallas that seeks to address maternal mortality/morbidity, postpartum depression and food insecurities, providing resources, education and postpartum support through the first year of motherhood. Services include baby care education, support for moms’ recovery and at-home visits to help mothers build confidence and transition into parenthood.
  • Mindset Solutions Multimedia: A for-profit company that sells affordable, accessible personal development products, courses and media designed to help individuals in underserved communities set clear goals and intentionally execute on them while developing a resilient mindset.
  • Reading Huddle: A small business that uses video lessons featuring celebrities and athletes as reading “coaches” to encourage families to develop a daily story time routine with age-appropriate books. Reading Huddle’s goal is to increase preschoolers’ kindergarten readiness so they are prepared on their first day of formal schooling.
  • SerenelyStar Publishing: A book publishing company that seeks to help young and first-time authors publish their books, providing services to assist with the entire publishing process (ideation, formatting, editing/revising, copywriting, purchasing ISBNs, etc.). The goal is to empower the youth to utilize literacy to amplify their voices.
  • TLACA (The Leadership Academy of Creative Arts): A nonprofit that works to restore the role of the village in communities, using a multi-generational approach to promote education, leadership development, creative arts and community building.
  • ENPWR U: A for-profit business that works to support lower-income families. Their goal is to increase direct access to social and economic services by 15% to end resource displacement to underserved families.
  • FearLess Dallas: A nonprofit serving women in North Texas with one-on-one case management, group education and mentorship opportunities to help women+ lead a sustainable, fulfilling life personally and professionally. FearLess offers an online platform for women to virtually connect to resources, support and mentors to guide them in life decisions.
  • Generational Shift USA: A nonprofit that delivers service-led and technology-enabled career navigation to connect people to training and jobs and grow their careers. Their vision is to end generational inequity through economic empowerment with an organization that meets people where they are toward a better future.
  • Helen’s Project: A nonprofit that works to improve family stability and health access and create positive community change. Their goal is to provide solution-focused social support and resources such as housing and transportation to families and individuals.
  • Mind Molders: A for-profit business that works to educate adult learners to provide children with positive childhood experiences. The goal of Mind Molders is to put North Texas children on a solid platform for promoting beneficial learning and social-emotional growth.
  • Notre Dame School STAR Program: A nonprofit day program for young adults with developmental disabilities that focuses on community-based instruction and functional learning. STAR provides recreational and leisure opportunities, job skill training, and activities that seek to develop community-based skills such as independence, safety and interaction within the community.
  • Nspire Tutors: A for-profit business that works to change the way we teach in and outside of classrooms by working individually and holistically with students. Nspire provides online support with coursework and works to bridge the gap between subject mastery and real-world application.
  • Queens In Training: A program that trains young girls of color on leadership, entrepreneurship and the importance of education, empowering them to become positive and productive citizens in their communities.
  • E. Charities: A nonprofit service that addresses the limited resources available to senior citizens in marginalized communities. The goal is to restore dignity to our senior population by providing adult incontinence supplies, evidence-based programs (such as cognitive memory therapy and companionship assistance) and other ancillary services/items.
  • Wholly Informed Sex Ed (WISE): A nonprofit that was founded to provide life-saving sex ed and fill an education gap. WISE is based on research that shows sex-education programs with a family component and/or that teach the health benefits of both abstinence and contraception have positive effects on adolescent behavior, including decreased and delayed onset of sexual activity, increased condom use, decrease in unprotected sex and STI rates, and a decrease in pregnancy rates.
  • World Explorers of America: A nonprofit that seeks to educate underserved young people—some of whom have never left their neighborhoods—through the world of travel, exposing them to new places, cultural events, the arts and more.

A Year of Hunger Relief in Southern Dallas

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Access to nutritious meals is a key component of a healthy life. Good health affects all areas of life, impacting everything from how well a student can learn to how much an adult can earn.

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we lead a movement to improve and maximize access to education, income and health—the building blocks of opportunity. And food insecurity is an issue that impacts all three of these interconnected areas. That’s why we spearhead and invest in innovative programming and service provisions that support communities and families and address systemic challenges like food insecurity.

Our partnership with Goodr, a hunger relief company, is our latest charge to tackle food access needs within our southern communities. The program has provided vital food resources to thousands of students and families.

 

Food Insecurity Is on the Rise in North Texas

In the years since the COVID-19 pandemic hit North Texas, local families have faced one challenge after another, including loss of income, scarcity of basic resources and low-quality educational environments for young scholars. Although the worst days of the crisis are likely behind us, 2022 has caught our community by surprise with issues like high food prices and stagnant wages.

Due to inflation, the rising cost of living has had a significant impact on purchasing power for families across North Texas. This reality is even more challenging for families who are already experiencing food insecurity. Food prices have increased an incredible 11.6% since summer 2021. Today, an estimated 800,000 people in North Texas face food insecurity, according to North Texas Food Bank, meaning they lack consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.

What does food insecurity look like for local families? For many, it means skipping meals, coping with gnawing hunger, choosing between essentials like groceries and medication, or opting for cheaper, less nutritious food just to suffice from day to day.

Food insecurity can have lasting negative impact on children and adults alike, affecting their educational attainment, mental health and financial stability. That’s why the team at United Way of Metropolitan Dallas prioritizes efforts to combat these detrimental factors.

 

Innovative Hunger Relief for Southern Dallas

Our partnership with Goodr, an innovative hunger relief company based in Atlanta, dates back to 2020. Goodr is built on the principle that food insecurity isn’t an issue of scarcity but a matter of logistics. The company leverages technology and logistics to provide meals to people who will benefit the most.

Over the last two years, Goodr and the United Way Southern Dallas Thrives initiative have worked together to mitigate food insecurity hardships in Southern Dallas. In these communities, most large grocery chains have avoided opening stores and, as a result, many residents cannot easily access affordable, fresh foods.

Created in partnership with PepsiCo Foundation and Frito-Lay North America , Southern Dallas Thrives provides vital investment opportunities to the Southern Dallas communities to create lasting change and measurable impact. In the years since its creation, the program has brought together residents, corporations, service providers, educators, funders and civic leaders to continuously identify and assess assets and needs. The initiative enables all of us to work collectively to improve educational outcomes for pre-K to high school students, increase access to nutritious food and provide workforce development support and services.

Southern Dallas Thrives first teamed with Goodr for hunger relief in 2020 as the pandemic heightened food insecurity around the nation. In late 2021, we partnered again, committing to an entire year of hunger relief activations for North Texas communities.

Since then, our partnership has brought the following resources to Southern Dallas communities:

  • Pop-up grocery markets: These events provide families easy access to free food in a store-like setting. Since December 2021, we’ve served at least 1,200 families with a full week’s worth of groceries.
  • Student snack packs: Goodr provides snack packs to local youth to bridge the gap between meals and minimize food insecurity. In August, our back-to-school efforts provided 1,800 snack packs to the United Way Resource Rooms at Lincoln, Madison and South Oak Cliff High Schools to support our educating partners with tangible resources to meet the immediate needs of their students.
  • Free grocery delivery: Goodr enables Southern Dallas Thrives to deliver groceries and meals directly to homes in Southern Dallas communities. During July and August, 200 families received free groceries each week through our partnership with Jubilee Community Center and Cornerstone.

Our food access work has had a positive and meaningful impact on thousands of local families. We plan to continue this work with additional activations during the fall and holiday seasons.

Ashley Douglas, senior director of the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Southern Dallas Thrives initiative, emphasizes that “expanding access to healthy food is foundational for the rest of our work in Southern Dallas.”

“Finding innovative ways to address food access-related issues within our Southern Dallas communities is crucial to ensuring that the overall health of Dallas families remains a priority,” she said. “Our partnership with Goodr is creating a direct and meaningful impact in this area of our community, and we’re excited to have the opportunity to expand the program. This type of initiative is especially important today, as our neighbors in Southern Dallas are facing unexpected challenges like higher food and fuel prices and housing instability.”

“Goodr is very proud of the ongoing impact our partnership with Southern Dallas Thrives has created,” Goodr CEO, Jasmine Crowe says. “We look forward to continuing relief efforts in the Southern Dallas community for as long as the need is there.”

 

Together, We Can Reduce Food Insecurity

As North Texans continue to face hardships that stem from inflation, inequitable access to living wage jobs and healthcare, it’s as important as ever to work united to address the most significant challenges faced by our communities. Together, we can ensure that our neighbors have access to nutritious food and support. We envision communities where children and parents don’t have to worry about how they will receive their next meal and can succeed at school and perform in the workplace.

Ready to be part of the change? Click here to support our hunger-prevention work though programs like our Southern Dallas Thrives initiative.

Our 98th Annual Campaign Kickoff

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It’s that time of year, when United Way of Metropolitan Dallas kicks off our Annual Campaign to raise funds and energize the community around our shared mission of improving access to education, income and health in North Texas.

Thursday, Sept. 15 marked the start of our 98th Annual Campaign, and we celebrated this exciting occasion with a special kickoff event at The Fairmont Dallas. It was the first time in three years that we had gathered in person for a campaign kickoff, and this event did not disappoint.

First off, we announced new volunteer leadership, each of whom has a bold vision to drive community impact during their tenure. Our new leadership includes the next three years of our Annual Campaign chairs:

  • Jean Savage, president and CEO of Trinity Industries, is the 2022-2023 Annual Campaign Chair.
  • Curt Farmer, chairman, president and CEO of Comerica Incorporated and Comerica Bank, will be 2023-2024 Annual Campaign Chair.
  • Steven Williams, CEO of PepsiCo Foods North America, who just began his two-year term as chair of the United Way Board, will serve as our 2024-2025 Annual Campaign Chair during our 100th anniversary year.

During the event, these dedicated community leaders announced three gifts of $1 million each from their respective organizations. The investments—led by Trinity Industries and matched by Comerica Bank and Frito-Lay—are the first investments committed toward our Centennial in 2025 and will continue to fuel and accelerate the impact of the work United Way in Dallas is leading in education, income and health across the region.

The campaign kickoff was also our opportunity to announce the new co-chairs for our Ruth Sharp Altshuler Tocqueville Society: Erin Nealy Cox, former U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, who now leads the government, regulatory and internal investigations practice for Kirkland & Ellis; and Trey Cox, co-partner-in-charge of the Dallas office of Gibson Dunn. Erin and Trey announced their own big goal for their time as Tocqueville co-chairs: to become the No. 1 Tocqueville Society by our centennial in 2025.

Finally, the celebration included a panel discussion featuring Savage, Farmer and Williams, who discussed their commitment to the Live United movement, their goals as Annual Campaign chairs, strategies for making an impact in our community and more. Read on for highlights of the CEO panel:

 

Curt Farmer: What sort of vision do you have for the next couple years in this role?

Steven Williams: I believe in the power of giving back. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to do what I do every day. And you have to give back to the communities that you live, work and play in. And I don’t think there’s another organization finer than United Way to partner with to do that. So you’ve got my commitment. I’ll do my best to be the best chairperson for this organization that you’ve had and we’re going to make a big impact in this community.

Jean Savage: I’m honored to be able to be the campaign chair for this year. United Way sets the bar when you’re looking at access for education, healthcare and income. It creates opportunity for more than 1 million individuals each year. Now I know I’ve got a high bar. Anne Chow is hard to follow and [so are] all the other campaign chairs in the past. So I’m going to be dedicated to looking for businesses in North Texas who will allow us to come in and try to grow the campaigns and concentrate in that area to make sure we’re getting the support of more people in our community.

 

Farmer: Steven, tell us a little bit more about Southern Dallas Thrives and why it has been important for your company.

Williams: A third of the citizens in Southern Dallas are below the poverty level. And it’s just difficult to make a difference without focused effort. So we collaborated with United Way to build a program which was distinctive and [was an opportunity to] drive a catalytic effort to raise a lot of money and have an impact in a targeted way…The problem is holistic, and no one company or initiative can touch it all. And we’ve had many companies step up with us, including many in the room—AT&T, Hilti, Celanese—that have come in and matched what we’ve put in, and it has really created a virtuous cycle that’s allowing us to have a significant impact in the community.

 

Farmer: How important is [our local workforce] for the ongoing vitality of this market? Can we have too many companies here? We’re all worried about labor, but how important is it for our market?

Savage: I think it’s really important for our market. I wouldn’t say we have too many companies, but we have an opportunity. What Steven’s doing with Southern Dallas Thrives—we’re going to tap into that and work on workforce development. Because if we can get all the people in this area trained and skilled and working, I think the whole community rises and you get better schools, you get a better place to work, and I just think it feeds off itself.

Williams: Yeah, it does. Growth is oxygen. I think we should continue to stay focused on getting companies here, getting people here. I think it’s a unique place. I have the opportunity to travel all over the country, and there’s no place like Dallas. And I think we should continue to help it grow and thrive.

 

Farmer: Steven, you’ll finish your Board chair role and then head right into being the Campaign chair right on the heels of United Way’s Centennial. Tell us about that.

Williams: It’s exciting because I do think we’ll just build momentum over time, and I think we have an opportunity to just have a blowout over the next three years—not just the Centennial year. And again, it’s all fun, and I like to keep it light, but it’s about the community. It’s about the individuals in the community that we will be able to impact because we are going to feast on the generosity of this city and make a difference.

Farmer: I’ll follow Jean next year with the campaign, and when Jennifer and I started talking about it, we figured out that it’s United Way’s 100th anniversary and it’s Comerica’s 175th anniversary. We are one of the oldest banks in the United States and the largest bank headquartered in Texas. Dallas is one of our most important markets that we operate in, and there’s such alignment for us around the values and the focus of United Way with the things that are important for our company. So, I’m just looking forward for ways to celebrate both events that occur in 2025. We’ll be doing a lot at our company to celebrate with our customers, our employees and the community; at the same time, United Way is going to be doing a lot to celebrate and we’ll look for ways that we can partner together during the campaign.

Erin Nealy Cox and Trey Cox: Tocqueville Chairs 2022-2025

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Founded in 1984, the United Way Tocqueville Society is named for Alexis de Tocqueville, whose classic work On Democracy in America professes strong admiration for the American values of liberty, equality, and the spirit of neighbor helping neighbor.  Those visionary values are the guiding principles for the Tocqueville Society today as it promotes the vital role of personal philanthropic action in creating long-lasting change and strengthens local philanthropic leadership by building a network of likeminded leaders across the globe.

“We are excited to be involved in such a significant, philanthropic leadership role,” says Trey Cox, whose family has set up a donor advised fund at United Way Dallas. “The United Way team is helping us teach our three daughters about the importance of community impact investments as we established the fund in such a way that allows them to direct resources to and volunteer their time with United Way supported initiatives, interventions, and programs they care most deeply about.

“Each daughter has unique passions and interests,” continues Trey Cox. “The team met with them, listened to them, and then came back with unique opportunities for each one. We have now challenged the girls to do their own research, ask questions of the United Way team, and then come back to us with their recommendations for how and where our family can best align with the United Way’s Aspire United 2030 goals. It has been a flexible, highly personable and very rewarding experience for our family.”

“Erin Nealy Cox and Trey Cox epitomize authentic, purpose-driven, and compassionate leadership,” says McDermott Templeton President and CEO Jennifer Sampson. “Erin brings the gifts of fortitude and courage to leadership, and Trey a bold conviction and passion that inspire. Together, they are a force to be reckoned with – a force that will create opportunity and access for all North Texans to thrive.

“We are honored to embrace their visionary partnership and are confident that their leadership will drive transformational change for generations to come.”

United Way Welcomes New Board Members

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We’re honored to welcome five new members to our 2022-2023 Board of Directors and the United Way Foundation of Metropolitan Dallas Board. These civic and business leaders will serve three-year board terms to advance our mission of ensuring every North Texan has the opportunity and access to thrive.

Our new board leadership includes top-level chief executives from Kimberly Clark, JP Morgan, Hilti North America, Texas Instruments and Axxess. Each member will serve as a trusted adviser for our organization, dedicating their time and insights to help United Way improve education, income and health—the building blocks of opportunity.

“As we continue to work toward achieving our Aspire United 2030 goals, we are grateful to add this group of innovative, diverse and engaged members to our boards,” said Jennifer Sampson, McDermott-Templeton president and CEO of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. “Their collective expertise will prove invaluable as we work to create opportunity for all North Texans.”

New Board Members

The newest United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Board members are:

Sandi Karrmann, Kimberly Clark Corporation: Karrmann is chief human resources officer for Kimberly-Clark and has global responsibility for the human resources function, including talent recruiting, development and performance management, labor relations, compensation and employee benefits. Prior to joining Kimberly-Clark in 2021, Karrmann’s experience spanned several key senior leadership roles at PepsiCo, YUM!, Pizza Hut and Tenet Health. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and communications from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in finance from the University of Southern California.
Martina McIsaac, Hilti North America: McIsaac serves as CEO of Hilti North America and plans to retire from the position this fall. Previously, she was the general manager and president of Hilti Canada. McIsaac joined Hilti in 2013 as a senior management candidate and in 2014 became a division manager. Three years later, she was promoted to general manager for the Canada Market Organization. Under her leadership, Hilti Canada received recognition as a best-in-class workplace. Hilti was named to the Top 50 list by Great Place to Work Canada with special recognition on the list of Best Workplaces Managed by Women. Prior to joining Hilti, McIsaac worked for Avery Dennison. She earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Western University and a master’s degree in international business from the University of South Carolina. In 2020, Hilti expanded their support of United Way with an investment in Southern Dallas Thrives.
Angela Martin, JP Morgan: Martin serves as the managing director and general manager of the US Strategic Distribution Partnership Group at JPMorgan. She was named to this role in January 2021, and her responsibilities include setting and executing against the go-to-market strategy, designing and developing new products, structuring sales, relationship management, and marketing engagement to drive adoption and revenue. Martin joined JPMorgan in 1999 as a First Scholar, where she completed several rotational assignments across the firm. She has since held leadership positions in several of the firm’s key business units including Wholesale Payments, Commercial Banking, and Small Business Banking. Martin serves as a board member of Shared Housing Center, Inc. She earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg School of Management.
Cynthia Trochu, Texas Instruments: Trochu is a senior vice president, secretary, general counsel and chief compliance officer of Texas Instruments. Prior to this role, she served as the vice president and assistant general counsel of TI, managing legal support for the company’s operations in Asia and Europe, various business entities, manufacturing and procurement, as well as corporate compliance. Earlier in her career, Trochu served as senior counsel at TI in operations and in litigation. She joined TI in 1993 after working as a commercial litigator at a Dallas law firm. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Manchester University in Indiana and a juris doctor degree from Southern Methodist University Law School. In addition to her role at TI, Trochu serves as a member of the board of the TI Foundation and has previously served on the campaign cabinet of the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, the board of directors at Manchester University in Indiana and chair of the audit committee of the University of Texas at Dallas.

New Foundation Board Member

In addition, our new United Way Foundation of Metropolitan Dallas Board member is Thomas Codd from Axxess. Codd joined Axxess in 2022 as the company’s first chief people officer to help manage its growth around the world. He spent 39 years with PwC before his retirement in 2021. Codd is an engaged member of the community and has served on numerous boards, including those of Catholic Charities Dallas, The American Ireland Fund, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Purdue University Krannert School Dean’s Advisory Council, Cooper Institute, Bishop Dunne and SMU Cox School of Business. He is past chairman of the board at Dallas Regional Chamber and The Catholic Foundation. He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Purdue University.

Homelessness and What to Do About It

Written by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas on . Posted in News & Updates. No Comments on Homelessness and What to Do About It

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, our housing stability work is a fundamental component of our mission to improve access to education, income and health. After all, children need secure housing to do their best in school, adults need safe and affordable homes to get and keep living-wage jobs, and we all require a safe and secure home to maintain both physical and mental health.

On any given night, more than 4,400 people are experiencing homelessness in Dallas and Collin counties. And although that number has declined in recent years, homelessness is still a significant challenge in our community. What can we do about it?

This question was the focus of the third installment of the event series Hard Conversations: Who Deserves a Shot at the American Dream? from our partner Housing Forward, formerly Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance.

The virtual event, held Aug. 23, featured Jill Khadduri, Ph.D., and Marybeth Shinn, Ph.D., authors of the book “In the Midst of Plenty: Homelessness and What to Do About It.” Ashley Brundage, executive director of housing stability and senior vice president of community impact at United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, served as moderator.

The event was a fascinating discussion on topics including:

  • What causes homelessness
  • The role of housing affordability
  • How to make housing voucher programs more successful
  • The impact of supportive services, such as childcare and workforce development programs
  • How to tackle chronic homelessness
  • Homelessness prevention measures that work

View the full event below, or read on for a few of the highlights from the conversation.

What causes homelessness?

The speakers emphasized that homelessness is a result of failures that occur at a societal level—not failures of individual people.

“We spend a lot of time in the book debunking the idea that homelessness is caused by attributes of individuals,” Khadduri explained. “Instead, we look at homelessness as a systems failure—in part because of the very broad income distribution we have in the United States. Most people who experience homelessness have poverty-level incomes. What tips people into homelessness in any given year? It’s a crisis, such as losing a job, or losing the housing that someone else was providing for them.”

How common is homelessness?

“Homelessness for most people is temporary, so many more people pass through homelessness than are homeless on any given night,” Shinn said. “The most widely quoted statistic about homelessness is the Point in Time count, and upwards of half a million people (in the U.S.) are homeless on a single night. That feels like a kind of small problem. But over seven times that number of people are homeless over the course of a year…It’s a much bigger problem than most people realize.”

Indeed, homelessness is far more common than you might think. Shinn points to a study in the 1990s that found 14% of Americans surveyed said they had experienced homelessness at some point in their lives.

Who is most likely to become homeless?

Shinn says most people are surprised to learn the age at which a person is most likely to enter a homeless shelter. “The answer is infancy,” she says. “That reinforces that it’s really an economic problem. It’s a housing problem. Babies take a parent out of the workforce, and those costs of childcare, on top of the costs of housing, are often more than poor families can manage.”

What role does housing play in ending homelessness?

Shinn and Khadduri discussed a variety of initiatives that target homelessness—but housing was always the common thread in the solutions they offered.

“Contemporary homelessness that began in the 1980s is basically a housing problem,” Khadduri said. “It’s a crisis of housing affordability for the poorest people. It affects more types of people, including families with young children and people who are working but at low-wage jobs.”

Shinn and Khadduri emphasize that research has shown that “housing first” programs are highly effective at ending homelessness for families, individuals with mental illness and others who experience homelessness.

Shinn pointed to Finland, which she says “has solved the problem,” as a model that the U.S. could replicate.

“There are a number of European countries that have made ‘housing first’ their priority, and Finland has probably gone further than anyone else,” she said. “They put the resources in to create a variety of housing options for people, and they have driven the cost of housing down. And they are not a wealthier country, on average, than the United States.

“It has shown that devoting the energy and resources necessary to end homelessness is not a question of wealth but of political will,” she said. “The U.S. can afford the sort of investment Finland has made, if we choose to do so.”

Our Work to End Homelessness Continues

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we recognize that housing stability is foundational for supporting education, income and health—the building blocks of opportunity.

Our work in housing stability spans a continuum of services, including:

  • Supporting the creation of affordable housing
  • Eviction prevention
  • Assisting people experiencing homelessness so they can get housed as quickly as possible

As the MDHA event indicated, solutions like these can have a real impact on homelessness in North Texas. However, our community must work together to demonstrate a commitment to ending homelessness.

Interested in supporting this important work? Here are two ways you can make an impact right now:

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