United Way for Southeastern Michigan employees

The heart of a Servant Leader

Judy Muhn — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 09:28:27 EST

It was just a “check in” call …. My regular contact with one of United Way’s partner agency CEO’s. He’s become a friend, an advisor on trends in the community, and how his agency is addressing the hard issues we are all facing. With revenues falling but more and more customers needing help, he and his staff continue to show their resilience, creativity and dedication.

On this day, when he answered my call, his voice sounded different. Slower, perhaps a bit slurred … it alarmed me, so I asked “Are you ok?”. “Yes, now … but we haven’t talked since before the New Year, and I had knee replacement surgery and the recovery is coming, but it’s painful. I’m working at home so I can keep my leg up.” I offered that I would keep him in my prayers for a speedy, pain-free recovery. I told him that prayers of family and friends in addition to my own meditation focus on a return to full functioning after my shoulder surgery had given me a quick and solid recovery without medications. “Prayer works”, I offered. He concurred … and then the deeper story began as he asked for prayers for his wife.

A few weeks ago, as he was recovering from the surgery, limited in movement by a walker and the inability to drive, his wife had walked out to get the mail and fell in the driveway. Hitting her head as she fell, bleeding began into her brain. In the hospital, she spent days in the ICU as her physicians worked to help her recover. While that is enough of a challenge, for this loving husband there were the multiple issues of getting to and from the hospital to support her, his own physical therapy needs, and the daily living tasks that are simple for most of us, but a trial when there is limited movement. Of course, I would pray for her and them together and separately for a return to full health and functioning.

And then the heart of this servant leader was obvious. As the CEO of one of our region’s large non-profits, his focus was on “how do our clients manage?” and he reflected on the blessing of having friends and family who brought meals, drove him back and forth to the hospital and physical therapy, and the quiet but certain support of knowing that others were thinking of him and his wife as they healed. He focused on the many clients his agency serves who have no one around them or living nearby who can offer assistance, let alone emotional support. Looking at the complexities of medical care, home maintenance, access to transportation and emotional support, he talked about how important his agency’s work was to so many. Fundamentally, many of those his agency serves don’t have others who can help them. What would they do without his agency’s services? We talked about United Way’s “Safety Net” study currently underway and I promised him that I would keep his example in mind and offer it to my colleagues as a way to think about our role in helping so many. As we ended our conversation, I was reminded of the blessing of serving others in my own way, but this time I also reflected on the blessing of having CEOs and staff of so many agencies who are serving our community without adequate funding or staffing for the thousands they help. Maybe I’ll add that to my prayers too!

Watching a Dream Come to Life

Judy Muhn — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 16:31:46 EDT

There are times, sometimes rarer than we'd like, when we have the privilege to witness our own or someone else’s dream come to life. I had that privilege on Friday morning in Macomb County.

It was the opening of a new client choice pantry. A client choice pantry is one that looks very much like a grocery store, and families that use these types of food pantries have the chance to chose their food, rather than receive a box that is pre-stocked with standard foods. There is little variation or customization in a typical food pantry's box, but a client choice pantry allows for family dietary and cultural variations such as families who prefer rice over potatoes. This particular location is the first client choice pantry in Macomb County.

Teach for America from an insider's view

The Digital Diva — Tue, 04 May 2010 12:33:49 EDT

We're pretty excited at United Way today. For more than two years, we have worked to build partnerships, secure alternative teacher certification, as well as funding and placements needed to bring Teach for America back to Detroit. Today, that vision became reality as Teach for America announced its return to Detroit, bringing top college graduates to teach in some of the state’s highest-need schools for the 2010-2011 school year.

We know first-hand how dedicated and talented Teach for America alumni are - we have two of them working with us right now. I've asked one of them, Katy Byrd, to share her thoughts on TFA's return.

My Teach for America Experience
Kathryn Byrd, United Way for Southeastern Michigan Campaign Associate

Growing up, I always loved school. I was blessed to go to a great school and have great teachers that helped to open my mind and put me on a path toward success. In college I began to really realize how lucky I was and how many students across the country did not receive that same quality education that I did.

The desire to provide a quality education for all children led me to join Teach for America and to step into my 10th grade English classroom as a brand new teacher. I was excited to meet my students and to begin the work of closing the achievement gap for them. I was fired up and prepared to make sure that my students would succeed. My two years in the classroom were filled with struggles and mistakes but also with successes and joy. Even through the most difficult times I never lost sight of what I was working for and that drive and passion allowed me to be successful despite the obstacles. The students that I taught in my second year are about to graduate and I am so proud to be a part of their journey and success. I’m still in touch with many of them and am so excited when I hear about their college plans and future dreams.

I am proud of the academic success that I had with my students. In my first year 62% of them passed the state writing test compared to the school average of 48% the year before. In my second year over 80% passed which was equal to the top schools in the area. While I am very proud of my students’ academic gains, I am even prouder of the impact I had on their lives. At the end of each semester I asked my students to complete a survey about my class. To this day, I am still moved by what my students wrote. Brittany, a student in my honors class during my second year, when asked the most important thing she learned in my class responded: “I learned that you must think beyond your means. The sky is the limit and you must always strive not just to pass but to do the best you can.”

These students have an impact on my life. I think about them everyday in my work at United Way. I’m glad to be part of an organization that sees how important education is and that is working to make sure kids are starting kindergarten ready to learn and are graduating high school with the tools necessary to be successful in life.

I am overjoyed that Teach for America is coming back to Detroit. I am so excited for the next bunch of corps members to experience how great Detroit is and to begin the work of ensuring that all of their students are receiving an excellent education. I want Detroit to be a leader in education reform and I think bringing Teach for America as a partner is a step in the right direction. The reality is that only 3% of Detroit’s 4th graders are meeting national math standards. Something isn’t working for our children and we should be opening our arms to partners who want to help solve this problem, especially when they are having a positive impact in other cities with similar problems. I am excited to welcome the incoming corps members and to work with them to make sure that every child in our region is obtaining and excellent education and that Detroit is a leader in education.

Selling your home for charity

The Digital Diva — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:11:48 EST

They say that "charity begins at home," but in one family's case, charity began with their home. The family choose to sell their luxury home, downgrade to a home half the size, and give the profits to charity.

What could you give up half of to benefit the greater good?

Check out the story, along with commentary from United Way Worldwide CEO, Brian Gallagher, here: Selling your home for charity.

Michigan Realized $1 BILLION in Savings Through Early Childhood Education

Annemarie — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:49:50 EST

Investments in school readiness over the past 25 years helped Michigan realize cost savings and revenue of $1.15 billion, according to the Wilder Research Study, "Cost savings analysis of school readiness in Michigan," commissioned by Early Childhood Investment Corporation.

Where did we see those savings? In K-12 Education ($221 million), Reduced Govt Spending and Increased Tax Revenues ($594 million), and Reduced Social Costs to Public ($347 million).

An estimated 80,000 adults, ages 18-29, are in the labor force today are high school graduates who likely would have dropped out of school if not for Michigan's investment in early childhood education. The estimated economic impact is $1.3 billion annually, including the $584 million in reduced govt spending and increased tax revenues and $700 million in additional wages they have generated.

Let's continue to realize costs savings and increased revenue in Michigan. We must maintain and increase public and private investments in early childhood programs that work - including preschool (Head Start and Great Start Readiness Programs) and child care quality improvement initiatives, like QRIS and United Way's Early Learning Communities program.

Panera Bread Promotes Early Childhood Education in Metro Detroit

Annemarie — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 08:40:24 EST

Panera Bread is supporting United Way for Southeastern Michigan's Early Learning Communities program by hosting FREE Family Fun Days on the second Saturday of each month during the school year.

From 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. on select dates, children will participate in educational crafts and reading activities. While the children play, parents will have the opportunity to learn about the Early Learning Communities program and how to best prepare children for school. The events are open to all ages.

The Early Learning Communities is a network of neighborhood-based hubs providing free training and resources to parents and caregivers of children aged birth to five. Research shows that the first three years of life are critical to a child’s ultimate success in school and in life, making it an important time to intervene to guarantee long-term achievement. The Early Learning Communities was started to ensure that all children enter kindergarten ready to succeed.

United Way for Southeastern Michigan is Panera Bread’s Operation Dough-Nation® partner in metro Detroit. For all donations made to Panera’s Community Breadbox, located near the registers, Panera matches a portion back to UWSEM.

Panera Family Fun Day dates and locations:

Feb. 13 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Panera location:

Rochester Hills, 2508 S. Adams Rd.

March 13 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Panera location:

Southgate, 13665 Eureka Rd.

April 10 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Panera locations:

Dearborn Heights, 26580 Ford Rd.

Sterling Heights, 36808 Van Dyke Ave.

Livonia, 37091 Six Mile Rd.

Farmington Hills, 37611 Twelve Mile Rd.

Allen Park, 3112 Fairlane Dr.

May 8 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Panera location:

Roseville, 31960 Gratiot Ave.

June 12 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Panera location:

Southfield, 23719 Greenfield Rd. (between 9½ Mile and Greenfield, located in a shopping plaza)

Sept. 11 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Panera locations:

Woodhaven, 23061 Allen Rd.

Troy, 823 East Big Beaver Rd. (located in the Troy Commons Plaza)

Oct. 9 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Panera location:

Livonia, 28551 Schoolcraft Rd.

Nov. 13 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Panera location:

Farmington Hills – KT Plaza, 34635 Grand River Ave.

Dec. 11 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Panera locations:

Orion, 4804 S. Baldwin Rd.

Canton, 41950 Ford Rd.

Who's caring for and educating Metro Detroit's children?

Annemarie — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:04:17 EST

In Michigan, 65,000 children in poverty are supported by the child care subsidy program. 65% of these children are being cared for by family, friends and neighbors. In Metro Detroit, we have about 15,000 FFN subsidy providers.

They (FFNs) have an important job - providing high quality early learning development opportunities for the children in their care, setting the foundation for success in both school and life. The problem is, most of them aren't aware of this most important role. They see themselves as helping out their daughter, friend or neighbor who's looking for or is working. In addition, they are at a significant disadvantage - in poverty, undereducated, in crisis - to focus on being a quality caregiver.

The only way to get to school readiness is to have caregivers that support a child's learning and development. Since 2008, United Way has been supporting caregivers through the Early Learning Communities program - a quality improvement initiative providing training, resources and support to all caregivers delivered by neighborhood-based hubs.

The state of Michigan has also entered the arena of quality improvement by requiring that all FFN subsidy providers receive mandated training. We are at the beginning of a cultural transformation - that training and continued learning are essential to be quality caregivers.

This morning, I attended an informational session hosted by one of our Hub Partners at a Detroit child care center. More than 100 FFN subsidy providers attended. Yes, they were there because DHS is requiring them to take training. Yes, many of them were frustrated and annoyed. But they showed up and they registerd for training. Not just the mandated training, but also the child development courses that ELC offers.

In Metro Detroit so far, 500-750 have signed up for training. We have a long way to go. But we're going to achieve our ultimate goal: improving the quality of early care and education that our most vulnerable children receive so that they have the proper foundation for school and life success.

Digital meet 'n' greet: Mike T.

The Digital Diva — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:02:49 EST

"Walk faster."

That's how my interview with Mike Tenbusch began.

He had ten minutes between back-to-back meetings, a lunch to finish, more than his fair share of emails and phone calls to return and thousands of kids to graduate from high school. The only time he could squeeze in for an interview with me was while walking between meetings. And it was when Mike began to answer my first question that he stopped, mid-sentence, asked me to walk faster, and then promptly picked up where he left off.

Mike is clearly a man with no time to waste.

Mike is United Way for Southeastern Michigan's Vice President of Education, working to ensure that kids enter school ready and that they stay in school. He'll be the first to tell you that everything he does, he does with the mind-set of serving the kids first. It's up to you to decide if he's talking about the thousands of metro Detroit school-aged children that aren't getting the education he knows they deserve, or if he's talking about his three kids at home – the kids that he makes a point to eat dinner with and read to every night (along with his "lovely" wife), no matter how busy he is.

And, just in case I haven't made it clear, Mike is very busy. Always has been...

Mike grew up in Detroit in a family of educators. In fact, between Mike, his grandfather, his father and his mother, the Tenbusch family has over 100 years of educator experience.

Between kindergarten and his senior in college, three people on Mike's block had been killed. This is the part where I say, "It's not a story unlike many you hear in Detroit every day..." But the story is different because Mike didn't just move on and move up. He decided to spend a lifetime making sure that the things he loved about his neighborhood and his neighbors would prevail. And he didn't waste any time starting.

After college, Mike went on to law school and, by the time he was 27, had started his own nonprofit - Think Detroit, an organization to build character in Detroit children through sports and leadership development. A few years later he joined the Detroit School Board and found the conditions that children were forced to try and learn in were downright deplorable. But he knew they didn't have to be and joined University Preparatory High School in Detroit as the COO because, he knew, they were doing it "right."

As the COO, Mike was the person responsible for turning parents away when there was no room left at University Prep. But turning away parents that had no other options didn't sit well with Mike. He eventually left University Prep, convinced that he could, and he would, create those other options. That is the desire, and the drive, that led Mike to United Way.

I remember when Mike first joined this organization, and gave his first presentation to our staff about the new programming he was instituting to curb the drop-out rate in metro Detroit. It wasn't just his enthusiasm that made his speech so memorable, it was the fact that he was the first person that ever truly helped me understand that the need to build public will was a key component to getting anything done.

What Mike was proposing was different and, honestly, exciting. He wasn't proposing that we put some band-aids on a big problem or that we simply throw some money at an issue for the sake of "doing something." What Mike was talking about that day was using the power of the United Way movement to create a holistic approach - research, advocacy, monetary resources, relationships, system design - to get at the root causes of the problem.

Now, I'll take no exception with those of you out there reading and thinking to yourselves, "Duh. You can't change anything in community unless the community wants it to change (i.e., there is public will behind it)." It seems so simple, and so smart, to me now too. But I'll be the first to admit that it's an all-too-often forgotten piece of the puzzle.

Mike was the first person that empowered me to feel that we truly had the power to move the needle forward on such a big issue.

As for Mike, he clearly never had a doubt.

You can read more about Mike's work to turnaround local schools at www.UnitedWaySEM.org/venturefund, or view the media below to hear it from the man, himself.

OneD.org | What the United Way is Doing [video]
Mike Tenbusch, Vice President for Educational Preparedness at the United Way for Southeastern Michigan, talks about how the United Way is working to improve graduation rates in metro Detroit – and how others can make a difference.

NPR.org | Nontraditional Teachers May Be In Mich.'s Future [podcast and story]
Michael Tenbusch, a former teacher who works for the United Way, says that when it comes to teachers, there should be a bigger pool of talent to draw on.

Mike Tenbusch on the United Way blog.

I once heard there's enough food for everyone

The Digital Diva — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:27:26 EST

Food's a big deal in metro Detroit - a BIG deal. In fact, 1 in 5 children live in a household where it is not known where they will find their next meal. And the situation is only going to get worse as our economy continues to tumble in metro Detroit.

In the coming months you'll hear a lot more from United Way about this issue and what it is we can all do to make sure that everyone has enough to eat.

Mike Schmitt is doing something about the food problem in metro Detroit. Mike leads Elevate Ministries, a group that brings together different churches and organizations to help college students and young adults make a difference in their church and community. Click here to read about Mike and Elevate's work through Mike's own words.

The digital meet 'n' greet: Ursula, webmaster

The Digital Diva — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:25:50 EDT

Click here for part one of the Digital meet 'n' greet

Since I'll be the one taking you on this digital meet 'n' greet tour of United Way, maybe I should tell you a little about me first. My name is Ursula Adams and I'm the United Way for Southeastern Michigan webmaster. You can call me the Digital Diva.

On a personal note, I'm a 30-something, Gen X'er, wife, daughter, step-mom, homebody, computer geek, closet goddess, and wanna-be rock star (I can't sing to save my life, I just want the fancy clothes). My husband, Bryan, is a laid-off steel worker. My step-daughter is a student in one of our Turnaround schools. The work of United Way affects me very personally. I need this region to grow and prosper, I need our schools to graduate strong, prepared students, because my family'slivelihood depends on it every bit as much as yours does.

The digital meet 'n' greet: The beginning

The Digital Diva — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:59:26 EDT

In my role as webmaster at United Way, I review every piece of electronic communication that comes to us via the website. If you fill out one of our contact forms, or make a donation, or comment on a blog post, or sign up for a newsletter or send a letter to your Senator using our online tools, I see it.

I monitor all the conversations that are taking place on the web about our organization as well. If there's a blog post, or comment on a news story, or a Tweet about United Way, chances are, I see that too.

It's one of my favorite, and least favorite, parts of my job.

It's my favorite because, admittedly, I'm nosey. I just like knowing what's going on. But, more than that, I love connecting with those that care enough about the work this organization and its volunteers are doing to drop us an email or make a donation or write about their experience with us online. I believe in the good work of United Way and I like to meet like-minded folks.

But then there are the naysayers and they make this part of my job so very unpleasant.

ASB Detroit 2009 Thursday photo album

The Digital Diva — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:25:04 EST

Click here to view all photos on Flickr.

ASB Detroit 2009 Tuesday photo album

The Digital Diva — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:21:06 EST

Click here to view all photos on Flickr

ASB Detroit 2009 video - Labor of Love

The Digital Diva — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:17:38 EST

ASB Detroit 2009 Video Blog - Ash, Kat and Edith

The Digital Diva — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:11:46 EST

ASB Detroit 2009 Video Blog - Kira and Kathryn

The Digital Diva — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:11:09 EST

ASB Detroit 2009 Video Blog - Ketchup and Hot Sauce

The Digital Diva — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:10:12 EST

ASB Detroit 2009 Video Blog - Muhi and Jason

The Digital Diva — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:08:24 EST

ASB Detroit 2009 - Meet the Team Leaders

The Digital Diva — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 22:57:40 EST

ASB Detroit 2009 Day 3 - Tours, team building and Fishbones, oh my

The Digital Diva — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 22:01:24 EST

ASB Detroit 2009 - Day 3 photos on Flickr

Today the Detroit ASBers spent the afternoon touring metro Detroit with stops in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.

I love taking out-of-towners on a tour of metro Detroit (the city proper, in particular). You can physically see their perceptions change as you wind through places like The Heidelberg Project, Indian Village and Fox Town. There's a lot to love about Detroit that you just don't know about until you get here and experience it first-hand.

There's also a lot of work to be done and needs to be met. We toured those places as well today.

So, now that our ASBers know metro Detroit, know us here at the United Way for Southeastern Michigan, and know each other, tomorrow it's time to get down to business. Teams will be leaving campus at 8 a.m. to begin building wheel chair ramps, assembling a computer lab, mentoring children and rebuilding spaces for a women's shelter. That's when the real "fun" begins.