Archive for September 2016

Blog by Ken Toll My last two blogs touched on a new community vision, United Way’s focus on Financial Stability, and the impact of poverty and near-poverty on people and the community. Today I want to touch on how Jackson County is going to really move the needle. Remember our vision: We will be a…

“I want to do what I can to help others. It’s as simple as that.” Ted Ykimoff is a longtime volunteer with United Way of Jackson County.  For 22 years he has helped as a solicitor, chaired our General Business Campaign, volunteered at local events and engaged in countless other ways.  This year Ted is…

Financial Stability has been one of United Way’s focus areas for years, along with Education, Health, and Capacity Building. But given how often people ask me what it means, I guess we haven’t done a good job of describing it. A financially stable household has these four things going for it: 1.) Enough income to…

There’s an old, familiar proverb: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” When it comes to poverty, that proverb has a dire—and often literal—meaning. As you read this, 18 percent of households in Jackson County are stuck in poverty. Another 23 percent may skirt the federal definition of poverty, but they remain one car…