Q&A with Amber Gorman on BETTER WORK Columbus’ Small Changes = Big Results class

by David Bass | Aug 21, 2023

Small changes= big results, Amber Gorman, better work, better work Columbus

Q&A with Amber Gorman on BETTER WORK Columbus’ Small Changes = Big Results class

Key Points

We recently sat down with Amber Gorman, program specialist for BETTER WORK Columbus, to discuss a new GCO-led class being offered in the area called Small Changes = Big Results. In this interview, Amber shares what makes the class unique and how it’s helping workers and employers in the Columbus region.

Q: What is the Small Changes = Big Results class? Who does it serve and what does it cover?

Amber: The new training that’s being offered through GCO’s Better Work Columbus program is a four-part series to help those in our community understand the “why” behind essential skills. The training was offered at SafeHouse Ministries in Columbus, Georgia, and many of their clients were in attendance. Now, SafeHouse serves the homeless population to help them obtain shelter, permanent housing, and employment.

Q: So what inspired the class? How did it get started?

Amber: There are many trainings and opportunities for job seekers in the community to gain knowledge of the topics that we introduced in class, but we noticed a disconnect as many were not seeing the value in these trainings or incorporating them into their job search and interviewing process. They were being taught how to do these things, but not necessarily why they were important. The focus of our training was to help explain why it matters. We wanted to complement and not duplicate the services already being offered, so at the end of each session participants were provided with resources where they could obtain more training and information about what we talked about during that class.

Q: What are some topics covered in the class?

Amber: Our Better Work Columbus program director Kristin Barker, and the lead recruiter from Columbus Water Works Inez Godbee, facilitated the first session. They helped to inform and educate the participants on why what you share in an interview matters, and then tips for best practices during interviewing. They also covered how to utilize job descriptions and job postings to make your resume stand out.

In the second session, we talked about why good communication and time management are essential before, during, and after employment, and how they directly relate to respect. The third session, one of our guest facilitators helped us understand why healthy relationships matter and how to build and maintain those relationships. They also introduced social capital — what it is and how it can be used to overcome roadblocks to employment.

For our fourth session, we had The Family Center in Columbus and Renasant Bank come in, and they brought valuable information to help the participants understand why budgeting matters and tips to get started on creating a budget and savings plan. They also touched on credit — what it is and how credit is sometimes used by employers and rental companies.

Work means more than just a paycheck. That is why we are focused on opening up the opportunities to work and thrive in every community.

Q: What’s some of the best advice to come out of the sessions?

Amber: There are so many golden nuggets that happened, but here are some of the best pieces of advice I heard. First, presenting a positive self-image will encourage an employer to consider you for hire regardless of your background or past mistakes. Second, being on time matters. It communicates to others whether they can trust and rely on you.

Third, your value comes from God, and believing that will impact how you see yourself and how others see you as well. And then the fourth and final one is to avoid setting goals that someone else tells you to set, or goals that you feel obligated to set. Set goals that are realistic and personal to you.

Each one of these has a correlation to how someone views themselves. If you have a negative view of yourself, others will see that too, but if you change the story in your mind — from failure to gratitude or even success — this can help us to portray a positive self-image. As a result, others will pick up on our energy and start to see us in that light also, and this can create many opportunities and open doors that we thought should or would be closed to us.

Q: That’s great! So were there any stories from the inaugural training that stood out in particular?

Amber: Yes! We had a participant who had limited skills in reading and writing, and this has been a roadblock for him for many years, but he now knows that there are people who care and are willing to invest their time to see him succeed. I assisted him throughout each session and we built a relationship, and he started to trust me and to share more of his story with everyone. Then, through collaboration with the SafeHouse, he is now being connected with a personal tutor who’s going to work with him on his reading and writing skills so that he can obtain a better paying position.

Q: Any overall advice for employers or community partners who are looking to connect with people looking for work?

Amber: I thought about this one for a while, and my advice would be to try to understand the different social norms of groups, and use that knowledge to help educate others on the expectations for the workplace. Every failed interview can be an opportunity to provide constructive feedback to help that person succeed in their next interview.

Q: What’s in store for the rest of the year?

Amber: We’ve got to do an “after action” review, but I would say that this is going to be something that is going to continue and to grow in Columbus.

Why Seattle’s Murder Rate Has Surged Against National Decline

by Josh Crawford | Aug 9, 2023

Josh Crawford, Washington murder rates, murder rates, Washington rates

Why Seattle’s Murder Rate Has Surged Against National Decline

Key Points

A new report reveals Seattle’s murder rate defied national trends with a 13% increase in homicides in 2022.
Washington has veered toward the wrong side of the “crime divide” as violent and property crime have worsened in the wake of recent policy decisions.
Enacting best practices for crime reduction will empower cities like Seattle to reverse the violence.

Homicides were likely down nationwide—about 4% according to one report—in 2022. But declining national numbers only tell part of the story. Families and individuals don’t live in “the nation.” They live in specific communities that are much smaller. Unfortunately, the homicide declines experienced in the aggregate did not translate evenly across these communities.

Seattle’s Murder Rate Goes Opposite the National Decline

2022 began what we have referred to as “the great crime divide” in which some cities saw dramatic decreases in homicide—40% in Richmond, VA, and 11% in Austin, TX, for example—while other cities continued to see increases in homicides. One of those cities, Seattle, WA, saw a 13% increase in homicides in 2022 compared to 2021.

A recently released annual crime report from the Washington Association of Sheriffs further details this increase and shows a 15% rise in homicides statewide in Washington, once again setting a record for murders. Equally troubling, aggravated assaults, robberies, and car thefts were also up statewide. Car thefts are typically a good proxy for property crime because they have such high reporting rates relative to other property offenses.

Seattle’s Crime Problem Is a Policy Choice

Once again, it’s clear that rising crime is a policy choice. Beginning in 2020, the Seattle City Council voted two years in a row to cut police funding and are now down more than 350 police officers due to resignations and early retirements. Seattle has also become one of the national standard-bearers for “revolving door” justice. The Seattle Times used a 2022 arrest to highlight the problem.

Cuong Cao, was, as of Friday, still loose, described now by a federal justice spokesperson as a “fugitive.” There’s no reason for him to be a fugitive though, because he was arrested at 12th and Jackson last month, after police say they watched him selling fentanyl pills on the sidewalk and then crouching over a woman who was overdosing.

When Cao was booked, he was carrying heroin, meth and 88 “blues” — street slang for fentanyl pills — along with $800 in cash and a Canik 9-mm pistol. He’s got a slew of felony convictions for burglary, car theft and drug dealing, and he’s had 39 arrest warrants going back 20 years because of a propensity to not show up in court.

Yet he was out of jail 45 hours later on just $2,500 bail, down from the $75,000 requested by prosecutors.

State policymakers have also played a role in exacerbating Washington’s crime problem. In 2021 they passed into law two “police reform” bills (here and here) that limited pursuits, use of force, and other tactics in a way that likely discouraged proactive policing. But the bad ideas roll on. Legislators have filed, but not yet passed bills that allow for early release for violent felons and reduce penalties for drive-by shootings. Passage of these measures would only make a bad situation worse, and further push Washington state down the path to more crime and more disorder.

The tragic story of Christian Gwynn who was fatally shot as a result of violence is a wake-up call to the need for change in policies that will reduce urban violence.

Reducing Crime is Essential to Building Vibrant Communities

As I wrote in this op-ed for Newsweek, there’s a direct link between rising crime and the well-being of our communities: “When communities become less safe, they become less prosperous. Our poorest residents end up shouldering the burden.”

Whether it’s Seattle, Atlanta, or any other city struggling with increasing violence, getting serious about reducing crime is more than a policy decision. It’s an act of compassion, especially toward the most vulnerable in our communities.

While bad decisions have led to increased crime, enacting best practices at the local and state level not only reverse Washington’s current trajectory but can meaningfully reduce violent and serious property crime so that Washingtonians can lead safer, more fulfilled lives.

Josh Crawford

Director of Criminal Justice Initiatives

Josh Crawford is a native of Massachusetts. He went to Penn State for his undergraduate degree and then finished law school in Boston. After a brief stint in Sacramento, California, working in the county district attorney’s office, Josh moved to Kentucky to help start the Pegasus Institute, a nonpartisan organization designed to promote opportunity. In addition to serving as executive director of the organization, Josh had a special focus on criminal justice policy.

“By focusing on public safety and order, we can restore hope and opportunity to rural communities.”

Imagine a Georgia family miracle

by David Bass | Aug 7, 2023

Parents and Children<br />
Family Portrait<br />
Family Bond<br />
Happy Family<br />
Love and Togetherness<br />
Family Time<br />
Family Happiness<br />
Family Unity<br />
Multi-Generational Family<br />
Family Love<br />
Smiling Family<br />
Family Fun<br />
Joyful Family<br />
Family Connection<br />
Family Memories<br />
Family Gathering<br />
Family Affection<br />
Close-knit Family<br />
Family Support<br />
Family Values

Imagine a Georgia family miracle

Key Points

Utah’s economic success and high levels of happiness are attributed to the quantity of marriages and cohabiting married parents, leading to strong family structures and economic mobility.
The “Family Impact Perspective” proposed by Brad Wilcox offers guidelines to strengthen marriages, encourage desired parenthood, improve family affordability, and enhance family relationships in pursuit of economic success and well-being.
Georgia, facing economic challenges and family-related issues, can learn from Utah’s success and consider implementing similar policies and projects to foster a “Georgia Family Miracle” and improve economic mobility rates.

No matter how you spin it, Utah has enjoyed great success in recent years. The Beehive State tops national charts economically—with particular success in economic mobility— as well as scoring highly in happiness, evaluated through emotional health ratings.

Sociologist Brad Wilcox attributes these achievements to the quantity of marriages in the state. In Utah, adults ages 18-55 are 10% more likely to be married than other Americans (55% versus the national average of 45%) and children are 7% more likely to grow up with cohabiting married parents than their peers in other states (82% versus the national average of 75%).

What’s more, Utah enjoys some of the greatest economic mobility in the country. And according to numerous economists, this is probably due to young people living in married families. Wilcox writes that the poor children in the Salt Lake area whose lot is improving “are much more likely to be raised in a two-parent family and to be surrounded by peers from two-parent families than poor kids in other metro areas.”

Yet Utah’s economic success has also attracted many newcomers to the state, who have driven the marriage and fertility rates down, as Wilcox explains. Across the state’s counties, from Salt Lake City to rural areas to Utah County, which boasts some of the highest population and birth rate growth, immigration has inflated population counts and decreased fertility. While the state still leads the country in fertility and marriage, there are indeed “clouds on the horizon” as national cultural norms descend upon the state.

The “Utah Family Miracle” might be seeing its last days.

Where do we go from here?

In a recent report with the Sutherland Institute, Wilcox promotes a “Family Impact Perspective” through which all “states laws, regulations and initiatives” might be considered. He writes that this framework would assist in the pursuit of the following targets:

Strengthen marriage—measured in terms of both the rate and stability of marriage
Encourage couples to have the children they wish to have
Make family life affordable for ordinary working families
Enable husbands, wives, children, and especially parents to maximize their time with their families
Increase the quality of family relationships by increasing positive and reducing negative (e.g., domestic violence) interactions in families.

This perspective is flexible to the needs of the state and offers guidelines and signs of success for legislators and the families that they serve.

Georgia, facing economic challenges and family-related issues, can learn from Utah’s success and consider implementing similar policies and projects to foster a “Georgia Family Miracle” and improve economic mobility rates.

Sutherland and Wilcox’s report culminates in five policy recommendations that solidify the Family Impact Perspective. Utah already enjoys ranking as the best state in the country for families, but even there these productive steps are under consideration.

State reports should consider family structure when they track other socioeconomic factors.
The “Success Sequence” proposed by the Institute for Family Studies should be worked into public school curricula and premarital education.
States should provide families with young children a monthly allowance to “empower parents in their capacity to make choices about how to best care for their children.”
Address families’ cost of living, considering housing, schooling, and food as issues integral to family decisions.
Create a state commission on men and boys, as men everywhere increasingly fall by the wayside.

These ideas address the biggest issues facing families in a holistic, productive manner. Georgia would do well to consider implementing similar policies and undertaking such projects.

What’s in it for Georgia?

A Georgia Family Miracle.

The state has much to gain by considering what it would take to improve economic mobility rates until they rival Utah’s. Currently, Georgia lags in 12th economically and 24th for fiscal stability, and the economic mobility rate has drawn critical attention for a decade. While many factors feed into economic mobility, leading Georgians ought to encourage study into the impact of family structure and costs of living on the prospects of the youngest citizens.

Georgia’s immigration rates are much lower than Utah’s (-2.5%, whereas 8.4% of Utah’s population are immigrants). This means Georgia might enjoy greater cultural stability, which should not be taken for granted. Rather, Georgia’s leaders ought to double down in their service to the constituency’s families and help them build happier homes where they have better relationships.

By multiple measurements, marriage in Georgia is far from the worst in the country, but there is still much work to be done if Georgians are to have the families and futures that they want. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that, in 2021, Georgia’s marriage rate was only 60% of Utah’s (at rates of 5.5% and 9.1%, respectively). Demographers have reported for years that Georgia’s divorce rate is among the highest in the U.S., and a 2020 study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Georgia Family Connection Partnership found that 33.5% of Georgia’s kids live in single-parent households—not accounting for cohabiting, unmarried parents.

The easiest ways to increase familial connection include reducing tech use in the home, making family life more affordable with an allowance, and strengthening existing marriages through close review of couple’s needs, especially men struggling to be dependable citizens and fathers.

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About The Author

David Bass

Press Manager

David Bass is a journalist and communications professional with nearly two decades of experience in the world of PR, marketing, and publications.

We need more lawmakers like Georgia Rep. Mesha Mainor

by David Bass | Aug 2, 2023

Mesha Mainor, education, party switch, ga politics

We need more lawmakers like Georgia Rep. Mesha Mainor

Key Points

Mainor’s party switch shows her dedication to expanding educational options.
There is a growing national movement in favor of educational opportunity, with several states enacting universal access to education.
Parents show public support for school choice, especially within minority communities, and Mainor’s recognition of the urgent need for better educational options in her district says she’s listening to her constituents.

Our state and nation would be far better off if there were more principled lawmakers like Rep. Mesha Mainor around.

Mainor recently made national headlines by announcing her change in party affiliation from Democrat to Republican. A prominent Georgia Democrat and sitting state senator has already vowed to ensure she is defeated in next year’s primary election. Partisanship aside, one of Mainor’s primary reasons for switching was due to her support for expanding educational options to all students.

Mainor was the only Democrat to vote in favor of Georgia’s Promise Scholarships Act earlier this year. The measure would have put $6,500 per student back into parents’ pockets so they could fund the best educational approaches for their children, including private school tuition. The bill was targeted so that students in some of the poorest performing public school districts across the state would have access.

The measure passed the Senate with unanimous Republican support but fell short in the House with a number of Republicans breaking with their party to oppose the measure. Thankfully, the bill is alive for the upcoming 2024 session.

Mainor is a prime example of a lawmaker putting the best interests of her constituents first — especially her constituents who are impoverished and reside in zip codes with limited educational options. This type of integrity is rare in politics and policy making these days.

But her decision doesn’t stand in a silo. It is reflective of a growing national movement in favor of educational opportunity. Half a dozen states have already enacted universal — or near universal — access to educational opportunity in 2023 alone. Lawmakers across the U.S. are recognizing the growing national consensus around this issue.

The most recent evidence is a new poll showing that 71% of Americans support the concept of “school choice,” which is defined as giving taxpayer dollars back to parents to empower them to choose the right school for their child. The COVID-19 pandemic was a catalyst for even stronger public support, with backing for school choice growing seven percentage points between now and the beginning of the pandemic.

Crucially, 73% of African Americans and 71% of Hispanics support school choice. This is a reality Mainor has recognized in her own district, which is predominantly minority — she sees the desperate need these families have for an educational lifeline.

“In my district in particular, we have schools with 3% reading proficiency, 3% have obtained math proficiency by the eighth grade,” Mainor told Fox News Digital. “And so to say that this is just how it is and that the kid needs to just suffer these consequences, I don’t agree with that. And I don’t think that all parents agree with that either.”

Perhaps more revealing is the fact that the poll found widespread support for school choice even among Democrats — to the tune of 66%.

It’s a shame that Mainor was forced from her political party in large part because she refused to toe the line on what should be a bipartisan issue — and an issue that clearly is viewed as bipartisan among the electorate in general.

A poll found widespread support for school choice even among Democrats — to the tune of 66%.

It’s an issue that helps students like Aiden, a young man with special needs who wasn’t getting the specialized education he needed in local public schools in Cobb County. The answer came through a specialized private school in Atlanta. Or the story of Hudson, another student with special needs whose life was transformed by access to an alternative education option.

We commend Mainor for her bravery and integrity as we build a future where every child has access to an excellent education.

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About The Author

David Bass

Press Manager

David Bass is a journalist and communications professional with nearly two decades of experience in the world of PR, marketing, and publications.

Empowering Job Seekers: The Gwinnett Housing Corporation Event

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Jul 25, 2023

Lawrenceville and Norcross, Carolina pachon, Gwinnett Housing Corporation, Lawrenceville Housing Authority, and the city of Norcross

Empowering Job Seekers: The Gwinnett Housing Corporation Event

Key Points

The BETTER WORK Program attracted over 60 participants seeking employment assistance.
The event brought together job seekers, employers, and mentors in Lawrenceville and Norcross.
The Gwinnett Housing Corporation, Lawrenceville Housing Authority, and the city of Norcross joined forces, pooling their resources to help those in the community in need.

The Gwinnett Housing Corporation recently organized an event that brought together job seekers, employers, and mentors in Lawrenceville and Norcross. The event was a resounding success, attracting over 60 individuals interested in the BETTER WORK Program.

The BETTER WORK Program: Assisting Job Seekers

The BETTER WORK Program, a centerpiece of the event, garnered significant attention from attendees. Job seekers flocked to the program seeking much-needed employment assistance. By participating in the Better Work Program, individuals gain access to valuable resources and support, increasing their chances of securing meaningful employment. The program offers a range of services, including resume building, interview preparation, and job placement assistance.

A Portal for Success: Sign-ups and Employment Assistance

The event witnessed an overwhelming response, with numerous attendees signing up for the BETTER WORK Program through the designated online portal. Overjoyed by the level of interest, our team was delighted to assist these individuals in taking their first steps towards a better future. By providing a user-friendly portal, we streamlined the sign-up process, ensuring a seamless experience for all participants.

Together, these organizations demonstrated their commitment to empowering individuals in the Lawrenceville and Norcross communities, providing them with the tools and support they need to thrive.

Collaboration for Community Success

The success of the event can be attributed to the collaborative efforts of multiple organizations. The Gwinnett Housing Corporation, Lawrenceville Housing Authority, and the city of Norcross joined forces, pooling their resources to make this event a reality. Together, these organizations demonstrated their commitment to empowering individuals in the Lawrenceville and Norcross communities, providing them with the tools and support they need to thrive. As we celebrate the success of this event, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all those involved in making it possible. Together, we are building a brighter future for the Lawrenceville and Norcross communities.

Back to School: 6 Ways Communities Can Help Parents and Kids Succeed

by Joyce Mayberry | Jul 20, 2023

Back to School: 6 Ways Communities Can Help Parents and Kids Succeed

Key Points

Parental involvement in education yields significant benefits for both students and schools.
Students with engaged parents tend to have better academic outcomes, attendance rates, and behavior in the classroom.
Schools and communities can employ a few concrete strategies to facilitate parental involvement and empower students to succeed at school and in life.

Raising and educating young people takes a group effort. Everyone—parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, friends, clergy, coaches—plays an important role. Within this collaboration, parental involvement is especially powerful and yields numerous benefits for both children and schools.

Research consistently demonstrates that children with engaged parents tend to have higher academic performance, better attendance rates, improved behavior, and increased motivation to learn. Moreover, schools benefit from parental involvement by gaining valuable insights, fostering a supportive environment, and enhancing overall student outcomes. When our kids are successful and able to show up as their best selves, our entire communities benefit from future generations of healthy, responsible, caring adults who are well prepared for meaningful work, relationships, and community involvement.

As families prepare for a brand new school year, here are six ways that schools and communities can empower students and their parents and caregivers throughout the school year.

1. Build strong communication channels between parents, children, and schools.

Schools can employ various strategies, such as regular newsletters, parent-teacher conferences, class websites, and digital communication platforms to keep parents informed about their child’s progress, school activities, and opportunities for involvement. Encouraging two-way communication ensures that parents feel valued and heard, enabling them to participate in their child’s educational journey.

2. Offer and promote parent education programs.

Parent education programs and workshops play a vital role in equipping parents with the necessary skills and knowledge to support their children’s learning. Schools can organize workshops on topics like homework assistance, effective communication strategies, and understanding curriculum standards. By empowering parents with the right tools, they become better equipped to engage in their child’s education and make informed decisions.

3. Encourage volunteering and participation.

Volunteering opportunities provide parents or other primary caregivers with hands-on involvement in their child’s school and community. Schools can offer various volunteering options, such as assisting in the classroom, organizing events, or participating in extracurricular activities.

Volunteering strengthens the parent-child bond, and it helps parents understand the educational environment and feel a sense of belonging within the school community.

When our kids are successful, entire communities benefit from future generations of healthy, responsible, caring adults who are well prepared for meaningful work, relationships, and community involvement.

4. Create family engagement events.

Family engagement events serve as an excellent platform to bring parents, children, and educators together. These events can range from family fun days, cultural celebrations, or academic showcases.

By organizing inclusive and interactive events, schools can create an inviting atmosphere that encourages parents to participate and form connections with other families, thereby enhancing the sense of community.

5. Leverage technology to give parents flexibility.

In today’s digital age, technology can bridge the gap between parents, children, and schools. Online platforms and applications give parents easy access to information about their child’s progress, assignments, and upcoming events. Schools can use technology for virtual parent-teacher conferences, webinars, or online discussion forums, enabling greater flexibility and engagement for parents who may have time constraints.

6. Partner with the community to enrich students’ educational experiences.

Collaborating with the wider community enriches the educational experience and broadens the opportunities available to students. Schools can engage local businesses, organizations, and professionals to offer mentorship programs, career guidance, or specialized workshops. Community partnerships foster real-world connections, expose children to diverse perspectives, and demonstrate the importance of community involvement.

Additional Resources

Want to learn more about how communities can support parents and foster the academic achievement and well-being of our youth? Check out these resources based on our Raising Highly Capable Kids parenting program: