>> AND NOW WE TAKE ANOTHER LOOK

AT THE CONTEMPORARY STATE OF THE

AMERICAN DREAM IN OUR ONGOING

REPORTING INITIATIVE CALLED

"CHASING THE DREAM: POVERTY AND

OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICA."

TONIGHT WE TAKE A LOOK AT AN AN

INSTITUTION THAT HAS SPENT

DECADES MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN

THE LIVES OF SOME OF THE MOST

VULNERABLE NEW YORKERS.

UNITED WAY OF NEW YORK.

ONE IN THREE NEW YORKERS, THAT'S

2.7 MILLION PEOPLE, CAN'T AFFORD

TO COVER THE BASES.

HOUSING, FOOD, CHILD CARE,

TAXES, TRANSPORTATION, AND

HEALTH CARE.

TOGETHER WITH DIFFERENT PARTNERS

LIKE THE NFL'S NEW YORK GIANTS

AND THE JETS, UNITED WAY OF NEW

YORK CITY IS WORKING TO REACH A

BOLD GOAL.

TO HELP 50,000 NEW YORKERS IN

NEIGHBORHOODS OF CONCENTRATED

POVERTY TO MAKE MEANINGFUL AND

MEASURABLE PROGRESS TOWARDS THE

PIVOTAL MILESTONE OF

SELF-SUFFICIENCY BY THE YEAR

2025.

JOINING ME NOW TO SHINE A LIGHT

ON WAYS TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL IS

SHEENA WRIGHT WHO IS THE

PRESIDENT AND CEO OF UNITED WAY

OF NEW YORK CITY.

AND AMANI TUMER WHO SERVES ON

THE BOARD.

WELCOME TO BOTH OF YOU.

FIRST I WANT TO LOOK AT HOW YOU

BOTH GOT INVOLVED IN THIS.

SHEENA, YOU HAVE A FASCINATING

STORY.

YOU WERE GROWING UP IN THE SOUTH

BRONX.

STARTED COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY WHEN

YOU WERE 16 YEARS OLD.

BEEN THE PRESIDENT NOW, THE

FIRST BY THE WAY, FEMALE

PRESIDENT OF UNITED WAY IN ITS

80-SOME-YEAR HISTORY.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND

AND EXPERIENCE DO YOU THINK THAT

FIRST DREW YOU INTO THE UNITED

WAY, AND SECONDLY, THAT HELPS

YOU IN YOUR POSITION?

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

BORN AND RAISED IN THE SOUTH

BRONX, AS YOU SAID, A NEW

YORKER, TO A TEENAGE MOM.

MY MOM WAS 15 WHEN SHE HAD MY

OLDER SISTER AND 17 WHEN SHE HAD

ME.

AND AS A SINGLE MOM WITH VERY

MODEST MEANS, REALLY HAD TO

FIGURE OUT HOW TO PROVIDE

OPPORTUNITY AND ACCESS TO

OPPORTUNITY NOT ONLY FOR

HERSELF, BUT FOR HER CHILDREN.

SO, SHE WAS VERY DOGGED IN

MAKING SURE THAT WE HAD THE BEST

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND

NAVIGATING OUR COMMUNITY THAT

DID NOT HAVE REALLY GOOD QUALITY

SCHOOLS.

AND AT THE SAME TIME, SHE WAS

DOGGED IN MAKING SURE THAT SHE

PURSUED HER EDUCATION.

SHE KEPT GOING TO HIGH SCHOOL.

SHE WENT TO COLLEGE.

SHE GOT A MASTER'S DEGREE, AND

THAT HELPED HER ADVANCE.

SO, IT'S THE COMBINATION THAT

DUAL GENERATION STRATEGY, MAKING

SURE THAT WE, AS LOW-INCOME

YOUNG PEOPLE IN NEW YORK CITY,

COULD ADVANCE ACADEMICALLY AND

ACHIEVE PROFICIENCY TO GO TO

COLLEGE AT 16 AND TO REALLY

REACH OUR FULL POTENTIAL.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, OUR MOM,

WHO WAS LOW-INCOME SINGLE MOM,

MAKING SURE SHE COULD ALSO

ADVANCE IS WHAT THE UNITED WAY

IS ALL ABOUT.

OUR FOCUS IS A DUAL GENERATION

STRATEGY.

IF YOU JUST FOCUS ON THE KIDS,

YOU ONLY GET SO FAR.

AND IF YOU JUST FOCUS LOW-INCOME

SUPPORT ON THE PARENTS, YOU ONLY

GET SO FAR.

SO, WE MADE IT WITH, YOU KNOW,

FOOD STAMPS, RENTAL ASSISTANCE

AND OTHER THINGS UNTIL SHE WAS

ABLE TO PROGRESS IN HER OWN

CAREER, AND REALLY BECOME

SELF-SUFFICIENT AND REALLY

PROSPER.

AND, SO, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE

ABOUT.

>> IN SOME WAYS FAITH BROUGHT

YOU, TOO.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> LET ME ASK YOU THIS.

YOU HAD A MAGNIFICENT CAREER

WITH THE GIANTS, YOU WERE SUPER

BOWL CHAMPIONS, HIGH PROFILE.

AND I AM SURE ATHLETES IN YOUR

POSITION ARE BE SIEGED BY GROUPS

AND ORGANIZATIONS SAYING, HEY,

BECOME A PART OF US.

WHAT DREW YOU TO THE UNITED WAY?

>> I ALWAYS KIND OF KNEW THAT

THE UNITED WAY WAS NOT ONLY

RESPECTED BUT THEY DID THE RIGHT

THING IN TERMS OF THEIR

APPROACH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE

PLAY BOOK, TRYING TO DO A

HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ELEVATING

PEOPLE FROM THEIR CURRENT

SITUATION TO ANOTHER SITUATION

THAT COULD BE MORE INCLUSIVE

INTO SOCIETY, INTO NEW YORK

CITY.

>> YOU MENTIONED THE PLAY BOOK,

THE CHARACTER PLAY BOOK, WHICH

IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE

ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN DOING IN

CONJUNCTION WITH THE NFL.

TELL ME ABOUT THAT FROM YOUR

PERSPECTIVE.

AS AN ATHLETE, YOUNG PEOPLE WHO

LOOK UP TO YOU, HOW DOES THAT

PROVIDE A VEHICLE FOR YOU, THEN,

TO DEAL WITH YOUNG PEOPLE AND

HELP SHAPE THE CONTOURS OF THEIR

LIVES?

>> I THINK THE FACT THAT IT'S

NOT JUST LOOKING AT THE YOUNG

CHILDREN.

IT'S NOT JUST LOOKING AT ONE

PART OF LIKE SHEENA SAID, IT'S

NOT ONE ASPECT OF IT.

YOU'VE GOT THE FAMILIES YOU HAVE

TO GET INVOLVED.

YOU HAVE EVERYBODY.

YOU TRY TO UP LIFT THE ENTIRE

COMMUNITY.

CREATE AN UPSWELL IN TERMS OF

SOCIAL PRESSURE AND OPPORTUNITY

THAT CAN ARISE FROM IT.

THAT CAN DO MORE THAN JUST SIGN

AN AUTOGRAPH HERE, GOING TO

PLANTING FLOWERS, SOMETHING LIKE

THAT.

IT DOES MORE.

I THINK THAT'S THE THING THAT

REALLY DREW ME TO IT, IS THE

FACT THAT IT WAS A COMPREHENSIVE

PLAN TO REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE

IN NEW YORK CITY.

>> SHEENA, IS IT WORKING?

CAN YOU SEE EVIDENCE OF THE FACT

THAT IT'S WORKING?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

IT'S ABSOLUTELY WORKING.

ONE OF OUR BIG INITIATIVES IS

MAKING SURE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE

CAN READ ON GRADE LEVEL BY THIRD

GRADE.

IT IS THE BIGGEST PREDICTOR OF

WHETHER OR NOT YOU GRADUATE FROM

HIGH SCHOOL.

AND IT IS ALSO OUR --

>> THAT PROBABLY ASTONISHES A

LOT OF PEOPLE.

THEY WOULD NEVER REALIZE THAT

THAT IS SUCH A, AS YOU SAID,

SUCH A SIGNIFICANT PREDICTOR OF

HOW THEY'RE GOING TO DO DOWN THE

ROAD.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

IF YOU HAVEN'T LEARNED TO READ,

YOU CAN'T READ TO LEARN.

EVERYTHING ELSE IS HARDER.

THERE WAS AN ARTICLE IN THE

ATLANTIC MAGAZINE, IT IS A

PREDICTOR OF HOW MANY JAIL BEDS

YOU'LL NEED BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE

WHO ARE INCARCERATED HAVE NOT

GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL,

THEIR READING PROFICIENCY IS

QUITE LOW.

HAVE BEEN VERY FOCUSED ON MOVING

THE NEEDLE AROUND.

AND NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE

CONCENTRATED POVERTY IN NEW YORK

CITY, WE HAD IN 2013 ABOUT 90%

OF KIDS NOT READING ON GRADE

LEVEL.

90% OF KIDS.

SO, WE KNOW WHAT THE TRAJECTORY

IS.

AS AMANI SAID, WE TOOK A

HOLISTIC APPROACH AND WE WORKED

WITH PARENTS AND KIDS AND

TEACHERS AND INSTITUTIONS.

WE WENT FROM 90% OF KIDS NOT

READING ON GRADE LEVEL TO LAST

YEAR WE HAD 47% OF KIDS, AND

THAT WAS ONLY IN A MATTER OF TWO

YEARS.

SO, WE ARE HAVING SIGNIFICANT

PROGRESS.

WE ARE NOT STOPPING THERE.

WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW

THIS AND THE GOAL IS TO ESDALE

-- SCALE IT ACROSS THE CITY.

>> THE PARTNERSHIP YOU

MENTIONED, 40 YEARS, LONGEST

ONGOING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A

PROFESSIONAL SPORTS LEAGUE AND

NOT FOR PROFIT IN HISTORY.

>> YES.

>> LET ME ASK YOU THE LAST

QUESTION, AMANI.

WE SEE NOW WHAT THE

DISADVANTAGED GET FROM THE

UNITED WAY OF NEW YORK, FROM THE

RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NFL, FROM

PARTICIPATION OF PEOPLE LIKE

YOU.

NUMBERS THAT I THINK ARE FAIRLY

STAGGERING, BUT VERY POSITIVE.

WHAT DO YOU GET FROM IT?

>> I GET THE FACT THAT I JUST

FEEL LIKE I'M CONTRIBUTING TO

PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO BE A PART

OF THE AMERICAN DREAM.

JUST LIKE YOU SAID, IF YOU'RE IN

THIRD GRADE, YOU CAN'T READ,

YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE

TO -- I MEAN, YOU CAN.

THERE'S OBVIOUSLY OPPORTUNITY,

BUT IT'S GOING TO BE MUCH HARDER

TO GET -- BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE

IN THE SUCCESS OF ALL THE STUFF

GOING ON IN NEW YORK CITY.

WE NEED MORE PEOPLE THAT COME

FROM THESE AREAS THAT SHOW AN

EXAMPLE OF WHAT THEY COULD BE.

AND I THINK THAT IS WHAT IS

ULTIMATELY GOING TO CHANGE THE

CITY AND MAKE IT MORE INCLUSIVE

INSTEAD OF EXCLUSIVE.

>> AND SHEENA, FROM YOUR

PERSPECTIVE AT THE UNITED WAY,

WHAT DO YOU ALL GET FROM THE

PARTIES PRAGS OF SOMEONE LIKE

AMANI HERE?

>> ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE

ABOUT FOOTBALL, THE NFL, WE WERE

TALKING ABOUT THIS EARLIER.

MOST OF THE PLAYERS ARE COLLEGE

EDUCATED.

AND BECAUSE THAT IS A REAL

BEACON AND MILESTONE

PARTICULARLY IN THE COMMUNITY,

PARTICULARLY FOR OUR YOUNG MEN

TO LOOK UP TO PEOPLE LIKE AMANI,

HARRY CARSON WAS ON OUR BOARD

BEFORE AMANI.

AND TO SEE NOT ONLY THEIR

ACCOMPLISHMENTS ON THE FIELD

ACADEMICALLY, BUT THE CHARACTER

AND THE STRONG FOUNDATION THAT

THEY HAVE AS MEN OF COLOR IS

REALLY IMPORTANT AND IMPACTFUL.

AND ABSOLUTELY SPREADS THE

MESSAGE AND THE WORD AND THE

GOOD WORK SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST

FOCUSING ON THE ACADEMICS AND

SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS.

I MEAN, THEY ARE BEACONS FOR THE

WORK.

>> WELL, IT'S BEEN MARVELOUS

WORK BY THE UNITED WAY AND BOTH

YOU, OBVIOUSLY SHEENA, YOU,

AMANI, FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.

WE ALL THANK YOU FOR IT AND WE

WISH YOU GOOD LUCK WITH WHAT

YOU'VE DONE.

>> THANK YOU.

>> HOPE TO GET YOU BACK IN AND

TALK MORE DOWN THE ROAD.

>> THANKS SO MUCH.

>> IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE

ABOUT THE WORK OF THE UNITED WAY

IN THE TRI-STATE AREA, YOU CAN

INFORMATION.