Our Focus Areas

We began these blogs because we wanted to start a conversation. The posts on this blog are the personal perspectives of individual staff, volunteers and guest bloggers, they do not necessarily reflect the views of the organization. We encourage response and conversation. We just ask you to keep it respectful. We'd love to hear it. It's a conversation, after all, we hope you'll add to it. Want to be a guest blogger? Email us

Please review the terms & conditions of our blog.

Meghan Keaney Anderson
Thu, 07/23/2009

Before a Child's First Birthday

In 2001, Child Trends, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research center that studies the development of children began a long-term study which took a look at infants from multiple socioeconomic and demographic characteristics.  Their primary research question?  When does poverty begin to impact a child's development? When does the achievement gap first manifest.  read more »

Meghan Keaney Anderson
Wed, 07/22/2009

New Data on National Homelessness

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development just released its Annual Homeless Assessment Report. According to HUD, the report is the first to "provide year-to-year trend information that explores  read more »

Meghan Keaney Anderson
Tue, 07/21/2009

Have Jobs Need Skills

How SkillWorks is helping to advance the local job market

With the unemployment rate in Massachusetts hovering around 8.7%, it can be difficult to believe that there are some local jobs sitting open due to lack of qualified candidates. In places like inbound marketing firm Hubspot and Tewksbury's Raytheon unit, it's a reality HR professionals are seeing more and more. Journalist Curt Nickisch, explored this issue in a recent story on WBUR, saying:  read more »

Meghan Keaney Anderson
Wed, 07/08/2009

With hours cut, some are struggling to fill the gap

The Boston Globe ran an interesting piece yesterday about the growing number of individuals whose full-time jobs have become part-time due to company cut-backs. Often, in a tough economy, our first thoughts go to those who have lost their jobs due to layoffs.  This article details the transition many families have been going through as their hours, and their paychecks, begin diminishing.  read more »

Meghan Keaney Anderson
Wed, 07/08/2009

United Way of America's Story Search

United Way of America is looking for the next LIVE UNITED story. Winners will be featured in next year's national ad campaign. From their site:

How do you LIVE UNITED? Grab the closest camera and make a short video explaining how you’re working to improve the education, income and health of people right where you live. Submit your video to the LIVE UNITED Story Search and you could be featured in United Way’s national ad campaign in 2010.

Here’s how:  read more »

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