United Way president seeks to build alliances

By MEREDITH SONDERSKOV

Alba Martinez sees a need to diminish the huge costs that come from not attending to society’s problems early on.

“As a society,” the president and chief executive officer of United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania said, “ we are dealing with ‘aftermaths’: particularly the aftermaths of parent neglect, homelessness and mental illness.”

“The smart investment would be to take a preventative focus,” said the Mt. Airy resident. “The United Way partners with many organizations in the region to achieve that end. Several of the UWSEPA goals for 2004 - 2005 relate to supporting, nurturing and protecting children and youth in their homes and communities. Last year UWSEPA connected over 52,000 children and youth to after-school programs that provide help with homework, supervised sports and other activities and offer positive role models.

“Thousands of children enter kindergarten each year without the language, social and cognitive skills they need to be successful in school. Early to Learn: Partners for School Readiness is a five-year United Way initiative that helps 32 pre-school programs throughout Philadelphia prepare their students for kindergarten. Early to Learn is a model program that uses innovative methods and also helps parents learn how to be their children’s first teachers, thereby addressing the crisis of achieving school readiness for young children.”

According to Martinez, the United Way is currently working with 30 childcare centers to help them achieve Keystone Star rating from the Commonwealth. About 35 percent of the children in the region are in some type of childcare.

Martinez’s agenda includes building a strong agency with accountability and real outcomes. She wants to increase partnerships and build strategic alliances. “We have wonderful support from local businesses, 115,000 people give annually, but we need more participation in order to carry out our mission. There are 500,000 people employed in the region, they need to know how much their support is needed to address the most pressing problems: investing in our children and youth, building adult independence and strengthening neighborhoods and communities.

“Residents of Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy and nearby areas in Montgomery County are very important contributors. Last year our campaign raised $48,500,000. This year our goal is $50,500,000. We welcome the opportunity to make presentations to businesses and community organizations.”

Martinez, 41, began her job at United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania in June. A graduate of Georgetown Law Center, Washington, D.C, she has an extensive background with local nonprofit organizations.

Most recently, she served for four and a half years as commissioner of the Department of Human Services in Philadelphia, directing the child welfare, juvenile justice and community-based prevention programs. Prior to that, Martinez was the executive director of Congreso de Latinos Unidos, the leading social service agency in Philadelphia’s Latino community. While in that position she initiated the state’s first program for abused Latina women.

During her tenure at DHS, Martinez oversaw the reform of the child welfare system; created a new division of community-based prevention services, inaugurated procedures to speed up placement for children in the agency’s care, established contracting based on performance and increased the agency’s transparency.

To arrange for a United Way presentation to your business or community organization, contact Jenn Hathaway, communications and public relations manager, at the UWSEPA office, 215-665-2517.

This is the first of three articles about the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania and its community impact projects. The next two will cover building adult independence and strengthening neighborhoods and communities.