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How 3 Cities Are Using an App Designed to Help Them Collaborate

Johnny Magdaleno

May 22, 2017 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Cities are often alone in trying to develop solutions to their problems. The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago developed an app— "The Peer Cities Identification Tool"— that matches similar U.S. cities and encourages discussion about challenges and successes.

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Where Some of the Most Housing-Challenged Philadelphians Find Help

Jean Friedman-Rudovsky

May 01, 2017 |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Housing is one of the major hurdles former prisoners have to tackle when they get out of prison. Two judges know this, that’s why they created a re-entry program that offers prisoners numerous services. The results? “Over the past 10 years, only 13 percent of graduates and 21 percent of all participants were arrested or had their parole revoked — compared to a 41 percent revocation rate for other returning citizens in the Philadelphia area.”

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You Can Invest Directly Into Building Bike Paths, Better Schools

Oscar Perry Abello

April 25, 2017 |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

The startup Neighborly is making municipal bonds feel relevant. Rather than investing in a “muni” bond indirectly through a retirement fund, individuals can now directly purchase these bonds and target the money to areas they feel passionate about, whether that is building bike lanes in Vermont or investing in schools in Massachusetts. Neighborly is building renewed interest in the municipal bond market while generating more funding for important infrastructure projects.

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Chicago Sees Big Shift in Grocery Shopping Habit

Rachel Dovey

April 25, 2017 |

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Multi-Media |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

What happens when you get charged for something? People will be less likely to do it, that’s the theory behind taxing plastic bags, a move that is seeing big results in cities like Chicago.

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After 36 Years in Prison, This Philadelphian Has a Model for Criminal Justice Reform

Tom Dallessio

March 31, 2017 |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Lack of education was the downfall of one Philadelphia man who spent 36 years in prison, and education proved to be his redemption when he discovered he could do well in coursework. He got a college degree and helped bring the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program to the prison where he was incarcerated. He continues to work with the program, which matches prisoners with college students and professors to help them gain the skills they need, and also fosters more compassion and understanding for those incarcerated.

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Small Town, Big Success With Reentry Program

Johnny Magdaleno

March 06, 2017 |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, New Castle, Pennsylvania

Jail-to-Jobs, a program with one employee, has helped more than 260 formerly incarcerated people find full-time jobs. Created by a district attorney who saw former felons struggling to be considered for openings, the program links local companies with insurance and support in order to promote hiring.

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Help Is on the Way for Low-Income Co-op Buildings in NYC

Oscar Perry Abello

March 01, 2017 |

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Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Habitat for Humanity, best known for its work building houses, is now working to become a Community Development Financial Institution in New York. The city has a history of buildings owned as cooperatives. However, a specific type of municipal debt negatively impacts many of these buildings. Habitat for Humanity’s New York chapter is working to provide loans to help cooperative owners pay off this debt. It will help individuals, while also marking a turning point in what the large nonprofit provides as a service.

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USPS Could Tackle Food Insecurity

Jen Kinney

January 27, 2017 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

While the USPS has seen a drastic decline in revenues and capacity in recent years due to growing competition from the private sector and social changes, First Class Meal is reimagining the role that this institution has to play: improving national access to healthy food. Using the existing USPS app to connect organizations and food banks that struggle to distribute donations, postal drivers out on their normal routes would pick up donations, deliver to food banks or pantries, and store food in post offices with excess capacity.

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What Keeps Women Out of Career Programs — and What Will Make Them Stay

Johnny Magdaleno

December 16, 2016 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Newport, Kentucky

Research is recognizing that to help women graduate from career programs additional supports and services are needed such as child care, domestic violence aid and emergency cash assistance. Programs, such as The Brighton Center, provide systems of support where students can list additional supports they need and receive the help they need to graduate.

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Memphis Looks to Medical Manufacturing to Cut Poverty

Johnny Magdaleno

December 02, 2016 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Memphis, Tennessee

A just-announced $6 million federal grant will help end poverty in Memphis, Tennessee.

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