In North Carolina, five nonprofit groups are receiving a much-needed financial boost to help them with projects aimed at enhancing people's financial well-being.

From expanding affordable housing to promoting financial education and improving people's access to resources, the Coastal Carolina Credit Union Foundation is giving $78,000 in grants to five organizations. One is Housing for New Hope in Durham.

Russ Pierce, executive director of the organization, said the money will significantly assist the group in developing a supportive housing community.

"Coastal's gift comes at such a transformational time for the agency," Pierce explained. "We've been seeing here in Durham, over the last five years or so, we've seen a 300% increase in the number of people that are unsheltered. So we have more than 150 people in the community right now that are unsheltered and seeking housing or shelter space."

Pierce pointed out the $40,000 grant will help create 48 units of affordable housing. New Hope's latest point-in-time count, which took place in late January, found 375 people in Durham who were homeless, with 144 of them not in shelters, a 10% increase from the previous year.

Pierce argued the growing numbers highlight the need for more collaborative effort among organizations and local agencies working to prevent homelessness, by addressing some of the contributing factors of homelessness, from health services to job counseling.

Pierce noted in other cities, this type of supportive housing community has proven to be effective.

"You see reductions in the number of people being arrested from within this population, the number of people going to the emergency room, the number of people using emergency services and using the shelters," Pierce outlined. "And so, long-term, what you have is a much more humane, and I daresay a healthy, system supporting our most vulnerable neighbors."

He added Housing for New Hope provides assistance to more than 700 individuals and families each year, helping them work on getting more stable housing.

Some Virginia groups are choosing to offer support to pro-Palestine student protestors.

Recent weeks have seen more than 100 arrests of protestors on Virginia college campuses. Many are demanding their schools stop investing in companies supporting Israel in its war in Gaza, although critics point out it would be more difficult than many people assume.

LaTwyla Matthias, executive director of Progress Virginia, said along with knowing their rights, protestors can stay safe in many ways.

"Don't talk to the police without an attorney present," Matthias outlined. "Make sure that they have food, water, medication, in case they do get detained or arrested; make sure that they're wearing a mask because we've been getting reports of gassing."

The Southwest Virginia Young Democrats have asked people to contribute to a fund for bail for protestors who are arrested. Gov. Glenn Youngkin has said he supports peaceful protests, but stressed that encampments and intimidation of Jewish students on college campuses won't be tolerated.

A report from a nonprofit group tracking armed conflicts and events shows most student protests since the Israel-Hamas war began last October have been peaceful. Only since April have protests involving students outnumbered those of other groups.

Matthias voiced concerns school administrators are not doing enough to ensure students' First Amendment rights, especially when they call in law enforcement. She thinks they should take a different approach.

"They should be cultivating an environment where the students can protest and speak their minds," Matthias asserted. "The students are in the care of the university that they attend so they really should be protecting the students from harassment and intimidation."

In Congress, U.S. House members are asking college and university presidents to testify before the chamber's Education and Workforce Committee on their handling of protests. So far, the presidents of Yale, the University of California-Los Angeles and the University of Michigan have been called before Congress.


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Connecticut groups are still addressing the pandemic's aftermath. Along with connecting residents to vital services, United Way of Connecticut is also helping them deal with mental health challenges.

Once the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline adopted the shortened number 988, calls increased. The challenge of answering thousands of calls is being met through the United Way of Connecticut.

Lisa Tepper Bates, president and CEO of the nonprofit, said the pandemic presented pros and cons for what she could accomplish.

"It forced us to think in new ways, to learn new ways to work, and at the same time maybe set back some efforts," Tepper Bates recounted. "Because we just couldn't work on them while we had to address the needs that people had during the height of the pandemic."

Building health care connections for residents is what lies ahead. Tepper Bates noted rising costs for basic needs are leading to physical health declines. She explained the United Way of Connecticut's future work will center around working with health care providers to better connect people with support to meet their needs, which can reduce certain health care costs.

Tepper Bates pointed out much of United Way of Connecticut's work is ongoing. A particular focal point is helping ALICE residents -- Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed -- who are struggling to make ends meet. In her time with the organization, she said she has learned about resilience from people United Way serves.

"There are a lot of folks in our state who I think are, every day, managing very challenging situations, and yet are so resilient," Tepper Bates observed. "I think that's what, to me, is always inspiring: people who are making it work."

Other work to help ALICE families is advocating for a state child tax credit. DeDeclines in child poverty and other benefits came from expanding the federal credit, which has since shrunk to pre-pandemic levels.

The United Way of Connecticut has been vocal about the work, leading Tepper Bates to receive several honors, including an award from Connecticut Voices for Children later this month.

Cities and towns across Massachusetts hope to increase young voter turnout in local elections by lowering the voting age to sixteen or seventeen. Somerville, Northampton, Southborough and Concord are just a few of the municipalities which have attempted but failed to secure state approval.

State Sen. Becca Rausch, D-Needham, said allowing young people to vote on local matters helps ensure they'll keep voting throughout their lives.

"That voting power fosters a real sense of civic duty and does in fact encourage higher turnout rates among young adults," she said.

Opponents contend teenagers lack the ability or motivation to fully understand what's at stake in an election. But Rausch points to Takoma Park, Maryland, where the turnout rate for sixteen and seventeen-year olds exceeded that of any other age group for the first election in which they were allowed to vote.

Rausch is sponsoring legislation to allow Massachusetts' municipalities to lower their voting age for local elections without approval from the state legislature but it's been tabled for the session. She says it's just one of a few issues where home rule gets in the way of local autonomy. Still, she said young people are already engaged in local issues, often related to their schools, and many students hold jobs and pay local taxes.

"And they are active members of every community I represent, and they are both contributors to and beneficiaries of community and local government services," she continued.

Rausch added the effort is part of civics education, which was solidified as a centerpiece of K-12 education in Massachusetts in 2018, and which received a significant funding boost from the state legislature this past year.


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