Living the Dream

Two years ago, we watched as Hurricane Katrina changed the very landscape of the southern coastal states. We saw it alter the lives of individuals and families—uproot their collective sense of security and their plans for the future. Then, as the waters began to recede, a social and economic reality which had long been latent began to emerge, and our community made a choice to do something about it.

The poverty, injustice and racism that transpired during Katrina forced us to examine the pieces that hold our society together and that make up our vision of what an American life should be. It challenged us to test our potential as a community, to reflect upon the opportunities that face us, and to come together in discussion and shared action.

United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley (United Way), Bank of America and Northeastern University began the Living the Dream project in 2006 with the realization that the American Dream, for the first time, was at risk of being out of reach for the next generation, and the belief that it would take the experiences, ideas and actions of our entire community to begin to reclaim it.

As the year-long discussion series that comprised Living the Dream proposed, the American Dream is more than just home ownership or a job security. It is a holistic environment in which children can grow up and have prosperous, healthy and happy adult lives. It is a state of collaborative advancement in which justice is served, youth are provided with the education, skills and technological training necessary for stable employment as adults, and everyone has continued access to quality healthcare—all resulting in the opportunity to improve their lives over those of generations past.

Since the close of Living the Dream, many of the concerns that were highlighted during the discussions have taken on new significance. Massachusetts residents are feeling the weight of drastic increases in the cost of food and utilities. Foreclosures have risen sharply and with far-reaching consequences. As we face this time of economic instability, the perspectives and ideas contained in this report should be seen a starting point, the beginnings of a roadmap for seeing our community and our children through to better times.

While there were many ideas that arose from the six discussion areas, three key themes have risen to the top as to how we can better prepare the next generation to achieve the American Dream as we’ve always envisioned it: 1) Provide children with a healthy start in life; 2) Provide youth with the tools they need to build support networks, and; 3) Provide individuals with the life skills they need to advance in a new economy. Grounded in those three themes, we hope this report can help us transform the Living the Dream discussion into action.

With warm regards and sincere thanks,

Michael K. Durkin
President and CEO
  Ansin Leadership Chair