As summer comes to an end it is appropriate to pose the question of whither Merced's children, i.e., what are we doing to elevate their chances of future success or is it wither, i.e., are Merced's youth dying on the vine.
Is there hope that we are coming out of the recession? Is there hope for our increasing social service ills? What is the prognosis?
Let's recap. Our county is 1,968 square miles and is basically dominated by agricultural concerns. Indeed, some 80 percent of the county is rural and our agricultural production is fifth in the state.
What is more of a concern is that the latest statistics out of a Merced County Association of Governments report reveal that 36 percent of adults over the age of 25 do not have a high school diploma or GED. What is sadder is that we are told that 21 percent of adults over 25 have completed less than a ninth-grade education.
Our school situation has much to commend itself but the sad truth is that 33 percent of students attending county schools have limited English proficiency. Recent reports have shown that crime and gang violence is on the rise and schools are inadequately prepared to help turn the tide.
The report I read tells me that 28 percent of our children, under the age of 18, are living in poverty. Symptomatic of this is that 72 percent of these students qualify for free lunches.
It is also true that Merced County has the fourth highest teen pregnancy rate in all of California.
Indeed, the report summarizes, "The Merced County Region is experiencing the ailments of a rapidly growing population with a significant portion that are challenged by extremely low-incomes, homelessness, and/or the constant threat of homelessness. Factors leading to homelessness vary, but include little or no income, shortage of affordable housing, substance abuse, chronic mental illness, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS and other disability issues."
It is true that all of California (and the whole of the USA) is plagued by these problems. HBO has just shown a new documentary "Homeless -- The Motel Kids of Orange County" that highlights these same problems in one of our wealthiest communities.
It is nigh impossible to find funding in these economically challenged times to pursue new programs and I believe that we all agree that funding will become much scarcer after the coming election.
So the question is what we can do, in the here and now, before the situation deteriorates further.
I have long preached cooperation between local government and the community benefit organizations.
Without expectation of reward, we at the Merced County Rescue Mission are voluntarily helping out the city's public works department on a daily basis. It allows our men and women to pick up skills and training while helping to keep Merced clean.
There needs to be more of this type of cooperation.
There must also be more cooperation between the individual not-for-profits themselves. There is still too much duplication of some services and little attention to some others.
For example, food banks, pantries and agencies, such as Love Inc., must meet on a regular basis, independently of United Way, and work together to settle turf wars.
The Boys & Girls Club should be initiating after-school programs in the actual school facilities. Cooperating with the city, county, and faith-based community will allow for more much more targeted programming and help in lessening gang influences on our youth.
I have been told by city officials that only 14 youth, on average, are using the open summer pools. Where is the marketing? Where is the programming? Where is the cooperation? Did the word get out?
There is much that can be done with little and we need to be working much more closely together to get it done. I believe that our future is gloriously ahead of us and we should be working on "whither Merced?" rather than by our inaction and lack of cooperation allowing Merced to wither away.
Herbert A. Opalek is CEO of the Merced County Rescue Mission.
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