National Trends and Services

The programmatic thrust of this facet has been to provide community programs that increase awareness of issues that affect the quality of life of African Americans. During this biennium, the National Trends and Services facet will address the significant economic and social inequalities that continue to persist amongst African Americans in the United States. These disparities significantly affect African Americans in the areas of education, income, health, employment, and other social indicators of wellbeing. As the leadership and chapters of The Links, Incorporated examine “national trends” to plan “services” that will make an impact on our communities, it is clear that racial and ethnic disparities are the underlying factors that lead to those issues of concern identified and addressed by our programming.

The VISION of the National Trends and Services Facet is to eliminate disparities so as to reduce barriers to services through leadership, education, and service. Our MISSION is to empower our membership so that we can effectively empower the communities in which we work. Our goals include increasing the number of sustainable, measurable programming; increasing collaboratives, partnerships, and program funding; and extend our existing initiatives to include those that most affect African Americans.

Currently, National Trends and Services encompasses the following linkages, signature programs, and committees, each committed to the overall vision and mission of the facet: .

• Health Linkage
  
• Linkages to Life Signature Program
  
• Walk for Health and Hunger Signature Program
  
• Women’s Issues and Empowerment Committee
  

National Trends and Services Program Highlights:

• General Motors and Safe Kids Partnership: The Links partnered with GM and Safe Kids to donate $50 million to provide car seats for needy families and help families practice vehicle safety.
• Linkages to Life: 2007 marks the sixth anniversary of Linkages to Life™, The Links’ Organ, Tissue and Bone Marrow Donation program which encourages more African Americans to become donors. Linkages to Life™ has reached tens of thousands of people through the Sunday at Church Program.
• The Gift of Life: What African Americans Need to Know About Organ Donations. A film created by the Metro-Manhattan Chapter and sponsored by HBO during the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival received national attention.
• Hurricane Katrina: Response to this tragedy included a Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund to assist displaced evacuees. The Links, Incorporated also partnered with the Children’s Defense Fund, Women of the Storm, and The Links Foundation to respond to the needs of displaced victims and support of Universities in the area. see article.
• Renewal of the “Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments of 2006.” Links across the country worked with Congress and other interest groups to achieve this important piece of legislation.
• No Child Left Behind Act: Links work with schools to support children. A public information and education campaign about the No Child Left Behind Act was held on February 27, 2007 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The Links, Incorporated presented a public issues forum entitled The No Child Left Behind Act: Is it on the Right Path or Path to Nowhere? The forum examined the impact of the No Child Left Behind Act and its impact on the drop out crisis and the increasing rates of incarceration for young people of color generally and young men of color in particular.
• The Doris Miller Signature Campaign to obtain the Medal of Honor for Heroism in World War II: Links are in the process of obtaining 1 million signatures to encourage Congress and the President to award the Congressional Medal of Honor to World War II hero sailor Doris Miller.
• Rosa Parks Stature to be placed in Statuary Hall, U. S. Capitol: Links attend signing of historic bill H.R. 4145 authorizing a stature of civil rights icon to be placed in ceremony.
• Heart Truth Campaign: As a partner in the National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s “Heart Truth Campaign,” The Links, Incorporated, has integrated “Heart Truth” activities at all levels of our organizational infrastructure to include National, Area, and local Chapter foci, including “National Wear Red Day,” at our National Assembly and conducting workshops to educate the membership of 12,000 Links on the importance of heart disease awareness. Currently, NHLBI is funding four chapters to implement cardiovascular education activities.
• Cardiovascular Disease Grant: In partnership with the University of California, Davis, 8 Links Chapters were funded to implement a four phase cardiovascular education and behavioral change intervention.
• Walk for Health and Hunger Walk-A-Thon: Each September, Links Chapters participate in the “Walk for Health and Hunger” a Signature Program that calls attention to health issues of the day. Chapters may partner with organizations, and proceeds go to Links programming.
• Childhood Obesity Initiative: In keeping with our National Resolution, The Links will receive funding and implement a childhood obesity awareness program targeted to families in an effort to raise awareness about and reduce childhood obesity.