Click here to learn more about the Families First – 2023 Loving the Legacy Fundraising Gala Have you sent in your RSVP?  If not, please join us today.” Families First invites you to save the date and join us for our new signature fundraising gala “Loving the Legacy” on Thursday, March 30, 2023, at the Atlanta History Center. Please join Honoree Lucy C. Vance and Honorary Chair Ambassador Andrew Young as we celebrate our 132-year history and share the success stories of families served by Families First.  For more event information, purchase tickets and sponsorship, click Here, or contact us at marketing@familiesfirst.org   We look forward to seeing you there! This is sponsored content.

Click here to learn more about the Families First – 2023 Loving the Legacy Fundraising Gala Have you sent in your RSVP?  If not, please join us today.” Families First invites you to save the date and join us for our new signature fundraising gala “Loving the Legacy” on Thursday, March 30, 2023, at the Atlanta History Center. Please join Honoree Lucy C. Vance and Honorary Chair Ambassador Andrew Young as we celebrate our 132-year history and share the success stories of families served by Families First.  For more event information, purchase tickets and sponsorship, click Here, or contact us at marketing@familiesfirst.org   We look forward to seeing you there! This is sponsored content.

Representatives from the Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce recently joined Fiserv, a leading global provider of payments and financial services technology with a significant presence in the Atlanta area, to present three Atlanta-area small businesses with $10,000 grants in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month.  The business owners who received grants included: Joel Ferrer of Chef Joel Coco Cabana LLC, a restaurant delighting guests with unique cuisine, showcasing Chef Joel’s classically trained background and Cuban heritage. Vanessa Higgins of Clean Tu Casa, a cleaning, organizing and personal errand service company serving homes, small offices and short-term rentals in Metro Atlanta. Alejandra “Luz” Pelaez of UP Advertising, a multicultural advertising and digital marketing agency specializing in reaching the Hispanic market, ensuring companies communicate authentically. In interviews following the grant presentations, the recipients discussed the impact the grants will have on their businesses. Chef Ferrer highlighted plans to invest in upgraded technology, while Vanessa Higgins underscored that the grants will enable her to create jobs and Sebastian Uribe of UP Advertising noted an anticipated increase in sales.   The grants were awarded as part of the Fiserv Back2Business program, a $50 million commitment to support minority-owned small businesses. In addition to grants, Back2Business connects diverse small businesses with critical resources, including complimentary small business coaching, leading technology solutions such as Clover and community partners. “We’re proud to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by supporting these inspiring businesses and all the small businesses that play a crucial role in Atlanta’s economy,” said Vivian Greentree, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Corporate Citizenship at Fiserv. “Providing funding and resources to help small, diverse businesses thrive is a key tenet of the Back2Business program and it’s wonderful to see the impact this program has made in cities all over the country, and especially here in our own backyard in Atlanta.”  “It is an honor to partner with Fiserv and the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to celebrate and support entrepreneurs in the Hispanic community during Hispanic Heritage Month,” said Alex Gonzalez, Chief Innovation and Marketing Officer at the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “Through the Back2Business grants, Fiserv is providing access to capital and resources to help these three Hispanic-owned businesses grow and thrive.” In addition to facing difficult business conditions such as rising costs, supply chain challenges and labor shortages, Hispanic-owned small businesses have their own unique set of challenges. “Fiserv recognition and support of the Hispanic community, providing valuable grants and services at a critical time for small businesses through Back2Business, is key to assuring equitable opportunities for our community and to being seen as the vital force that we are for the economy and the great state of Georgia,” said Verónica Maldonado-Torres, President and CEO, Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “When one group thrives, we all thrive as a society, and that is our goal at the GHCC – to match businesses with the resources, tools and opportunities to inspire them and help them reimagine the next for their company.”  In addition to Atlanta, Fiserv has sponsored the Back2Business program in cities including New York, Milwaukee, Miami, Chicago, Detroit, Tulsa, Oakland, Washington. D.C. and Omaha. To date, Fiserv has presented nearly 1,500 grants to small businesses through the program.   This is sponsored content.

Think you know Downtown Atlanta? Think again.  Central Atlanta Progress and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District invite everyone to rediscover Downtown at the Annual Meeting and Awards Celebration next Tuesday, February 14th at the Georgia Aquarium. Tickets are on sale now.  Over the course of 80+ years, CAP has worked behind the scenes, integrating ideas, building partnerships, and coordinating efforts to continually grow the economic prosperity, elevate the quality of life, and improve the image of Downtown Atlanta for businesses and the broader community. Initially focused on civic leadership, CAP’s scope of work first expanded to include planning, then cleanliness and safety efforts with the creation of the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District in 1995. In the early 2000s, transportation, capital projects, public space management, economic development, and sustainability work were added. Rounding out the list is a reinvigorated commitment to placemaking and unsheltered outreach efforts. Guided by a comprehensive master plan, CAP and ADID work together under the Atlanta Downtown brand to envision and realize an urban core that meets the needs of residents, students, and visitors alike. Over the next year, CAP and ADID will keep a pulse on topics that will affect the community and continue to build big ideas like Arts & Entertainment Atlanta and The Stitch, while staying committed to the day-to-day details that affect us here and now.  The Stitch – This transformative “highway cap” project will reconnect Midtown and Downtown Atlanta, creating approximately 14 acres of urban greenspace and transportation enhancements. It will be a catalyst for new development with the potential to provide billions of dollars in value creation and over $50 million in new revenue.  Arts & Entertainment Atlanta – As a neighborhood activation and economic development project, AE Atlanta fuses local art with advertising to fund cultural and public space programming. To date, the program has given over 100 artists and organizations a total of $840,000 in funding.  Downtown Investment – Thanks to unparalleled access to stakeholders and their data, CAP and ADID monitor and track development activity in Downtown Atlanta with the goal of attracting new businesses, residential projects, and major events.  Placemaking and Public Programming – Ranging from holiday lights to lunchtime concerts and pop-up performances, CAP and ADID support and develop engaging programs to highlight Downtown’s unique character and to add joy and interest to public spaces. Be on the lookout for Valentine’s Day floral installations popping up around Downtown later this month.  With events like the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, Atlanta is gearing up to once again be in the international spotlight. And while there’s still work to be done, we should all be thrilled for the opportunity to share our city, our culture, and our people with the world.    This is sponsored content.

Given the sound economic conditions of the state economy in FY 2022, fiscal revenue surpluses exceed expectations and foreseeable economic development. During the 2023 legislative session, Governor Brian Kemp recommended reallocating $35.7 million to OneGeorgia to establish the Rural Workforce Housing Fund. This fund will allow local development and housing authorities to prepare land for housing developments to support upcoming economic development projects and ensure the state has access to quality workforce housing. In FY 2022, the Georgia Department of Economic Development announced a record number of economic development projects for the state. In order to support the development of the projects and continue to attract the same economic investment, the Governor Kemp proposes to spend $35.7 million to develop housing for workers near large industries located in rural areas, saying a lack of housing is now “the biggest challenge” to business growth. At the same time, the governor emphasized that “this will allow us to partner directly with local governments in developing sites across the state to address workforce housing needs that come with these major economic developments announcements.” The $35.7 million resulted from Georgia’s share of the settlement with tobacco companies over health costs of smoking-related illnesses. These funds were redistributed to OneGeorgia for housing initiatives. OneGeorgia is housed with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA). DCA has relationships with local governments and entities to pass through federal and state dollars to finance community and economic development projects and housing. Chaired by Governor Kemp, the OneGeorgia Authority will oversee the allocation of workforce housing funds. Georgia Advancing Communities Together, Inc. will host its 2023 Annual Housing Day at the Capitol on February 22, 2023 at Atlanta City Hall (Old Council Chambers), 68 Mitchell Street, SW, Atlanta, 30303. There is still time to register, and sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, please visit https://georgiaact.org/housing-day-at-the-capitol-2023/ Sources: https://opb.georgia.gov/document/governors-budget-reports/afy-2023-and-fy-2024-governors-budget-report/download  https://commonfutureatl.com/details-kemps-35-7-million-plan-for-affordable-housing/ https://www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news/gov-kemp-georgia-budget-spending-meant-to-keep-economy-growing/   This is sponsored content.

By West Atlanta Watershed Alliance February is Black History Month, a month-long celebration and recognition of the accomplishments and the critical role that Black Americans have played in founding and shaping the United States. First celebrated as “Negro History Week” in 1926, Black History Month was founded by historian Carter G. Woodson and minister Jesse E. Moorland out of a desire to promote achievements made by Black Americans, and more importantly a need to encourage the teaching of Black history in schools across the U.S. In 1915, half a century after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery, Woodson and Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), and organization dedicated to conducting research about and promoting achievements by Black Americans and other peoples of African descent. The organization, now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), kicked off the first national Negro History Week in 1926 which it designated as the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. In subsequent decades, the celebration spread across the country and ultimately evolved from a week to a month. In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month with the intention of celebrating the long-overlooked accomplishments of Black Americans in our society. Often missing from narratives about environmental protection, stewardship, and advocacy are the names and stories of Black Americans who have and continue to contribute to growing a cleaner, greener, healthier more sustainable planet.  West Atlanta Watershed Alliance (WAWA) joins a host of Black-led environmental and environmental justice organizations across the country in elevating these little-known stories of Black environmentalism during Black History Month and every day to pay homage to those who have made a difference to advance justice and stewardship, particularly in historically under-resourced communities. We dedicate this column to Mrs. Juanita Wallace (1949-2022), a homegrown Watershed Warrior who has made countless contributions to the restoration of Atlanta’s Proctor Creek Watershed.   Mrs. Juanita Wallace was to some, perhaps an unlikely advocate, for her local environment. Once you got a chance to know her, however, her commitment was unrelentless and undeniable. Her advocacy was rooted in her love for Atlanta’s English Avenue neighborhood where she was born and raised, and it extended far beyond. Mrs. Wallace grew up in English Avenue — playing in Proctor Creek, which runs through the neighborhood, where she caught crawfish to eat while playing with friends and family. Sitting on those banks, she encountered and developed a love for an abundance of wildlife species who lived and migrated there. She passed down stories from her mother and grandmother about baptisms in Proctor Creek involving members of the historic Lindsay Street Baptist Church. These early childhood experiences gave her a love of the creek that she openly shared with anyone who wanted to know more about the history of her community. She was a passionate and captivating Proctor Creek historian and steward who worked until her death to restore Proctor Creek back to its former glory as a beautiful waterway — one that was fishable, swimmable, and playable.  Mrs. Wallace was a founding member of the Proctor Creek Stewardship Council, and she served faithfully as a Lead Steward since the organization was established in 2013 until her death in November 2022. Mrs. Wallace participated in multiple environmental training opportunities focused on learning more about the creek, green infrastructure, storm water runoff, and litter prevention including the Atlanta Watershed Learning Network. She was a dedicated volunteer with WAWA and worked as a consultant on WAWA’s education team. She was certified through the Georgia Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) Program and the Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Program, and through the former Environmental Justice Working Training Program at Clark Atlanta University. She shared her expertise by conducting environmental education and outreach at local schools and community events in the Proctor Creek Watershed and surrounding communities. She also spoke at local and national conferences, sponsored by organizations such as Park Pride, Emory University, The River Network, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency about her community and the personal mission that she took on to improve Proctor Creek for her grandchildren and their children. In sharing her personal story, she inspired youth and adults alike to take action in their own communities and watersheds.   Mrs. Wallace also worked in partnership with the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper’s Neighborhood Water Watch program for nearly a decade through which she collected weekly water samples from Proctor Creek at Lindsay Street and Dean Rusk Parks to assess water quality. Mrs. Wallace was honored by the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper in 2018 as Volunteer of the Year and most recently as Chattahoochee Riverkeeper’s 2022 River Hero. The critical information gained from her samples helped the Riverkeeper to monitor the health of the creek. For this work, Mrs. Wallace was also recognized with the 2017 Fulton County Citizen’s Commission on the Environmental Award. As a member of the English Avenue Green Team, Mrs. Wallace served as a Green Infrastructure Specialist — spending countless hours to help maintain the special green infrastructure features of Lindsay Street and Kathryn Johnston Memorial Parks, two of The Conservation Fund’s Parks with Purpose in the English Avenue community that she advocated for, and she helped to activate after they were created.   Mrs. Wallace’s dedication to restoring Proctor Creek is evident as she has worked as a Proctor Creek Community Scientist with WAWA, Environmental Community Action, the Proctor Creek Stewardship Council, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, The Conservation Fund, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and many others. As a part of this work, she was a published author on an article about her community work and research published in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health.  Local leaders like Mrs. Wallace had visions, dreams, and prayers that caused the dusts of change to start rising in their communities. She channeled that vision, those dreams, and prayers into action. Juanita Wallace was never shy about lifting her voice …

This week we honor the legacy of a great man whose mission was larger than his life and whose work endures even today. We laud Dr. King’s philosophy of nonviolent activism and promote his ideals of equality and love; however, his methods garnered the dislike and ire of many. According to the last Gallup poll conducted prior to his death, 63% of Americans had an unfavorable view of the Atlanta-born civil rights champion and hero. More than anything, this fact demonstrates that sometimes standing on the side of right can look and feel like being wrong if we are guided by the wrong measure of importance. Undoubtedly, Dr. King would have preferred the unwavering praise and admiration of his colleagues, peers, and the nation that he sacrificed his life for. However, he ascribed to a higher calling and greater way of living than the world around him and he disregarded the opinions of others. He was pure in his intentions and relentless in his pursuit. Dr. King was by no means a perfect man, but he was certainly regal in his approach toward his work and in his responsibility as a leader. This majestic lens of leadership was not inspired by the many great leaders he studied in the hallowed halls of his alma mater, Morehouse College, nor did it come from the many potentates and world leaders he encountered in his lifetime. He took a page out of the book he lived by and preached and followed the example of Christ. As a Christian, Dr. King led with his faith and was guided by moral principles which positively affect us all, regardless of our religious affiliation or doctrinal creed. He did not rule as a tyrant, nor did he command like a dictator. Rather, he invited everyone to the table to discuss, strategize, plan, and review. This type of leadership inspires change and causes us to ask “How can I be better today than I was yesterday? How does the work that I pursue today make a difference in the world tomorrow?”  In honor of one of the greatest Americans who ever lived, challenge yourself to examine the foundation and source of your leadership approach and how you measure success. Regardless of the praise you receive and the criticisms you may draw, have you committed yourself to the work of being a moral leader? Are your markers of success in line with that of a King who seeks to benefit the masses over the few, or that of a tyrant who is only concerned with their personal gain? The answer lies in the choices you make and the culture you create at home, at work, and at school.  Choose to lead with strong moral leadership and a success model that is not dependent on how exclusive you can be. Rather, seek to bring as many people to the table as possible, help others create extra chairs, and let us eat the table of brotherhood and sisterhood, as we all seek to discover the King in us all.    This is sponsored content.

By Dr. Kashef Ijaz, Vice President-Health Programs, The Carter Center And Adam Weiss, Director, Guinea Worm Eradication Program You may have seen the Carter Center’s announcement on Jan. 24 that only 13 human cases of Guinea worm disease were reported globally in 2022. That was an improvement over the previous year’s total of 15 human cases. Working with our partners in the endemic countries, we are continuing to progress toward the goal of making Guinea worm  the first human disease to be eradicated since smallpox in 1980. Not all that long ago, Guinea worm disease afflicted about 3.5 million people a year, and now it’s down to only a handful. There’s no medicine to treat it, no vaccine to prevent it. The only way to combat it is to teach every potential patient — that is, millions of people over multiple generations — how to interrupt the parasite’s life cycle and prevent it from reproducing.  For more than 35 years, volunteers in tens of thousands of villages across Africa and Asia have stepped up to the task. Guinea worm warriors have taken the training they received from The Carter Center and their ministries of health and passed it on to their families and communities, making sure everyone knows exactly what they need to do to prevent infection.  What they need to do is filter every drop of water that will be consumed by humans, keep animals and infected persons away from water sources, prevent cats and dogs from eating uncooked fish and other aquatic animals, and immediately report anything that might be a sign of a Guinea worm. To encourage reporting, the health ministries of endemic countries offer cash rewards. Carter Center and health ministry personnel diligently chase down hundreds of thousands of rumors every year; the rumored cases almost always turn out to be something else, but it’s always worth the trouble of checking because we can’t let a single infection go undetected. While 13 human cases is an incredibly small number and an accomplishment to be proud of, the goal remains zero. Getting there will be challenging: Community members and health workers are looking out for spaghetti-thin worms emerging from people and animals spread out across tens of thousands of square miles. It takes a lot of resources to cover that kind of territory. Fortunately, The Carter Center has committed, faithful supporters who help cover the costs of this vital work.  As a steadfast partner, The Carter Center will not relent in the fight against Guinea worm disease. We are in this to the finish — and we are working hard to help achieve this historic accomplishment soon.   This is sponsored content.

Westside Future Fund (WFF) is excited to be supporting thought leadership in the SaportaReport on Atlanta’s Historic Westside. At the October 15 Transform Westside Summit we announced the Westside Future Fund (WFF) PRI Program!  A program-related investment (PRI) is low-cost capital that not-for-profit organizations can use to spur community development. Thanks to charitable support from Truist and PNC banks, WFF will provide low-cost loans to small, minority-owned businesses based in or serving the Historic Westside.  This program builds on a pilot initially funded by AT&T and the Beloved Benefit.  Our goal is to mobilize people with current, historical, or aspirational ties to the community to organically support the Westside’s economic development.  The October 15 Transform Westside Summit highlighted the importance of economic empowerment of African American entrepreneurs with three special guest panelists – Courtney Smith from PNC Bank, Paul Wilson, Jr. from the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE), and Keitra Bates of Marddy’s Shared Kitchen and Marketplace.  A common theme from the panelists was the need for equity in access to capital for Black business owners.  Keitra Bates noted that white startups have access to $100,000 from family, on average, while for black startups, it’s only $11,000. In June 2020, PNC Bank announced its bold $1 billion commitment to playing a role in combatting racism and discrimination.  During the Summit, Courtney elaborated on PNC’s commitment to the Westside by helping end systemic racism by donating to WFF for program-related investments.  Keitra Bates is a recipient of a WFF PRI that she used to renovate and expand her shared kitchen.  Marddy’s focus is on economic inclusion, business development, and growth opportunities for local food entrepreneurs with their primary service groups of people of color, women, and other marginalized populations. With the help of RICE, the PRI recipients will have access to resources to innovate, grow, create jobs, and build wealth. Part business generator, innovation lab, and museum, RICE invests in African American entrepreneurs, strengthens businesses, and creates community. We have many miles to eliminate the wealth gap between white and black startups.  Thanks to our panelists and the organization they represent, we are making progress and hopefully serving as models for others!  Check out our newsletter to learn more about the October 15 Summit. This is sponsored content.

By Denise Townsend, Regional Director, United Way of Greater Atlanta When an organization receives the “D.” Scott Hudgens Award it is an honor, but what does that mean for Gwinnett County? The award is given only to those organizations whose accomplishments, projects, and community involvement embody selfless service to the community. United Way of Greater Atlanta in Gwinnett County is honored to receive this award for the work we’ve done, but we have so much more to do. Hudgens Foundation investments are meant to address evolving needs of Gwinnett County, which has become one of the most diverse in the nation.  United Way in Gwinnett County launched the Racial Equity and Healing Initiative in 2020 to shift ideology, build community will for change, and to reduce structural inequities.  These imperatives are part our Child Well-Being Mission which is to ensure every child and family has equitable opportunities and access to resources to reach their full potential regardless of zip code or race. Recognized as an ongoing and purposeful equity journey, United Way in Gwinnett County creates awareness, provides informational grounding, cooperative learning & leadership opportunities. The outcome of this journey is to connect and empower citizens, institutions, and systems.  These ideas are embodied in the planned Center for Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging – a future public-private partnership for a community equity plan aiming to reduce and prevent inequities across systems that impact child well-being in Gwinnett. To join the Gwinnett Equity Journey text UWGAGwinnett to 22828 or contact Denise Townsend dtownsend@unitedwayatlanta.org.  These strides have been developed while United Way in Gwinnett makes data-driven investments, raises funds, and connect stakeholders and resources to tackle important issues. Just in the last few years, United Way in Gwinnett’s community immersion resulted in $8M in grants to 260 partners with COVID-19 funds, supported 1.7M interventions, and regional investments serving over 86,000 people. Great care has been taken to establish and maintain public-private partnerships. These partnerships provide coordinated planning, funding, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of equity initiatives like HomeFirst Gwinnett which provided 18,000 persons with shelter, eviction prevention and diversion services, as well as our signature event, SPARK which has awarded $226K to 27 organizations since 2016.  United Way humbly acknowledges the strength and power of these successful partnerships as it accepts the 2023 Hudgen’s award.  For more information on how to get involved with United Way of Greater Atlanta in Gwinnett County, contact Denise Townsend, Regional Director dtownsend@unitedwayatlanta.org.   This is sponsored content.

The Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory University (IPRCE), Grady Health System and collaborators at the University of Michigan have been awarded a five-year, $4.4 million project to continue studying motor vehicle crashes in metro Atlanta that result in injuries treated at Grady. This project, funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), is the next phase of research on motor-vehicle crashes and will expand the team’s focus to include pedestrian crashes. The team’s previous car crash research began in 2017 and focused on injuries to vehicle occupants and how to improve driver and passenger safety. The latest award supports Emory and Grady’s continued role as a Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) Center, and will also study crashes where vehicles strike pedestrians. “By using data from CIREN centers, NHTSA can identify ways to make vehicles safer for both occupants and pedestrians,” says Jonathan Rupp, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Emory and principal investigator of the Emory and Grady CIREN Center. “CIREN centers collect highly detailed data on the performance of vehicles and the injuries to the case occupant or pedestrian in crashes.” CIREN centers are one of NHTSA’s major data collection systems examining motor vehicle crashes. There are six other CIREN Centers in the United States, with a goal of improving vehicle safety and supporting injury prevention. When a car crash occurs, seriously injured pedestrians or vehicle occupants who are treated at Grady will be invited to participate in the study. Emory and Grady’s CIREN Center will then send expert crash investigators into the field to measure the damage to the interior and exterior of the vehicle, download the event data recorder and document the scene of the crash. In parallel, the team will record detailed injury information that will eventually be matched to specific vehicle damage. The data will be reviewed with other CIREN centers and NHTSA to help inform future research and testing aimed at improving safety and reducing serious injury in crashes. “CIREN data also play a key role in understanding why crashes occur. This helps us to help prevent future crashes,” says Rupp. “Our team works to understand the role of driver and pedestrian behavior in causing a crash. With this information, we can identify roadway and vehicle safety improvements that could have prevented the crash.” “CIREN relies on high-volume trauma centers like Grady’s Marcus Trauma Center to conduct research on injuries following car crashes,” says Elizabeth Benjamin, MD, PhD, a professor of surgery at Emory and trauma medical director at Grady Health System. “Participants will be enrolled in the study after arriving at Grady’s Marcus Trauma Center, which is the only Level I trauma center in Atlanta and one of the busiest in the United States. This CIREN award would not have been possible without the strong, collaborative relationship between Emory and Grady.” “This award reflects the national prominence of Grady’s Marcus Trauma Center and the expertise of the team working on this project,” says David Wright, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and co-principal investigator of the CIREN award. “A multi-disciplinary team of collaborators in emergency medicine, trauma surgery, radiology and other areas will spend the next five years collecting and analyzing data to better understand the mechanisms of injuries from automobiles to both occupants and pedestrians,” Wright explains. University of Michigan sub-contractors will assist with data analysis, while also using computational human body models to reconstruct crashes to better understand how serious injuries occur.   This is sponsored content.

Overview:  Over the past year, the cost of things has risen substantially. The United States, and really the world, is  experiencing the highest rate of inflation in more than four decades. In fact, adults who grew up in the  1970s will remember “stagflation,” when the  country experienced rising prices and interest rates, even though the economy was struggling. The last time the country experienced this level of price growth, disco was popular, and Star Wars was new. If you are a parent or guardian, your kids might have questions about inflation. Junior Achievement has developed this guide to help explain what causes prices to rise.  1. What is inflation anyway?  While there are many ways to define inflation, the simplest is when “too many dollars chase too  few goods or services.” What this means is demand for a product or service is much higher than the  supply of products or services available. For example, say you are in a store and there is one copy  of a popular video game but five people want to buy it. If the store didn’t have a policy on a set  price for that video game, the five people would be inclined to offer more and more money until  one of them was able to win out and purchase the game at a much higher price, which is a form of  inflation.   An example of this in real life is cars. Because of supply chain issues caused by the pandemic, there  are too few cars available for the number of people who want to buy them. As a result, the price of  cars, especially used ones being resold, has gone up. You see the same thing happening with food,  school supplies, and more.  2. Why are we seeing inflation now?  Much of economy is dependent on the global supply chain. Think of a supply chain as all the  people, companies, processes, and materials that go into manufacturing a product. For instance,  your smartphone might have a screen made in India, a microprocessor made in the United States, a  microphone made in Malaysia, and a bunch of other parts from different regions of the world. All  these materials might go to China, where they are assembled into phone which is eventually sold in  the United States.  The pandemic caused disruption in this supply chain. People either had to stop work, or fewer  people were working during the pandemic, which caused “breaks” in the supply chain. These  disruptions still continue today, so, for example, the company assembling phones in China might be  waiting on the microphones from Malaysia before they can complete the phone and send it to  stores. This results in a shortage of phones, which means people are willing to pay a bit more for  the remaining phones that are available for sale. When this happens enough, prices go up and you  have inflation.  Additional causes include fiscal and monetary policy.   During the pandemic, many people were out of work and the economy was in danger of going into  recession, or worse. To help offset this, the Federal government in the United States, like other  governments around the world, pumped money into the economy through fiscal policy. Fiscal  policy is when the government adjusts spending or tax rates in response to economic factors. In the  case of the pandemic, the Federal government stimulated the economy through payroll tax cuts to  workers and forgivable loans to employers. While these efforts helped support the economy during  the pandemic, they also contributed to driving up prices as the economy recovered.  As for monetary policy, that is managed by the Federal Reserve, which is a central bank which  regulates the U.S. banking system. The Federal Reserve (The Fed) will lower interest rates (the cost  to borrow money) when the economy is struggling and will raise interest rates when the economy  is doing well, and prices begin to rise. This is an example of monetary policy. In the case of the  pandemic, the Fed kept interest rates low to help the economy. However, with prices now rising,  the Fed is in the position of having to increase interest rates, which makes it more expensive to use  loans to buy cars or houses, for example. This results in less demand for things often purchased  using loans or credit (cars, houses, appliances, furniture) and should eventually cause prices of  those and other items to go down.  3. Will inflation end? If so, when?  While the Federal government probably won’t raise taxes or cut planned spending to fight inflation (fiscal policy), the Fed is continuing to raise interest rates in an effort to drive down prices (monetary policy). If history is a guide, inflation will eventually be put in check.   Though there are times when inflation was especially stubborn and stayed around for several years, such as in the 1970s, the increases in prices usually start to come down within a two-to three-year period as changes in fiscal and monetary policy begin to take effect. Inflation should also  impacted by the recovery of supply chains as the pandemic continues to wane in the months  ahead.   This is sponsored content.