Helping people move from where they are to where they dream to be.

What is Driving The Dream?

United Way of the Mid-South serves the greater Memphis area in improving the lives of Mid-Southerners by mobilizing and aligning community resources to address priority issues. As part of a strategy for creating equitable access to the fundamental resources and supports needed for people in the Mid-South to achieve their hopes and dreams, United Way of the Mid-South implemented a two-generation strategy, Driving The Dream™ (DTD). Driving The Dream is a functional coordinated network of effective community-based services and supports to help families advance from where they are to where they dream to be.

INTEREST FORM

AGENCY LIST

2Unique Community Salvation Foundation
Agape Child & Family Services
Alliance Healthcare Services
Anointed Temple of Praise
Alpha Omega Veteran Services, Inc.
American Red Cross, Mid-South Tennessee
America Works
Amerigroup
Anaya Partnership/Youth Villages
Anointed Temple of Praise
Aquanita Barry Consulting & Counseling
Apple Seeds, Inc.
Believing Church
Better Men Better Families
Bethany Christian Services
Binghampton Development Corporation
Birthright Memphis
BlueCare Tennessee
Bodine School
Boys & Girls Club of Memphis
BRIDGES
Capstone Education Group
Casa-Global
Catholic Charities of West Tennessee, Inc.
Center for Employment Opportunities
Center for Transforming Communities
Christopher Pugh Center
Church Health Center
Churches-Families and Communities Together (C-FACT)
City of Memphis – GVIP
CMI Healthcare Services
Collective Blueprint
Collierville Literacy Council
Communities In Schools
Community Intervention Memphis
Community Legal Center
Coordinated Effort to Enhance Development (CEED)
Customized Medical Needs
Daughters of Zion All Women’s Bible College
DeafConnect of the Mid-South
DeNeuville Learning Center
Divine Life
Door of Hope
Dress for Success Memphis
Early Success Coalition
Economic Opportunities
Ella Bebe Angels
Elements of Life
Elite Performance Foundation
Enchanted
Families Matter
Forward Memphis
Frayser Community Development Corporation
Freedom, Healing, Wholeness INC.
Freeman Outreach Center
Gestalt Community Schools
Goodwill Homes Community Services, Inc.
Golden Leaf Church
Good Shepherd Pharmacy
Grace House of Memphis, Inc.
Greater Memphis Financial Empowerment Center
Green Dot Schools
Harwood Center, Inc.
HealthTechnical Institute of Memphis
Hope City
HopeWorks
I Am My Sister’s Keeper
In the Arms of An Angel
Integrated Addiction Care
Jesus People Church
JIFF, Inc.
Kids In Technology
Kindred Place
Knowledge Quest
Ladies In Need Can Survive
Latino Memphis
Le Dujour H.E.R.O. Village of the Mid-South,Inc.
Legacy of Legends CDC
Libertas School of Memphis
Liberty Memphis
LifeLine to Success
Literacy Midsouth
Madonna Learning Center
Maximus
Memphis Area Legal Services, Inc.
Memphis Area Transit Authority
Memphis Athletic Ministries
Memphis Child Advocacy Center
Memphis Crisis CenterT3
Memphis Delta Prep Charter School
Memphis Dream Center
Memphis Gridiron Ministries
Memphis Public Library & Information System (211)
Memphis Jewish Community Center
Memphis Urban League, Inc.
Merge Memphis
Meritan, Inc.
Methodist Le Bonheur Community Outreach
Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association (MIFA)
Mid-South Food Bank
Mind Renewals, Inc.
Mt. Ararat M. B. Church
Mt. Zion C.M.E. Church
Naturally Nurtured Birth Services
Neighborhood Christian Centers, Inc.
Nercher Older Adult Community Resource
New Ballet Ensemble & School
New Sardis Baptist Church
Oasis of Hope
One by One Ministries
One More Child
Pathways In Education
Peer Power Foundation
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity (Tau Iota Chapter)
Porter-Leath
Professional Allied Health
Progeny Place
Promise Development Corporation
Quintessential Planning and Resource Services (QPR)
Raleigh Community Christian Child Care Center
Reading with Mrs. Richardson
Refugee Empowerment Program
Respect The Haven
RISE Foundation
RiseTN
Room in the Inn
Schools of Perea
SchoolSeed
Seedco
Shelby County Dept. of Human Services
Shelby County Schools
Shelby Residential Vocational Services (SRVS)
Shirley Poole Legacy Foundation
Sister Supply
S.O. What! Foundation
Southeast Regional Development Corporation (SRDC)
Students2Master
STS Enterprise Corporation
Sweet Cheeks Diaper Ministry
Synergy Treatment Centers
Tech 901
The Excel Center
The Focus Group by Felecia
The HART Center
The Salvation Army
The SMART Center
Thistle & Bee Enterprises
TN Voices for Children
Transitional ReEntry Adult Program (T.R.A.P.)
United Housing, Inc.
United Parents and Students
United Way Free Tax Prep (FTP)
University of Tennessee of Health Science Center (UTHSC)
UpSmith, Inc.
Urban Strategies, Inc.
U of M Dean of Students
WorkSteady Works, LLC
YMCA of Memphis & the Mid-South
YWCA of Greater Memphis
Young Ladies of Change, Inc.

*160 Agencies Total as of 05/24

DOWNLOAD LIST HERE

Collective Impact fundamentally changes the way community partners work together by focusing on intentional, measurable collaboration.

At its simplest level, Collective Impact happens when a core group of people or organizations come together around a shared goal with a common set of strategies and metrics. No individual agendas. No duplication. Everyone bringing their strengths to the table to solve a social issue that cannot be solved alone.

Collective Impact must meet five conditions: shared understanding of the work (common agenda), common progress measures (shared measurement plan), coordinated plan of strategies/activities (mutually reinforcing activities), communication plan between partners (continuous communication), and supporting infrastructure of staff or a central organization (backbone support).

Sector Integration The local human services sector achieves greater integration and meaningful collaboration.

Culture Transformation By using two-generation (2Gen) best practices, the human services culture transforms its service delivery practices from transactional and single-domain focused to holistic and family-focused, working to offer the supports families need to achieve greater economic security.

Transitions to Success Promotion of a common framework and tools to track customers’ movement toward self-reliance – The Transitions to Success (TTS) model of service delivery and the secure online shared database and referral tool have been adopted to unify the efforts of individual agencies in addressing the broad, multifaceted social needs people in poverty face.

Shared Outcomes & Measures Partner agencies develop and adopt shared data to measure outcomes and inform collective action.

Expanded Services for Families Network Partner Agencies are able to serve more families in a comprehensive, holistic manner aligned with a two-generation approach, which leads to greater economic security for those families.

Adapted from Creating Open Roads to Equity (CORE), a Collaborative Approach of United Way of Snohomish County, United Way of Northern California, and Collective Impact Forum

PARTNERS

All DRIVING THE DREAM™ Partners are trained to employ the Transitions to Success® care model and utilize the Arizona Self-Sufficiency Matrix (learn more & see the matrix here. Partners also centralize information, access client data, track client progress, and make/receive referrals through CoactionNet (a local, shared, web-based database).

PARTNER LIST

ALL DRIVING THE DREAM™ PARTNERS are trained to employ the Transitions to Success® care model and utilize the Arizona Self-Sufficiency Matrix. Partners also centralize information, access client data, track client progress, and make/receive referrals through CoactionNet (a local, shared, web-based database).

Click here to view a downloadable PDF list of Driving the Dream™ partner agencies.

2Gen for Tennessee

Driving The Dream™ is aligned with the two‐generation (“2Gen”) whole family service delivery model that has been implemented within the Tennessee Department of Human Services. Known as ‘2Gen for Tennessee,’ this approach is consistent with the 2Gen service delivery model, which focuses on creating opportunities for and addressing the needs of both adults and the children in their lives together. The 2Gen approach recognizes that families come in all different shapes and sizes and that families define themselves. Our goal is to implement the 2Gen framework within the DTD partner agencies client intake and service delivery model, where all DTD programs are aligned and in synch – ensuring 2Gen tactics are applied when working with all customers in all aspects of case management and service delivery.

This project is funded under a Grant Contract with the State of Tennessee.

How it works and the expected impact

United Way estimates roughly 20,000 people in poverty can be promptly impacted by Driving The Dream in its early stages if we receive the support we need from donors, grantors, and other sources of philanthropy.

A coalition of local businesses who are all focused on investing in innovative poverty reduction solutions and economic growth strategies will create opportunities for us all. That means nearly 10% of Mid-Southerners in poverty can receive support now, and be connected to resources and opportunities to free them from generational cycles of poverty.

Families and individuals in poverty work with the Driving The Dream providers to create a “map of their dreams,” charting the order of steps, programs, and services necessary to help escape poverty and live the life of their dreams.

Leadership - System Advisory Team

Driving the Dream is guided by the System Advisory Team, which is comprised of leaders from the local health and humans services sector. This guiding body was established to inform and influence system level practice and policy with the goal of addressing structural inequity that has perpetuated poverty in Memphis/Shelby County.

The DTD mission is to foster a DTD 2Gen community of practice where the people we serve are hopeful, resilient, and self‐sufficient.

Care Coordination Hubs

DTD Care Coordination Hubs are agencies in the network that employ care coordinators. These Care Coordinators work with individuals to create the “Map of My Dreams” (care plan), refer families to appropriate services, and provide overall service coordination, coaching and support. The Hubs are housed at partner agency sites alongside their core programs, which increases access and eases stress for families seeking DTD services. The 2021 Care Coordination Hub partner agencies are Communities In Schools of Memphis (CIS Memphis), and Church Health.

Referral Network Partner Agencies

The DTD Referral Partner network is comprised of human services agencies that agree to adhere to DTD guiding principles, adopt a common referral platform, participate in an enhanced online shared customer data system, and follow formalized policies and procedures for customer referrals and warm hand‐offs. Their primary responsibilities include informing individuals of services available at the Hubs, referring appropriate individuals to the Hubs, referring individuals to other DTD Referral Partners, and accepting eligible individuals referred through the DTD network.

Outreach and Education Partner Agencies

Outreach and Education service partners actively reach out to individuals who could potentially benefit from Driving The Dream™, educate individuals about DTD and related resources, and connect individuals to a Care Coordination provider. Partners include agencies that frequently interface with clients, such as government agencies providing benefits or direct client services, 2‐1‐1, hospitals, childcare providers, schools, first responders, crisis centers, outreach coalitions, etc.