About Us
After working in social services for more than 20 years, Maurice Lim Miller was challenged by then-Mayor of Oakland Jerry Brown to create something new: something that instead of assuring jobs and stability to social workers and government bureaucrats would assure jobs and security for the low-income families these professionals seek to help.
After reflecting on his own family’s story of climbing out of poverty he researched the histories of immigrant, migrant, and indigenous communities in the United States who managed to move from intense poverty to a more stable middle-class standing. The common thread was that people turned to family and friends, pooled resources, and followed the example of those in their circle that began to succeed. The Family Independence Initiative (FII) is based on this premise: mutuality and self-determination are key in achieving self-sufficiency.
FII strongly believes that this country can reduce poverty by helping very low-income working families move to a more stable middle class status if we shift the responsibility and resources for change to the very families most antipoverty programs target. Pilot project in Hawaii, Oakland, and San Francisco convincingly demonstrate the power of self-determination and mutuality.
To accomplish our mission, FII has four strategic initiatives:
- Communication: Share the lessons FII has learned from the families by utilizing social networks, technology, and media.
- Demonstration sites: Engage low-income families in various parts of the country to demonstrate the large capacity of families to help themselves and others.
- Movement building: Encourage and assist families in self organize to take control of the change process in their lives and their communities.
- Key spokespeople: Identify those in positions of influence who support FII and utilize their support to change funding, policies, and practices to benefit self-determination in low-income communities.
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