Kalamazoo residents give to those in need year-round

From Jeff Barr of the Kalamazoo Gazette:

KALAMAZOO — Examples of Kalamazoo Gazette readers lending a hand to those in need are as plentiful as they are generous.

In the past six weeks, there have been three such gifts after stories appeared in the Gazette, and many more before that.

Last week was such an instance. A response came after a Sunday column profiled the plight of Michelle, a woman walking in the bitter cold who had missed the last bus of the night after Christmas shopping for her children.

Details of Michelle’s optimistic smile despite her tenuous financial condition touched a heart. A local dentist reached out with a $100 bill that made it into Michelle’s hands.

Another example came just before Thanksgiving, after a Gazette column told the tale of Kevin Whitfield. The resident of Kalamazoo’s east side wakes up at 3:30 a.m. five days a week and walks an hour to catch a Ministry With Community shuttle to a temp agency in hope of finding day work.

Soon after the column appeared, a $25 money order arrived for Whitfield. Another call offered a new bike and a lock; another reader gave a holiday food basket.

In the past few years, dozens of residents have responded with various gifts after reading Gazette stories.

A few examples: A $300 check arrived for a man who couldn’t fill up his oil tank; donations poured in to completely renovate the bathroom of a woman with multiple sclerosis after a contractor collected money and didn’t complete the work; more than 90 respondents donated to a cerebral palsy victim who couldn’t afford summer camp; a bike was given to a mentally challenged girl who had hers stolen.

These are a few of the generous examples of which we are aware. Undoubtedly, there are anonymous gifts that are given quietly and without notice.

It is true that the holidays are a season of giving. But in Kalamazoo, it goes on year-round.

Local charities offer ways to give something different for Christmas

Rebecca Bakken of the Kalamazoo Gazette offers a few alternatives to traditional gift giving in favor of donating money to a charity:

For those looking to avoid the malls for last-minute shopping, giving the gift of charity can help forgo stress for the gift-giver as well as for some of the less fortunate people in the Kalamazoo area.

• Open Door Next Door Shelters: Employees can process donations and give cards for gift recipients until Christmas Day. Call (269) 343-6064.
• Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity: Alternative gifts can be bought at any time at www.habitatkalamazoo.org. Gift givers can also call (269) 344-2443 or visit their offices at 534 E. Kalamazoo Ave. until 3 p.m. on Dec. 24.
• Ministry with Community: Alternative gift buyers can visit the shelter to donate and receive a card from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. any day, including Christmas.

Area charities are making it easy for people to reject traditional gift giving in favor of donating money in a friend or a loved one’s name to help provide basic needs for those who are less fortunate.

“It can be a very satisfying way to give and even receive a Christmas gift. Even a small amount can make a big difference,” said Rick Stravers, executive director of Open Door Next Door Shelters.

The organization is dedicated to helping young homeless people acquire permanent housing and maintain employment and sober living.

Stravers said $10 can provide a resident with food for one guest. He said $30 can pay for 10 days of job hunting on a city bus and $16 can provide heat and electricity to an entire shelter for one day.

Those who donate will receive a card to give to the gift recipient, stating that a donation has been made in their name, Stravers said. Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity and Ministry with Community also provide cards so the gift-giver has something to present.

Donating money to Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity can help purchase tools, lumber and fixtures so the organization can continue to build homes for people in Kalamazoo.

“We do promote giving to Habitat as a way to honor someone’s service or memory, birthday, Father’s Day — any holiday — and people do that pretty regularly,” said Ann Kilkuskie, development coordinator.

Twenty dollars can buy four boxes of nails that will help hold together someone’s future home, $35 can buy shingles to put a roof over a child’s head and $150 can buy the door to a struggling individual’s first home.

At Ministry with Community, people who are homeless or have fallen on hard times can receive breakfast and lunch, do their laundry and receive counseling with a social worker, among many other things, all free of charge. Its alternative gift-giving program is called Giving Tree.

Rob Oakleaf, deputy director, said he started giving alternative gifts to those on his list after hearing that his mother was doing the same through Heifer International, a group that allows people to purchase cows and other animals so people in developing nations can eat and achieve a sustainable lifestyle.

“I do it for my family every year. I don’t think anybody else needs another iPod,” Oakleaf said.
For $25, a person trying to get their life together can visit with a social worker for one hour, while $50 can help a person have clean laundry for a year. One hundred dollars will buy work clothes, boots and transportation for a person willing to work but lacking the means.

“The response (to Giving Tree) has been modest but growing,” Oakleaf said.

Heidi Bryant, missions elder at the First Presbyterian Church of Richland, said the church holds an alternative gift market every year around Thanksgiving and during Wassailing in Richland in early December, raising money for several area missions.

This year the church raised $2,600 for organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Ministry with Community and Open Door Next Door Shelters, among others.

“We all have the parents and grandparents that just don’t need another nick-nack,” Bryant said

Read the full story from the Kalamazoo Gazette

Over 200 show up to hear about Kalamazoo RCAR Program

Last night over 200 residents attended an information session about Road Construction Apprenticeship Readiness (RCAR) program in Kalamazoo.

The RCAR program is a 9-week paid training program offers training and jobs skills in the construction industry. RCAR will accept 15 applicants in 2010 who represent racial minorities, women and low-income individuals.

These applicants will be given the tools and skills to be successful in a road construction career. The training in this program also helps prepare these applicants for the realities of working in the construction field.

Chad Miller speaks to the group about some of the realities of working in the construction industry in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNCLZwr58cE





To learn more about RCAR, visit http://www.haltpoverty.org/rcar

Kalamazoo churches to leave homeless ministry over sexuality conflict

According to the Kalamazoo Gazette:

"Theological disagreements over homosexuality are causing a divide within a downtown ministry that serves the poor, homeless and lonely.

Martha’s Table, through which eight churches have provided Sunday afternoon worship and meals for the needy at First Congregational Church, is losing three of the churches because of the issue of homosexuality, even though the ecumenical ministry takes no position on it, said the Rev. Matt Laney, pastor of First Congregational.

Agape Christian Church and Word for Life Church of God plan to withdraw from Martha’s Table at the end of the year, and Centerpoint Church (formerly Third Reformed Church) has already done so, Laney said.

“The founding principle of Martha’s Table was that churches would come together and put aside their differences in light of what unites us, which is our common commitment to serve Christ and others,” Laney said. “But now this difference has risen above our common commitment to serving Christ.”

Laney said representatives of all three churches have been “very clear” that they don’t want to be “guilty by association” with First Congregational and its inclusiveness of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, said Laney, who publicly supported an ordinance passed by Kalamazoo voters in November that protects GLBT people from discrimination in housing, jobs and accommodations.

“To me, it’s incredibly disappointing,” Laney said. “That’s the best word I can give it. It’s also mystifying. I was very shocked and surprised when they pulled out.”

The man who came up with the vision for Martha’s Table — Jeff McNally, pastor of Word for Life and owner of McNally’s Kitchen, which provided most of the meals — declined to comment on the reasons for his withdrawal from the ministry that began in 2007.

“I would just as soon let it go,” he said. “We are just pulling out. That’s all. ... We would just as soon take a position of silence.”

But Ron Vestrand, senior pastor of Agape Christian Church, said it was conversations with McNally that led to his church withdrawing from Martha’s Table.

“As time went on, Pastor McNally was becoming concerned with Pastor Matt Laney’s stand on homosexuality. I believe it was causing some disunity. ... I think the primary issue was that we felt that Matt’s stance on homosexuality as a valid Christian lifestyle violated our biblical worldview.”

Read More

Rev. Matt Laney, left, and Jeff McNally pose at Laney’s First Congregational Church.

Allegan County grant helps create program for low-income pregnant women

An Allegan County Grant will focus on opening an Early On Head Start Center in Plainwell and creating program openings to enroll kids in existing daycare centers. Program officials also will work with the Even Start program, which offers low-income parents of young children the opportunity to earn their high school degree.


The two-year program annually will provide services to 78 pregnant women and children from birth to 3 years old, said Cathy Weirick Farnsworth, assistant director of Allegan County Resource Development Committee. The services range from child care to early-education for infants and toddlers.

The federal grant is one of 600 awarded nationwide through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Congratulations to our partner Cathy Farnsworth in Allegan on her work towards this project.

Read the full story here

Making the Neighborhood Family: Kalamazoo's Peace House

National NPR reporter Kyle Norris covered a story on the Kalamazoo Peace House, which is located on Phelps street on the Eastside Neighborhood. Jerry Berrigan, Molly Mechtenberg, and Mike and Jen DeWaele combined their efforts to merge two neighborhood houses into the "Peace House." The DeWaeles are Quakers, whereas Molly Mechtenberg and Jerry Berrigan are Catholic Workers.

From the Article:
(Listen to the report)

The couples have devoted their lives to building community and helping poor and underserved people and they picked the Eastside because it was one of the most underserved areas of Kalamazoo.

All four adults run The Peace House, which is actually two houses. The couples raised $60,000 from family and friends and got a $20,000 grant from the congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Kalamazoo. They used the money to help buy the two old houses.


They're focusing their efforts on helping local kids. Each day after school, the Peace House provides tutoring for kids. Peace House regularly throws barbeques and parties and bike repair workshops. This summer, Peace House hauled-out decades of trash from the backyard, then built a huge jungle gym and a garden.

Both Quakerism and the Catholic Worker movement encourage simple living. The two families live without cable and cell phones, and for Jerry Berrigan, without health insurance. They grow a lot of their food, and cook and eat their meals together at the table

he Catholic Worker movement started in the Great Depression. There are about two-hundred houses world-wide. Michigan has Catholic Worker houses in Detroit, Saginaw and this one in Kalamazoo.

One of the goals of the movement is to help the poorest of the poor by living with them and serving them. Berrigan says he, and the Catholic Worker movement, find inspiration in faith.

"If we take seriously the notion that God is our parent, then we have to take seriously, maybe even literally the notion that we are kin to each other. And that that should actually mean something, that we should try to treat each other that way."

Berrigan says living this way is a small, modest, meaningful alternative to the huge issues of poverty and war and starvation.

Tonya Pratt has lived in the neighborhood for thirteen years and her kids love hanging out at Peace House. She says Peace House has made a big difference in the neighborhood.

"They try to get the neighborhood as a whole. They want the neighborhood to just be one person, just not everybody as just neighbors, they just want to be a big family I don't know of they've got a big family or not but I take it as they my family."

Pratt says if you go over just a few blocks, there are fights and drugs and problems. But she says this block is quiet and calm, because of Peace House. She also says people at the Peace House helped her talk through a problem she was having with another neighbor, and they helped her find a peaceful solution.

The four adults who own Peace House say they're not really the owners. They say they're caregivers. Right now they're trying to figure out the legal work involved in turning PH over to the neighborhood.

It’s Time for a Better Poverty Measure

The way we measure poverty is critical in determining both our understanding of what poverty is and what resources and methods we use to combat it. The current poverty measure is an outdated reference on what poverty was in 1960's and does not give a clear insight into the struggles that those in poverty face today.

The current poverty measure was based off of a 1960's agricultural report that stated food comprised about one-third of a person's budget. So the poverty measure is basically the cost of the lowest cost nutritional diet multiplied by three. Today we know that food only consists of about one-sixth of a person's budget, juxtaposed to the costs of rent, transportation and healthcare which have skyrocked since the 1960's. The poverty measure also does not take into consideration resources such as tax credits and food stamps.

Where is in one way it understates the poverty level by not providing an accurate budget-cost analysis, it also overstates poverty by neglecting to include the many resources families receive that allow them to operate on a functional level above poverty.

The National Academy of Sciences recommends that there should be a logical relationship between how poverty thresholds are constructed and resource-counting rules. Specifically they suggest:

• Poverty thresholds should be calculated by using current data about how much families actually spend on food, clothing, and shelter, with an adjustment for “a little more.” Operationally, the NAS panel recommended using an amount somewhere between the 30th to 35th percentile of family costs as measured in the Consumer Expenditure Survey, along with a multiplier of 15 to 25 percent for other necessary expenses.
• Thresholds should vary geographically to reflect variations in the costs of meeting the needs in the thresholds.
• All resources available to meet the needs in the thresholds should be counted, including tax credits, food stamps, the value of subsidized housing, and other benefits that can meet those needs.
• Funds that are not available to meet the needs in the thresholds—because they are used to meet tax liabilities, pay child support, or pay out-of-pocket medical costs or work-related expenses—should not be counted as resources.

How exactly would these new measures affect the poverty thresholds?

• Poverty thresholds would be higher than under the current measure. For example, in 2007, the official poverty threshold for a two-parent, two-child family was $21,027. For that year, according to the Census Bureau, an NAS-style threshold would have been in the range of $23,465 to $27,744, depending on how home mortgage principal and medical costs were treated. In New York City, the threshold for a family of four calculated under an NAS approach was $26,138 in 2006, as compared with the official threshold of $20,444.
• Poverty rates would be higher. In 2007 the official rate was 12.5 percent, but the census experimental work suggested that the poverty rate would have been in the range of 15.1 to 16 percent under the approaches most similar to the NAS recommendations. Under New York City’s calculations, the poverty rate for the city would have been 23 percent in 2006 under an NAS approach, versus 18 percent under the official measure.
• Elderly poverty would go up. How much it would go up would particularly depend on how households without mortgage costs were treated, but it seems clear that elderly poverty would rise, both because thresholds were increased and because medical expenses were given consideration.
• Extreme poverty—having an income below 50 percent of the poverty line—would go down, because the measure would count noncash benefits such as SNAP and housing assistance.
• Immigrant poverty would likely go up because of the higher thresholds and counting of work expenses, and because immigrant households are less likely to participate in some of the counted benefits programs than are other comparably poor households.
• Poverty would likely go up in high-cost urban areas relative to other areas, all else being equal, though it doesn’t follow that poverty rates would necessarily go down in other areas, given the NAS thresholds and resource-counting rules.

The Measuring American Poverty Act’s approach

The Measuring American Poverty Act, introduced by Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) in the House and Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) in the Senate, would direct the Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics to adopt a “modern” measure of poverty drawing from the recommendations of the NAS. Among the bill’s key provisions:

• Thresholds: The Census Bureau and BLS would be required to adopt thresholds along the lines recommended by the NAS. The bill would also provide for geographic variation, and provide authority to further develop the thresholds to better reflect the needs of children, including young children. The bill would provide for lower thresholds for households owning their homes free and clear, and authorize additional threshold development for other subgroups if reliable data indicated substantial variation in the amounts of money needed by the subgroups to purchase similar quality shelter.
• Resources: The bill would adopt the NAS approach of counting tax credits, noncash benefits such as food stamps, and housing subsidies if they are available to households to meet the needs in the thresholds. At the same time, per the NAS, the bill would provide for subtracting expenditures for health care, necessary work-related expenses, and child support paid.
• The historical measure: The bill would treat the current official poverty measure as the “historical” measure, and require that calculation and reporting of poverty rates should be done for both the modern and historical measure.
• Use of the new measure: The bill would specify that adoption of the modern measure would have no automatic effects on program funding formulas or eligibility rules that currently use the official poverty measure. Instead, Congress could over time make whatever adjustments it considered appropriate on a program-by-program basis.
• Decent Living Standards and Medical Care Risk Measure: The bill would direct that new National Academy of Sciences panels make recommendations for Decent Living Standards and Medical Care Risk measures. The Decent Living Standard would be defined as “the amount of annual income that would allow an individual to live at a safe and decent, but modest, standard of living,” that is, an amount intended to be above that of the poverty thresholds. The Medical Care Risk measure would calculate the extent to which individuals are at risk of being unable to afford needed medical treatment, services, goods, and care, taking into account both uninsured and underinsured statuses.
• Calculation of relative measure: While the bill would not mandate reporting of relative poverty measures using percentages of median income, it would require that public online tools be made available to allow members of the public to calculate poverty using alternative approaches, including calculations based on 50 and 60 percent of median income

Invisible People: Video blog shows faces of the homeless

A blog called Invisible People demonstrates the faces and voices of the homeless all across the United States. Its use of personal video interviews really demonstrates the power of the narrative in creating empathy with those who have lost their places of habitation.

Lori and Savanna from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.

Words from the Author of the blog:

I once heard a story about a homeless man on Hollywood Blvd who really thought he was invisible. But one day a kid handed the man a Christian pamphlet. The homeless guy was shocked and amazed, “what! You can see me? How can you see me? I’m invisible!”

It isn’t hard to comprehend this man’s slow spiral into invisibility. Once on the street, people started to walk past him, ignoring him as if he didn’t exist… much like they do a piece of trash on the sidewalk. It’s not that people are bad, but if we make eye contact, or engage in conversation, then we have to admit they exist and that we might have a basic human need to care. But it’s so much easier to simply close our eyes and shield our hearts to their existence.

I not only feel their pain, I truly know their pain. I lived their pain. You’d never know it now but I was a homeless person. Fourteen years ago, I lived on Hollywood Blvd. But today, I find myself looking away, ignoring the faces, avoiding their eyes — and I’m ashamed when I realize I’m doing it. But I really can feel their pain, and it is almost unbearable, but it’s just under the surface of my professional exterior.

For years I’ve used the lens of a television camera to tell the stories of homelessness and the organizations trying to help. That was part of my job. The reports were produced well and told a story, but the stories you see on this site are much different. These are the real people, telling their own, very real stories… unedited, uncensored and raw.

The purpose of this vlog is to make the invisible visible. I hope these people and their stories connect with you and don’t let go. I hope their conversations with me will start a conversation in your circle of friends.

After you get to know someone by watching their story, please pause for a few moments and write your thoughts in the comments section, or maybe email them to a friend and link back to this vlog . By keeping this dialog open we can help a forgotten people.

The invisible guy didn’t intend to become homeless. I didn’t plan on living on the street. Everyone on the streets has their own story, some made bad decisions, others were victims, but none of them deserve what they have been left with, and it is a reflection of our own society that we just leave them there.

Please always remember, the homeless people you’ll ignore today were much like you not so long ago.

Kalamazoo's Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week in Review

The week before Thanksgiving, a partnership of over 20 organizations led by the Poverty Reduction Initiative and the Affordable Housing Partnership presented Kalamazoo's Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week to bring light to these issues before the Holiday.

Though Kalamazoo had hosted the week in the past, this year was significant because of the scale of the amount of events and partners involved. In fact, it received praise from the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness Director Jason Weller as one of the most ambitious plans in the state of Michigan.

So what can we take from this week that will help us in coordinating events such as this in the future? I want to look into a few of the particular areas where the week succeeded, as well as others where it could improve upon in future.

Scale of Events
Pro's
One of the greatest successes of the week was the number and variety of events that were coordinated throughout Kalamazoo. The week boasted tours of multiple shelters, a poverty simulation, a candlelight vigil and a film fundraising event. It gave residents a variety of events to participate in and become engaged. Events such as the poverty simulation, candlelight vigil and film boasted strong attendance and proved a worth while experience.

Con's
From what I've been hearing, many shelter tours saw poor and/or limited attendance during their time slot. Was this a lack of awareness on part of the organizations or simply a lack of interest in the public? It probably depends upon the event. Each organization was responsible for promoted their own event, and several may have simply not grasped that point.

In addition, there was a disconnect with events hosted by the Habitat For Humanity Student Group at Western Michigan University. Instead of having a synergy with this group and incorporating them to the week, they planned their own events without any communication to other organizations participating. This can probably be attributed to a lack of awareness of both PRI/AHP and the student group.

Media Coverage
Pro's
The press conference attracted several strong media outlets, including reporters from Channel 8, WKZO and WMUK who composed stories on the event. Channel 3 also also aired a story leading up to the week. The Kalamazoo Gazette promoted specific items in its events section.

Con's
As a whole, the media failed a presenting the week as a whole. The Kalamazoo Gazette chose to cover regurgitated stories on the arena plans rather than to do an article highlighting the week. They did have a reporter continue a story on the poverty simulation, but it would have been effective to have had a story on the entire week. The Media did not show up to specific events during the week.

Fundriasing
Pro's
The film "Where God Left His Shoes" raised a net amount of close to $2000 that will be split between the Poverty Reduction Initiative and Affordable Housing Partnership. The Poverty Simulation also attracted close to 40 participant of who each paid a donation fee. We do not have the numbers for the canned drive or any other donation appeals.

Summary
For being the first time that our community hosted such a large scale awareness week, I would say that there is much to be proud of. The number of events, organizations and volunteers that participated showed high potential of what a community can do when motivated. It was a strong start of which we can improve upon next November. If anything, it rallied a core group of citizens who cared about these issues in Kalamazoo and gave potential for expansion in the future.

Thank you to all the organizations and individuals who participated. We look forward to our continued work in raising awareness in the future.

Alleviating Poverty in Michigan

The Commission for Community Action and Economic Opportunity has issued its long awaited report to Governor Granholm and the Michigan Legislature. The Commision which held a series of Community Forums in 2007 and 2008 and was a co-sponsor of the State Poverty Summit summarized the common threads in the Executive Summary:

Frustration: Negative, blaming or overwhlemed systems and/or caseworkers often lead to clients feeling judged and shamed. The inabiility to provide personalized customer service only compounds the challenges faced by people...

Disconnection: Disparate anti-poverty efforts among state agencies and other organizations lack a shared vision and coordinated apporach. This leaves significant gaps in services...

Over-regulation: Eligibility and other requirements-particularly more restrictive regulations-are confusing, difficult to meet, contradictory, and/or poorly explained...

Access: People frequently lack transportaion to services, as well as crucial information about what help is available...

Program shape and delivery: Services offered should reflect what is actually needed, allowing for innovative responses...

Allienation: People living in poverty are the experts on this experience, and-rather than being alienated by the system-they need to be consistently and wholly involved in the process of fixing problems...

Read the whole report at: www.michigan.gov/dhs/0,1607,7-124-5460_41977---,00.html. Go to the bottom of the page for the PDF.

New Berrien Mental Health Court aims to reduce recidivism

A Mental Health Court in Berrien County which opened last January is one of nine in the state funded as pilot projects by the State Court Administrative Office. It deals with underlying mental illnesses that can keep people like Amanda enmeshed in the criminal justice system.

From the Herald Palladium:

The new court is set up to solve problems by bringing together prosecutors, probation officers and mental health professionals. They work as a team to help people convicted of crimes who have certain diagnosed mental illnesses, emotional disturbances or developmental disabilities.

The case load is small, currently 10 people, but the problems are complex, and working out solutions is a time-consuming process.

"These are challenging people," said Berrien County Trial Court Judge Angela Pasula, who oversees the program with Chief Judge Alfred Butzbaugh.

Mentally ill people can have a range of other problems - from unemployment, homelessness and lack of family support to poor physical condition and drug or alcohol problems.

"Some of these people literally don't have a place to go," Pasula said.


The new court aims to stabilize and improve the social functioning of mentally ill people convicted of felony or misdemeanor offenses.

Accomplishing those goals can mean a better qualify of life for those involved, improve public safety and reduce recidivism, officials say.

Read more

Kalamazoo's Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week Media Coverage

Today is the press conference for Kalamazoo's Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. News coverage should be airing on multiple media outlets within the next few days. Here is WWMT 3's TV coverage leading up the conference:

http://video.wwmt.com/m/27366090/homeless-numbers-grow.htm

Study: Michigan crumbles under outdated tax system

From the Detroit Free Press:

California’s state finances are awful, but Michigan is among nine other states that aren’t far behind the Golden State in economic trauma, according to a new study.

The shock waves of the domestic auto industry’s decline, home foreclosures and persistent state deficits could last for decades, according to the Pew Center on the States.

The report quoted Donald Grimes, a University of Michigan senior research specialist, saying he expects new data this year will show Michigan is among the nation’s 10 poorest states.

If Michigan’s economy suddenly grew at the rate it did during the prosperous 1990s, it would be 2025 or 2030 before it recovered all the jobs it’s lost in the past decade, said Susan Urahn, managing director for the Pew Center on the States.

“Michigan is essentially adjusting to a new normal, where the state may just have to deal with a permanent set of pared-back services,” she said. “It is simply not one of the most prosperous states anymore.”

The report says Michigan’s population is becoming older and less affluent, and its outmoded tax system can’t support state government.

Generous tax exemptions for retirees and businesses, and the exclusion of services from sales taxes, are two reasons for persistent state deficits, according to the report.

Couples can receive up to $110,000 in pension and other retirement income without paying anything to the state.

“In 20 years, we’re going to look like Florida does now if the demographic trends continues and no one’s going to be paying taxes except those that are working,” Mitch Bean, director of the nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency, told Pew researchers.

Last year, the state offered $6.3 billion more in business tax breaks than it collected in taxes.

“Left with few options, Michigan is being forced to diversify its economy and confront long-neglected structural imbalances in its budget under some of the most unfavorable conditions since World War II,” the report says. “The beleaguered state is adjusting to a new normal.”

To balance its budget over the past decade, Michigan has relied on $8 billion in onetime fixes, not including the billions of dollars it received in federal stimulus money this year, the report concluded.

Joining Michigan and California on the Pew Center’s list of fiscally endangered states are Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.

Those states share, to varying degrees, these four troubling traits:

• Economies too reliant on single industries, such as the auto industry for Michigan.

• Persistent gaps between state spending and tax revenues.

• Limited ability to raise taxes or reduce spending.

• Inability to enact long-term fiscal reforms.

The report says the 10 states’ financial woes could result in higher taxes, layoffs, longer waits for public services, crowded classrooms, higher college tuition and less support for unemployed and poor people.

Because those states account for one-third of the U.S. population, their actions to either raise taxes or cut spending could slow the nation’s economic recovery, the report says.

The report comes on the heels of more budget tumult for Michigan. A finished 2009-10 budget is still under debate, with Gov. Jennifer Granholm locked in a bitter feud with Senate Republicans over additional tax revenues to stave off major cuts in state aid to schools.

The Pew assessment is no surprise to state finance officials. A new Senate Fiscal Agency report says tax revenues to run the state and public schools are nearly 13% less than a year ago (from November 2008 to October 2009).

September marked the ninth straight month in which tax collections were lower than previous year levels.

Precipitous drops in state aid to cities and schools have rekindled talk in Lansing of overhauling Michigan’s tax system.

Bean told the Pew researchers: “Even if we can straighten out our tax code some, I see no way around a dramatic change in government at all levels in Michigan. There’s going to be fewer services.”

New neighbors in the Historic Stuart Neighborhood

A particular relevant story was just released that really struck home for me. This Wednesday the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a house on Elm St. will commence at 1pm that will house low-income and (soon-to-be) formerly homeless persons.

Elm St. is one of the several streets that comprise the historic Stuart district, of which I am a resident. I have watched the reconstruction of this home occur over the last half a year and I am excited finally see it in use.

I drive past the house at least once a day, as it is within a couple minute walking distance from my home. It is a constant reminder to me of the successful, positive work that our community can achieve with collaboration.

Some tidbits from the Kalamazoo Gazette Article:

"VanDam & Krusinga Building and Restoration was the general contractor for the project, which involved essentially gutting the structure and replacing windows, doors, cabinets and interior trim. Work also included painting, landscaping, rebuilding the porch, making the entrance accessible to people with disabilities and providing parking.

The Elm Street project is the first to be completed with the aid of a $500,000 award from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. That grant supplements housing-trust funds contributed by both the city of Kalamazoo and Kalamazoo County.

Ten of the single-person, efficiency units will be for low-income people with disabilities who will pay no more than 30 percent of their monthly incomes for rent and utilities. The remaining one-bedroom unit was planned to house an on-site, resident manager to provide support for the tenants.

The project is part of Kalamazoo County’s 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness, which calls for “reduced dependence” on shelters and increased emphasis on affordable, permanent housing that comes with appropriate support services."

Michigan DHS Caseworkers overburdened by demand of needy

According the Associated Press:

State social workers struggling with mounting welfare, food stamp and Medicaid caseloads said Wednesday they fear for their lives after being assaulted or threatened by recipients frustrated by delays in state aid.

Employees of the Department of Human Services said at a legislative hearing that they are overwhelmed with bulging caseloads and people seeking help are taking out their frustration on innocent workers. The employees said local DHS offices are packed because there are not enough workers to deal with the influx of cases as Michigan's unemployment rises.

"We need to help these families," said Jan Brown, who works in the Berrien County office. "They are families that need us. There are families who meet us saying, 'I never thought I'd walk into this office.'"

Brown was one of seven caseworkers to testify before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Human Services.

DHS administrators did not dispute much of the testimony, though they stressed they take employees' safety seriously. They said the state's estimated 8,500 field caseworkers need more help. At least 700 more staffers need to be hired, said Terry Salacina, director of field operations. But that will be a challenge because Michigan has been cutting state government to deal with multibillion-dollar budget deficits.

Wayne County eligibility specialist Colette Gilewicz said she has more than 800 cases and handles 100 phone calls a day. She said a line forms outside her office in northeast Detroit at 7 a.m., an hour before the building opens.

Gilewicz said a client frustrated by the long wait threw a chunk of concrete through a window. The office has been broken into three times. The computer server was stolen for scrap metal.

Gilewicz said she is seeing an increasingly large number of former middle-class workers who were laid off from small auto-related factories and tool and die shops.

"Now at age 55 or 60, they're entering the system for the first time," she said. "They simply don't know what to do and where to turn."

DHS spokesman Edward Woods III said 2.2 million people, or more than 20 percent of Michigan's residents, get some type of government assistance — 400,000 more than a year ago.

Kalamazoo to vote on Metro Transit Tax on Tuesday Nov. 3

For many, the Metro Transit system is the only means of transportation to one's job, services and needs. Please consider the implications of a failed transportation system on our community. If people cannot travel to their jobs, it would only worsen the economic state of our community.

On Tuesday November 3rd, Kalamazoo city voters will decide whether to approve 0.6 mill to pay for Metro Transit for three years. If approved, the property tax would cost the owner of a $150,000 market-value home about $45 per year.

Officials estimate the levy would generate $1 million annually to pay for the Metro Transit service within the city of Kalamazoo. It would allow for continuation of the current level of service; riders would not see bus hours or routes expand, said Bill Schomisch, Metro Transit’s executive director.

City voters are being asked to pay for the remaining portion of the county’s public transportation system: the 18 bus routes that run in the city of Kalamazoo.

So get out there and vote yes tomorrow!

Public Option regaining some momentum

The New York Times recent report about the new public option bill that is being proposed by Senator Harry Reid:

WASHINGTON — The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, sided with his party’s liberals on Monday and announced that he would include a government-run insurance plan in health care legislation that he plans to take to the Senate floor within a few weeks.

His proposal came with an escape hatch: A state could refuse to participate in the public insurance plan by adopting a law to opt out. Even so, the announcement was a turning point in the debate over how much of a role government should play in an overhauled health care system, and it set the stage for a test of Democratic party unity.

With Republicans united for now in opposition to any bill including a public option, Mr. Reid needs support from all members of his caucus — 58 Democrats and two independents — to take up the legislation. Aides said Monday that he appeared to be short of that goal, lacking firm commitments from several members of the caucus.

The idea of state's electing to accept or deny the option is an interesting concept. Would it push some of these "Blue Dogs" to vote for the bill? I am not sure I am completely convinced yet.

Blogger Nate Silver of fivethirtyeight.com offers some insight on the recent developments around the Health Care bill:

The first surprise is that Reid is showing some backbone. I don't think this move is quite as risky as it looks, because Reid has some wiggle room before he passes the point of no return. But Harry Reid does not generally have a reputation as a risk-taker, even in small doses. A nontrivial factor is that he's literally gone overnight from being a goat to a hero in the progressive blogger/activist community, something that could pay dividends when he's seeking cash and volunteers for what will be a very tough re-election campaign. Save perhaps for Alex Rodriguez, nobody has done more in the last month to resuscitate their image with their fan base.

The second surprise is that this happened without much explicit support from the White House.

The third surprise is the way that Democrats regrouped after the turmoil of August. The President's speech on September 9th was a major and -- in my opinion -- still somewhat underrated factor in this. But also: the tea party/town hall movement that dominated the headlines in August is at this stage somewhat immature, with a lot of sound and fury but not so much focus -- sort of where liberals were at in 2002/03 before the failures of the Bush administration became more manifest. Whereas liberal activists have been focused on a laser like the public option, conservative activists have been distracted by ACORN, Van Jones, the NFL's conspiracy against Rush Limbaugh, and who-knows-what. Usually it's liberals who have amorphous, omnibus critiques of the government, and conservatives who bear down on specific policies; the polarity seems somewhat to have reversed.

The fourth surprise, less important than the first three, is that the usually very footsure insurance lobby undermined its credibility by putting out the wrong study at the wrong time, giving a gift to Democrats by making it easier for centrist Senators to distance themselves from them.

The fifth surprise is that the usually very prepared Olympia Snowe didn't do her homework on triggers, failing to flesh out the proposal to the point where it was ready for a floor vote, much less had gained credibility with the Democratic caucus. If Snowe had done more legwork on the trigger -- at least theoretically, there are manifestations of it that ought to have been relatively acceptable to progressives -- then we'd almost certainly be talking about a "hard" trigger versus a "soft" trigger, instead of opt-ins versus opt-outs.

With all that said, again, it is not yet time for progressives to be breaking out the champagne. The momentum for the public option could unravel, and could conceivably even take the whole project of health care reform with it. And the public option, particularly in its compromised form, is less of a game-changer than either wing seems to think.

But none of this would have been possible without the yeoman effort of a relatively small number of bloggers and activists -- they know who they are -- who were tired of taking "no" for an answer. They wanted this fight because of the paradigm-shifting implications it could have for how business gets done in the Democratic Party. And, somewhat to my surprise, they're having it.

It seems the next few months will determine whether the public option is included in a the bill for reforming healthcare. For many reform supporters, it is the essential piece in assuring that all American's have equal access to the medical supports they need.

Kalamazoo Gazette covers poverty simulation workshop

Western Michigan University simulation workshops raise awareness of poverty's ill effects on community

Kalamazoo Gazette - October 26th, 2009

Five Western Michigan University social-work students were put in the shoes of the fictional poverty-stricken Aber family on Oct. 19.

With one unemployed parent, a pregnant 16-year-old daughter and a nearly drained bank account, the family members had to figure out how to pay their bills, get to work and feed their other two small children, an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old, with their limited resources.

The students, along with about 40 other social-work students, were taking part in the Poverty Reduction Initiative’s Poverty Simulation Workshop to see what it is like to be an average family living in poverty.

The students were given packets of information about their new identities and had to make their way through a month of dealing with banks, social services and the police, among other agencies. The students dealt with volunteers playing the roles of people working at such sites.

The students posing as the Abers budgeted as they could with the information given to them. They went to a loan center where they had to take out a $50 loan with a 30 percent interest rate.

When Mrs. Aber was late getting to work because she was getting a transportation pass, her employer put her on probation. Meanwhile, Mr. Aber could get only $25 for a $100 stereo at a pawnshop and was given a notice that he had $500 in outstanding loans from a bank. The Aber children all came home from school that day with school-supply needs, and the family received a malnutrition warning because it had failed to get groceries.

“At the end, some are left in the hole and some maintain,” said Barbara Barton, assistant professor of social work at WMU.

Barton said this is the second time that social-work students have participated in the simulation at WMU, which helps them gain empathy and understanding.

“The people who think they know about poverty” are the ones who should take part in the simulation, Barton said.

Barton was asked by the Poverty Reduction Initiative to research the effects of the simulation.
She talked to 144 participants for six to nine months after their simulation experiences to see what impact the experiences had on them. Barton has finished the first phase of the evaluation — studying attitude change — and is in the process of evaluating the behavioral impact.

Barton had six groups of participants take questionnaires, before and after the simulation. The groups were asked whether they agree or disagree with statements including “People living in poverty do not value education” and “Poor people participate in illegal activities.”

Barton found that many of the participants had different opinions after the simulation and that virtually no people felt “undecided” about any of the statements after the simulation.

Maggie Hiatt, event coordinator for the Poverty Reduction Initiative, said the organization has conducted about 40 workshops during the past four years involving more than 2,000 people.

The volunteers who play roles such as the pawnshop owner, a police officer and Department of Human Services agents are all living in poverty or have experienced poverty, adding some realism to the workshop, Hiatt said.

“The most common outcomes are feelings of empathy and realizing that poverty isn’t something that happens to someone else. It can happen to anyone,” Hiatt said.

The Ark shelter programs offer youngsters and families hope

A recent article was published in the Kalamazoo Gazette about the Ark's programs for youngsters and teens.

The Ark is a program of Catholic Family Services but is not restricted to children of any particular religious belief. The facility is open to any troubled child, and it provides a safe shelter for runaway children in danger of becoming homeless.

The program assists youths through periods of transition and difficulty, perhaps when families are separated. It helps them develop independent-living skills and eventually become integrated into the community as productive participants.

Some snippets:

“I’ve been at The Ark for 14 days, and it has really helped me already,” said Ronee CQ Lee, 12, who credits the shelter’s counseling services for helping her to control anger and “not get an attitude so fast.”

“I get in fights with my mom, and I’m learning how to quit doing that so much. We get in big fights, and The Ark is helping me not to run away or to think I can’t fix the problem.”

“It’s a chance for kids to share positive thoughts about The Ark,” said Theresa Krieger, supervisor of the shelter. “We want them to have a good time, but this also is a chance for some exposure, to let other kids who may need our services or know kids who might need our services know that we are available and what kind of impact The Ark can make.”

“It is all about reunification of the families,” said Fran Denny, Catholic Family Services executive director. “It is so important for families and children going through tough times that there are options that can help them.

“Sometimes families feel as if there’s no place to turn. But there is a place. The Ark is that place.”

“Catholic Family Services is the only reason I’m where I am today,” said PepaCQ Smith, 20, who was on the streets at 14 and was pregnant with her second child before she was 18. “My caseworker still checks on me to this day, and I remember all the programs and counseling that helped me so much. ...

“I’m 17 credits short of an associate’s degree in psychology at KVCC, I have a clerical certificate and a business administrative certificate,” she said. “Things seemed so hopeless when I was a teenager, but now my mom and I have come to understand each other better. I have kids to raise, and I’m getting better-equipped to raise them.”

The Ark is one of the organizations featured in this year's Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. They will be providing a tour of their shelter on Friday, November 20th from 12pm - 3pm. To see PDF featuring a full calendar of events, click here.

Read the full article from the Kalamazoo Gazette here.

Half West Michigan's 13,332 homeless residents are without housing for the first time

An article from the Grand Rapids Press focuses on the increasing growing homeless population in West Michigan, of which at least 50% are completely new to the experience.

Some highlights:

• According to the GR Press, Nearly half of those seeking help are homeless for the first time, records show. And most work at steady jobs — often at two or three.

• Last year’s count was up nearly 11 percent from the year before, including a startling 50 percent rise in the lakeshore counties, according to the Michigan State Homeless Management Information System, a program aimed at better assessing how many are without a residence.

• In a state ranked fifth last year in homelessness, affecting 86,000 people, a coming wave of expiring unemployment benefits could compound that amount.

• Studies show it costs about $1,000 per person per month to keep people in temporary shelters. Subsudizing rent for a few months — or even helping with a single rent or mortgage payment— can be enough to turn the tide.

Really when it comes to these new homeless affected by the recent recession, it is not so much about mental problems or substance issues issues, as it is about simply not having the means to afford a rent each month. Housing is simply too expensive for those who must also fill a plethora of daily needs.

It is EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE to shelter people and often it can make them dependent on the services. Don't take that the wrong way - sheltering is necessary and very important. However, if we simply took more action to subsidize housing and rent for the low-income population, studies show that these recipients are more likely to remain in their homes and less likely to enter a shelter.

It's really makes businesses sense from a cost and moral point. Lets give people better lives, while reducing costs to the welfare system at the same time.

Stay tuned as we shift to Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week in Kalamazoo as well as other communities. Learn more at www.haltpoverty.org.

Read the full article here

Goodwill to host free career makeover seminars

Goodwill Industries of Southwestern Michigan – The Goodwill Career Academy is hosting the second of four FREE workshops its offering to job seekers in this community. “Beat the Odds and Get the Job - Presentation Counts” is a workshop designed around packaging yourself to impress an employer.

In this workshop job seekers will work on resume writing, cover letters, dressing to impress and proven techniques for an effective job search in this present economy. Attendees are asked to bring their current resume if available. The workshop, sponsored in part by the Radisson, will be held on Monday, October 19th. Both a morning and evening session are offered. The morning session will be from 9 AM – 12 Noon and the evening session will run from 6 PM – 9 PM.

“Beat the Odds and Get the Job” is the second of four independent workshops. Attendees of the first workshop gave rave reviews. One attendee said, “This was wonderful. I already feel my self esteem improving”. Other upcoming workshops are as follows:

Marketing “You” – Networking for Success!:

• October 26th - Learn how to leverage your personal and professional contacts to find a job.

The Art of the Interview:

• November 2nd - This workshop will focus on overcoming interview pitfalls and blunders.

Attendees are welcome to come to all the sessions or to the ones of most interest to them. Space is limited so those planning to attend are urged to reserve their space by calling (269) 382-0490 Ext. 286. Both morning and evening sessions will be held at the same times each Monday at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in downtown Kalamazoo.

Goodwill Industries of SWMI, a not-for-profit organization, provides education, training and employment services in Kalamazoo and the 8 counties in Southwestern Michigan. The revenue from its retail outlets and United Way funding assist in providing these services to the community.

Revisiting the Economic Bill of Rights

How close are we to achieving the rights that FDR outlined 65 years ago?



There are times in which to understand the present, we must look back into the past. In this video, Roosevelt outlines a second bill of economic rights:

"In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station, race, or creed.

Among these are:

• The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;
• The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;
• The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;
• The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;
• The right of every family to a decent home;
• The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;
• The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;
• The right to a good education.

All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.

America’s own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for our citizens."

We must ask ourselves after hearing this a few questions after hearing this:

1. How far have we come to securing these rights for our own people?
2. Are we plagued by the same forces that existed before?
3. What steps do we need to take to ensure every American has these rights guaranteed to them?

211 Up and Running for Branch County

According to the Daily Reporter, Branch County now has full access to the 2-1-1 help line, a comprehensive service directory which will help both low-income persons and residents simply in need of services.

The addition makes Southwest Michigan stronger in terms of connecting its citizens to the resources available in the community.

When I spoke a couple weeks ago to Gryphon Place and Kalamazoo's 2-1-1 service Director Bill Pell, he explained that the increase in calls in the last decade were mainly those affected negatively by the declining economy. The continue economic plunge would suggest that his trends would be likely occurring across most 2-1-1 covered counties in Southwest Michigan.

To learn more about what the 2-1-1 helpline does, visit http://www.gryphon.org/

Census data shows greater income inequality

Income has fallen for all groups, but is especially affecting those at the bottom. From MSNBC:

The wealthiest 10 percent of Americans — those making more than $138,000 each year — earned 11.4 times the roughly $12,000 made by those living near or below the poverty line in 2008, according to newly released census figures. That ratio was an increase from 11.2 in 2007 and the previous high of 11.22 in 2003.

"No one should be surprised at the increased disparity," said Richard Freeman, an economist at Harvard University. "Unemployment hurts normal workers who do not have the golden parachutes the folks at the top have."

Other interesting statistics:

• Income at the top 5 percent of households — those making $180,000 or more — was 3.58 times the median income, the highest since 2006.
• Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia had higher poverty rates than the national average, many of them in the South, such as Mississippi (21.2 percent), Kentucky, Arkansas and Louisiana (each with 17.3 percent). That's compared with 19 states and the District of Columbia that ranked above U.S. poverty in 2007.
• Use of food stamps jumped 13 percent last year to nearly 9.8 million U.S. households, led by Louisiana, Maine and Kentucky. The increase was most evident in households with two or more workers, highlighting the impact of the recession on both working families and unemployed single people.
• Pharr, Texas, and Flint, Mich., each had more than a third of its residents on food stamps, at 38.5 percent and 35.4 percent, respectively.

Contractors help repair low-income apartments in Kalamazoo

Following up on the article that I wrote for Open Door Next Door in PRI's June Newsletter, Rick's organization is continuing their good work in the community. From the Kalamazoo Gazette:

Open Door and Next Door Shelters has expanded its capacity for permanent low-income housing and did so with the help of local contractors who donated their time and resources.


The new 19-unit apartment building at 738 Academy St. was in need of renovation, so HomeAid Michigan put the organization in touch with Van Dam & Krusinga Building, Vandermay Construction Co. and Esper Electric.

“The cost was half what it would have cost us without their help,” said Rick Stravers, executive director of Open Door and Next Door Shelters.

They bought the brick building, built in 1930, with the help of an anonymous donor. Stravers said it was in fairly good shape, but needed some repairs and improvements such as masonry work, new carpeting and an electric-lock system so residents can buzz in guests.

Stravers said they have already found occupants for every unit in the building. The housing is for low-income individuals who have gone through the shelter program and have found employment but are still unable to pay for conventional housing.

The organization also provides temporary housing and counseling for people in need.
“One thing I really like about our program is that our people have the dignity and self-respect of knowing they did their part,” Stravers said. “It’s a partnership, made possible by community support.”

Read more at http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2009/09/contractors_help_repair_low-in.html

Kalamazoo Homeless Day of Dignity 2009

The Kalamazoo Homeless Day of Dignity took place on Sept. 12, 2009 and served close to 600 adults and 175 children of the homeless and low-income population.



www.haltpoverty.org

Role of Disability in Income Poverty

Disability is both a fundemental cause and consequence of Income Poverty. This theme was recently highlighted in stark terms by the Center for Economic and Policy Research. Census data often misses some of these connections, since the additional costs associated with being disabled are not considered in the Poverty formula.

The Center highlighted these FACTS among others related to Poverty and Disability:

*Almost half of working-age adults who experience income poverty for at least a 12-month period have one or more disabilities.
*Nearly two-thirds of working-age adults who experience consistent income poverty-more than 36 months of income poverty during a 48-month period-have one or more disabilities.

This has far reaching implications for Public Policy and Budget priorities for both the State Of Michigan and its decisions to cut crucial support to the most vulnerable and the US government when considering Health Care Reform.

Read the whole report here: http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/09/09-6

RCAR Program sees bright future in Southwest Michigan

Last week, a meeting around RCAR Program revealed a bright future in Southwest Michigan. The RCAR Program, which stands for Road Construction Apprenticeship Readiness, places disadvantaged populations, such as racial minorities, women and low-income individuals into training programs that prepare them for apprenticeships in the construction industry.

As many are aware, construction jobs require hard work, but are coveted because of the generally high wages they provide. For those in disadvantaged communities, it is an opportunity to enter a well-paying career to last a significant portion of their life.

At the meeting, it was announced that the Michigan Department of Transportation would not only renew the RCAR Program, but that they in fact would hire and place 20 RCAR graduates on their own budget. This came as great news to supporters, as it essentially relieves the group of searching out a significant portion of opportunities for the graduates to participate in.

What is still uncertain is the amount of participants that will be accepted into the program this year and next. Will RCAR look to place more than 20 graduates in Southwest Michigan? It will likely depend on the amount of construction work available, but it is likely that 20 disadvantaged residents from Southwest Michigan will find themselves in apprenticeships in the near future.

More updates will come on this program when available. Stay tuned.

Kalamazoo forum gathers commissioners to discuss infants and family health

Please Join Us!

“Chat with the Commissioners”

(Focus: Infants and Family Health)

September 11th, 2009

September is Infant Mortality Awareness Month

The purpose of this forum is first, for members of the community to put a face to the name of incumbent and potential commissioners. Secondly, it is to bring awareness to well supported efforts of HBHS in Kalamazoo in reducing infant mortality rates and health disparities and to continue the celebration of over ten years of maternal and child services. There will also be opportunities to share other concerns.

Host: Healthy Babies-Healthy Start of Kalamazoo

Where: Stockbridge Ave United Methodist Church

(On the corner of Race & Stockbridge)

1009 Stockbridge Ave

Time: 5:30 – 7:30pm

Contact: Angela at 373-5162 for more information!

Refreshments will be served!

What is it like to run out of unemployment benefits?

To find out, take a look at the stories of some of some of our neighbors down the road in Elkhart.

See: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32555445/ns/us_news-the_elkhart_project

What kind of community do we want to be?

Are we a community that leaves adult workers with no means of supporting themselves or their children once they lose their jobs? Right now, there are many times more people who are unemployed than there are jobs available.

Or are we the kind of community where neighbors help each other through the institutions of our representative democracy as well as through volunteerism and charity?

It is up to each of us to decide, to take a stand, and to act.

How would a Poverty Simulation benefit my organization?

There are many reasons to participate in the Poverty Reduction Initiative's Community Poverty Simulation Workshop on September 29th. Our simulations increase empathy, awareness and offer solutions to reducing poverty.

But what is the specific benefit to your organization?

Businesses:

Poverty simulations are an opportunity to understand the struggles that your employees may be experiencing. With 36% percent of the population in Kalamazoo City in poverty, you have the opportunity to learn what steps your company can make in improving employee satisfaction.

Non-profits:

Gain insight into the personal experiences of the population you serve. Many of our organizations serve the needy, but we often do not realize struggles they endure on a daily basis. The next time you offer a service to the community member, you will reference a unique perspective on how it affects them.

Educators:

We often forget that 39% of children in the City of Kalamazoo are in poverty. Many more are exist in the lower-income bracket. Learn some of the struggles that economically disadvantaged children experience and obtain the tools to be a better communicator and educator.

Churches & faith-based organizations:

Serve the mission of God by leading an example in the community. Simulations will inspire members of your congregation to volunteer. After experiencing a simulation, participants said that they were 74% more likely to work with community resources to assist people living in poverty.

Government Organizations & Officials:

Voters want officials and governments programs that are in touch with the issues in their communities. Better serve the population that you represent and discover ways to advocate on their behalf. Understand the barriers that people living in poverty face every day.

Register now
www.haltpoverty.org

Tuesday, Sept. 29th 2009 from 9am - 12pm
Community Poverty Simulation Workshop
Douglas Community Center
1000 W Paterson St, Kalamazoo, MI 49007

It's not just the Economy...

The beat goes on…the State budget deficit now looks to be over 2 billion dollars and counting. Every revenue hearing produces a bigger number, while the adjusted projections from the last hearing lay on the floor. Where will the deficit end up? How much red-ink will there be. No one seems to know…

Many of our elected officials feel the best way to resolve this issue is cut, cut, cut. While it is reasonable to review each expenditure and be sure we are getting the best value for the investment of our tax dollars, there comes a time, when we have to ask…where’s the revenue?

Michigan is facing a “structural” deficit. The things we tax, the amounts we tax and the way we tax does not provide what is necessary for the state to operate. While we may have bigger problems because of the down-turn in our auto industry dependant economy, we would still face budget problems if GM, Ford and Chrysler were still doing well. It is too easy to blame our lack of revenue on this global economic adjustment.

So where’s the money? How do we increase revenue in a fair and equitable way, keep Michigan competitive, and be sure we are in line with the other 49 states? We do not want to be the outliers, the only ones who tax this or that service, or have exorbitant rates. This makes no sense, when we want to encourage more business and jobs in the state.

The Michigan League for Human Services testified earlier this summer at a hearing in Lansing and offered some excellent options. We may or may not all agree on these options, but they need to be considered. You can learn more by following the link below…if you like some of these ideas, advocate for them with your legislator, and do it now!

http://www.milhs.org/Media/EDocs/BudgetDeficitsWEB.doc

Will preschools make the cut? Families await fate of early education

A decision of whether or not to fund pre-school programs by the state is putting many programs on hold in Southwest Michigan.

"Nine local districts -- Burr Oak, Comstock, Decatur, Lawrence, Marcellus, Portage, Paw Paw, Vicksburg, and White Pigeon -- say their preschool programs are on hold until they get some kind of funding commitment. Several other districts, including the two that run the largest state-funded preschools in the region -- Kalamazoo Public Schools and Allegan Area Educational Service Agency -- say they'll start preschool on schedule but may end the program midyear if funding doesn't come through."

For programs still planning to start, the prospect of "free" education is becoming less and less likely.

"The uncertainty affects only state-funded preschool programs. In addition to the state-funded program some districts, including Portage, have preschool programs for which they charge tuition.

Delton-Kellogg is planning to charge tuition for its preschool for the first time. Bloomingdale may run preschool two full days a week instead of four half-days, to save on transportation costs. Three Rivers will offer bus service to preschoolers at the beginning and end of the school day, but there won't be a noon bus run -- children in the morning session will have to be picked up by parents, and children in the afternoon session will have to be dropped off."

Do you have a child in preschool that will be affected by the cuts? Contact Kevin Lignell at Klignell@haltpoverty.org.

Upcoming Events Focused on Kalamazoo's Homeless Residents

Two upcoming events will provide support services and create awareness around the population of residents who are homeless in Kalamazoo.

Day of Dignity with the Homeless: A One Day Community Fair (3rd annual)

September 12, 2009 from 11:00am - 3:00pm
Martin Luther King Park (N. Rose St. by the Transit Center)

Hosted by the Islamic Relief, Kalamazoo Lend a Hand, Bilal Islamic Center, Kalamazoo Islamic Center, Muslim Student Association & Others. Organizations will be giving away free products including: hygiene packs, new clothing, hot meals, children's toys, school supplies and job information.

Donations are needed to purchase clothing, food & children's items. Make checks payable to Kalamazoo Lend a Hand, 501(c)3 non-profit, or donate online at www.kalamazoolendahand.org. Also accepting item donations such as school supplies, children's toys and backpacks.

For More Info:
269-547-8178
rso.msa@gmail.com
www.kalamazoolendahand.org

Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week

An update from Michelle Schneider at LISC:

The week of November 15-21, 2009 is Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. This is a time where we look to bring awareness to the issues of hunger and homelessness in our community. It is a time to highlight the work that is being done throughout the year to combat these issues and to bring to the attention of the community that despite our efforts, there isn’t enough being done.

During this week, shelters will hold tours of their facilities, there will be a Poverty Simulation, volunteer activities, neighborhood meetings, speakers at Rotary Clubs, Food Pantry Collection Days, Habitat builds, a showing of “Where God Left His Shoes”, and a donation day where donations can be dropped off at numerous local shelters.

We know that many of your organizations do good work throughout the year to end homelessness and hunger in our community. If you will be hosting an activity such as a food pantry collection day, a film viewing/discussion, group volunteer day, or similar activity during the month of November, we would urge you to consider holding it during Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.

Please let us know about your events! We will be marketing all of the events together through press releases, flyers, and posters to generate as much momentum around your events as possible. On behalf of those that are hungry and homeless, we must speak up and make this issue known.

Contact Michelle Schneider at mschneider@lisc.org or 269-343-5472 x 6 to have your event listed as part of Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.

Poverty Reduction Initiative
www.haltpoverty.org

Kalamazoo Eastside Block Party a Hit

Last Sunday, I was able to join community residents and leaders for a block party on the Kalamazoo Eastside Neighborhood called "Changing the Face of the Neighborhood." Hosted by the Bilal Islamic Center, the event featured free food and drinks, as well as guest speakers from the Bilal Islamic Center, ISAAC, the Eastside Neighborhood Association, and the Poverty Reduction Initiative.

The speakers expressed their views about building leadership in the community, reaching out to residents, and bringing more resources to the neighborhood. The party will ideally be the first of many upcoming events to be highlighted on the Eastside Neighborhood.

The leaders have many ideas for improving the neighborhood and are looking to engage other empathetic community residents who would like to see more prosperity throughout the community.

The food was delicious and the guests were exceptionally kind, smart and knowledgeable. To summarize, it was great to be a part of this event and I look forward to enjoying similar ones in the future.

Here are some of the pictures from the event thanks to Holly Lantz of ISAAC:

Upcoming Community Events in Kalamazoo

This week features two community events that are certain to impact the residents of Kalamazoo:

Changing the Face of the Neighborhood

Sunday, August 9th, 2009 from 11am - 6pm

Hosted by the Balil Islamic Center
Block Party at East Main/Tremble Intersection (Fish Dock)

Join the Islamic center for a block party on Tremble. There will be food, prayer, and speakers from various organizations talking about issues on the Eastside and their organizations.

Event Schedule:

• 11am-Noon Breakfast
• 12pm-2pm Dawah: Door to Door invitations to Community Residents
• 2pm Dhur salat (noon prayer)
• 2:15pm - 3:00pm Tour of the Peace House and Balil Islamic Center
  
• 3pm - 3:30pm Speakers from various organizations
• 3:30pm - 4pm Keynote address
• 4pm - 6pm Food and Fellowship
• 6pm - 6:30pm Asr salat (Evening prayer)

Kalamazoo Neighborhood Public Meeting
Thursday, August 13th 7pm-8:30pm
The River Church on Bronson Park
302 Academy St., Kalamazoo, MI 49007
Hosted by ISAAC

The success of the Eastside, Northside & Edison is vital to the prosperity of Kalamazoo. Discuss concerns, desires, winnable solutions and commit to improving the neighborhoods.

More counties to follow PRI's lead after Region 3 meeting in Grand Rapids

The meeting last Friday in Grand Rapids determined one certainty in the ongoing regional campaign to reduce poverty in Michigan: It assured that the leadership of the Poverty Reduction Initiative and WMU's Lewis Walker Institute will continue to assist region 3 in a their efforts to reduce poverty in their 11 county district.

What started out as a 9 county coalition in Southwest Michigan is now a 20 county effort that extends from Berrien County in the Southwest corner, all the way to Osceola on the Northeast border. Though the two regions will have different leadership, objectives, and resources, they now will have a greater advantage to share information and work cohesively to reduce poverty on a greater scale.

On Friday, the PRI and Lewis Walker presented to the regions a framework of how to successful organize and implement a strategy for poverty reduction on a large scale. Lewis Walker Director Tim Ready gave a presentation on the poverty issues in West Michigan and presented a model of how to better analyze, combat and eventually reduce poverty in a way that works across county bounders. PRI's Jeff Brown gave the region a vision of how bring together major organizations and use their resources to press for resources towards improving the lives of the impoverished.

Leaders from close to thirty organizations who represented the region voted unanimously to continue working with the PRI and Lewis Walker by using their framework as a model to adapt to their region. Additionally, 4 participants volunteered to be regional leaders and will be responsible for directing the region towards fulfilling its objectives.

Region 3 identified these objectives as the highest priorities in reducing poverty for their counties:

• Expand access to early childhood education
• Increase Jobs
  
• Reduce homelessness and increase housing security

Region 3 is faced with a similar challenge as region 6 because it must navigate across a diverse collection of counties with very distinct and unique problems. Counties such as Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon are heavily urban, while others such as Lake and Osceola are undeniably rural.
In the past, these differences would have been so polarizing that it would have been a rarity for a church in Lake County to open dialogue with the Kent County Department of Human Services. The regional poverty reduction work is changing all of that - it is bringing together organizations that wouldn't normally communicate and creating a "big picture" summary of poverty in the region.

If the leaders from region 3 are willing to put their time and effort into the cause, if they lend their ears to other positive work, they will discover a variety of ideas aimed at improving the lives of all Michigan residents.

The message of One Community has expanded. Now 20 counties will echo this message:

That we are one people and our prosperity and quality of life depend on all residents contributing fully to the economic, social and cultural life of our communities and our state.

We will not stand for anything less.