Branch County United Way: More Donors, But Fewer Dollars

More donors; fewer dollars. That’s been the confounding theme for United Way volunteers as they head down the stretch of their annual fundraising campaign.

With just a short time remaining to reach its $300,000 goal, Branch County United Way is projecting that it will come up $40,000 short. United Way raised just over $300,000 in 2009.

“Because we set challenging goals and because of the nature of the campaign, we’re always running short of goal at this time of year,” said Judy Krzeminski, United Way’s director...

... “More than 20,000 local residents used United Way programs last year, and the number is expected to rise higher this year,” said Krzeminski. “Homeless shelters, energy assistance programs and food pantries are experiencing record highs for those in need.”

It’s not too late to become a part of the solution. United Way volunteers make 2011 funding decisions in early February, based on the amount of dollars available to allocate.

www.thedailyreporter.com/newsnow/x389483510/United-Way-40K-short-of-300K-goal

Eleanor's Pantry in Paw Paw Seeks Volunteers

The community food bank, Eleanor's Pantry in Paw Paw, is in need of volunteers, willing to take time to assist in the efforts of feeding the area's hungry.

A training session, lasting approximately one hour, will be held at the pantry, 221 Drew Street, on January 12 at 10 a.m.

According to volunteer coordinator Sue Miller, "We are asking people to donate a few hours each week to help those in need."

www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20453429&BRD=2188&PAG=461&dept_id=414962&rfi=6

The web site for Eleanor's pantry is at:

www.vbcuw.org/Eleanors_Pantry.html

Census Bureau Working on Alternative Method of Gauging Poverty

The Census Bureau took a baby step toward redefining what is considered poor in America on Tuesday when it released several alternative measurements of poverty, fundamentally revising a one-size-fits-all formula developed in the 1960s by a civil servant.

Under a complex series of eight alternative measurements, the Census Bureau calculated that in 2009, the number of Americans living in poverty could have been as few as 39 million or as many as almost 53 million. Under the official calculation, the census estimated that about 44 million were subsisting on incomes below the poverty line of about $21,750 for a family of four. The alternatives generally set the poverty threshold higher, as much as $29,600 for a couple with two children.

In September, the census estimated the nation's poverty rate in 2009 was 14.3 percent. Under the alternatives, it could have been as low as 12.8 percent or as high as 17.1 percent.

For the time being, the government will continue to use the original poverty definition to determine eligibility for federal programs. The alternatives are experimental and will be revised every year, eventually winnowing them to one.

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/04/AR2011010405677.html

Economic downturn exacerbates inequality of high school sports programs

According to Wiki.answers.com, there is a slim chance that a high school basketball player will progress to the level of playing for a Division I university (one of the major college programs). Wiki.answers estimates that only 5,400 out of 10 million high school athletes will play for a Division I program. That's 0.054% chance.

The odds are even slimmer that those high school players will get an NBA contract. Wiki.answers.com estimates that only 40 out of 10 million high school basketball players will sign a contract with the NBA. That is 0.0004% chance.

(Admittedly, high school basketball players do have better odds of making the NBA than folks who play Lotto have of winning the Grand Prize for either Mega Millions or Powerball.)

wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_odds_of_a_high_school_basketball_player_making_it_into_the_NBA

So, why does it matter when the Grand Rapids Press reports that there is an increasing disparity between high school athletic programs? Wealthier communities can afford to send their students to summer camps, to play on far flung travel athletic teams, to have new uniforms and better locker rooms for their student athletes. Poorer communities struggle to maintain a program.

So, why does it matter?

It is certainly true that our society over emphasizes major college and professional sports. The same could be said of Hollywood movie stars. (How many kids in a school play are going to someday be starring in a Hollywood blockbuster produced by Steven Spielberg?)

I propose that for some youngsters that a chance to play on a high school athletic team is a chance to gain self confidence, a chance to learn team work and discipline, a chance to feel part of something more than self. High school athletics is not a ticket for most players to a life of inflated salaries in professional sports. High school athletics is simply another chance for our young people to grow and learn.

The GR Press article which discusses the disparity in high school sports programs can be found at:

www.mlive.com/sports/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2011/01/7_trends_in_2011_sports_west_m.html

Native American Entertainers Ring in New Year with Free Performances at Dowagiac Middle School

To ring in 2011, the Pokagon Band will offer a family-friendly, drug- and alcohol-free evening of Native music and laughter at Dowagiac Middle School’s Performing Arts Center, 57072 Riverside Drive.

Native American comedian Don Burnstick will begin the evening.

Burnstick is a Cree from the Alexander First Nation outside of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

After surviving a rough adolescence and drug addiction, Burnstick now promotes healing through humor and performance.

His message speaks to a proud heritage and his desire to leave a better world for future generations.

He has established himself as one of Canada’s best comedians, and his highly-acclaimed show You Might be a Redskin: Healing Through Native Humor, wittily portrays First Nations people, their habits, likes and dislikes.

Singer-songwriter Bill Miller, a Mohican citizen, will perform next.

Winner of six Native American Music Awards, including a 2007 Lifetime Achievement honor, Miller has earned three Grammy Awards, among them his most recent in for Spirit Wind North, which was named Best Native American Album in 2010.

Miller has become one of the Nashville community’s most respected talents, working with Vince Gill, John Carter Cash and other Music City stars.

www.dowagiacnews.com/2010/12/28/sobriety-at-the-center-of-free-concert/

A Christmas Day Editorial from the Kalamazoo Gazette

(Christmas Day), we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ — poster child for at-risk children everywhere.

Jesus was conceived out of wedlock and born to a teen mom who was homeless at the time of his birth. He was raised in poverty and belonged to a minority group marginalized by those in power.

Two thousand years later, that is a familiar scenario for many children. And as horrified as we are by the treatment of Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem, there isn’t much compassion today toward children in similar circumstances.

Almost one of four Michigan children under the age of 5 lives in poverty, according to census numbers released last week. The state’s youngest and most vulnerable residents have the highest poverty rate in the state — almost three times the rate, in fact, of Michigan residents over the age of 65.

www.mlive.com/opinion/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/12/column_if_jesus_was_born_today.html

"A person's a person, no matter how small."

- Dr. Seuss

A Christmas Tradition: Niles United Methodist Church Serves Dinner for the Poor or Lonely

For better than 20 years Wesley United Methodist Church in Niles has been offering a free meal and good company to those in need on Christmas Day.

The holiday tradition will continue this year with the meal beginning at noon at the church.

“It’s a free meal, directed to not only poor folks but also anybody who is alone on Christmas and would like some company for a meal,” said the Rev. Edward Slate.

In recent years, the free meal draws a crowd of about 100 from the community, according to Slate.

It takes 10 church volunteers to make the holiday meal happen, not including Slate, who says he takes on the role of “maitre d’” for the day.

www.nilesstar.com/2010/12/22/no-such-thing-as-a-free-lunch/


"God bless us every one."

CNN Report: The Faces of Hunger, 14% of Households Are Food Insecure

Edison Church Plans: A Kalamazoo Christmas for the Homeless

On any given Sunday, 70 or so people attend service at Stockbridge Avenue United Methodist Church.

But on this particular Sunday, the tiny church will fill up with hundreds of people — including more than 300 volunteers — for a major Christmas event to help the homeless and people struggling financially.

“It’s going to make for a pretty crowded venue,” said the Rev. Ron Slager, the church pastor. “That adds a little excitement.”

From 3 to 7 p.m., the event — A Kalamazoo Christmas — will offer people a hot meal, warm clothes and Christmas presents for their children at the church located at 1009 E. Stockbridge Ave. in Kalamazoo’s Edison neighborhood.

Little ones will also get the opportunity to pick out gifts to give to their family.
The event will be run by volunteers who will give away items collected from nine Methodist churches in the Kalamazoo area. The other churches also are providing volunteers.

“What God calls us to do is to love our neighborhoods,” Slager said. “We need to be more compassionate to those either unemployed or underdemployed. Basic needs aren’t being met.”


www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/12/edison_church_plans_a_kalamazo.html

what's it worth to ya? financial choices

In our working lives we exchange our time and energy for money. We then use our money to support our lifestyle, which includes covering the costs associated with maintaining our income. If our lifestyle costs adds up to more than our income, we can choose to take on debt—if we can find a lender, or we can change our lifestyle.

For most people, taking on debt (sometimes known as using credit) used to be the preferred method. Now it’s both harder to do and less attractive for long-term prosperity. This leaves us with lifestyle choices.

In the higher socio-economic levels, making lifestyle changes is easier: renting movies at home versus going to the movie theater; camping for vacation rather than flying to a beach resort; eating dinner at home instead of at a restaurant.

For people living with a poverty level income, the ability to make lifestyle changes that have an economic impact is more difficult. The decisions are more along the lines of buying groceries versus buying gas to get to work; buying shoes that fit for your youngest child versus a warm coat for your eldest.

How does your income affect your own financial decision making process? Do you think about each purchase or do you spend more or less freely without thought? As a VISTA, my $900 month pre-tax stipend affects my financial decision making more than my previous variable income levels ever have. Here’s an example:

This week my coworkers had a farewell lunch for our VISTA colleague Kevin, my predecessor, at a wonderful local restaurant. The restaurant is one of my favorites and it was even my suggestion to go there (just so you know in advance that there’s no resentment).

A day or two afterward, while thinking about my Christmas budget, how much gas would cost for the nine-hour drive to my hometown next week, and how much I could afford to spend on groceries in between now and then, I remembered a concept I learned from the book Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin.

My really basic interpretation of one of the book’s nine steps to financial independence is to evaluate expenditures by the satisfaction value they provide for the number of hours worked to attain them. (There’s more to this than dollars earned per hours worked. For the calculation process, check out the book from your library or buy a copy.)

At my current income, that fabulous lunch cost about three hours of work. (It was worth it.) Is it something I can do every day? Absolutely not. Every week? Certainly not. Every month? Maybe, but probably not. More like once every three months. However, the $1 menu at the hamburger place down the block, I can most likely afford every day, if I want to. Such is life. It will help me appreciate the times I do visit my favorite "luxury' places.

As my VISTA year progresses, I may seem to walk around with dollar signs in my eyes. It’s not that I am money-hungry. It’s that I’ll be calculating the satisfaction value I’ll receive, in highly personal terms, of each expenditure I make. I'll decide yes or no based on my state of well-being, the amount of cash in my pocket, and the amount of energy I have at the time.

The good news is that a smile is always free, but has infinite value, and is easily exchanged. Over the year, I might be tired or hungry and not feel like smiling, but I’ll appreciate it when you do, and will probably smile back. If I don't, don't worry, it's not personal.