Berrien County's Self-Help Legal Resource Center is doing brisk business

For years Debra Williamsen felt out of luck, powerless to collect the share of property she claimed was hers under a 1999 divorce settlement. Living on disability payments and unable to afford a lawyer, the Hagar Township woman heard from a friend that help was available for people who want to represent themselves in court.

Williamsen dropped in at the Self-Help Legal Resource Center in the Berrien County Courthouse and learned how to file for a new court judgment.

On a recent day Williamsen was back at the center with her longtime friend, Etta Little, filling out the paperwork to seek a lien on the property, which is being sold. Williamsen said she's confident she will get the $39,000 she was supposed to receive 12 years ago.

Without the center's help in providing forms and instructions, "I would just be out in the cold," she said.

Little previously had success handling her own case, which involved enforcement of a settlement for money. She said the center helped her through the process.

"If you don't have the resources to get things done, this is where to come," said Little, who is also disabled.

Jennifer Willhite of Coloma, visiting the center on the same day to complete paperwork for a child support matter, first used a self-help legal facility while living in Las Vegas. "They've been great here," she said. "They do a great service."

Willhite said she contacted a lawyer about representing her in the support case but could not afford the $1,500 fee.

"That's two house payments," she said.

Without the information she gets at the center, Willhite said she would have had to go to court unprepared, perhaps hurting her chances.

www.heraldpalladium.com/articles/2011/08/07/local_news/5727533.txt

PBS Religion & Ethics Addresses: What is a Fair Tax System?

The main purpose of a tax system is to raise revenue for the common good, for the public good. That’s its purpose. But it has to do so in a way that is fair, that involves shared sacrifice, because really it’s a matter of sharing the burdens of a free society and of a good society. That’s, morally speaking, what taxes are about. So unless a tax system meets the test of fairness, none of its other advantages really matter.

- PROFESSOR MICHAEL SANDEL (Professor of Government, Harvard University)

Watch the full episode. See more Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

CNN: Teacher Jobs Disappear

Friday's jobs report could kick off the worst quarter for state and local government jobs on record. And teachers are at the center of the bullseye.

The public sector is estimated to have shed 65,000 positions in July, according to Greg Daco, U.S. economist for IHS Global Insight. Some 50,000 are projected to come from state and local governments.

And things won't get better anytime soon. The state and local government sector could shed around 110,000 jobs in the third quarter, which would top the massive downsizing that occurred in the early 1980s.

"The sector keeps bleeding jobs," Daco said. "The third quarter could be the worst ever."

All told, the state and local government sector has lost 577,000 jobs since its peak in September 2008. Some 224,000 of those have been in education.

While teachers and other school employees are often dismissed temporarily over the summer, more are getting the ax this year because of major state budget cuts to public education. And fewer are expected to get rehired in September, leading to the grim estimates for the quarter.

"Since the state and local sector is facing a lot of tough budget decisions, it will lay off teachers it won't rehire in September," Daco said.

money.cnn.com/2011/08/04/news/economy/teacher_government_jobs/index.htm

15% of All Americans Participate in SNAP

Nearly 15 percent of all Americans participate in SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly food stamps), according to the newly-released U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) figures for May 2011. That’s a record 45,753,078 people.

While many argue that SNAP spending is “out of control,” two examples illustrate that the program is working as it should be—serving more people during economic hard times:

• As poverty and unemployment have increased, the number of participants has also gone up since the beginning of the recession in December 2007.
• The May 2011 figures include people affected by tornadoes in Alabama, North Carolina, and Georgia, who received benefits under SNAP’s disaster program.

notes.bread.org/2011/08/snap-participation-still-on-the-rise.html

Niles Library Rescues Salvation Army 'Feeding His Sheep' Program

The Salvation Army’s Feeding His Sheep program has been saved thanks to an offer from the Niles District Library in the 11th hour.
Last week the program, which provides weekend meals in backpacks to students in area schools during the school year, appeared to be in jeopardy due to lack of space at The Salvation Army office.

Jan Nowak, director of caring ministries and social services, told the Star last week that the program needed a 1,000 square-foot space that is heated and secure at no cost. Her prayer was answered. Library officials, after reading in the Niles Daily Star this week about the situation, contacted The Salvation Army about room in its basement.

“The library is always looking for ways to serve our community,” said library Director Nancy Studebaker. “We are a tax-supported entity and we are happy in any way we can use the resources of the library to benefit our community, especially children in need.”

www.nilesstar.com/2011/08/03/library-helps-salvation-army/

Homelessness in the Shadows of Lincoln, Jefferson, and Washington

While the folks in Congress and the White House argue about national budgets, deficits, and such, a writer for the Washington Post wrote the following piece:

It’s noon, and it’s over 100 degrees in Washington. The media and others have endlessly repeated their solid, survive-the-heat advice: Stay inside, preferably near air conditioning, and drink lots of water. Good advice, unless you can’t get or stay inside or consistently access fresh water — in other words, if you’re homeless.

You can’t visit or live in the nation’s capital without recognizing that homelessness is an enormous problem here. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, there are more than 6,000 homeless men, women and children in the District (of Columbia) and well over 25,000 homeless people in the District, Maryland and Virginia combined. In 2009, a third of the District’s homeless could be categorized as experiencing “chronic homelessness,” meaning that for reasons including disability and mental illness, they had been homeless repeatedly or for long periods. Although only some of them were completely “unsheltered,” many shelters or transitional housing facilities don’t allow occupants to return during the day. Here in Washington, the homeless can often be found in parks, on sidewalks and in alleys during the day.

But let’s stand back from the panoramic view of homelessness in the capital, however troubling. This day is headed toward 105 degrees, and the heat index (a measure of how hot it feels) will surpass 115. Today and tomorrow and for as long as deadly heat pervades Washington and large parts of the country, homelessness isn’t a troubling phenomenon; it’s a life-and-death situation.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/when-the-heat-hits-think-of-the-homeless/2011/07/26/gIQAT8B3hI_story.html

Volunteer Center of SW Michigan Schedules Free Training for Non-Profits

The Volunteer Center of Southwest Michigan in August will have training programs for employees and volunteers at nonprofit organizations.

Center officials said those connected with nonprofit agencies in Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties will learn and practice such skills as registering organizations, post-volunteer opportunities and recruiting volunteers through the Volunteer Center's new HandsOnConnect volunteer matching website.

(For times, dates, and locations see the following article):

www.heraldpalladium.com/articles/2011/07/30/local_news/5816276.txt

Summer Education Programs Serve Migrant Children in Southwest Michigan

It may be summer, but students are filling the halls of schools in two central Berrien County school districts.

As they do every year, migrant farm worker children are spending time in classrooms in the Berrien Springs and Eau Claire school districts.

"We're trying to keep kids on grade level but also make it as interactive and fun as we can," said Tim Keathley, on the staff at Eau Claire schools.

The districts are among several in Southwest Michigan serving the migrant population. Others are Bangor, Coloma, Dowagiac, Hartford, South Haven and Watervliet.

The money comes from federal and state sources.

The programs tend to take summer into account and combine academics with other activities, like field trips and special events. When possible, students can earn high school credits.

Eau Claire schools had a "fiesta night" Wednesday to celebrate the end of the summer program while Berrien Springs had an open house for students and their families.

Sylvester Elementary School Principal Danny Bartz is in charge of the summer migrant program at Berrien Springs, which has had such a program for many years. He said the goal this summer was to do more to emphasize academics for the 120 students, ages 3 to 18.

"This year, we've tried to incorporate what we're doing during the year with our reading and writing program and our safe and civil schools initiative," he said. "We have ramped up our academic expectations. We've really tried to focus on reading and helping them understand more of the English language.

www.heraldpalladium.com/articles/2011/07/28/local_news/5847993.txt

Online Map Hopes to Ease Michigan Summer Hunger Challenges for Youths

republished from the State of Michigan Department of Education website

LANSING – Summer in Michigan is lots of fun. However, for thousands of children, summer may mean going without the healthy breakfast and lunch normally offered at their local school.

There are free meals available to children across Michigan through the Summer Food Service Program. Yet, despite serving more than 144 million free and affordable lunches during the 2010 school year, only 2.6 million meals were served through this program last summer.

In an effort to provide these free meals to more children, the Michigan Department of Education has created a SFSP Site Locator Map. This online map allows parents, youth, and food assistance organizations to find the nearest meal sites across the state.

"The free Summer Food Service meal sites are in most communities, we just need families to be aware and able to find them,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan. “This online tool is designed to provide greater information and access to nutritional meals for kids during the summer.”

The map is simple to use – just go to the Map webpage, click on the site nearest you and a pop up window with hours of operation and meals served appears. The map is updated weekly throughout the summer as additional sites begin operation. The public is encouraged to check the website throughout the summer for Summer Food sites nearest them.

The Summer Food Service Program was established to ensure that children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session. Free meals, that meet federal nutrition guidelines, are provided to all children 18 years and younger at approved SFSP sites in areas with significant concentrations of low income children. SFSP operators include public and private nonprofit schools, residential camps, colleges or universities, government agencies, and other private non-profit organizations.

The SFSP Site Locator Map can be found at www.mcgi.state.mi.us/schoolnutrition or at the Summer Food Service Program website at www.michigan.gov/sfsp

The Summer Food Service Program, administered by MDE through funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is available to children regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.

New Documentary Film Sheds Light on Issue of Migrant Children Farm Workers in Michigan and Other States

A new documentary film, The Harvest or La Cosecha, is being released this week in New York. The film follows the life of migrant children farm workers and their families as they travel from Texas through several other states (including Michigan) picking crops.

The trailer for the film follows:

The film was first introduced in June in Washington D.C. At a press conference on Capitol Hill Thursday, June 16th, Actress Eva Longoria and other child advocates held a press conference in announcing the introduction of “The Children’s Act for Responsible Employment” (CARE), legislation which attempts to ensure adequate protections for children working in our nation’s agricultural fields. Additional information about the film and the proposed CARE Act can be found at:

www.shineglobal.org/index.php/eva-longoria-and-congresswoman-lucille-roybal-allard-introduce-care-act-to-protect-child-farmworkers-in-the-us/

Additional information about the film can be found at the film's web site:

theharvestfilm.com/