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.