ABC News Report on the Increase in Poor and Near Poor in America

Walmart Sales Spike Last Day of the Month When Benefits Checks Come In

Take a trip to one of those 24-hour Walmarts on the last day of every month, and you'll get a glimpse into the lives of low-income families trying to get by. At one location in Fredericksburg, Va., at around 11 p.m., families start to load up on necessities like diapers and groceries.

People like Tracy and Martin Young live nearby, and for the pair in their early 30s, it's a chance to shop quietly without their five children, two of whom are teenagers. Each is pushing a shopping cart overflowing with food. There's mac and cheese, bags of cereal and cans of evaporated milk. Most of this has to last for the whole month.

www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130272928

Homeless Men Sent to Prison While Ring Leader Evades the Law

Staying at a Grand Rapids homeless shelter, Guy Robert Clawson was offered a cash "job" that covered his beer or liquor for the day.

For years, he worked odd jobs for cash. This seemed no different.

The offer came from a guy named Malik. Clawson and other homeless people could earn $15 to $20 a day buying cold tablets that contained pseudoephedrine, a restricted product that was used to make methamphetamine, authorities said.

Malik drove to stores throughout West Michigan, and supplied cash for the pills. The buyers got $2.50 a box.

www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/10/homeless_men_sent_to_prison_wh.html

The Gubernatorial Candidates on Early Childhood Education

The Center for Michigan does a nice job of highlighting the educational support that both candidates for Governor, Mr. Snyder and Mr. Bernero, have for early childhood education:

"In August, both Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Snyder and his Democratic opponent, Virg Bernero spoke in support of preschool at the Sandbox Party Convention, an event to help spread the word about the economic impact of early childhood education in the state.

“Reform Michigan’s Educational System” is Number 8 on Snyder’s 10-point plan to reinvent Michigan.

And Bernero has often said that education is economic development.

Bernero campaign spokesman Cullen Schwarz said it is now a widely accepted fact that preschool education is vital for the cognitive development of children and is a major factor in future academic success.

“Virg’s goal is to have every four-year-old in Michigan enrolled in pre-school by the end of his first term,” he said. “Michigan needs a strong pre-K program that has uniform benchmarks and quality standards to ensure that all our children are getting a jump-start on gaining the tools to succeed in a global economy.”

Snyder campaign spokesman Bill Nowling said Snyder does not yet have a specific preschool proposal, but believes the state must refocus its effort on 0-5 learning because of its proven return on investment. That will require using what Snyder calls “value for money budgeting.”

The full report can be found at:

www.thecenterformichigan.net/special-report-where-bernero-and-snyder-stand-on-early-education/

Michigan Census Data: Income Drops, Poverty and Uninsured Increase

On Tuesday, the U.S. Census Bureau released data on income, poverty and health insurance for 2009, a statistical snapshot of the depths of the nation's economic crisis.Those numbers tell a story that Michigan already knew, at least in its basic outlines. The median income dropped by 6.2 percent, more than in any other state. The numbers of people living in poverty swelled by 159,000, many of them children. The numbers of uninsured grew.

www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20100929/NEWS01/9290328/Census-data-show-income-drop-rise-in-poverty-and-uninsured-in-Michigan

Carnaval Latino highlights values, heritage and successes of Hispanic community in Kalamazoo

Last Saturday, the Hispanic American Council celebrated their heritage with the first ever "Carnival Latino." The carnival included traditional Hispanic and Latino food, music and cultural fare. In Kalamazoo, there are about 3,600 residents of Hispanic or Latino descent, making up about 5 percent of the city’s population. However, they have a significant impact on the community at large.

The Hispanic American Council provides a variety of programs that engage the youth of their community. They have also brought with them inspiring stories of triumph, as the one told about Francisco Vargas, owner of La Mexicana Market on Portage Road.

Seventeen years ago, Vargas came to the United States from Mexico as a migrant farm worker. Like many immigrants, he encountered challenges along the way, having difficulty with English and sacrificing much so that his family could have a better life.

But he worked tirelessly and now owns one of the Edison Neighborhood’s most popular markets — which sits just several hundred feet from where Vargas once sold vegetables out of his pickup truck when he was working in the fields.

Vargas’ son, Jairo Vargas, said that his father’s determination is an inspiration for all.

“He gave up everything to come here,” he said. “He had nothing. It’s great to see how far he made it and it goes to show that it really doesn’t matter who you are. If you work hard, you can make it.

“He’s pretty inspiring to everyone. You can do whatever you want if you are willing to make sacrifices and have the dedication.”

“It’s a Cinderella story,” said Mercedes, 40, who at age 16 came to the U.S. from Nicaragua to seek political asylum after a revolution there.

Their stories reflect the toil that so many Hispanic families undertake to make a better life for themselves here.

“Our stories are of family values and determination,” Mercedes said. “We know that the impossible might take longer for us, but we will get there. We are hard workers and we are determined.”

Read the full article at: http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/09/carnaval_latino_highlights_val.html

'Day of Dignity' serves 650 needy individuals in Kalamazoo

The annual 'Day of Dignity' organized by Muslim organizations and other community partners served 650 individuals in Kalamazoo last Saturday. They received items such as sweatshirts, underwear and socks to hot sandwiches and fresh fruit to personal hygiene kits.

It was the fourth year in a row that the event, funded by Islamic Relief USA and hosted by several area Muslim organizations, was put on in the city.

“It’s a chance for us to give back to our community,” said Zarinah El-Amin Naeem, co-coordinator of the event. “Sharing your wealth with those in need is an obligation we all have.”

Christina Carswell was surrounded by her godchildren, cousins and nieces, bags of notebooks, mittens and other goods set in a pile by a statue of King in the center of the park.

“For those who can’t afford these things this year, this really helps,” she said. “It’s the little things that count.”

Last year the PRI covered the event with a video to showcase the event. You can watch the video below or at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRVF7YQvOao

Read the full article on mlive at: http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/09/kalamazoo_area_muslim_organiza.html

Students from Benton Harbor Charter Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Students at Benton Harbor Charter School are celebrating their Hispanic heritage. Recently, the Benton Spirit showcased the writing talents of these students as they proudly shared their thoughts on what it means to them to be Hispanic.

A seventh grade girl writes:

"I like my heritage because when a girl turns 15, she gets a quinsenera celebration. At this celebration, they have Mexican decorations such as table decorations, balloons, and streamers. Also at this celebration, they have a traditional shoe ceremony where the father of the young lady takes off her flat-heeled shoes, and her mother exchanges those for high-heeled shoes."

A fifth grade boy states:

"What I do for H i s p a n i c Celebration Month is eat different kinds of food than we usually
eat that my mom cooks, like tacos, corn, tamales, and cake. Sometimes we invite over our family for dinner. We also have cookouts and parties."

For more of these colorful essays (including their Spanish version) see:

bentonspiritnews.com/clients/bentonspiritnews/HIspanicHeritage2010.pdf

Niles Area Crop Walk Has Raised Over $250,000 in Its 30 Year History

People are gearing up for the Four Flags Area CROP (Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty) Walk Sunday at 3 p.m.

The walk will begin and end at Grace United Methodist Church in Niles. Organized locally, the CROP Walk has set a goal of increasing the number of walkers to to 125 to stop hunger in the community and around the world though self-help development initiatives.

A portion of the funds will got to St. Mary’s Christian Service Center and the Salvation Army in Niles and Redbud Area Ministries in Buchanan. Last year 104 walkers raised $13,725 with $3,431 distributed locally. Over the past 30 years, the walk has raised $257,527 with $64,381 helping those in need locally.

www.nilesstar.com/2010/09/24/walking-for-poverty/

2 out of 3 Americans support providing more generous government assistance to the poor

In a new study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 63% of Americans favor more generous government assistance to the poor while 31% are opposed. There are sharp differences between race, and political standing, but for the large part Americans as a whole seem to support this type of assistance.

In addition, majorities of all religious groups favor more government assistance to the poor, and support is especially high among black Protestants and Hispanic Catholics.

This seems to contrast the widespread message that government benefits should be the first items slashed as we attempt to balance budgets at the state and national levels. I believe that Americans feel sympathy for those struggling due to economic conditions and feel the government should help support them.

See the full report at: http://pewforum.org/Politics-and-Elections/Few-Say-Religion-Shapes-Immigration-Environment-Views.aspx#1