Vow to enforce limit on welfare benefits could be 'devastating to some'

It’s hard to predict exactly how the proposed (4-year) welfare limit would affect the 235,784 people on cash assistance in Michigan in November. In Kent County, there were 13,375, and 1,126 in Ottawa County.

But at the Women’s Resource Center, Executive Director Sharon Caldwell-Newton predicts it will only hurt the most vulnerable. The nonprofit agency helps low-income women with employment preparation and career planning through connections to local employers.

“You make these kind of cuts and you are putting women into poverty, and you are taking the children right along with them,” she said. “I don’t think there’s an argument about the need to break the cycle of poverty. The question is, if you eliminate the safety net, how is that breaking the cycle of poverty?

“These women will still be poor. Those children will still be poor, but they will be in much more distress than they are in now.”

Caldwell-Newton conceded some recipients can be comfortable staying on cash assistance.

“But our experience at the center is that that is a very, very small percentage. Most of them are very motivated to make a better life, not only for themselves but especially for their kids.”

But she said many recipients are hindered by a lack of education needed for higher-paying jobs, lack of transportation or other handicaps. On top of that, West Michigan’s economy continues to sputter, with unemployment near 10 percent in Kent County.

www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/01/advocate_republicans_vow_to_en.html

Bobby Kennedy: The Day After the Murder of Dr. Martin Luther King

The day of and the day after the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, Bobby Kennedy was a clarion voice. Many of us remember the speech that Bobby made in Indianapolis the day of Dr. King's death in which he announced to a gathered crowd that Dr. King had been murdered.

Personally, I do not recall the speech that he made the following day. A powerful speech from a man who was clearly moved deeply by the death of one of the greatest Americans of the 20th Century.

Here is some of what Bobby said the day after the King assassination:

"... we seemingly tolerate a rising level of violence that ignores our common humanity and our claims to civilization alike. We calmly accept newspaper reports of civilian slaughter in far-off lands. We glorify killing on movie and television screens and call it entertainment. We make it easy for men of all shades of sanity to acquire whatever weapons and ammunition they desire.

Too often we honor swagger and bluster and wielders of force; too often we excuse those who are willing to build their own lives on the shattered dreams of others. Some Americans who preach non-violence abroad fail to practice it here at home. Some who accuse others of inciting riots have by their own conduct invited them.

Some look for scapegoats, others look for conspiracies, but this much is clear: violence breeds violence, repression brings retaliation, and only a cleansing of our whole society can remove this sickness from our soul.

For there is another kind of violence, slower but just as deadly destructive as the shot or the bomb in the night. This is the violence of institutions; indifference and inaction and slow decay. This is the violence that afflicts the poor, that poisons relations between men because their skin has different colors. This is the slow destruction of a child by hunger, and schools without books and homes without heat in the winter.

This is the breaking of a man's spirit by denying him the chance to stand as a father and as a man among other men. And this too afflicts us all."

For an audio presentation of Bobby Kennedy's speech April 5, 1968 please see:

www.vsotd.com/Article.php?art_num=4651&goback=.gmp_2183910.gde_2183910_member_39945995

Caring for Those With Alzheimer's and Their Care Givers

"When people are dealing with a loved one who has Alzheimer's, they are dealing with grief and loss, just the same as with a death. The family might become angry at first at having someone else caring for a loved one. We spend a lot of time with families to help them through this.

"It comes to a point when people are exhausted dealing with their loved one's behavior. There are behaviors that are hard to manage, whether the person is abusive or combative or if they're wandering or people have trouble with lifting the person."

There also are several programs in Southwest Michigan that help people with Alzheimer's and their families.

The Area Agency on Aging offers a variety of services, including a toll-free help line and classes.

"The classes help people know that they're not alone," says Dianne Carlson, community service director at the agency. "They also give people a chance to learn about the disease process, which is different for different people. Caregivers need to realize to not take their loved one's actions personally."

She recommends people visit the www.areagencyonaging.org website or call the 800-654-2810 toll-free information line to get information.

The Alzheimer's Association Support Group also offers advice and help.

www.heraldpalladium.com/articles/2011/01/11/features/3051941.txt

Kalamazoo (& the region) Celebrate Martin Luther King

"Bringing Life to the Dream" is the theme for this year’s community wide tribute to civil rights champion Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Activities from educational sessions and forums to book readings and panel discussions are planned by partners Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo College, the city of Kalamazoo and the Northside Ministerial Alliance. They begin Friday, Jan. 14, with an MLK Chapel Service in Kalamazoo College's Stetson Chapel and continue through March 30.

Among the numerous activities on Monday, Jan. 17, the national holiday honoring King, will be the city’s annual Community Day of Service and a march to MLK Jr. Park.

www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2011/01/communitywide_celebration_for.html

Some of the other events in the region follow:

Lake Michigan College & Andrews University in Berrien County are hosting several events in remembrance of the work of Dr. King. These are listed at:

www.heraldpalladium.com/articles/2011/01/09/local_news/3045670.txt

In Battle Creek, the JONAH (the Joint-religious Organizing Network for Action and Hope) is sponsoring a community prayer breakfast this coming Saturday:

search.battlecreekenquirer.com/localevents/event//8508-Dr-Martin-Luther-King-Jr-Community-Prayer-Breakfast

South Bend is also planning numerous events in honor of Dr. King. Information on South Bend area events can be found at:

www.southbendtribune.com/article/20110109/News01/101090390/1130

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