Van Buren County Volunteer Income Tax Preparers Enjoy Annual Appreciation Dinner

Over 60 volunteers at 18 sites throughout Van Buren County spent hundreds of volunteer hours helping low to moderate income families eFile their income taxes through the IRS-sponsored VITA tax program.

Those volunteers were honored at the annual Tax Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, held May 2 at the Van Buren Intermediate School District Conference Center.

The following awards were presented to:

*New Tax Site Awards - Gobles and Decatur.
*Outstanding Tax Site Coordinators - Jim Sebree and Jeanette Ball.
*Outstanding Service Awards were presented to Dick Olsen and Dave Bugge for their years of dedicated service to the VITA tax program.

More than 1,000 tax returns were filed this season, with an average federal refund of $1,200 and average state return of just under $500.

www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20461206&BRD=2188&PAG=461&dept_id=560374&rfi=6

EITC Protest Sign At Benton Harbor/St. Joseph Blossomtime Parade

Wish I had had a camera for this one. The media covered protestors at the Blossomtime parade who were protesting the new Emergency Financial Manager (EFM) law.

However, the wording of a sign held up at the Benton Harbor/St. Joseph parade by a member of the clergy and his spouse said:

Tax

DeVos

not

DePoor

Save EITC

I thought it was clever!

Michigan Earned Income Credit May Be Reduced by 70%, Not Eliminated

As reported by Michigan Radio:

Governor Rick Snyder's administration has agreed to restore a reduced version of the state income tax credit for working poor families.

The reduced tax break will allow families that qualify to claim 6% of the federal earned income credit on their state taxes.

In the past families could claim 20%.

Snyder's original proposal called for elimination of the credit.

news.michiganradio.org/post/instead-axing-it-plan-calls-reducing-tax-credit-working-poor

Southwest Michigan food pantries pool resources to feed hungry

Southwest Michigan food pantries continue to fight the good fight.

But many rural-area churches and other nonprofit groups also are seeing the need for food assistance in their communities and have taken action to create food pantries to try and meet that demand.

Vicki West, secretary at Oakwood Baptist Church in St. Joseph, said the church opened its pantry in summer 2009 after noticing larger pantries in the surrounding area weren’t as easily accessible to those in need.

“There was kind of this big gap that we wanted to try to fill,” West said.

www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2011/05/southwest_michigan_food_pantri.html

Cinco De Mayo: Celebration of May 5 for Mexican Americans

Today is an important day: my first grandchild was born! 8lbs and 4 oz. A boy. So, I apologize for not having much time this past couple days to contribute to the web site.

Still, I am thinking it is pretty cool that I have a grand child born on Cinco de Mayo! With that in mind, here are some informative articles on that important Mexican and Mexican American holiday.

From the Washington Post:

www.washingtonpost.com/world/americas/in_mexico_cinco_de_mayo_is_a_more_sober_affair/2011/05/05/AFq0Om0F_story.html?wprss=rss_homepage

From the Christian Science Monitor:

www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas/2011/0505/Cinco-de-Mayo-in-Mexico-hand-stitched-costumes-no-guacamole

And from a TV station in Texas:

Early Childhood Connections Project in Battle Creek Brings Together Parents, Kids, & Agencies

As kids climbed high on a rock wall, their parents below found ways to keep them healthy and growing.

Saturday's Connecting with Families event at Ann J. Kellogg Elementary School in Battle Creek brought together child and family service organizations and entertaining activities, such as a rock wall for climbing and live music from a children's entertainer.

The event was also the kickoff for the Early Childhood Connections project, part of the "whole child" initiative launched by the Educator's Task Force to address the overall well-being of area children and families.

Organizations and information at the event included Community Action, Family and Children Services, the Coordinating Council, Kellogg Community College's Early Childhood Development class' literacy room, child car seat information from the Battle Creek Police Department and fire safety information from the Battle Creek Fire Department.

www.battlecreekenquirer.com/article/20110501/NEWS01/105010317/1002/news01/Families-make-connections

Eye exams, donated glasses provided at Family Health Center, Battle Creek

Staff from the Southwest Michigan Eye Center provided eye exams and glasses to patients at the Family Health Center Wednesday afternoon.

"We brought in the Kendall Optical System that's used for taking donated Lions Club glasses and categorizing them into a computer organizing system. Then they're boxed and bar coded." said Dr. Jeffrey Colquhoun. Students from the Battle Creek Area Mathematics and Science Center had previously worked to prepare about 2,000 pairs of glasses into the system.

www.battlecreekenquirer.com/article/20110428/NEWS01/104280314/1002/news01/Eye-exams-donated-glasses-provided-Family-Health-Center

Berrien and Cass County Fair Poorly in National Health Study

How healthy is Berrien County?

According to statistics recently released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, there appears to be some room for improvement.

The statistics, compiled yearly for each county in the nation, had Berrien ranked 65th out of Michigan’s 82 counties in health outcomes, which includes mortality and morbidity rates. That placed the county in the bottom third statewide.

In a second category, called health factors, the county came in 52nd. That includes factors such as health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors and physical environment.

Cass County, meanwhile, ranked 59th in health outcomes and 50th in health factors.

Theresa Green, director of community health planning for the Berrien County Health Department, said she respects the findings because they provide insight to what the county can improve on.

“It’s not surprising to the health department,” she said of some of Berrien’s low scores. “They’re (the health institute) putting together data in a good way. There are some different ways to measure things that I haven’t thought of. ... They include nontraditional factors.”

Berrien fared the worst in morbidity rate - which includes factors such as poor or fair health and poor physical and mental health days.

Poor mental health days is based on responses from community members who are asked about how often during the past 30 days they thought about their mental health, which includes stress, depression and problems with emotions. The statistics represent the average number of days a county’s adult respondents reported that their mental health was not good.

www.southbendtribune.com/news/sbt-berrien-county-lags-in-health-rankings-20110423,0,3996364.story?track=rss

"The Legislature is being Unnecessarily Punitive with Poor People"

"It just seems to feel like the legislature is being unnecessarily punitive with poor people."

- Ken Sikkema, Public Sector Consultants and former Senate Majority Leader on this week's broadcast edition of Michigan Public Radio's "A Look at the Week in State Politics".

Mr. Sikkema's comments were in response to a discussion about the legislature's proposal to force poor families to purchase their children's back-to-school clothes at thrift stores.

The full broadcast, which also discussed the school aid budget and other topics, can be listened to at:


news.michiganradio.org/post/look-week-state-politics?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+michiganradio+%28Michigan+Radio%3A+Michigan+News%29&utm_content=Twitter

Infant Health Program Provides Services for At-Risk Pregnant Women

Cassopolis Family Clinic’s Maternal Infant Health Program (MIHP), part of its obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Niles, was recertified in January by the Michigan Department of Community Health for 18 months, through June 2012.

“(MIHP) provides services for at-risk pregnant women and infants up to their first birthday,” says Michelle Schau, MSW, program coordinator.

“For the patients we’re privileged to serve, ‘at risk’ may mean they have limited or no financial resources to access the basic goods and services they need. To be eligible, patients must qualify for Michigan Medicaid.

“Although the program is completely voluntary, many women who choose CFC for prenatal care, choose to seek services of the (MIHP). Many patients lack adequate family support, whether emotional, physical or financial. We tailor our services around the needs of our patients. Education, case management and parenting classes are free of cost for our patients,” Schau said.

There are three disciplines involved in MIHP services.

Social workers provide case management. Registered nurses provide patient education, including what to expect during pregnancy, delivery and after birth. Dietitians provide guidance on eating well during pregnancy and following birth and education and proper nutrition for infants.

“This program really makes a difference in the quality of our patients’ lives,” says Mary Middleton, executive director. “Every time we deliver a healthy baby, it’s a success.”

www.dowagiacnews.com/2011/04/21/maternal-infant-health-program-recertified/