Wednesday, July 22, 2009

A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT - ARRA FUNDS

MANISTEE - - - Local health and human service agencies in Manistee County recently got together to consider a Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program grant opportunity. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 dollars are available to Manistee County through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA).
"This will be a true collaborative effort," said Judy Crockett, Coordinator of the Manistee County Human Services Collaborative Body (HSCB). "We do not have a single agency in a position to apply for and administer this grant. Our agencies have come together to share in the responsibility."
The grant can bring in $65,000 of ARRA stimulus dollars to help prevent homelessness in Manistee County. Throughout Michigan, communities including Manistee County are committed to ending homelessness in ten years. This funding holds the promise of being the catalyst to support the creation of new programs to address homelessness through prevention and rapid rehousing which will result in a significant decrease in shelter usage.
Members of Manistee County's Continuum of Care housing group will write the grant and provide the case management to individuals who are served through this program. If awarded, the grant will provide dollars over two years.
The Manistee County HSCB is dedicated to improving the quality of life of our communities by maximizing collaboration, mobilizing support, and providing leadership in identifying community needs and seeking creative, dynamic, efficient and effective solutions. For more information contact the HSCB at hscbmanistee@gmail.com.

Poverty Reduction Awareness Week Set

MANISTEE - - - The Poverty Reduction Movement Ad-hoc committee of the Manistee County Human Services Collaborative Body (HSCB) has established the week of October 4th through the 11th as Poverty Reduction Awareness Week. The theme for the week is "In Their Shoes -- Helping Others - Helping Ourselves".
The Movement will kick-off in area churches Sunday, October 4th. Crop Walk will take place later that day. There will be a host of activities during the week including a Take Back the Night walk, a free community table dinner, a homeless overnight simulation for youth, home repair projects, The Salvation Army winter coat drive, the United Way of Manistee County campaign, and more. The week will close in area churches on Thanksgiving Sunday, October 11th, when church communities are asked to give thanks for what we each have, and thanks for all that we share.
“The movement is an attempt to change the language and perception of poverty in our midst and to educate our local community about the impact of poverty,” said Jim Scranton, Chair of the PRM ad-hoc committee. “We will participate in a continuing dialog and brainstorm ideas for addressing community needs and implementing solutions that reduce poverty rates, build understanding, and improve efficiencies right here in Manistee County.”
The PRM committee is made up of individuals representing area agencies, consumers, churches, and governmental bodies. The formation of the steering committee was the direct result of a statewide November Poverty Summit in Detroit called "Voices for Action" and a two-day region-wide conference held in May in Traverse City featuring Donna Beegle, an authority on poverty.
As Manistee County moves forward to reduce poverty among our neighbors, the HSCB's PRM committee will plan action steps for educating the community and to learn more about what is going on in our community. The committee will work to be sure we have authentic opportunities to help people through awareness week activities.
"We will put a face on poverty in Manistee County," said Scranton. "We have a story to tell, and the main characters are our friends and neighbors right here in Manistee County. For this event, we are looking for community service organizations, churches, governmental bodies, businesses, and individuals to host projects and activities that call awareness to issues of poverty in our communities, or that assist those in need."
The Manistee County HSCB is dedicated to improving the quality of life in our communities by maximizing collaboration, mobilizing support, and providing leadership in identifying community needs and seeking creative, dynamic, efficient and effective solutions. For more information contact the HSCB at hscbmanistee@gmail.com.
For more information about awareness week or to host an event, contact Judy Crockett at the Manistee County Human Services Collaborative Body at hscbmanistee@gmail.com Learn more about the HSCB on their blog at http:// manisteecountyhscb. blogspot.com If you need community resources, call Manistee County 2-1-1 at 1-877-211-5253.

Golfing for a Cure Benefits Local Agency

MANISTEE - - - Manistee National Golf and Resort recently hosted the annual Rally for a Cure Women's Invitation golf outing that raised dollars for the Susan G. Koman Foundation for breast cancer research and locally supported CHOICES of Manistee County, the domestic violence shelter. The Foundation will receive $1,200 and CHOICES received nearly $1,700 in the July 10th event.
"This annual event continues to grow in popularity," said Judy Crockett, Coordinator of the Manistee County Human Services Collaborative Body (HSCB) who co-chaired the local portion of the event with Jo Hall, store manager at The Salvation Army. "We had more golfers, more sponsors, and raised more dollars that we ever have with this event. Golfers continue to tell us how much they enjoy the interaction they have with sponsors on each hole. It is something that is unique to our event."
Golfers had the opportunity along the way to taste local sweet cherries provided by Countryside Painting, get a free copy of Women's Lifestyle Magazine, enjoy treats from The Salvation Army, get a free one-day membership to West Shore Health Connections by making a pledge to Manistee County 2-1-1, get a water bottle or golf towel from Mary Sturdevant State Farm Agency, to win a botox treatment from the Laser Institute of West Michigan, and even to win a Kohler toilet on "Hole Number 2" from Kendra Thompson Architects.
"Manistee National has been generous in allowing us to partner with them at this growing event to benefit a local agency that assists women and families," said Crockett. "It is so much fun to work with these generous golfers and sponsors and benefit an organization locally that does so much."
In receiving the check, Jackie Kiszlik, Director of CHOICES thanked the golfers and asked them to think about what it would be like to invite 15 or 16 family members home for Thanksgiving Dinner, and then to have them stay for a full year. That, she said, it what it is like everyday at CHOICES. She noted the domestic violence shelter has been operating at full capacity for a long time.
CHOICES is a member of the The Manistee County HSCB. The HSCB is dedicated to improving the quality of life in our communities by maximizing collaboration, mobilizing support, and providing leadership in identifying community needs and seeking creative, dynamic, efficient and effective solutions. For more information contact the HSCB at hscbmanistee@gmail.com.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Free Cancer Screening For Women

Early Detection Saves Lives! Call for an appointment today.
Ask for the Women's Cancer Screening Program.

Free services include: Breast Exam; Mammogram; PapSmear Test; Pelvic Exam; Client Education; Follow-up if abnormal results.

You Qualify if: You are age 40-64 years; You have limited insurance or no insurance; Your income is limited. (1 person: $27,075 or less; 2 people: $36,425 or less; 3 people: $45,775 or less; 4 people: $55,125 or less)

In Manistee County Call:(231) 723-3595

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Ending Childhood Hunger Report

From our friends at FRAC
The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) just released a new report setting out seven strategies it deems essential for the nation to meet President Obama's goal of ending childhood hunger by 2015. The report, titled "Ending Childhood Hunger by 2015: The Essential Strategies for Achieving the President's Goal," can be downloaded by clicking here (pdf).

The paper calls for the nation to: Restore economic growth and create jobs with better wages for lower-income workers. Raise the incomes of the lowest-income families. Strengthen the SNAP/Food Stamp Program. Strengthen the Child Nutrition Programs. Engage the entire federal government in ending childhood hunger. Work with states, localities and nonprofits to expand and improve participation in federal nutrition programs. Make sure all families have convenient access to reasonably priced, healthy food. They are distributing this analysis to members of Congress, key officials in the Obama Administration, the media, and anti-hunger leaders across the nation.

They are also launching a website, www.endingchildhunger2015.org, where they will post this analysis and the president's position paper making the 2015 commitment, and in the weeks and months ahead other analyses and materials related to achieving the 2015 goal.