Tuesday, October 13, 2009

HSCB Hires New Coordinator

Manistee County Human Services Collaborative Body hires Sharron Lemmer as its new coordinator. Sharron, a past United Way of Manistee County Director, repalces Judy Crockett, who has been the HSCB coordinator for the past two years. Judy is moving on to a position with a high impact marketing company in Denver.

"I am pleased that Sharron is able to step directly into this position," said Crockett. "She has significant knowledge of the health and human resources in Manistee County."

Lemmer will assume her new role October 19.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Box Village Friday Oct. 9


Ever wonder what it is like to be HOMELESS? Join Manistee County youth as they take to the street and spend the night in cardboard boxes at the Seng lot located on the west end of River Street near the fountain in Manistee. The BOX VILLAGE will set up at 6pm. The public is invited to stop down and be part of this event for Poverty Week in Manistee County.


Events at the BOX VILLAGE include a soup kitchen, barrel fires, free movies on homelessness, and other events.


It is not too late to sign up to participate. Simply contact Casman Academy or the Staircase Youth Services office - - both located on Ninth Street in Manistee. 231-690-7367.
Adult volunteers are also welcome.

The Manistee County Human Services Collaborative Body has a number of activities planned for Poverty Reduction Awareness Week.

A link to the PRM week activities brochure can be found at the Manistee County web site. Anyone can access the information from any computer.http://www.manisteecountymi.gov/

The theme for the week is "In Their Shoes ....Helping Others - Helping Ourselves.

Get involved...attend one or more of the activities.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

PRM Week Schedule Complete

The brochure with details of the Manistee County Human Services Collaborative Body's Poverty Reduction Awareness Week activities is complete. October 4-11, 2009 has been proclaimed "Poverty Reduction Awareness Week" by the City of Manistee, the Manistee County Commissioners, the Alliance for Economic Success, the Manistee Area Chamber of Commerce, and other community groups. The theme of the week is "In Their Shoes - Helping Others - Helping Ourselves.

Activities planned included:

Sunday October 4, 2009
Kick-off Sunday Please worship as you choose. Develop an awareness, empathy, and compassion for those in need in our communities.

CROP Hunger Walk Fundraising walk. 25% of the dollars raised stay in Manistee County. 2pm. Meet at Senior Center on River Street, Manistee Contact Rev. Townsend 889-4311

Monday, October 5
Know your rights: Keep your money, Keep your home. Financial literacy training, counseling, resources, presentations. 6:30pm. City Council Chambers City Hall, Manistee. FREE. Contact Dan Scripps 517-373-0825

Tuesday, October 6
Project Homeless Connect Laundromat Project Learn about services available to families in need while getting help with the laundry! Free use of laundromat for homeless/at-risk individuals and families. Many local agencies will be on hand to help connect individuals and families to services. 8:45am -11:30am and again 4pm-7pm Will be held at Manistee Easy Wash, 156 Washington Street
Volunteers are needed to help with children, socializing, folding laundry, etc. Contact Linda 723-6201 ex18

Community Table Free meal and companionship. Faith-based meal assistance program. All are welcome. 5:30pm - 7pm. St. Joseph Parish Center 249 Sixth Street, Manistee. Contact Linda 723-9785

Urgent Care Walk in Clinic providing quality medical care to low income uninsured residents. Manistee Area Community Clinic Registration 4:30pm - 7pm - clients seen in order they are registered. Health Dept. 385 Third Street. 231-309-8940

Mittens for Michigan Donate new or gently used mittens/winterwear at Filer Credit Union locations all month Contact Denee 723-3400 ex 28

Wednesday, October 7
50/50 Sale at The Salvation Army thrift store. All clothing 50cents...everything else 50% off. 172 Memorial Drive (by Oleson's) 10am -5:30pm 723-6243

-How to Navigate Your Way to College Free. Two 1-1\2 hour sessions helping guide individuals through the process of starting and succeeding in college.10am Room 1 and again at 7pm Room 3 Education Center at West Shore Medical Center Parkdale Ave. Preregister Kareen 843-5899 or
Chad 843-5965

Thanks A Million Food Distribution
Brethren High School. Talk to you local service agency for details. One 50 pound order of free food per family. Limited to 200 families in need. Bring your own bags/basket/box.

Thursday October 8
Preparing a Personal Budget Learn to create a personal budget. Intro-duction and one-on-one help if desired. Free. WSCC in rec center 12:30-1:30 Preregister. Contact Ruth 843-5823

Donate quality used clothing, blankets, and bedding to a thrift store or shelter near you. Buy an extra can of tuna, chicken, or peanut butter and donate it to a food pantry in your community.

Volunteer Orientation Recruit, begin training for Love, INC family program volunteers 6pm-8pm St. Joseph Parish Center 6th Street, Manistee Contact Chris 723-6613

Friday, October 9
Free Bible Coffee Hour with Fr. Mike Bell, at The Grounds on Washington St. Topic: connection between the Bible and money (particularly debt, poverty, freedom, change). Every Friday in Oct. 10am-10:45 Contact 723-2078

Box Village Youth throughout Manistee County will take shelter all night in cardboard boxes. Includes soup kitchen homeless films, and other activities - open to the community for visiting. At the Seng lot, River Street, near the water fountain. Begins at 6pm. Contact Staircase Youth Services 690-7367

Perform a random act of kindness…

Saturday, October 10
Cans 'n Coats Collection Purchase extra Spartan groceries for The Salvation Army emergency food pantry while shopping at Glen's Market Manistee and drop off your donations before you leave. Also a drop off location for winter coats. 11am - 2pm. Contact Martie 723-6243

Sunday, October 11th
Thanksgiving Sunday Take time to worship as you choose today and give thanks for all we have, all we have given, and all we have learned this week. Count Your Blessings. Continue to share your gifts with those in need. Poverty can happen to anyone. Even you. Pay it forward.

These are some of the special events planned for Poverty Reduction Week. More may occur. Poverty is real in Manistee County. PRM Week is a program of the Manistee County HSCB.

Monday, August 31, 2009

Thanks a Million Feeds 200 Families


200 Manistee County families in need received 50 pounds of free groceries on Saturday through Thanks A Million - - The organization brought 10,000 pounds of free food by truck and distributed it in the Ace Hardware parking lot.
30 volunteers were on hand to help unload the truck, set up tables, and help families bag their groceries. Other volunteers assisted families in carrying the groceries to their cars.
Some families expressing other needs were directed to use the local 2-1-1 services.
"This is just the first of what we hope will be several truck loads of free food to be distributed to families in need in Manistee County," said Judy Crockett, coordinator of the Manistee County Human Services Collaborative Body. "We will be working with other local agencies to get the paperwork done and enlist the support of volunteers to make this happen over and over again in Manistee County."
The rain Saturday held off until just the very end of the distribution. Families were in line early and stretched nearly the length of the parking lot. Families received apples, strawberries, juices, granola bars, carrots, potatoes, sour cream, salad dressing, milk, and other foods.

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.