tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48842827925420866392024-03-13T12:06:20.860-07:00The Real World...What My FUTURE CAREER Consists of as :An On-Air Personality or News Anchor..."A Sparkling Star"http://www.blogger.com/profile/13711554763145108960noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4884282792542086639.post-74668694368314450342011-11-30T09:55:00.000-08:002011-12-03T10:25:53.788-08:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div style="background-color: cyan;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div style="background-color: cyan;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The Plan To End Homelessness Is Making Progress</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"></span></span></div></div><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">By Reneka Toler</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: #d0e0e3;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><span style="background-color: #999999;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">11/21/2011 </span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><a href="http://www.cityofmemphis.org/pdf_forms/Action_Plan_Final.pdf"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">An Action Plan to End Homelessness</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> in Memphis within the next decade has already reported progress in getting people off the streets and into shelters. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The plan, implemented by Memphis Mayor A C Wharton, Jr. and Shelby County Mayor Mark Lutrell, was unveiled in January, and is designed to help approximate 1,600 homeless people in the city. Memphis City Council approved $250,000 </span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">to </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">begin the plan.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> The major goals of this plan consists of preventing and ending chronic homelessness in five years, ending family and youth homelessness in 10 years, providing a path out of homelessness <span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="line-height: 150%;">for all </span></span></span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span></span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">w</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">ithin 10 years and ending veterans’ homelessness in five years in Memphis/ Shelby County.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> “Homelessness is not a single issue, but a result of failures in the economy,” says Brad Watkins, organizing director of </span><a href="http://www.midsouthpeace.org/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Mid-South Peace and Justice Center</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">, which is a non-profit organization that interacts with communities through a non-violent action.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Mid-South Peace and Justice Center, was one of the main advocates in creating this plan. It offered basic solutions to eliminate the causes of homelessness and poverty. One of its</span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span></span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">r</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">ecent accomplishments involved the recruitment of 80 volunteers to assist the City of Memphis’ count of homeless population in 2010-2011.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Watkins says the 10 year-action plan is a federal mandate by Housing and Urban Development, which makes it more competitive. It is going to move the country forward and the people to readiness.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> “Not only Memphis, but the country as a whole is 20 years behind, so I think the plan is excellent and it’s a start to end the homelessness,” said Watkins said.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Throughout the plan, studies show comparison in the count of homeless from 2002-2010. Memphis and Shelby County endured a 4 percent reduction in those people, who experienced homelessness.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Katie Kitchin, a consultant of Division of Housing and Community Development says the main focus of the plan is to reduce homelessness within 5 to 10 years.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> “The plan is a new approach in the community and change is the biggest challenge,” says Kitchin.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> The most recent studies indicate that ‘transitioning of housing’ begins the first step in the homeless stage.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Adjusting the Homeless Housing Capacity is one of the main strategies in Goal One, which the city is making progress to meet.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Watkins says the Housing First Model started the process to help the homeless people recover. It provides Permanent Supporting Housing units by 391 and reduces transitioning housing by 300 units.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Also, 3.3 million dollars is distributed from the City of Memphis for funding of homeless shelters.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Shelters like </span><a href="http://memphisunionmission.org/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Memphis Union Mission</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> and others provide the homeless with their basic needs, and accept donations to prevent them from the homeless path. As a result it serves meals to hungry men and woman 365 days a year.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><a href="http://www.communityallianceforthehomeless.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The Community Alliance for the Homeless</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">, proposed the Project Homeless Connect, a major event that was held earlier this year to reach out to the homeless. It was a jump-start of the new plan making progress. Different types of housing, health, and employment assistance was available.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> “We hope that this event helps break down the barriers that keep people homeless,” Kitchin said.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Due to the 20 percent increase in jobless rate this year, 241 individuals received employment assistance at the event.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The National Coalition for the Homeless says ending homelessness will require closing the gaps between incomes and housing costs.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Finally, with the enforcement of the panhandling law, homelessness has shown to decrease.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The city ordinance says panhandling in Downtown is illegal outside of specific zones. Any type of activity will result in jail time or monetary fines.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Partners for the Homelessness recommends not giving money to the panhandlers, but donating it charities and organizations, which can better assist them.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><span style="background-color: cyan;"></span>"A Sparkling Star"http://www.blogger.com/profile/13711554763145108960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4884282792542086639.post-11830040609760752152011-11-28T09:27:00.000-08:002011-12-07T17:02:25.504-08:00Children In Memphis Faces Poverty<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QFaWeaoiA28?fs=1" width="459"></iframe><br />
<div style="color: cyan;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>This workshop was covered at a Business Conference Meeting, hosted by MLGW.<br />
It was held at the Joyce M. Blackmon Training and Development Center on Nov. 11 from 10 am to 2:30 pm. </b></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: cyan;"><span style="font-size: large;">The speaker for this workshop was Peggie Russell, the moderator of Children & Poverty</span>.</b></span></span>"A Sparkling Star"http://www.blogger.com/profile/13711554763145108960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4884282792542086639.post-64287497625756786232011-11-28T09:10:00.000-08:002011-12-03T10:26:51.265-08:00<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b style="color: cyan;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Everyday Life For the Homeless</span></b> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">By Reneka Toler</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> 09/25/2011</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Many Memphians are homeless due to some disastrous situations. Three of those homeless people have told their stories about how they ended up on the streets of Memphis.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Perry Johnson, 55, from Memphis, Tenn. has been homeless for about eight years. He was a former mechanic for about 12 years, until he lost his job. Later on, he experienced long-term addiction with alcohol and drugs. He was once married for a short-period of time, but later was divorced, due to his unemployment and lack of responsibilities.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Johnson says most homeless people in Downtown Memphis are familiar and pleased with this institution, whereas some of them are unsatisfied with their services. No one only really knows, because he or she isn’t the homeless person. People only go by, what they see or hear from the outside.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Also, Johnson finds it to be difficult to be homeless and wishes he would have a chosen a different route. He never knew that he would experience this situation, until now.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> “I appreciate Union Mission for taking me in, but people don’t know what I and others go through on the inside and how we are treated, “said Johnson. “It’s a struggle everyday that I am there.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Union Mission, located downtown on Poplar Avenue and Danny Thomas is a private institution, which shelters, feeds, and prays for the homeless. Its purpose for serving the homeless people is to help them reunite with family members and loved ones, achieve freedom from substance abuse and become mature Disciples of Christ. Also, it offers several of programs to assist those who need.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The National Homeless Organization says </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">homelessness has risen in the past 15-20 years.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Homelessness falls in the category of affordable rental housing and increase in poverty.</span> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">In 2007, 12.5 percent of the U.S. population, or 37, 300, 00 million people, lived in poverty. The official poverty rate in 2007 was not statistically different than 2006 (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2007). Children are overrepresented, composing 35.7% of people in poverty while only being 24.8% of the total population. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Without a job or any source of income, homeless people are unable to supply themselves physically, mentally, or emotionally.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Hazel Blackmon, 62, from San Diego, Calif. was once homeless, but has now recovered from the situation. She was a former truck driver for about 14 years, until she left her husband. Her husband abused her for many years for no apparent reason. Afterwards, she decided to leave him and her belongings behind. She said that she just wanted to be free and with her family, again in Memphis. She has been unemployed for five years and received disability benefits. Before receiving benefits, she was offered employment, yet refused, because of minimum wage. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> “I can’t see myself, settling for anything that is offered, when I have way too much experience, “said Blackmon, the homeless woman. “ It’s just not fair at all.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Luke United Methodist Church, located in the Midtown area, on South Highland and Mynders, serves as another helping hand to the homeless. It does not shelter the homeless, but provides food, clothing, and worship to them throughout the week. There, the homeless people feel welcome and comfortable by a ministry who cares. Every other Sunday, a homeless person joins church and volunteers their time, during the different events that are held.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Michael Isom, 45, from Memphis has been homeless since 1991. Isom never kept a stable job and rarely communicated with his family or others. He raised himself in the streets. A typical day for Isom would be to get up in the morning, ride his bicycle, and pick up cans to sell for food and shelter. Regularly, he resides on the streets, and sometimes in the shelter. He attends Luke United Methodist every Saturday and Sunday.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> “I really enjoy coming to this church,” said Isom. “The people, here are friendly and caring”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> The National Coalition for the Homeless says that half of all states have multiple risk factors for increased homelessness; that is, they have rates worse than the national average on at least two of five indicators -- unemployment, foreclosure, doubled-up, housing cost burden, and lack of health insurance.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 150%;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Story Highlights</span></u></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Perry Johnson and 2 other homeless people share their experiences of being homeless.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Luke United Methodist and Union Mission serve as helping hands to the homeless.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">National Coalition for the Homeless says homelessness has risen in the past 15-20 years.</span></div>"A Sparkling Star"http://www.blogger.com/profile/13711554763145108960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4884282792542086639.post-48471061615806585182011-11-28T08:53:00.000-08:002011-11-28T08:53:45.411-08:00Life Away From Home.mov<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AYOyd7rxjms?fs=1" allowfullscreen="" width="459" frameborder="0" height="344"></iframe>"A Sparkling Star"http://www.blogger.com/profile/13711554763145108960noreply@blogger.com0