Fight Against Homelessness

My name is Laura and I am a part time Americorps Member serving at West Michigan Therapy in Muskegon Heights. West Michigan Therapy is a nonprofit agency that houses homeless individuals and families through its housing programs. In 2009, there were a reported 2,214 homeless persons in Muskegon County. Of the homeless persons, 710 of them were children. On any given day that year, there were 325 homeless individuals and children in the shelters in Muskegon County. In 2010, West Michigan Therapy's housing programs served 1,321 of the 2,214 homeless persons in Muskegon County which is over half of the homeless served by one agency! The stability of permanent housing with the care of supportive services has given our housing clients new hope and a sense of self-determination.

West Michigan Therapy has had a very positive effect on the community at large and is continuing to receive a high demand of need for housing assistance. However, right now there is a huge gap between State and Federal funding support West Michigan Therapy received to run its housing programs and provide these services in an effective manner, allowing our clients' continuing stability. Without funding support, West Michigan Therapy has created workshops and groups to help serve members in the community by providing them with useful information about resources and housing options in the county. I help facilitate the Housing Stability Workshop which goes over information about subsidized housing lists, food truck information, temp agency lists and information as well as many, many more resources.

Due to this gap in funding, West Michigan Therapy is holding a "Million Quarters Drive" fundraiser with the ultimate goal of raising a quarter of a million dollars to ensure that these housing programs are maintained and expanded to provide essential case management services to families that are homeless or to prevent them from becoming homeless. This fundraiser has many different parts that are working together to raise the money. West Michigan Therapy is participating in food night at some local restaurants, attempting to have high school students sell chocolate candy bars, and planning a sleep out event in the future with all of the high schools in Muskegon County. It mimics the life of a homeless individual with students sleeping in boxes and/or participating in activities that help them understand how difficult it is to be homeless. West Michigan Therapy is also selling years of its history, there are twenty-five, to local businesses that are willing to sponsor and help raise money for the fundraiser. With the help of community members and local students, West Michigan Therapy plans to reach its goal and continue to fight against homelessness.

Why Should We Protect National Service in Michigan?

Times are tough here in Michigan, but you don’t need me to tell you that. It might as well be painted in bright red lettering across our state.

You see it in the smallest of places—like the face of a child who has worn the same clothes to school for the last week, or the single mother having to put back food in the grocery store checkout lane.

You can see it in your neighborhood—one foreclosed house after another, shops quietly closing their doors for good.

You watched it on the news as the once thriving Michigan auto industry was brought to its knees in front of the world.

You can see the entire state of Michigan’s struggle physically when you head south on 75 to Detroit and see the skeleton of Michigan Central Train Depot. Michigan has a lot in common with this haunting old building—both have a vibrant past and beauty that are not apparent at first glance anymore.

But there is one thing that Michigan does not have in common with this building—Michigan is not abandoned.

While you read this there are Michigan residents serving in our communities, devoting their time to help and restore Michigan. They serve long hours, steadfastly and silently supporting Michigan residents who need it the most. They serve in nonprofits throughout Michigan, for very little pay, yet they make measurable positive differences in our state.

These people are AmeriCorps members.

AmeriCorps members tutor children in your schools. They work one-on-one with people who have, or are at-risk, of losing their housing. They do their best to keep foreclosures from happening, and they help secure affordable housing for those who don’t have it.

They help connect our state’s neediest families and individuals with services that can give them a hand up and out of poverty. In the last two months, AmeriCorps members in the Michigan Campaign to End Homeless have helped over 2,500 Michigan residents get connected with crucial services, by planning one-day community connect events. They have recruited over 100 volunteers and helped over 700 unemployed people at these events.

That’s right--this has all been accomplished since the turn of the new year!

From 2010 to 2011 they amassed even greater numbers by assisting or leading in the planning of numerous connect events statewide that served over 10,000 people. One third of these guests were unemployed, while many others were in a housing crisis or literally homeless.

And that's not even the tip of the iceberg. These numbers don't include the countless people members help individually every day at their service locations (You can read about that in their blogs!). It also doesn’t count what other programs in the state, as well as throughout the entire nation, have accomplished.

Michigan needs AmeriCorps members to fight poverty, help educate our children, and prevent homelessness. Especially in what might someday be considered Michigan’s darkest hour.

We know Michigan needs this program because we have lived through one of the greatest recessions of our country’s history, in one of the hardest hit states.

We have seen it. We have felt it. We will not give up.

Member serving in AmeriCorps will continue to improve our communities. We will continue to get measureable results. We will continue to help people who are in times of crisis.

But we have a crisis of our own. Congress wants to cut funding, and effectively eliminate AmeriCorps, as well as over 47,000 other people who serve the nation. They want to cut programs that have been acting as the backbone of our state and country—doing what nonprofits don’t have the time or resources to do. We can’t let them.

It will be a struggle to keep the funding, but we cannot and will not give up.

We will not abandon Michigan.

***This was written on my own time, as a private citizen***

Making A Difference

My name is LaSar'a Johnson. I am a full-time AmeriCorps Member with the Michigan's Campaign to End Homelessness Program. Currently, I am serving at Every Woman's Place/Webster House Youth Services, located in Muskegon, MI.
Every Woman's Place (EWP)/Webster House Youth Services (WHYS) is an agency that offers programs to battered men and women, homeless and at-risk of becoming homeless individuals, and runaway youth. Here at EWP/WHYS, I am serving as a Tenant Based Rental Assistant (TBRA). The TBRA Program helps to house homeless and at risk of being homeless families and youth in Muskegon, Newaygo and Oceana County.
During my term of service, I have had the pleasure of meeting great people, and was also able to participate in various activities. Many of the activities were very heart-warming. Some of these activities include carving pumpkins for Harvest Day, making Christmas cookies, and scrap-booking for Valentine's Day with the domestic violence survivor's children. The children had so much fun that they begged their parents to stay a bit longer. The sight of this touched my heart so much. I was happy that in the midst of such turmoil in these kids life, that for even one day, they were able to have fun.
Another occasion occurred while conducting casework to a young lady, who was an "unofficial" client. She was considered "unofficial" because our program had no additional finances to assist her with housing. As more time went by, the young lady had begun to get more and more disappointed. I attempted to keep her encouraged by congratulating her on her minor accomplishments and by also reinforcing positive attitudes, since she had had difficulty in positive reinforcement for herself. After about 3 months of active casework, the young lady shared with me that she had been interviewed and accepted for a job. During the conversation, I shared with the client that more money had opened up and that we would be able to assist her for approximately 2-3 months, if not longer. She was very excited at the fact that her luck was beginning to change; I was happy to be a part of her excitement.
One special occasion that sticks out as most meaningful to me occurred when I was given the opportunity to coordinate, along with another AmeriCorp Member, Oceana County's 1st Annual Project Homeless Connect. Myself, as well as the other AmeriCorp member had never conducted an event such as this one; however, it was an honor to be able to partake in history in Oceana's Continuum of Care 1st Annual Project Homeless Connect Food Drive. Through this event, we were able to provide 5,000lbs of food, via Feeding America in Western Michigan to 185 families, and were also able to donate 100 bags full of laundry detergent, bath soap, tissue paper, t-shirts, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and feminine hygiene products.
The Project Homeless Connect Food Drive turned out to be such a successful event. I was excited to be able to not only make history in Oceana County, but even more excited to see the expressions of gratitude on people's faces who were benefiting from out hard work and services we offered. Although it had begun to rain and get dark and chilly outside, myself, another AmeriCorp Member and the volunteers remained on site until every morsel of food had been given away. We were able to serve each and every person who had come out to participate.

My name is Michele Robinson and I am an Americorps member serving in Macomb County. I have enjoyed my time serving at the organization and I have witnessed a lot of incredible things take place during my service. I have seen clients come from a place where they feel that they have no hope to being proud of themselves and their accomplishments. I have been able to go out and be one on one with many of the people and families that we serve and I have been amazed at how resilient and hopeful they are. It has been a joy to serve not only our shelter clients but the community at large.

Our organization has taken part in quite a few activities in addition to our normal day to day activities. We have assisted families in need on both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday. Our first annual Joy of a Toy assisted over 100 children who would not have received Christmas gifts otherwise. It was a pleasure to see the parents come in and shop for toys for their children and also be able to gift wrap the toys. Myself and many of the volunteers even assisted in some of the gift wrapping for the kids. I even had the opportunity to make up gift boxes for families who have moved into housing and in these boxes were toys for their children if they had any and other household items. I was renamed "the spirit of Christmas" for the Christmas season and I had a lot of fun being Santa.

My experience overall has been a fulfilling one and I have learned a lot about myself in addition to learning even more from the people that we serve daily. It has been a pleasure being at my agency and knowing that we are helping others and making a difference. Even on a day when I am not feeling the greatest, I have been thankful to have clients call just to say thank you. I have even had a client come into our agency and let us know that she has gone back to school full time and would like to become a social worker because she felt that our agency has influenced her so much and has been of great assistance. I am thankful for the people that we serve because they are a reminder of why we come to work each and every day.

Where is the time to make a difference?

My name is Michael Shank. For the last year and three months, I have been an AmeriCorps member with Michigan’s Campaign to End Homelessness AmeriCorps’ Program. During this time, I have served as a Homeless Prevention Assistant with the Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency. Here are my reflections…

(1) There is an overwhelming amount of need presenting to agencies and organizations with limited resources. Everyday, my voicemail fills up. I answer a call, only to hang-up and find that I have received three new calls. Always the calls are from people facing eviction and homelessness. Daily, I attempt to give I&R and to develop Crisis Plans for people facings dire situations. Daily, I process files and transfer them to already overloaded case managers, who are working with limited program openings and limited funds. There are never enough hours in the day, and always someone’s need goes unmet. The voicemail indicator light on my voicemail is flashing when I leave the office at night and when I return in the morning.

It is not only the agency I serve with that is experiencing such overwhelming amounts of need, but also many of the agencies that we are partnered with. What then can we do when the system is seemingly so overwhelmed? We need to coordinate better with the faith community. We need volunteers, though we do not have the space for them. We need better community awareness of the state of poverty and homelessness in our own community. We need more community members/organizations to step up and take responsibility for the needs of our own community and our own neighbors.

(2) While clients coming to my agency often present as homeless, at risk for homelessness, or facing eviction, generally these presenting needs are associated with more foundational needs such as lack of employment, lack of transportation, lack of affordable housing, and more often than not, the lack of community. While we have financial and case management services for homelessness and eviction needs, we are not able to provide employment, transportation, or community. Yet these needs are fundamental and interconnected. Without employment, there is usually no income to purchase or sustain transportation. Without transportation it is difficult to find and sustain employment. Similarly, without transportation it is difficult to find and sustain community, and without community, it is difficult to have a support network and safety net in order to pursue and sustain either transportation or employment. Without affordable housing, a person is in a continued state of crisis, whether acute, or chronic, when transportation, employment, and community will be in a continued state of jeopardy.

What are possible solutions? Possible solutions for the lack of transportation might be vehicle donations, public transportation, car pool initiatives, and more financial services for transportation needs. Possible solutions for lack of community might be the development of a community center(s), or better awareness of community centers already present, such as the Friendship Center for seniors and the Petoskey Club for special needs. Possible solutions for the lack of income and employment might be the development of a farmer’s markets, craft markets, small business entrepreneurship classes, living on less classes, and etc. What of the possible solutions for affordable housing? Do we need more income based housing, more housing vouchers, and etc? Yes, but how will we pay for these? Who will pay for them? Can the faith community, individuals, and organizations purchase housing to be used as low-income housing? Can people start opening up their spare bedrooms, basements, garage apartments, as low-income options? What of utilizing larger homes as shared homes or boarding houses? Have we explored all these options?

What is so overwhelming is knowing that there are possible solutions to fighting homelessness and poverty, and then looking at the stack of files on my desk, the number of calls that need returned, or the length of my to do list, and I ask in desperation, “Where is the time to make a difference?”

Homelessness in Detroit- My experience so far...

My time spent at Neighborhood Service Organization (NSO) in Detroit, has been interesting to say the least. I never know exactly what to except when I come in for a day at the office, and I think I like it that way.

I am a member of the AmeriCorps program Michigan Campaign to End Homelessness, and was placed in Detroit, the city that is without a doubt ground zero for the quest to end homelessness in the United States. While Detroit is in the process of revitalizing, it is also consumed by more problems than I can comprehend. Sometimes, hope is hard to find. When I have a bad day, it’s difficult to shake my mood. Driving through the streets of Detroit on your way home does very little to lift your spirits.

I was told when I started at my placement that there are 1,500 shelter beds for about 20,000 homeless in Detroit. That statistic still haunts me. At home, when I go outside to get the mail, or bring out of the trash, I can’t help but think of the tens of thousands of individuals that are enduring the bitter cold of a Michigan winter. I quickly go back into the warmth of my house. But many cannot.

I keep my sanity in this city and this placement, by interacting with people. My clients, my co-workers, my co-worker’s clients, my friends, the landlords that I keep in touch with- these people are what keep me sane.

I have learned over and over again while being here, that I am not here to save people. I am here to listen, to learn, and to give help. But the help that I give can only go so far. I give clients informed options about how to live their lives- I provide suggestions- I help them apply for health insurance- I listen to what stresses them- I help find places for them to live- but I do not save them. Ultimately, it is on them. It is their life to live, not mine.

I am learning how simultaneously frustrating, and rewarding, the field of social work can be. I’m learning that when I want something done, I need to stand up for myself and ask the question- go directly to the source, not hope someone will provide it for me. I’m learning to be more autonomous. Which I hope is a good thing.

I think for any human service field you work in, you are greeted by the same universal truth. People are people. Yes, the people that I work with are different than I am. Most have severe mental illnesses and disabilities. In some ways, there is an "us" and "them" mentality. But, they are people. And so they are also the same as me.

They don’t want to live on the streets anymore. They’re tired of being tired. They want a place to sleep and an apartment on their own. Most of them want to kick their habits. They don’t want to get hustled or mistreated by friends. They don’t want to hurt anymore. People, are people.

I often struggle with the difference that I am making here. I moved to Detroit with an incredibly idealistic mindset. I was here to change the world. Now I realize that changing the world takes time. And that it's less about the big things, and more about the smalll.

There are certain skills that I can offer that can help certain clients out, if only a little bit, or for a short amount of time. I can fill out health insurance benefit waivers for people who might have otherwise gone without. I can collect and sort donations from churches and soup kitchens. I can lead support groups that help clients transition from homelessness to housed live. I can get paperwork together so that clients can apply for furniture vouchers. I can call landlords and check out properties and expand the housing base that our organization has. I can capacity build, and create a binder of housing options, so that people can get into safe, decent housing more efficiently.

I find myself filling in the gaps of the organization that I work at. Sometimes that means grunt work. Recently I attended a Continuum of Care meeting and asked the program director where I could be of use. I spent the next five days making maps, so that thousands of volunteers could more effectively count the number of homeless individuals within Detroit city limits. This was not the most fun thing to do. But it was necessary. If I hadn’t done it, there would not have been decent maps for the volunteers to use when they went out to count. And without an accurate head count, our funding would not be reinstated. It’s the little things that count.

That is what I have learned about the social work field since being at my position. A lot of peole fall through the cracks, if there aren’t other people in place to catch them. Everything that you do is important to at least one person, which makes it important. Like I said, people are people.

Hope for the Holidays

My name is Erin Frey, and I am a first year AmeriCorps member at South Oakland Shelter in Royal Oak, MI. South Oakland Shelter is a rotating shelter that provides services to over 300 individuals and families every year. South Oakland Shelter has an annual event call “Hope for the Holidays” that engages community members, organizations and clients in the area. I was excited to be apart of Hope for the Holidays this year.

The goal of Hope for the Holidays is to provide new unopened gifts to approximately 500 needy children (ages 2 – 17) in the area during the holidays. This event is open to current and former shelter guests and the general public.

For the event we received an abundance of donations that were distributed to all of the families that participated in the event. South Oakland Shelter recruits volunteers to sort donations according to toy type and age, and work during the “shopping” week. Shopping week was held from Monday December 13^th – Friday December 17^th. We scheduled each family a day and time where they could come and shop for each of their children. After they selected their children’s gifts, we offered to wrap the presents for them.

I helped to bring donations over to the venue where the shopping week was held, and helped numerous families during the shopping week. It was extremely rewarding to be apart of the event. Everyone was so grateful and appreciative. Some parents cried because they had no other means to provide presents for their children. It was a wonderful and successful event that helped many families during a difficult time.