A good, reliable automobile can make the difference in getting up from the bottom, and some groups want to give a leg up.NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- If filling your tank with $3.60 a gallon gas is a serious economic hardship, ask yourself this: What if you didn't have a tank to fill up?
Wendy Mitchell of Middlebury, Vt. is a single mom who moved there from Florida in 2006 looking for better schools. Within months, she said, her Chevrolet Blazer blew a rod and, without a job or much savings, she was left without a car at the beginning of a rural New England winter.
"I was totally devastated," she said.
Despite car-ownership costs, including insurance, repairs and fuel, the majority of even the poorest Americans own cars, according to U.S. Census data - and for good reason. In this country, life without one can be difficult at best and unmanageable at worst.
Even cities with solid public transportation networks are set up to do one thing well: move people in and out of central business districts. "It takes a long time if you aren't doing exactly that," said Margy Waller, executive director of the policy research group Mobility Agenda...
People Incorporated of Southwest Virginia’s Housing Programs received Emory & Henry College’s 2008 Hope Award for Community Organization. The Hope Award is presented by the college’s Appalachian Center for Community Service in recognition of individuals and organizations who have worked diligently to make a difference in the lives of people throughout Appalachia.The awards ceremony was held on April 15, 2008 on the campus of Emory and Henry College. Tal Stanley, Director of the Appalachian Center for Community Service, presented the award to People Incorporated President and C.E.O., Robert G. Goldsmith.
According to Mr. Stanley, The Appalachian Center for Community Service selected People Incorporated for the award based on the agency’s “years of service providing for the safe, healthy, adequate and affordable housing for thousands of people in the organization’s coverage area. “ He goes on to say that…
Whereas, more than 3.2 million Virginians work hard to enhance the lives of others each year by volunteering in schools, churches, hospitals, youth groups and with other organizations that benefit our communities; and
Whereas, an active and engaged citizenry is vital to the well-being, security and prosperity of all Virginians, and volunteering is both a privilege and an obligation of free people; and
Whereas, the hard work, dedication and creativity of Virginians who volunteer locally, throughout our nation and around the world are deserving of the highest recognition; and
Whereas, National Volunteer Week, honors the many individuals and organization that lend their time, skill and efforts to developing our communities;
now, therefore, I, Timothy M. Kaine, do hereby recognize April 27 - May 3, 2008, as Virginia Volunteer Week, in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.
This week is about engaging individuals in service, inspiring a nation to join a movement for change, and recognizing deserving volunteers for their efforts. Volunteers are at the heart of many of our organizations, they answer phones, plant trees, tutor youth, visit seniors, stock food pantries, fix computers, teach people to read, offer a friendly voice in time of need... Volunteers give their time and energy to help build a better community for all of us.
Send a note or post information on your website or newsletter... take the time to recognize the impact and effort of your volunteers and in turn they will understand the wealth of resources and energy that they are giving back.
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Points of Light & Hands On Network is seeking stories of ordinary people taking extraordinary steps to create positive change in their communities. Our goal is to leverage these stories for media coverage to inspire the nation around what incredible volunteers are doing to transform their communities. Details on how you can submit these powerful stories are below.
Inspire a nation with your story
How did you, someone you know or an outstanding group of people make a positive impact in your community? Tell us the story and include:
Go to www.nvwstories.org to share your story and upload photos or video that illustrate it. You also can upload project photos for the world to see your success at www.flickr.com. Just sign in with 'nvw2008@yahoo.com', and the password is 'createchange'. Once logged in, you can easily upload photos and captions!
Submit stories beginning today through May 12 Stories submitted by April 24, 2008 will be considered for use as feature stories for National Volunteer Week. Stories submitted by May 12, 2008 will be considered for use as feature stories at our 2008 National Conference on Volunteering (June 1 - 3). Stories submitted after May 12, 2008 will be considered for use as feature stories in ongoing media, Web site features and other marketing collateral.
Join the movement. Inspire people to change their world. Share a change story now at www.nvwstories.org.
Vanessa Diamond
Director, Hands On Greater Richmond
Be the Change. VOLUNTEER
The United Way hosted a money management fair Wednesday at Patrick Henry Community College called "Dollars and Sense." Volunteers gave each student a job, a salary, and a slew of every day expenses that come with it.
Along with a car note and food, students also found out how quickly money disappears when you have to pay for health and car insurance, furniture, and those unexpected items that pop up.
People and Communities are Hurting.
How Helping Them is Not Only Right – It's the Best Way to Boost the Economy
Please join the Coalition On Human Needs to learn about proposals before Congress to respond to the recession, and about a growing effort by advocates to support the most effective forms of aid: extending unemployment benefits, help with the high cost of food and home energy, funds to states to prevent cuts to Medicaid, child support, and other services, and school repair. (For more information, see Towards Shared Recovery, at http://www.chn.org/pdf/2008/stimulus4142008.pdf)
This 60-minute webinar will feature a Member of Congress (details coming soon), Jared Bernstein, Director of the Living Standards program at the Economic Policy Institute, a prominent, engaging, and jargon-free economist, and Deborah Weinstein, Executive Director of the Coalition on Human Needs, to explain how putting more money in the hands of people and communities who need it is the best way to reverse the recession, as well as one of the best prospects this year for federal help to those in need. Ellen Teller of the Food Research and Action Center will moderate. It's a great way to get answers to your questions about the recession and to learn about easy steps to take to make sure Congress knows this assistance is urgently needed.
Sign up today – and forward this message to let others know. It's free, thanks to the generous support of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The webinar and related materials will be available on the Coalition on Human Needs' website after the live presentation. Please sign up to be sure you get the links to all the information we will make available.
“I congratulate the winning volunteers who help us move Virginia forward and improve the quality of life for all Virginians,” said Governor Kaine. “When we serve our community as volunteers, our unique skills, perspectives and experience make us a stronger Commonwealth.”
The 2008 Governor's Community Service and Volunteerism Award winners are:...
The Second Chance Act, passed last month by the House and Senate, was signed into law this week. The bill allocates $360 million towards a variety of ex-offender reentry programs, including mental health counseling, academic and vocational education, and substance abuse treatment. The legislation also authorizes the Bureau of Justice Statistics to conduct research regarding re-entry programs and creates a federal taskforce to improve inter-agency collaboration on re-entry initiatives.
"Every American should applaud this effort to reduce repetitive crime in our country," said Webb. "The Second Chance Act is a proactive measure that works to provide job training, drug treatment, and other re-entry programs to help ex-offenders stay off the streets and out of jail. This bill is an important step in addressing the factors that contribute to recidivism and provides important community resources to combat this disturbing trend."
The United States, with 2.3 million people in prison, has the highest reported incarceration rate in the world and faces enormous problems of offender reentry and recidivism. The number of ex-offenders reentering their communities from state and federal prisons increased fourfold in the past two decades. On average, two out of three released prisoners will be rearrested and one in two will return to prison within three years of release.
Offenders typically reenter communities with insufficient monitoring, little or no job skills, inadequate access to drug treatment and housing, few positive influences, a scarcity of basic physical and mental health services, and poor basic life skills.
"We must address the widespread costs of America’s high incarceration and recidivism rates," said Webb. "I am committed to continuing a national dialogue on these issues and working toward meaningful and workable solutions."
Governor Tim Kaine has been a vocal supporter of this bill as state governments bear the brunt of costs associated with incarceration. In 2006 alone, states spent an estimated $2 billion on prison construction, three times the amount they were spending fifteen years earlier. The combined expenditures of local governments, state governments, and the federal government for law enforcement and corrections total over $200 billion annually.
"Programs that help reintegrate and stabilize ex-offenders as they leave prison make our communities safer," said Governor Kaine. """The Second Chance Act will make resources available to support important re-entry programs in the states, helping us improve public safety and reduce costs associated with recidivism."
"With the approval of this alternative benefits package, we can further extend opportunities for Virginians with disabilities to work and achieve greater self-reliance," Governor Kaine said. "As we continue efforts in workforce development for the Commonwealth, it is important to include this often untapped pool of potential workers so that they, too, have access to meaningful career opportunities."
In late 2007, the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services sought authorization to establish an “alternative benefits package” for program enrollees that will include personal assistance services, in addition to the standard health care services available through Medicaid. Personal assistance services, sometimes called attendant care, provide individuals with disabilities non-medical support in the home or the workplace so that they may continue to live at home, maintain employment and participate in community activities.
"The addition of personal assistance services to the MEDICAID WORKS program will have a tremendous impact on enhancing the lives of people with significant disabilities," said Jim Rothrock, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services. "It not only gives people with disabilities greater choice in how to care for their needs both in the home and at work, but more importantly, prevents the entry into nursing facilities or other institutional settings unless absolutely necessary."
MEDICAID WORKS is Virginia's Medicaid Buy-In program, a work incentive opportunity developed with funding from a federal Medicaid Infrastructure Grant. Established in January 2007, this voluntary plan enables workers with disabilities to earn higher income and retain more in savings than is typically allowed by Medicaid while ensuring continued health care coverage.
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