We have a wonderful partner family for the Catholic 2013 Habitat House.
SACK HOMELESSNESS!!!
Have a Heart For Those Without A Home!
Donate to: Religious Action for Affordable Housing (RAAH) capital campaign, in Washtenaw County, to alleviate homelessness and eliminate its causes in our community.
SPENT - homeless awareness week program
What would you do?
SPENT $$$ ... food? ... child care? ... rent? ... flat tire?
Come learn more in an interactive program Tuesday November 13 @ 7pm Michigan Theater. Sponsored By: WHA, ICPJ, RAAH, United Way. For more information call the Washtenaw Housing Alliance 734/222-3575.
This is a free Interactive Welfare Simulation event sponsored by: RAAH -Religious Action for Affordable Housing / WHA - Washtenaw Housing Aliance / United Way. No registration required. Questions? Visit: www.wha.org
This great learning opportunity called, SPENT gives the audience the chance to be in "another persons shoes".
SPENT interaction is appropriate for all ages, with teenagers and up as the best able to interact.
Homeless Highlight Event at St. Francis - April 2012
In April 2012, St. Francis hosted the Homeless Highlight Event. Learn more at:
http://service4justice.blogspot.com/2012/04/homelessness-highlight-event-at-st.html
2012 "Neighbors in Need" sack with Washtenaw Catholic Social Services
Our St. Francis Parish Lenten effort in 2012 "Neighbors in Need" sack was in support of our local neighbors who are struggling for food, housing, and care of poverty-stricken elderly. Our direct service partnership is with Washtenaw Catholic Social Services. As of May 2012, total contributions were $10,719.00 . (Articles and blog...) (Activities Calendar)
Results - Sack Homelessness Sack Lent 2011
In the May 1st, 2011, bulletin FORUM we reported $10,503.00 donated so far.
The check was sent to RAAH on April 27, 2011.
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(Note: Our Lenten effort in 2012 "Neighbors in Need" was in support of our local neighbors who are struggling for food, housing, and care of poverty-stricken elderly. Our direct service partnership is with Washtenaw Catholic Social Services.)
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
In April 2012, St. Francis hosted the Homeless Highlight Event. Learn more at:
http://service4justice.blogspot.com/2012/04/homelessness-highlight-event-at-st.html
The check was sent to RAAH on April 27, 2011.
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
(Note: Our Lenten effort in 2012 "Neighbors in Need" was in support of our local neighbors who are struggling for food, housing, and care of poverty-stricken elderly. Our direct service partnership is with Washtenaw Catholic Social Services.)
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
In April 2012, St. Francis hosted the Homeless Highlight Event. Learn more at:
http://service4justice.blogspot.com/2012/04/homelessness-highlight-event-at-st.html
Here are the articles/items which ran each week in the bulletin Forum about the Sack Homelessness Sack!
April 17, 2011, is the final conclusion of the drive. (written by Kelly Gauthier).
Have a Heart For Those Without A Home! HELP US HOUSE PEOPLE IN WASHTENAW COUNTY!
March 6 - April 17, 2011 Activities Calendar: (PDF file)
Fast and simplify your lifestyle - with the donations going to help our homeless neighbors! Participation in this parish-wide Lenten Poject Sack Homelessness will cause each of us to learn to make small changes that make our lifestyles more sustainable over the long-term. We are united in the effort to ensure that the places we live in will exist for our great-grandchildren to enjoy. Plus, all donations we make will go to Religious Action for Affordable Housing (RAAH) capital campaign, in Washtenaw County, to alleviate homelessness and eliminate its causes in our community.
Please return your cash and/or check contributions by April 17, 2011, Palm Sunday. Make check payable to: St. Francis of Assisi, 2150 Frieze Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48104.
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Have a Heart For Those Without A Home! HELP US HOUSE PEOPLE IN WASHTENAW COUNTY!
March 6 - April 17, 2011 Activities Calendar: (PDF file)
Fast and simplify your lifestyle - with the donations going to help our homeless neighbors! Participation in this parish-wide Lenten Poject Sack Homelessness will cause each of us to learn to make small changes that make our lifestyles more sustainable over the long-term. We are united in the effort to ensure that the places we live in will exist for our great-grandchildren to enjoy. Plus, all donations we make will go to Religious Action for Affordable Housing (RAAH) capital campaign, in Washtenaw County, to alleviate homelessness and eliminate its causes in our community.
Please return your cash and/or check contributions by April 17, 2011, Palm Sunday. Make check payable to: St. Francis of Assisi, 2150 Frieze Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48104.
I Am A Veteran & Homeless
April 3, 2011, is "I Am A Veteran & Homeless"
(written by Kelly Gauthier with Mary Wakefield & the Peace & Justice Committee).
Sally’s Story
In 2008, Sally came to the Ann Arbor VA Medical Center. At age 39, she had lived in 6 different states over the last 7 years (since her discharge from the service). She was secretive, hoarded food, and was actively psychotic due to lack of medication and a stable living environment. Social workers would meet with her at the hospital because she did not want them to know where she was staying—she was living on the streets, in bathrooms, and behind the VA Hospital. Sally eventually began to trust an outreach worker. They built a strong relationship and Sally finally trusted enough to agree to a mental health evaluation. She entered the VA Grant Per Diem Program at the Staples Center in Ann Arbor and received support to help her obtain Social Security Disability Benefits. She began receiving a monthly income, something she had not had in 7 years.
In 2009, with assistance from a HUD/VA Supported Housing Voucher, Sally found an apartment in downtown Toledo, close to the bus line. Since then, she has been able to walk to the library and expand her social contacts. Sally now serves as a member of the HCHV Veterans Council and gives input quarterly to the HCHV Coordinator on veterans’ care and needs.
The Suffering of those Who Served
About 1/3 of the homeless population in America are veterans. Nearly half of them served in Vietnam. Those who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars currently represent about 3% of homeless veterans. The majority of homeless veterans are male; single; come from urban areas; and suffer from mental illness, alcohol and/or substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders. About 1.5 million other veterans, meanwhile, are considered at risk of homelessness due to poverty, lack of support networks, and dismal living conditions in overcrowded or substandard housing.
The VA’s programs served more than 92,000 veterans in 2009, but this still leaves well over 100,000 more veterans who must seek assistance from local government agencies and community- and faith-based service organizations. The VA emphasizes collaboration with such community service providers to help expand services to more veterans in crisis. These partnerships are credited with reducing the number of homeless veterans by more than half over the past 6 years, but those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are ending up on the streets much faster than veterans from previous wars.
Our Lenten donations will go to the RAAH capital campaign, which is raising money to create and maintain Affordable Housing and helping to fund Community Organizations that serve the homeless, including homeless veterans. Our Lenten donations will help veterans like Sally stay housed!
**Remember, organizations like the VA Hospital and Staples Center are always in need of volunteers**
(written by Kelly Gauthier with Mary Wakefield & the Peace & Justice Committee).
Sally’s Story
In 2008, Sally came to the Ann Arbor VA Medical Center. At age 39, she had lived in 6 different states over the last 7 years (since her discharge from the service). She was secretive, hoarded food, and was actively psychotic due to lack of medication and a stable living environment. Social workers would meet with her at the hospital because she did not want them to know where she was staying—she was living on the streets, in bathrooms, and behind the VA Hospital. Sally eventually began to trust an outreach worker. They built a strong relationship and Sally finally trusted enough to agree to a mental health evaluation. She entered the VA Grant Per Diem Program at the Staples Center in Ann Arbor and received support to help her obtain Social Security Disability Benefits. She began receiving a monthly income, something she had not had in 7 years.
In 2009, with assistance from a HUD/VA Supported Housing Voucher, Sally found an apartment in downtown Toledo, close to the bus line. Since then, she has been able to walk to the library and expand her social contacts. Sally now serves as a member of the HCHV Veterans Council and gives input quarterly to the HCHV Coordinator on veterans’ care and needs.
The Suffering of those Who Served
About 1/3 of the homeless population in America are veterans. Nearly half of them served in Vietnam. Those who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars currently represent about 3% of homeless veterans. The majority of homeless veterans are male; single; come from urban areas; and suffer from mental illness, alcohol and/or substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders. About 1.5 million other veterans, meanwhile, are considered at risk of homelessness due to poverty, lack of support networks, and dismal living conditions in overcrowded or substandard housing.
The VA’s programs served more than 92,000 veterans in 2009, but this still leaves well over 100,000 more veterans who must seek assistance from local government agencies and community- and faith-based service organizations. The VA emphasizes collaboration with such community service providers to help expand services to more veterans in crisis. These partnerships are credited with reducing the number of homeless veterans by more than half over the past 6 years, but those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are ending up on the streets much faster than veterans from previous wars.
Our Lenten donations will go to the RAAH capital campaign, which is raising money to create and maintain Affordable Housing and helping to fund Community Organizations that serve the homeless, including homeless veterans. Our Lenten donations will help veterans like Sally stay housed!
**Remember, organizations like the VA Hospital and Staples Center are always in need of volunteers**
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