| LIFE-NET NEWS |
| by Ret Z. |
| Covering Poverty Widely in a Net of Many Voices |
| February 4, 2009 | No Profit; No Proceeds |
| Volume 12 Number 16 | All-Volunteer |
| "Give a family a fish, and they'll eat a meal; give them a Net, and they'll have fish for Life." |
| Salem County Homeless Count Yields Zero |
|
Searching for the city's homeless on a cold, drizzly day in the middle of winter provided volunteer counters a lesson in futility last Wednesday. Social workers spent fruitless hours carrying out this year's Point-in-Time Survey, ending up with a van still full of clothes and hygiene products for the underserved.
Tramping through the snow under bridges, behind liquor stores, in abandoned factories, houses, and even the woods behind Walmart in Pennsville, volunteers found no homeless individuals to help. A second street team checking areas in Penns Grove also found no homeless outdoors. Surveyors said that in warm weather, many of the places they checked would be brimming with needy residents. "In the summertime they have chairs and milk crates; it's usually pretty busy," said county Sheriff's Officer Grace Levesque as she scanned a deserted patch of underbrush in the city. "I don't know where they all go." According to Paul Sutton, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) chooses the last week in January -- when the hideaways are typically empty -- as a way to muddle the numbers. Sutton, an 18-year human-services veteran, is program manager at the Inter-Agency Council of Salem County. "HUD does this purposefully so that we don't find people." Every year the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) sponsors the Point-In-Time Survey as a measuring stick to gauge the number of homeless living in communities across the state. HUD mandates an official count every other year. The intent is to gather information useful in government efforts to end homelessness. The state has conducted a survey the past three years running. State DCA spokesman Chris Donnelly explained that the survey is one of many measures taken to combat homelessness. He called any claims that the survey tries to undermine the true depth of the homeless problem "preposterous." During last year's count, 218 homeless people were identified in the county, according to Salem County Board of Social Services Director Kathy Lockbaum. She said that approximately 150 of those were counted because they were given lodging at local motels by the county. Other counties have places where censuses of their itinerant populations can reliably be taken: Homeless people are drawn together by soup kitchens and shelters, of which Salem County has neither. Total throughout the state, the homeless population numbers just more than 17,000, according to Sutton, with a disproportionately large number in Salem County. "You've got these huge populations of uncounted homeless populations wandering the streets in rural areas of the United States. That's why we are out here, an attempt to try and let people know they have not been forgotten." Source: Today's Sunbeam |
| Water Treatment Plant Opens in Baghdad's Sadr City |
|
US and Iraqi officials opened a water treatment plant in Baghdad's Sadr City slum on January 21, three and a half years after work on it began, a sign that the area is finally quiet enough for long-promised reconstruction work. The $65 million plant provides water for 200,000 people -- just a tenth of the population of the vast slum on Baghdad's eastern outskirts where there is desperate need for repairs to infrastructure wrecked by decades of war and sanctions.
Sadr City was controlled by Shiite militia loyal to anti-American cleric Moktada al-Sadr. It was off limits to the central authorities until last May, when US and Iraqi forces recaptured it after weeks of heavy fighting. Since then, the government and US forces have been promising to resume long-delayed reconstruction in the area, which they say is crucial to ensuring that militants do not return. "This is the real answer to terrorism," said Baghdad mayor Saber al-Essawy at an opening ceremony at the new plant, where a US Army brass band in heavy body armor, helmets, and protective goggles played festive marches. Since the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, the US has appropriated nearly $50.8 billion for reconstruction projects in Iraq. But work has been slow, and much of the money was spent on security rather than on construction. Iraqis still have electricity for only a few hours a day. Much of the country has inadequate clean water and sewage services. The eastern half of Baghdad suffers from severe water shortages, especially in summer. It includes Sadr City, which grew rapidly over the last few decades of Saddam Hussein's rule to house some 2 million poor Shiites displaced from the south. The Sadr City water treatment plant, with 10 filters that can each clean 400 cubic meters of water an hour, was begun in July 2005 but brought on line just at the end of last year. "Like many things in Iraq, this project was hard to complete," Ambassador Ryan Crocker said. "It took great determination, great courage to see this through." Source: Reuters |
| New Bus Service Spans Pine Ridge Reservation |
|
The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, one of the largest amid the States, is now served by a public transportation system that was five years in the making. It gives many of the roughly 45,000 residents a way to school, shopping, work, and social and doctor visits without having to walk, hitchhike, or ask friends or relatives for a ride, said Emma Featherman-Sam, the tribe's transit coordinator.
"That piece that people not from the reservation take for granted is now available to them," she said. "And you don't need a car to travel across the reservation. You can get on the bus and go where you need to go." "One elderly lady said, 'Do you mean that I can go from my town to the next town where my sister lives and visit her?' It sounds so basic and simple but it shows the need to have something like this here. For the elders not to have to depend on someone all the time, it gives them freedom." The Oglala Sioux Transit Facility opened Friday by offering free rides on the six routes that run three times daily. It will employ about 18 people. The longest stretch extends 111 miles from Georgetown, east of Wanblee, to the tribe's Prairie Wind Casino on the far western edge of the reservation, which covers about 4,400 square miles. That's more than twice the size of Delaware. Other villages served include Wanblee, Kyle, Porcupine, Wounded Knee, Pine Ridge, and Oglala. Part of the idea behind the free rides was to introduce people to public transportation, Featherman-Sam said. "We want them to feel comfortable jumping on a bus and making sure they can get to where they need to on the reservation." Melanie Janis, station manager of KILI-FM, said tribal members have been looking forward to the transit system because of the need for transportation. The main questions have been about the schedule, she said. "It's all a little new to them, but they're pretty excited about it from the calls we've received." "There are a lot of people walking that the bus will provide them with that ride." She said the biggest challenge for some people will be scheduling appointments and errands so they can catch a ride home, Featherman-Sam said. Fares range from $1 to $12 roundtrip. Funding for the estimated $3.35 million project came from the US Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration and the Oglala Sioux Tribe's Indian Reservation Roads Program. Featherman-Sam said the new system may eventually offer connecting routes to Rapid City for shopping, entertainment, and health care. Source: Associated Press |
| Poverty, Conflict Deadly for New Mothers |
|
The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) says in its latest annual report that half a million women die in childbirth and more than four million newborns are also lost each year, and that most of those deaths are preventable. But UNICEF also used the occasion to report that about one third of the people killed in Gaza since late December are children.
UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman says that more than 320 children have been killed, and more than 1,500 wounded, since the onset of the latest violence in Gaza. Veneman says the impact on children goes even further. "The situation in Gaza is a very dire one for children; more than half the population of Gaza is children," she said. "Just the psychological impact of this kind of conflict on children is something of great concern as well. It is a very difficult situation; it is difficult to get humanitarian access." Veneman adds that the conflict has already caused serious health risks for women giving birth in Gaza and for their newborn babies. "The health systems are having difficulty functioning, getting access to them," she said. "The lack of power and electricity and water, is making delivery of the health care very difficult. The hospitals are full of injured, and if a mother comes ready to deliver, the likelihood is she may not get the care she needs, or could be turned away." At the same event, South African Health Minister Barbara Hogan told reporters that the crisis in Zimbabwe has also added enormously to the burden of caring for mothers and babies throughout southern Africa. "The whole state health system has collapsed, if we are looking at the health of our children, and our women, the whole of southern Africa is affected by the breakdown of health systems in Zimbabwe." The comments were made at the launch of UNICEF's annual State of the World's Children report, which this year focuses on the link between maternal and newborn health. The study shows that a woman in a least developed country (LDC) is 300 times more likely to die from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth than a woman in a developed country (DC). And a child born in a LDC is nearly 14 times more likely to die within 28 days, than a child born in a DC. "The burden is disproportionately heavy in Africa and Asia," she said. "95% of maternal deaths occur in Africa and Asia combined, and 90% of newborn deaths occur in Africa and Asia. In southern Africa a high number of maternal and newborn deaths are related to HIV/AIDS. The health of the child is inextricably linked to the health of the mother." Veneman notes that many women and newborns die needlessly and says this can be prevented by ensuring that mothers and babies have adequate nutrition, by improving hygiene practices, and through better access to skilled health care and emergency services at birth. She said research indicates that around 80% of maternal deaths could be prevented if women had access to essential maternity and basic health care services. Source: VOA News |
| Jersey Shore Needle Exchange Evaluated |
|
New Jersey's first needle exchange program shows mixed results, distributing clean needles but not doing as well getting drug addicts into rehab. Atlantic City's program started in November 2007 as a three-year test to see if giving drug users clean needles could slow the spread of HIV and hepatitis. The city gave out 60,001 needles between the start of the program and January 5.
"Word of mouth is obviously working," said Ronald Cash, the city's director of Health and Human Services. But the program is struggling to refer addicted clients to drug treatment. According to state statistics, Atlantic City ranked last among the four programs in drug referrals, with just 74 as of December 21. Therese Wilkerson, a co-coordinator of the city's program, said guiding clients to treatment is hard; counselors must coax clients toward help without scaring them away: "I wish we could do better, but we can't push it on them." The pilot program recently added a housing component, designed to place addicts in low-income housing. Some participants are responsible for paying partial rent. If they are employed, they must contribute 30% of their income. The housing project is a response to studies that show drug users with stable housing are more likely to get off drugs and become more stable citizens. The program received 31 vouchers from the state, which house 15 people who are currently in drug treatment and 16 people who are not. Source: Associated Press |
| London Dance Situation Laments Zimbabwe Situation |
|
Modern dance is linked with political expression in a London production about Zimbabwe that will tour Britain later this year. A Zimbabwean choreographer has put together a ballet about the country's president Robert Mugabe and his regime.
The dance, titled "My Friend, Robert", is overtly critical of Mugabe. It mixes ballet, contemporary, and African dance styles. It's a lament about poverty, disease, and other dire conditions endured by the people of Zimbabwe. The piece lays the blame squarely on Mugabe. Bawren Tavaziva has spent the past 10 years in Britain. He says the suffering of his countrymen moved him to make this political piece. "I just want to share the reality of life back home, first hand, as a Zimbabwean," he said. "I just want them to feel that, I just want them to see it, as performed." Everton Wood is a British dancer who plays the lead role. During a part of the piece, he wears a Mugabe mask, so the audience understands who he's portraying. Wood says he's been studying the leader to better portray him. "He's very sort of regimented in the way he communicates, whether it be verbally or physically so you only get him in poses that are very sort of ... [he demonstrates] like this." At the end of the ballet, the Mugabe character is beaten with bricks. Tavaziva says he knows this could be dangerous for himself and the dancers, should they decide to visit Zimbabwe. Tavaziva explained, "Anything you say anywhere in the world, like if they get hold of the information that you were talking about, like Mugabe being thrown the bricks at. I wouldn't go home, I wouldn't take the risk." Tavaziva says he hopes his creation will remind British audiences that things are desperate in Zimbabwe. He hopes it will also spark outrage at the situation there. Source: VOA News |
| Socioeconomic Status Revealed by Body Language |
|
Socioeconomic status (SES) is determined by a number of factors such as wealth, occupation, and schools attended. SES influences the food we eat, the hobbies we participate in, and it can even have an impact on our health. People with an upper SES background can often be accused of flaunting their status. It is easy to guess someone's SES based on their clothing and the size of their home.
But what about more subtle clues? Psychologists Michael Kraus and Dacher Keltner of the University of California, Berkeley wanted to see if non-verbal cues (that is, body language) can indicate our SES. To test this idea, the researchers videotaped participants as they got to know one another in one-on-one interview sessions. During these taped sessions, the researchers looked for two types of behaviors: disengagement behaviors (including fidgeting with personal objects and doodling) and engagement behaviors (including head nodding, laughing, and eye contact). The results reveal that nonverbal cues can give away a person's SES. Volunteers whose parents were from upper SES backgrounds displayed more disengagement-related behaviors compared to participants from lower SES backgrounds. In addition, when a separate group of observers were shown 60-second clips of the videos, they were able to correctly guess the participants' SES background, based on their body language. The researchers note that this is the first study to show a relation between SES and social engagement behavior. They surmise that people from upper SES backgrounds who are wealthy and have access to prestigious institutions tend to be less dependent on others. "This lack of dependence among upper SES people is displayed in their nonverbal behaviors during social interactions." Source: Psychological Science |
| Versatile Aid: Solar Ovens for Haitians |
|
Montas Joseph, project director for Solar Oven Partners, a branch of the Methodist Volunteers-in-Mission program which operates in Haiti, recently spoke of the group's efforts at the Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. "You are a blessing for Haiti," he told the group of around 20 assembled to hear his presentation. "The best way to help
Haiti is mission teams. This way the money gets to the people."
To move toward an improved existence for his countrymen, Joseph reported that in the last 10 years the group has distributed over 2,000 solar-powered ovens and trained Haitians on how to use them. This invaluable implement currently empowers these fortunate Haitian families to fight hunger, improve their families' health status, clean up the environment, and strengthen their household economics through daily solar cooking. Joseph told of Haitians' hardships. He said the water kills 300 children in Haiti every month. For example, his own daughter is suffering from typhoid fever from drinking the country's untreated, contaminated water. "The solar oven is a miracle for Haiti," he said. He went on to demonstrate how, coupled with water purifying tablets, the ovens can also be used to purify water. The 2,337 solar ovens distributed to trained users by Solar Oven Partners, since the program's inception nearly 10 years ago, are slowly but surely making a change in Haiti, with dedicated locals like Sue Holloway joining the cause: "Haitians that I've met are anxious to improve their lot in life and are eager to learn a new way of living rather than just surviving." Source: Black Hills Pioneer |
| # LNN # Small # Hauls # |
|
| Life-Net News Extras |
| Fugitive Safe Surrender Efforts Lauded |
|
On behalf of the thousands benefiting from a second chance through November's Fugitive Safe Surrender in Camden, the hundreds of work hours devoted locally were recognized in Salem in January. From clerks to clergy and police officers who went the extra mile, over a dozen people were personally thanked by US Marshal James Plousis of the New Jersey district and top county law enforcement officials during an awards ceremony at the county courthouse.
"It worked out better than any of us could have dreamed ... I have to commend Salem County," Plousis said. "You truly have a great sense of community here." A total of 2,245 fugitives were reportedly processed during the four-day event at Antioch Baptist Church, Camden, clearing some 7,000 warrants. Residents of the Salem, Gloucester, and Camden County area lined up for hours in the bitter cold to clear their names. Salem County Prosecutor John Lenahan pointed out that much of the success could be attributed to Plousis, who battled the state Supreme Court for the program to reach New Jersey. "Seven thousand people have had the benefit of the vision, hard work, and efforts of Plousis," Lenahan said. "That's 7,000 people that don't have to look over their shoulder, who can start moving forward." Sheriff Chuck Miller recognized the work of officers from the Salem County Prosecutor's Office, Salem County Sheriff's Department, the county child support team, members of the Mt Pisgah AME Church, and Today's Sunbeam. Freeholders Jeffrey Hogan and Freeholder Director Lee Ware also gave their commendation to the award recipients and the officials who led the way. "I put our law enforcement community on a pedestal," Ware said. "They improve our quality of life, and the safe surrender is just one of the examples. All of us become better people because of the leadership we have." Mt Pisgah opened its doors as a place of refuge for fugitives wishing to turn themselves in peacefully. Rides were provided from the church to Camden by sheriff's officers. About 16 residents were transported, and another seven went on their own, officials said. Camden's safe surrender became the second largest in the three-year history of the program, which began in Columbus OH during 2005. Of the over 2,000 people who participated, only nine were actually arrested. Since the program began, only Detroit trumped the Camden turnout, with 6,578 individuals processed. In Philadelphia last September, 1,248 people turned themselves in safely. Ministries in Salem County were instrumental in raising awareness throughout the community. Mt Pisgah pastor Rev Dr Holland Fields said that his church has been and will continue to be "a safe haven for those desiring to be set free from the demoralizing burden of being on the run and a fugitive from justice." Source: Today's Sunbeam |
| World Food Shortages May Force Use of Bioengineered Crops |
|
Surging costs, population growth, and drought and other setbacks linked to global climate change are pressuring world food supplies, while soaring prices on the street have triggered riots and raised the number of people going hungry. With food demand forecast to increase by half by 2030, the incentive to use genetic engineering to boost harvests and protect precious crops from insects and other damage has never been greater.
In Europe, Africa, and Asia, governments that have resisted imports of genetically modified foods and banned growing such crops are loosening those restrictions. Meanwhile, they are pushing ahead faster with their own research, despite lingering questions over the safety of such technology. "Influential voices around the world are calling for a re-examination of the GM debate," says C S Prakash, a professor of plant molecular genetics at Alabama's Tuskegee University. "Biotechnology provides such tools to help address food sustainability issues." Genetic manipulation to insert desirable genes or accelerate changes traditionally achieved through crossbreeding can help make crops resistant to insects and disease or enable them to tolerate herbicides. Livestock similarly can be altered by inserting a gene from one animal into the DNA of another. Many researchers believe such methods are essential for a second "green revolution," now that the gains from the first, in the mid-20th century, are tapering off. Bioengineered crops are widely grown in Canada, Argentina, and the US, where nearly all soybeans, most cotton, and a growing proportion of corn are designed for tolerance to herbicides or resistance to insects. A virus-resistant GM variety of papaya is commercially grown in Hawaii and China. "Biotechnology is bound to play an important role in the agriculture of the future," said Robert Zeigler, director of the International Rice Research Institute. Such crops "bring tremendous power and advantages to producers and consumers," Zeigler said, noting the potential savings from reduced use of farm chemicals and of fuel for the tractors to spread them. Worldwide cultivation of bioengineered crops has expanded by over 10% a year for a decade. By 2007, however, it still had reached only 282 million acres, an area about the size of Cuba, in 22 countries. Source: International Supermarket News |
| Summit Meeting Looks at Gloucester County Homelessness |
|
About 60 members of local services agencies and faith-based organizations met in Clayton (NJ) on January 20 to discuss fighting homelessness in Gloucester County. County and nonprofit leaders said the time for planning is right, as homelessness afflicts more people in this weakened economy. They said people with low income need help, not just those with no income. "It's changing the whole look of what homelessness is," said Lisa Cerny, county director of human services.
Meeting participants said they hope that the team's 10-year plan will decrease the number of homeless people in the county, assure everyone has their basic needs, and attract those who resist care. They also hope the team can be a magnet for federal, state, and donor funding. "Best case scenario, 10 years from now, everyone in Gloucester County should have sufficient food and a safe and appropriate place to sleep," said Jere Hoffner, executive director of the United Way of Gloucester County. "That's every person, every night. It may not be ideal, but at least it will be appropriate and safe." Last year, there were more than 100 chronically homeless people, or those who used shelters three or more times, in the county, according to an annual survey of shelters. The numbers, which will be collected for this year on January 28, are often underreported because homeless people are hard to find and contact, Hoffner said. There are typically around 100 reported, because that's about how many shelter beds there are in the county, he said. Early on, team members set goals: increase the amount of permanent housing available in the county; help homeless people stay in shelters longer; ensure that those leaving institutions or foster agencies have places to live; work with communities on meeting affordable housing needs; educate the homeless on household management and finances. Cerny said there are several homeless shelters in the county, all of which are operated by nonprofit organizations, including emergency shelters, transitional apartments, and shelters for pregnant women and young mothers. She said the team's planning and implementation will show if there are any gaps in service. "We'll have to see if a shelter for single men is really needed or if there is a possibility for a county-run shelter or regionalized services," she said. "We don't want to plan in a vacuum." Currently, single men are placed in hotels or motels or sent to shelters in Camden or Atlantic counties, with funding from the state, Cerny said. Source: Courier-Post |
| Hard Times Haven't Stopped Corporate Philanthropy |
|
FreestoreFoodbank in Cincinnati says demand has jumped 55% in the past two years, as jobless numbers rise and household budgets get stretched. But companies such as Kroger, SuperValu, Kraft Foods, and Panera Bread have helped keep filling bags there.
"They understand that we're serving many more people this year," said John Young, the food bank's chief executive. "It's touching their customers, their communities." Not all businesses are reacting in the same way, though. "It's a conflict, no question. How do you keep giving when you have laid off employees and are making other cost cuts?" said Charles Moore, the executive director of the New York-based Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy. Moore stresses to corporate leaders the customer loyalty and connection to community they can build through giving -- benefiting business in the long run. "You can be sure the community won't forget that the company stepped up," Moore said. "There is business to be gained at all levels by companies digging deeper in difficult times." Companies have been hit by slower sales, volatile energy prices, and higher raw materials costs. Some charitable organizations acknowledge that business leaders are under pressure to make profits, not give away money. Some ailing companies such as Ford Motor Co, which donates refrigerated vehicles to help get food donations to rural areas, have continued charitable programs, but at reduced totals. Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the Bentonville AR-based retail giant that has seen sales continue to grow in a discount-minded economy, has increased its giving of cash and food this year. "We've made an extra effort to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our community partners and our customers who maybe need some extra help," Wal-Mart spokeswoman Deisha Galberth said. She said the company, which donated nearly $300 million to charity last year, will top that this year. Ross Fraser, spokesman for Feeding America, said companies have been creative in keeping up donations such as by diverting holiday gifts and year-end bonuses to charities. Kroger encourages customers to "round up" their bills at checkout to donate, and grocers are coming up with more in gleaning efforts, in which food that would be pulled off retail shelves because it's at sell-by dates or for other reasons is donated because it's still good to eat. Companies are encouraging more employee volunteer efforts and also enlisting celebrities. Besides food, charities say there is also a big need for household items. P&G has a barrage of efforts involving its products, including an Iams pet food pet adoption program at a time of rising abandonment of household pets. P&G also plans to provide millions of meals for children using a coupon tie-in: Coupon-clipping has made a comeback during the recession. Source: Associated Press |
| Old Veteran's Freezing Death Causes City to Remove Power Limiters |
|
When neighbors went inside Marvin Schur's house in Bay City MI, the windows were frosted over, icicles hung from a faucet, and the 93-year-old World War II veteran lay dead on the bedroom floor in a winter jacket over four layers of clothing. He had frozen to death -- slowly and painfully, authorities say -- days after the electric company installed a power-limiting device because of more than $1,000 in unpaid bills. The old man's sad end has led to outrage, soul-searching, and a resolve never to let something like this happen again.
On January 13, a worker with the city-owned utility installed a "limiter" on Schur's electric meter after four months of unpaid bills. The device restricts power and blows like a fuse if usage rises past a set level. Electricity is not restored until the device is flipped back on by the homeowner, who must walk outside to the meter. Bay City Electric Light & Power did not contact Schur face-to-face to notify him of the device and explain how it works. Following its usual policy, it left a note on the door. Neighbors said Schur rarely, if ever, left the house in the cold. At some point, the device evidently tripped and was not reset, authorities said. Schur's home was heated by a gas furnace, not electricity, but some gas furnaces do not work properly if the power is out. Neighbors discovered Schur's body January 17 in his home, a yellow house with peeling paint. The outside temperature ranged from a high of 12 F to a low of -9 F on January 15, the day he was believed to have died. A heating pad was on his favorite armchair by the window. The oven door was open, perhaps to heat the place. "The body has a tremendous fighting power for survival. He died a slow, painful death," said Dr Kanu Virani, who found frostbite on Schur's foot when performing the autopsy. City officials are reviewing their procedures. In the meantime they have had all limiters removed from homes. They had been using the devices for 18 years. "I think the utility's policies are horrible and insane," said Schur's nephew William Walworth, 67, who lives in Ormond Beach FL. "For 50 years he paid the bill on a regular basis and never had problems. If people would know who their customers are and take concern for their customers, maybe they'd go knock on the door and see if everything is OK." Ironically, Schur appeared to have plenty of money. In fact, one of the neighbors who entered the home reported seeing cash clipped to a pile of bills on the kitchen table. Police found enough money in the home to cover his bills and more. Walworth suggested the man's mind may have been slipping. Source: Associated Press |
| # More # Small # Hauls # |
|
| Most material here is adapted, not quoted. Views expressed do not |
| necessarily represent ours. Life-Net News biweekly newspage, Club |
| LIFENET online, the Web site www.lifenetradio.org, and |
| broadcast Life-Net Radio (where you can star!) together make |
| up Mr. Ret Z.'s private charitable enterprise. To get Life-Net e-mail |
| free, or to unsubscribe, just ask: lifenetradio@broadcast.net |
| + Iesous Khristos Theou Huios Soter + |