An interfaith alliance to fight poverty forms in Delaware

A new interfaith alliance has formed in the state of Delaware to join people together to fight poverty. The alliance is beginning to bring people together by having a series of worship services designed to educate about the problems of the world.

From the Cape Gazette, writer Tom Walsh attended the first service.

When a service began the evening of Sunday, Feb. 22, at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Rehoboth Beach, parishioners sat quietly in worship and lamentation. As candles were lit throughout the partially darkened room, one church member rose silently and took the pulpit.

“I work at home and my husband [works] in a factory,” said the parishioner. “We are raising four children who are the orphans of my husband’s sister. She died of AIDS, as have so many in our nation of Zambia. Between my husband’s job and what I am able to contribute, we average less than $1 a day. Life is very hard for us in Zambia. I do not know how we will make it.”

As the testimony continued, parishioners learned the hard reality of what life is like for millions of people living throughout poverty-stricken areas of the world. Although the gloomy tale painted a bleak picture of worldwide conditions for many, it served as an appropriate beginning for a new mission centered at local churches.

The first of many services to be held throughout the year, the evening of worship was the official kickoff of the Progressive Interfaith Alliance in 2009. After gathering last year with a mission to foster understanding and share in prayer and fellowship, the group has grown with every meeting. Current members are All Saints’ Episcopal Church, St. George’s Chapel, Epworth United Methodist Church, Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church, Seaside Jewish Community and Unitarian Universalists of Southern Delaware.

The Rev. Max Wolf, pastor of All Saints’, explained that while the Interfaith Alliance holds members of many faiths, all the group members have devoted themselves to a common goal.

With a motive to follow the millennium development goals set forth by the United Nations at the turn of the century, the Interfaith Alliance has strived to do its part, one step at a time.

Summer relief all dried up

from The New Journal Deleware, written by reporter Robin Brown.

There will be no help this summer from a federally funded program that once gave out millions of dollars a year in cooling assistance to the state's working poor, elderly and disabled.

The reason is simple.

There's no money.

It all went to winter aid.

What's left is limited state aid for those most in need, officials say, and some charity help.

Whatever is there can't come soon enough, says Shirae Aikens-Mowbray of Bear, a 36-year-old mother of two teens.

Unable to work after a crippling back injury, she said, "The disability check I receive won't cover the bills ... and the gasoline prices kick butt."

She has been seeking help at churches and service programs, but said she would have applied for state help already -- if she had known it was available.

"Right now, we're going hit-and-miss ... and we're misinformed," she said. "I'm hanging in there, but you don't know who to go to for help."

For decades, the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program has helped poor, elderly and disabled Americans pay winter heating bills and, in recent summers, cooling costs.

In 2006, more than 15,000 Delawareans got federal winter aid through the program, News Journal files say. About $3 million in summer grants helped about 11,000 residents that year.

Annual federal grant money comes to the Delaware Energy Assistance Program through the state-run Division of State Service Centers, which contracts with the nonprofit Catholic Charities to handle its administration, applications and grants.

The policy is that money not used in winter aid rolls over for summer.

The state's official Web site describes its Summer Cooling Assistance Program, and tells potential recipients, "It is important to call Catholic Charities to find out where and how to apply for assistance."

Calls to listed offices will be less than encouraging.

A recorded message at the New Castle County site, for example, says nothing about the program, except, "There will be no summer program."

A message on a program leader's phone says, "If you're calling about help with your electric bills, our program has no funds available at this time."

Neither directs the needy to other sources of possible help.

Del.'s child poverty rate rises in '07

from Delaware Online

Governor-appointed task force hosts meetings across state in effort to reverse trend

By KRISTIN HARTY

Delaware's Child Poverty Task Force wants to cut the rate of child poverty in half in 10 years, but some of the state's strongest advocates for children don't believe it can be done.

"I say in 10 years it will ... be worse than it is today," said Helen Riley, executive director of St. Michael's School and Nursery in Wilmington, which contains some of the state's most impoverished communities.

For almost four decades, Riley has watched children come and go.

"Mostly what has changed is the faces of the people, not the situations of the people," said Riley, one of four panelists at a Community Meeting on Child Poverty on Monday night.

Delaware's child poverty rate rose to 13.2 percent in 2007, up from 12.7 percent in 2006, according to data released Monday.

The Kids Count in Delaware Fact Book 2008 shows that overall, children here are better off than they were a decade ago, with improved rates of infant mortality, high school dropouts and children in one-parent families. But trends in two areas continue to cause concern: Low-birthweight babies and child poverty.

"Poverty breeds hopelessness and despair in families," said Dale Broome, a St. Michael's board member who works in the court system. She spoke at Monday night's community meeting at St. Michael's. About 30 people attended.

"I see the look [of poverty] every day," Broome said. "You say, 'What's the look?' It's a dull, empty look. It's a look that says, 'I'm stuck. My life is over. Nobody cares.' "

The Child Poverty Task Force is hosting six more community meetings to get input on the issue, with plans to release recommendations for action in September. Appointed by Gov. Ruth Ann Minner last summer, its 23 members include representatives from government and nonprofits.

"These forums are critical for the task force to hear what communities and families are saying about their needs," said Rep. Teresa Schooley, D-Newark, the chairwoman.

At each meeting, participants will gather in small groups to address some of the following questions:

•What current programs and policies are working effectively to fight poverty, particularly concerning children? What can Delaware do differently?

•How can Delawareans move out of poverty and what is the impact on children?

•What are the barriers or problems to moving out of poverty in Delaware? And what are the impacts on children?

•What do you want for your children?

"[One] of the choices people in poverty do have to make is, what are you going to pay?" said Tanisha Brown, 28, who's lived in poverty for the last decade. "It's going to be either/or, which sends you into a spiral of, if you don't pay this bill, it's going to look bad on your credit. If you don't buy the food, what are you going to eat?"

Brown, another of Monday's panelists, is living in a Wilmington homeless shelter while she completes an associate's degree in social services at Delaware Technical & Community College. It's the only way she could make ends meet.

"I appreciate all the help I've been given, but I would love it if they had a program where we could go to school and we had a stipend," said Brown, who has three children, ages 9, 7 and 1, and works 15 hours a week at Girls Inc. while attending school. In the past, she's worked minimum-wage jobs at Target and Subway.

"That way, we could just focus on school. ... I'm just now realizing how important education is. Very late."

Schooley, who has proposed and supports a number of bills targeted at decreasing child poverty, acknowledged Monday that funding isn't likely to be approved anytime soon.

"We know this year is not the year to push for money bills," Schooley said, adding that studying solutions for Delaware is a good first step.

Riley of St. Michael's, who supports the task force's efforts, said the lack of fiscal resources will sink the state's efforts to help its children.

Analyst to speak on poverty; NPR, correspondent to introduce action center’s mission

from Newszap Delaware

By Erin Mahn, Daily Banner

CAMBRIDGE — Delmarva Community Services Inc. presents National Public Radio Senior Correspondent and Fox News political analyst Juan Williams to speak on the issue of poverty Friday in Cambridge.

Mr. Williams, a national spokesman on poverty, will introduce the mission of Delmarva Community Action Center, a division of Delmarva Community Services, to end poverty in Dorchester County.

Michelle Nicholas, director of the agency, heard Mr. Williams as the keynote speaker at the National Convention of Community Action Agencies in Florida and inspired by his message, invited him to inform and inspire local citizens, government leaders, volunteers and others.

“Mr. Williams will inspire us and paint a true picture of poverty,” Mary Handley of Delmarva Community Services said.

“People think poverty people don’t work, but that’s not true,” Ms. Handley said. “The real fact is two-thirds of all people who fall below the poverty line work 1.7 jobs everyday.”

In 2004, the median household income in Dorchester County was $36,358 and 13.9 percent of the population was below poverty, according to federal government statistics.

The Community Action Center in Cambridge has been designated by federal and state governments to design and facilitate programs that will eliminate poverty and serve the poor.

“This is important for Cambridge because many people in Dorchester County fall into the poverty category,” Ms. Handley said.

Other community actions groups have successful programs which the Community Action Center hopes to replicate. There are approximately 1,000 Community Action Agencies nationwide. These agencies are connected by a national network and many have been at work for 30 years.

Currently the center operates a community food pantry, a group home for men and several housing assistance programs.

In addition to assisting immediate crisis, the center implements educational and assistance programs about credit, financial decision making and opportunities, in an effort to move people from poverty to self-sufficiency.

“As a new Community Action Agency, we know we have to inform the community about our mission and the real facts regarding the issue of poverty,” Ms. Nicholas said. “There are people who support our agency, are genuinely concerned and what to participate in eradicating poverty. We are so fortunate to have Mr. Williams to motivate and inform us.”

Tickets (for the program only) are $25 for adults in advance, or $30 at the door. Student tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Combination tickets are $35 for those who would also like to meet Mr. Williams at a reception prior to the event.

For more information about tickets or the work of the Delmarva Community Action Center, call Delmarva Community Services at 410-221-1900.

Hunger event makes strides; CROP Walkers raise funds to combat poverty

from Newszap Delaware

By Ali Cheeseman, Delaware State News

DOVER — For the second year in a row, CROP Walkers strolled through the city of Dover on Sunday in an effort to thwart hunger.

The CROP Hunger Walks, Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty, are community fundraising events sponsored by Church World Service, an international relief agency.

“I think this is something we want to do every year,” said event organizer George Dunning with Wesley United Methodist Church. “There is a lot of enthusiasm within our group about this event.”

The Dover CROP Hunger Walk was about a three-mile walk, which started at 1:30 p.m. by the Tatnall Building in the Legislative Mall area, through Silver Lake Park, along the St. Jones River and back to the mall.

About 15 churches were involved with the walk this year, Mr. Dunning said, which is an increase from the 11 participating churches last year.

“It’s a little growth,” he said. “That’s what we’re looking for.”

Jerry Emerson of Dover and Les Gallihue of Magnolia participated in the event and brought their dogs Maggie and Ebony out to get a little exercise.

“I’ve done CROP walks for 30 years wherever I’ve lived,” Mr. Gallihue said, who moved to Dover five years ago after moving about the country as a pastor.

“I liked the idea of doing something with physical movement, but still supporting the organization,” he said.

Mr. Emerson said that both him and his dog needed the exercise, but there was more to the event than just fresh air.

“As Christians, we need to be aware of those less fortunate than ourselves,” he said.

The CROP walks work like any other fundraising walk event, Mr. Dunning said, where people register to walk and raise money through sponsor donations, with the proceeds benefiting people on both a local and worldwide scale.

About 75 percent of the funds will go to Church World Service to provide food, medical care, disaster relief and self-help development for needy people throughout the world.

The remaining 25 percent will be split between three hunger-alleviating agencies in Kent County, Mr. Dunning said, with half going to benefit Kent Ecumenical Food and Crisis Fund and the rest divided between Whatcoat Methodist and Calvary Baptist soup kitchens.

“A quarter of it stays here in town,” he said. “That’s what we like about it.”

Last year about $7,000 were raised through the event with about 80 participating walkers, Mr. Dunning said. This year he estimates between 120 and 150 people walked.

“This is a project of Church World Service,” said the Rev. Dr. Ted Farrar, regional director for the mid-Atlantic Church World Service office.

“What I like about it is that it is done entirely local, by local people,” he said.

Bill and Barbara Berry of Dover walked on Sunday since their church, Wesley UMC, was one of the sponsors of the event.

“And we’re here to help,” Mr. Berry said.

Staff writer Ali Cheeseman can be reached at 741-8250 or acheeseman@newszap.com

Speer Trust contributes nearly $200,000 to anti-poverty programs

from The Delaware News Journal

The Speer Trust recently announced $197,475 in grants for efforts to strike at the causes of poverty and help poor people improve their lives.

The projects include:

•$12,475 to Calvary Corner House, in Wilmington. The money will provide up to six months of housing to homeless men from Friendship House's Andrew's Place Emergency Shelter. It's for men who've demonstrated the skills and discipline to live in independent housing.

•$25,000 to Meeting Ground's Daytime Empowerment Center for Cecil County, in Elkton, Md. In addition to emergency services, the grant will help support the center's workshops, assisting the homeless in developing skills.

•$20,000 to YWCA Delaware's Social Empowerment for Economic Development, in Newark. This will provide a project coordinator for a program to help women achieve success as they transition from welfare, widowhood or divorce.

•$30,000 to Cecil County's New Service Paradigm, in Elkton, Md, a program to provide affordable housing and improve life skills for people who have experienced mental health issues or homelessness.

•$40,000 for At-Risk Youth Assessments and Tracking, in Wilmington. This program of the Interfaith Coalition Building Blocks for Wilmington will develop an assessment and tracking program for at-risk youth to minimize the likelihood that they will become involved in delinquent and criminal behavior.

•$35,000 to the Sussex County Habitat for Humanity, in Georgetown. This is to provide a staff coordinator to manage the recruitment of volunteers who build homes.

•$25,000 to the Summer Camp for English Learners, in Claymont. The money will fund a camp to support cultural enrichment of elementary students. The camp will also engage their parents, adults and older youth.

•$10,000 for Delaware Futures Expansion, in Wilmington. The grant's purpose is to prepare at-risk urban youth for college with social, emotional and motivational support.

A new round of grants will be considered later this year by the trust, run through the New Castle Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

For those seeking grants, a five-page proposal is due in the Speer Trust office by 2 p.m. March 30. Call 366-0595 or visit www.speertrust.org