by Kelsey Miller
National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is upon us! During this week before Thanksgiving every year in November, communities across the United States gather together to join in raising awareness and spurring action on behalf of our neighbors who experience hunger and homelessness. This year, the local effort in Waco is focusing on seniors, for whom the challenges of hunger and homelessness can be particularly profound.
Our friends at Meals on Wheels teach us that the number of seniors in the U.S. will double by the year 2050, from 57 million to 112 million people (National Senior Fact Sheet). And did you know that according to Feeding America, food insecure seniors, whose households make up 9% of all households (Household Food Security), are at greater risk for chronic health conditions including depression, heart attacks, asthma, and congestive heart failure?
And when it comes to homelessness, homeless persons aged 50 to 62 oftentimes face the same health conditions suffered by housed individuals who are 10-20 years older (NCH). Due to a lack of affordable housing, there are at least nine seniors on the waiting list for every one occupied unit of affordable elderly housing across the nation (NCH).
These realities shocked me when I first heard them. However, knowing what I know about the resilience of seniors and their advocates in our community and beyond, I became hopeful when I learned more about efforts to change these numbers. For instance, the Older Americans Act (OAA), first enacted in 1965, ensures critical services for older adults to help keep them healthy and independent. These services include things like meals, job training, senior centers, caregiver support, transportation, health promotion, benefits enrollment, and more.
The OOA expired in 2011 and was not reauthorized until July 2015. Provisions to the bill included new support for renovating multipurpose senior centers, an increased focus on addressing economic needs, a requirement that health promotion and disease prevention initiatives be evidence-based, and programs to promote chronic disease self-management and falls prevention. The Older Americans Reauthorization Act of 2015 still awaits approval from the House of Representatives.
How can YOU help?
During the week of November 15-22, 2015, we have the unique opportunity as Wacoans to come together to learn more and to advocate for change on many levels. The week’s events are sponsored by The McLennan County Hunger Coalition (MCHC) and the Heart of Texas Homeless Coalition (HOTHC), and kicked off yesterday at Church Under the Bridge and with the CROP Walk to benefit hungry people around the world.
On Monday, stop by a letter-writing station on Baylor’s campus, MCC’s campus, or at the Olive Branch restaurant to pledge your support for the passage of the Older Americans Act and to urge your members of Congress to do the same.
On Tuesday, attend the Waco City Council meeting as our Councilmembers issue a proclamation to observe National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, and we thank them for their support.
On Thursday evening, join us at “Dinner and a Movie,” which will feature Hungry in the West End, a documentary look at senior hunger produced by AARP. Dinner is provided with donations accepted to benefit local agencies serving seniors. The event will be held at 6pm at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 305 N. 30th St. (Corner of Waco Drive and 30th Street).
On Friday, donate food and monetary donations to this year’s Food for Families Food Drive — the largest one-day food drive in the state! All proceeds and food collected benefit local pantries and feed our neighbors. Want to volunteer at a drop-off location? Contact Chelle Samaniego at [email protected] to get signed up for a two-hour shift.
On Saturday, join us for the 10th Annual Central Texas Turkey Trot — the fastest race in town! Sign up at https://www.signmeup.com/108397.
The natural opportunities and challenges that come with aging are enough for seniors to navigate; hunger and homelessness shouldn’t be among them. Please join us at one of the many events this week to grow your knowledge, engage in action, and advocate for our seniors!
To learn more about the activities and locations, go to www.mclennanhunger.org , or contact:
- Erin Payseur 254-710-1736, [email protected] , or
Cameron Goodman 254-750-5777, [email protected]
Kelsey Miller is a Child Hunger Outreach Specialist at Texas Hunger Initiative’s Waco Regional Office. She is passionate about more people gaining access to and education about healthy foods and our food system, and thinks the expertise of those experiencing hunger and poverty should always be our starting point. Kelsey lives with her husband and rambunctious puppy in Waco, and is also pursuing an MSW from Baylor part-time.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
Sources
Coleman-Jensen, A., Rabbitt, M., Gregory, C., & Singh, A. (2015). Household Food Security in the United States in 2014, Table 2. USDA ERS. http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/1896841/err194.pdf. Accessed October 1, 2015.
Feeding America. Senior Hunger Fact Sheet. http://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/impact-of-hunger/senior-hunger/senior-hunger-fact-sheet.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/. Accessed October 1, 2015.
Meals on Wheels America. National Senior Fact Sheet. http://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/docs/default-source/fact-sheets/senior-fact-sheet-national.pdf?sfvrsn=2. Accessed October 1, 2015.
National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) (2014). Elder Homelessness. http://nationalhomeless.org/issues/elderly/. Accessed October 1, 2015.
National Council on Aging. Older Americans Act. https://www.ncoa.org/public-policy-action/older-americans-act/. Accessed October 1, 2015.
by Analí Gatlin and Joel Looper
In our last Act Locally blog, we touched on the endless complexities of U.S. immigration law. We wanted to use this entry to focus on one vital piece of legislation that affects undocumented immigrants who are also crime victims, some of the most vulnerable people in our community. That piece of legislation is called the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and the part we’d like to address here is called the U Visa.
What is the U Visa?
Congress’s renewal of this legislation, the VAWA of 2000, created the U Visa, but U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) didn’t start processing U Visa cases until 2007. This particular visa is for victims of certain crimes who have suffered “substantial physical or mental abuse” and who are helpful to law enforcement or other officials in investigating or prosecuting a crime.
To qualify for a U Visa, an applicant must prove several things: (1) they were the victim of a qualifying crime; (2) the crime occurred in the U.S.; (3) they have information about the crime; (4) they have been, are being, or are likely to be helpful in the investigation or prosecution; and (5) they suffered substantial physical or mental abuse because of the crime. (Please note this is a simplified breakdown of the U Visa. Visit the USCIS website for further details). The U Visa application must also be certified, typically by law enforcement or a prosecutor, a step which, as we’ll see, is often needlessly difficult.
On top of all of this, the applicant must satisfy USCIS that they deserve the agency’s “yes.” As part of the application process, the applicant is fingerprinted and their immigration and criminal background is highly scrutinized. If the applicant has a criminal history or serious immigration offenses, they will have to counterbalance these negatives by showing they have “good moral character” and have “rehabilitated.” If they cannot prove to USCIS that they merit approval, their case will be denied.
The U Visa application process is arduous and highly uncertain. If the applicant succeeds in their case, they will receive U Visa status for four years. A U Visa allows an immigrant to obtain a work permit and a social security card—after all, it’s difficult to get by in the U.S. without the ability to work legally—but it does not allow any travel outside the United States. Even then, the applicant still has interviews, fingerprinting, English and civics tests, medical exams, endless paperwork, and a minimum of eight years left on the path to citizenship.
Why does the U Visa matter?
The U Visa serves a couple of important purposes. First, it helps law enforcement. Undocumented immigrants are often targets for crimes in large part because criminals don’t think someone without papers will contact the police. And, historically speaking, the criminal is right. Many undocumented immigrants have not contacted the police to report crimes because they feared that their undocumented status would be discovered and they would be deported.
Take, for example, an undocumented woman who is severely beaten and raped by her boyfriend. She might be afraid to contact the police because those very same officers could set in motion her deportation. But if she doesn’t tell the police, the perpetrator will likely never see justice. The existence of the U Visa gives undocumented victims the confidence to come forward with information, giving police the tools they need to fight crime. It allows the victim to remain in the U.S. and assist law enforcement as they investigate and prosecute the crime. And, of course, getting criminals off the streets makes us all safer. We don’t want an entire population in our community not reporting crimes; that allows criminals to thrive in our midst.
The U Visa is an important crime fighting tool; that in itself is enough to justify its existence and continual renewal by congress. But there’s another important reason why the U Visa exists, and it’s a humanitarian one. It only seems fair that a person who is brave enough to come out of the shadows and help law enforcement take down a criminal should receive protection in return. That’s especially true since U Visa recipients are often among the most vulnerable people in this country. Simply put, certifying and granting U Visas is a matter of justice. It’s just the right thing to do.
What are some of the challenges facing U Visa applicants?
An application for a U Visa cannot move forward without getting a certification. This certification can come from a law enforcement official, prosecutor, judge, or another authority responsible for investigation or prosecution of criminal activity.
Certification does not mean that the individual will be granted a U Visa. It it simply certifying that the individual in question was a victim of a qualifying crime and that the individual was helpful in the investigation or prosecution—nothing more. Again this certification is just one form in a stack of forms which makes up the application for a U Visa. It doesn’t mean USCIS will ever stamp “approved” on the application.
Nevertheless, there are local officials in certain jurisdictions who have made it policy never to certify a U Visa. By refusing to sign, they stop this immigration benefit dead in its tracks. They stop it before it’s even begun. That means an undocumented person who was the victim of a crime that occurred in one of these jurisdictions will likely never get a U Visa. And, as we’ve seen, communities are often harmed by this refusal.
Another major set-back for U Visa applicants is the government’s annual cap. Congress allows only 10,000 U Visas to be issued every year. Unfortunately, thousands more qualified people submit applications annually. That has left USCIS with a huge backlog of cases; in fact, they just reported there are over 75,000 people currently on the U Visa waiting list. This means that once a qualified person applies for a U Visa, it will be years before they actually receive the visa, leaving them in immigration limbo all the while.
What can community members do to help?
First, U Visas are certified by local officials such as the District Attorney and the police. We can show our support of local leaders who do certify U Visas, and we can encourage others to start using this important crime-fighting tool to make our community safer and fairer.
Second, we can contact our local congress person and urge them to increase the number of U Visas granted per year. There is a tremendous need for U Visas and thousands of people qualify every year who are unnecessarily left on a waiting list.
Let’s not leave the most vulnerable among us waiting, Waco. Let’s act.
Analí Gatlin is a Waco native who is currently practicing immigration law at a nonprofit organization in Austin, TX. She loves Waco and naturally spends her weekends at home here. Joel Looper, originally from Michigan, has made his home in Waco and teaches religion and Language Arts at Live Oak Classical School. Joel and Analí are also busy planning their upcoming wedding.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
By Tiffany Fry
As I go out and about in the community, I always have fun when I talk about our Waco Goodwill Learning Center. A lot of folks I meet have shopped and/or donated goods to our retail stores. This is always great to hear! And no worries to any folks that have not. One of my roles as the Learning Center coordinator is to share the work of our mission services. Mission services you say? Why yes, we at Heart of Texas Goodwill actively pursue the full participation of folks with barriers in society through our employment and training programs. We fulfill this mission through our four Learning Centers located in Waco, Belton, Temple, and Killeen.
At our Waco center, we provide employment readiness and computer training services. While our focus is on folks that have barriers such as unemployment, criminal history, etc. or disabilities, we will serve anyone that walks through our doors. Our employment readiness includes job search assistance, career exploration, resume preparation, interview skill training, and job retention training. These services are offered in both class and individual sessions. Our Job Opportunity Boot Camp is a weeklong workshop that covers all of our employment readiness topics in a class setting. In addition, one of the services I’m most proud of at our Learning Center is that we can meet with you on an individual basis and provide our employment readiness services to you as many times as you need. Want to learn how to write a resume and then practice interviewing two or three times? Just schedule an appointment with our staff! We have a heart for teaching and equipping people with the skills they need to successfully find and maintain employment.
Additionally, when you visit us, you can learn about two of our initiatives, Operation Good Jobs and Careers in Retail. Operation Good Jobs is a program that helps veterans and their immediate family members find and maintain employment in a field of their choice. Through this initiative, financial assistance can be provided for education, credentialing, and/or training. Our second initiative, Careers in Retail, is a program to equip people with the skills they need to move into mid-level and/or supervisory positions in the retail, hospitality, and restaurant industries. Training and certifications are provided at no cost for participants enrolled in the program.
Speaking of no cost, we also provide free weekly computer classes. We offer beginner classes in Computer Basics, Internet & Email, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel. Additionally, we offer $10 Continuing Education classes through McLennan Community College. Currently, our MCC classes are Basic Workplace Computer Skills, Word 2010, and Excel 2010. These classes provide more in-depth training and are useful for folks that want to learn about certain Microsoft Office Suite programs for the workplace.
And our services do not end there! We know it’s important to equip folks with the skills they need on the job readiness end of the spectrum, but we also want to connect our participants to businesses in our community. We work to build relationships with businesses so that we can refer our qualified participants to hiring managers. Additionally, we host monthly hiring events for businesses around the community. Our hiring events are a great opportunity to help our community members get placed into local jobs.
All that to say we certainly have quite a bit that goes on in our center. At the same time, I am reminded that our learning center is a part of the whole picture of folks working hard to make our community a better place. A big part of my job is to build relationships with community organizations and I’m constantly meeting people that have great ideas of how to better develop our workforce. I think it’s important that individuals and organizations engaged in workforce development partner and strategize together. We can better address the challenges many of our community members face with employment by looking at our community holistically and connecting workforce development to education, health, and financial stability. I have to say I am encouraged by the work going on in our community with the Prosper Waco initiative and I hope that we can all continue the work that has been done to make Waco a better place. I know on our end, we will certainly continue to work hard to fulfill our mission to build an inclusive workforce!
Tiffany Fry made one of the best decisions of her life by switching from UT Austin to Baylor at the last minute. She graduated in 2011 and decided to make Waco her home. She is a thankful graduate of the Diana Garland School of Social Work MSW program. In her spare time she likes to hang out with her cat, husband, and friends (in no particular order), be outside, and read history books. Feel free to contact Tiffany at [email protected] or 254-753-7337 x 140.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
by Dr. Cristina Cleveland (Special thanks to Rocio Ramirez for her great input! – CC)
In Mexico and in other Latin American countries on November 2nd, we celebrate the “Day of the Dead.” It is, in fact, a two-day celebration since the day before, on November 1, we celebrate the “Day of Innocent Saints” referring to children and infants who have passed away.
The origins of Dia de los Muertos come from pre-Hispanic civilizations, from 3,000 years ago, long before the Spaniards arrived to Mexico. Trust me… they tried hard to eradicate it, but instead, it emerged as a new way to honor our ancestors. Now even for the Catholic calendar, November 1st is All Saints’ Day, and November 2nd All Soul’s Day.
The tradition is to prepare an altar (at home, schools, parks and government offices) with the four elements of nature — water (beverages), wind (music), fire (candles), and earth (flowers) — to honor and show respect and love to the important people in our lives that are already dead. We also cook the food that the deceased person used to love and make a very special bread called “Pan de Muerto.” You may also see plain water in vases with soft towels since we invite our ghostly “guests” to clean themselves and get ready before the party begins. Sometimes there are toys for the children.
The main flower that is used to decorate the altars in zempazuchitl, (marigold) a deep orange flower only available during October and November. People sometimes create floral arches or different and very sophisticated designs of flower bouquets. They also include some pictures and items that belonged to the deceased person as part of the decorations.
It is believed that all souls are eternal and they can travel from this world to the next one back and forth, so a few days before November 1 families engage in the preparation of food and presents for the family members and friends from the other world who will visit them during those days.
This celebration is far from being a sad occasion! It is, in fact, one of the most beautiful and fun holidays we have. There are parades where people dress nice and in fancy costumes and they paint their faces as skulls. There is music and dancing from downtown all the way until you arrive to the graveyard, which has already been cleaned, decorated and prepared for the celebration. Once there, you can perfectly see a lot of candles everywhere, mariachi music and trios, and people are laughing and sharing stories about the people they are honoring and sharing the food that they prepared.
Of course, sometimes you can see a lonely person with few ornaments crying over a tomb, is not easy to remember someone that you cannot embrace anymore without some tears…
El Dia de los Muertos it is a celebration of life. It is also a reminder that we all will be there someday, but we’re not afraid, because we will come back every year to eat our favorite food and be around our beloved ones.
People also write “calaveras” (literate skulls), short rhyming poems making fun or telling anecdotes about people that are still alive (for some reason politicians are very prone to get one of these). Kids go out and ask for “calaverita” kind of trick or treat, but they’re asking for a sugar skull with their names printed on them.
One of the most iconic symbols for this date is also “La Catrina”, which is a very fancy dress up lady created by Mexican Artist Jose Guadalupe Posada in the late 1800’s to mock the lifestyle of rich Mexicans trying to tell them, that even money can’t keep us from death.
On November 7th, 2003, the 18 member countries of UNESCO (the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization) voted unanimously to make Mexico’s November Day of The Dead traditions a part of the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This means that UNESCO has identified these traditions as an essential component of cultural diversity and creative expression. They are a worldwide cultural treasure. The practices should be safeguarded, and we should enjoy the responsibility of making sure more people are aware of them.
Celebrate Dia De Los Muertos at the Art Forum of Waco:
October 31 – Dia de los Muertos Reception at the Art Forum – Join the Art Forum of Waco, as they celebrate Dia de los Muertos through art and traditional stories, events and activities. Over 20 artists, including students from McGregor ISD, will be participating in this event. Cost: Free, with donation accepted. Time: 6 PM-9 PM. Location: Art Forum of Waco [1826 Morrow Ave.]. For more information contact Arthur Huron at 254.733.1525.
November 1 thru 7 – Dia de los Muertos celebration at the Art Forum – Join Art Forum of Waco, as they celebrate Dia de los Muertos through art and traditional stories, events and activities. Over 20 artists, including students from McGregor ISD, will be participating in this event. Cost: Free, with donation accepted. Time: 11 AM-6 PM daily. Location: Art Forum of Waco [1826 Morrow Ave.]. For more information contact Arthur Huron at 254.733.1525.
This Act Locally Waco blog post was written by Dr. Cristina Cleveland. Cristina was born and raised in Mexico City. She’s a Pediatric Neurologist and when she moved to Waco back in 2008, she was planning to be a stay-home-mother of their now 7-years-old-twins. Things changed (as usual) and now, after getting a Master’s Degree in Education, she works for the Foreign Language Department in Waco ISD. In her spare time you can see her driving her twins to the library, karate, soccer, swimming and art classes. If she could just get a “time out,” she would probably be walking, swimming, reading or watching a foreign movie.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
by Josette Ayres
Recently a brightly colored t-shirt slogan caught my attention. In the center was a rhinestone “T” in the middle of a Superman like logo. Below it read, “Teaching is my SUPERPOWER”. My thought was a resounding, “AMEN”. Amen to those who’ve answered the calling to foster the education of our children. Those amongst us who not only provide a safe and engaging environment for young minds to explore their potential but who also inspire young minds to develop their optimal potential. To me that’s absolutely a “Superpower.” If you’ve ever had the good fortune to see a teacher in action, inspiring, encouraging and developing, you know it’s a special calling. I can rattle off to you a long list of these superheroes, starting with my mom who has devoted over 50 years to education and is still going strong. Educators are special individuals who invest time and energy into young people in the belief that the return on their investment will manifest into respectable, productive members of society.
While the mission of teachers has not changed, the demands on them are very different when you take into account today’s social climate where kids are coming to school with needs exceeding the educational realm. Hunger, mental health, poverty, homelessness, etc. have broad effects on a student’s ability to succeed in the classroom, yet our schools are required to “teach on” in spite of lacking resources to serve the pressing social needs of the child. Every model for student success shows the need for a continuum of contributors including students, the community and parental involvement. Despite this understanding, many of our educators are challenged with raising student achievement seemingly alone.
As a public school advocate with Parents for Public Schools of Waco (PPS Waco) I know all too well the impact empowered and informed parents can have in partnership with schools. Over the years our organization has helped foster relations between schools and home by encouraging parents to become educated on the issues, empowered to use their talents and interest to make a difference in the lives of all kids and to help mobilize parents to action. Through our shared belief in quality education for all children, teachers and school officials can rest assured they do not stand alone in their efforts to equip young minds to succeed.
With that, I encourage WISD parents, friends, and supporters to turn out in large numbers for the upcoming tax ratification election. Early voting begins, Monday October 19th and the election will be held on November 3. The tax ratification will provided a net increase of 5 cents in the District’s tax rate and will generate $8.2 million in revenue per year. The funds will be used to impact student achievement through programs that support:
Literacy
- Achieve 83% of third graders reading on grade level by 2020
- Hire highly qualified literacy aides for every Pre-K and Kindergarten classroom
- Additional reading teacher positions at middle school
- Expand Brazos Credit Recovery program to include older middle school students
College Credit Opportunities
- Maintain an 8 period day – allows students to take more classes and broadens the learning experience
- Allows all Junior and Seniors to take every dual credit course they want at MCC or TSTC at no cost to families
Behavior and Discipline
- Provide campus-based health services (health professional, social workers, behavioral specialists, etc.)
- Expand Saturday Diversion Classes for students and parents
A Link for more information on the tax ratification is provided below along with dates to the final to community information sessions.
It is my sincerest hope; Waco ISD parents and community members will turn out and vote “yes.” The passing of this tax ratification would significantly impact the opportunities for all students across WISD and set our District on course to transform lives through education in a way that’s never been achieved. Thank you WISD trustees and Superintendent Bonny Cain for your leadership in providing a comprehensive case for community support and for seeking the community voice and input throughout the process. Now we all have a vested interest in student success.
Links & information
Upcoming Town Hall Meetings
- Monday, November 19, 6:00 PM, JH Hines Elementary, 301 Garrison St
- Tuesday, November 20, 5:30 PM, Lake Waco Montessori School, 4601 Cobbs Dr
Josette Ayres is a small business owner of Ink & Stitches and currently serves as the Board President of Parents for Public Schools of Waco. Parents for Public Schools of Waco is a volunteer community board of parents and public school advocates who promote and strengthen public schools by engaging, educating and mobilizing parents.
For more information on PPS Waco check out our Facebook page at Parents for Public Schools of Waco, or contact Josette by Phone/Text at 254-229-7172, or by email at [email protected] . Join Parents for Public Schools for an information session: Monday, October 26, 6:-7:30pm Waco Central Library- 1717 Austin Ave.
By Denise Mason
In August 2015, 342 children from Central Texas were in foster care placements, with 217 age 10 years or older. That means more than half were in 4th grade or above. These children have been separated from their primary caregivers and placed in substitute care…a foster home, kinship home or in a residential treatment facility. This is heart breaking.
Let me personalize this by sharing Mary’s story:
“My name is Mary and this is my story. When I was 9, the State removed me from my biological home because my parents beat me daily. Even though my parents hurt me, they were the only parents I knew. I was terrified to be with a (foster) family. It took me several months to begin to feel comfortable. My foster parents kept reminding me that I was safe, they would take care of me, and I did not have to worry. I started to trust them and began to feel closer to them. They were wrong. Within 6 months, I was taken back to my biological parents. Everything was fine for a little while but then the physical abuse began again. This went on for several months. I expected to be rescued again but no one came. I began to believe that no one cared and knew that I could not trust anyone. Finally, the case worker came back to get me but the foster home I was in before no longer had available beds, so I was placed in a different (foster) home. This time I was not scared; I was angry. How dare (my first foster parents) not keep their word? How dare they let me be hurt again? Clearly, it was me against the world. Because of my behavioral issues, I was moved again and again and again…I was 13. In four years, I went through 13 placements and 7 different schools. At the age of 13, I had no hope and no dreams. Kids like me had no one who cared and no real future. We were just ‘foster kids’. Other kids could think of what they wanted to be when they grew up, could plan for college, think about getting married someday, but not me. That life was not for me. The path that was laid out for me was one of pure survival and my options were limited. ”
All children should be well loved and given the opportunity to explore their gifts, abilities and dream of their future. Without a loving, nurturing caregiver, the focus turns instead towards surviving…fight or flight. Mary is not the only child that has ever faced these traumatic circumstances. Unfortunately, this is the case of too many children in our communities. Every child’s story is a little different but the problem is the same – kids that are hurt lose hope. Statistics, unfortunately, show that without someone stepping in to aid them, the outcomes are bleak
- Only 46% of foster children, complete high school.
- Within 18 months of emancipation, 40-50% of foster youth become homeless.
- Nationally, 27% of the homeless population were once in foster care
- Within 2 years of emancipation, 51% will be unemployed.
- Within 2 years of emancipation, 25% of foster youth will be incarcerated.
We can change a child’s trajectory in life by getting involved! Unfortunately, there are not enough foster families willing to care for children of any age, but particularly, children over 10 years old! We need loving, nurturing adults willing to care for children that are in desperate situations.
A World For Children (AWFC) is a private, Christian, child placing agency that provides foster and foster-to-adopt services for abused and neglected children across the state. Our agency began in 1997 with a single office in Round Rock, Texas. Today, AWFC is represented in all 12 regions of Texas caring for 850 children in 350 foster homes. It is our mission to serve children and families through preventative, supportive, and therapeutic services. We strongly believe that each child is unique and deserves an opportunity to develop his/her potential in a safe and nurturing environment.
In the fall of 2009, AWFC created the L.A.U.N.C.H! Program for foster youth in an attempt to address specific needs related to youths in foster care and positively impact their life outcomes. The program focuses on 6 areas: social skills, daily living, health care, employment skills, driving/vehicle maintenance and post graduation plans. With a safe, loving and nurturing environment established through one of our foster homes, it is our hope that foster youth would be free to explore their gifts, abilities and dream of their future. Last summer, AWFC hosted their annual L.A.U.N.C.H! Camp with 100 foster youth celebrating the skills they have learned through the L.A.U.N.C.H! Program!
If you’d like to learn more about foster care, fostering youth, or the L.A.U.N.C.H! Program please join us for an Information Night on Tuesday, October 20th at Waco Central Library (1717 Austin Avenue, Waco, TX) from 6-7:30 pm.
Denise Mason developed a heart for traumatized children while volunteering at the Methodist Children’s Home, Waco Center for Youth, and Big Brothers and Big Sisters. Since graduating from Baylor and being licensed as a Child Life Specialist, she has worked in the child welfare field with private child placing agencies. She and her husband, Lyle Mason, are raising three children and can often be found on soccer or football fields or in the Midway AG Barn. In her current role with A World For Children, Denise is bringing awareness to the foster care needs in Central Texas as a Foster Home Developer. As she recruits and trains prospective foster parents, she takes delight in equipping and empowering families to be successful foster parents. For information, please contact her via email: [email protected].
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
By Cameron Goodman
Lacking a safe and permanent place to call home brings about many challenges for the homeless population in Waco. The effects of homelessness on our community are wide-ranging. Just a few examples of these effects include:
- Children who are displaced from their housing may lose up to 4-6 months of academic progress each time they are moved.
- Living on the street increases the chance of exposure to communicable diseases such as TB and respiratory illnesses.
- Existing health conditions are exacerbated by the lifestyle that comes with living on the street. Minor issues such as colds or small cuts can develop into serious illnesses.
- Homelessness has been linked to an increased risk of becoming involved with the criminal justice system. Having a criminal record often compounds the problems faced by this population and can make finding employment even more difficult.
With these factors in mind, it is important to decrease the amount of time people remain homeless and unconnected to the resources that are available in our community to help them. By moving quickly we can help people avoid these risks and get on a path towards the independence and self-sufficiency that is made possible by becoming stably housed. As of October 1st, Waco has a system in place that does just that.
This new system, called Coordinated Access, makes it possible for homeless individuals and families to make a single phone call or visit to an entry point where they will fill out a single form to determine what shelter services or housing opportunities they would be eligible to participate in. Mission Waco’s Meyer Center and The Salvation Army’s Social Services Office serve as the two main entry points for this system and have social workers staffed to help those seeking assistance with completing the assessment form.
This may not sound like an exciting improvement, but this innovation has several real benefits for those who are the most in need in our community. Moving to a coordinated process means that we are now able to make sure that people seeking assistance are placed in the program that is the best fit for their unique situation. Using our assessment tool, we are also able to essentially triage services and housing to those who have the highest need. Much like an emergency room nurse who has a patient with chest pain, we are able to assign a score using this tool to prioritize service for persons with high risk factors.
This approach also has the benefit of removing many of the barriers that less coordinated systems experience. With the old system, families may have had to visit multiple agencies, sometimes located across the city, and fill out forms at each location before finding a service that best fit their needs. This new approach eliminates that duplication of effort, both for the agencies and for those seeking help, and helps to reduce the number of people who fall through the cracks while attempting to receive the help they need.
If you know of anyone who may be experiencing homelessness or who is at risk of becoming homeless, then you can direct them to the two entry points for the Coordinated Access system below.
Salvation Army Social Services
500 South 4th Street
8-5 Monday-Friday
(254) 756-7271
The Meyer Center
1226 Washington Ave.
7-1 and 4-5 Monday-Thursday and Friday 7-1130
(254) 296-9866
Cameron Goodman is a Program Analyst for the City of Waco’s Housing and Economic Development Department. He is interested in public policy and local government. Cameron can be reached at [email protected].
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
By Deshauna Hollie
“Solidarity means that no one in our community has to stand alone.” – Jody Money
I heard this definition of solidarity four years ago at a community meeting in Waco on immigration and it has stuck with me ever since then. I always seem to remember this quote around this time of the year. Monday is Columbus Day. It isn’t a day that I think much about, except to wonder whether government and city offices will be open. Although this year as I am being very intentional about ‘discovering Waco’ and all that it has to offer, Columbus Day has crossed my mind a little more frequently.
I recently viewed a TED Talk by Taiye Selasi entitled “Don’t ask me where I’m from, ask me where I am local.” Selasi discusses the complexities of having lived in and experienced life in many places that have helped shape her self and cultural identity. I grew up in Waco, but I have lived in Illinois, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts during various times of my life. I find myself migrating back to these places, because some of these are places that I consider home just as much as I consider Waco my home. So I can relate to Taiye Selasi’s request that you ask her where she is ‘local’ rather than where she is from.
As an adult Wacoan I am ‘local’ to North Waco and more specifically the Sanger Heights Neighborhood. I also have lived in South and East Waco. As a child I would have considered myself ‘local’ to those places as well. These places have helped shape my own self and cultural identity. In my discovering and embracing of life in Waco, I find myself becoming more engaged in my community and I think back to Jody Money’s quote on solidarity.
Taiye Selasi notes that people can be connected by rituals, restrictions, and relationships despite where they are from. In Waco I want to be connected to those people who don’t look like me, think like me or even live like me because I want to be able to stand in solidarity with them when they struggle. I want to stand in solidarity with them when they are ostracized. I want to stand in solidarity with them so that they will not be alone. I see this happening in small ways all over the city and I am glad that we, the Waco community, can be ‘local’ together as our community continues to grow and evolve in new ways. I suspect that for many locals, my discovery is in fact not a discovery at all but just a reflection of a community of people who care deeply about each other.
This Act Locally Waco blog post is written by Deshauna Hollie. Deshauna grew up in Waco and moved back a few years ago. Biking is her favorite way of getting around Waco, and she regularly writes poetry about biking in Waco. She is currently working on a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
Note: Selasi, Taiye. (2014) “Don’t ask me where I’m from, ask me where I’m local.” Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/taiye_selasi_don_t_ask_where_i_m_from_ask_where_i_m_a_local
By Bruce Huff
1989 – Recently diagnosed. Losing Cape Cod fish markets due to our last recession, wife wanted a divorce and I was a mess. My two kids were too young to understand.
At a crossroads…commit the ultimate…or get strong…not “strong,” but STRONG!
Austin Motorola Marathon, 1995
Six very short months later I trimmed 60 pounds and gained a 6-pack. My first event was the Cape Cod MS Walk of 1990. I learned early on it wasn’t about me. Every day my focus was on a person with MS who couldn’t. Soon this obsession of running became my routine. One mile became two, then three. One day I called my Mom and gleefully said I had just run five miles. Well, I can’t lie to my mother, so out I went…5…8…12. At six months, my first 26.2mile marathon.
It was time to leave New England. Charted a course to Alaska where I had gone to high school. After moving from Hyannis to Anchorage, it looked like Waco would be doable. While visiting mom here, I realized she desperately needed a man’s touch around the house. So, a three month project became a need for real employment.
1993 – Waco was changing. Really changing. I really wanted to become a part of that! Sherrell and I married in Jamaica 1995. She totally accepted my flaws, became a caregiver. Wow, that takes a special person.
2011 – Had to retire early. Balance bad, fatigue, numbness. Immediately an opportunity to volunteer at the Waco Tourism & Convention Center was advertised. Such an awesome city! My hometown! And 2012 became a springboard of volunteerism.
I still focus on others with MS. Everyday. I work part time at the Salvation Army Men’s Shelter, am very active with musical events, art openings, environmental causes. Making Waco a better place.
Sounds like I have a topped off reservoir of Energizer Bunny? Pushing to my limits is all I know. Get up early. Go hard till 2:00, take a nap, go hard again till 10:00. Failure is not an option to me. I believe others who see me, see me struggling. See me in pain. But, I go on. I believe my efforts will be contagious. I want people to believe in themselves.
Saturday, October 3, is the annual WalkMS2015. My team, “Huff’s Magic Dragons,” last year had walkers from five continents providing unbelievable support for MS research. Please come out to support me, Waco and Multiple Sclerosis!
October 3 – Walk MS (Multiple Sclerosis): Waco – Walk MS: Waco is first and foremost a fundraising event. Money raised at this year’s event will support research progress in many areas, moving us closer to our ultimate goal of a world without MS. Walk MS connects people living with MS and those who care about them. When you participate in this community event, the funds you raise give hope to the more than 2.3 million people living with MS worldwide. We’ve been walking since 1988 and to date have raised more than $870 million to support life changing programs and cutting-edge research. Cost: See here. Time: Site opens at 8 AM. Walk begins at 9 AM. Location: Heritage Square Park, Austin Ave & N. 3rd St. Click here for a map. For more information and to register, click here. Contact Lily Goldstucker at 469.619.4707 or at [email protected] for any questions.
Bruce Huff was diagnosed with MS in 1989. He started running as a way of learning to live with MS and it morphed into a 100 mile per week obsession. Now in a mobility scooter when there is a need to walk for more than five minutes, he still has the drive to inspire others and to be a part of life. His message: DON’T EVER GIVE UP!
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
by Betty and Benjy Bauer & Family
Many have heard about Talitha Koum and you may have also read the blog that Susan Cowley, Executive Director, shared on Act Locally Waco in June. You hopefully know about the important work that the therapeutic nursery does to support healthy brain development during early childhood for children living in extreme poverty. What you may not be aware of is Talitha Koum’s commitment to remain involved in the lives of these children once they are in grade school. I did not know and I also could never have imagined how much my life would change once I did.
Talitha Koum has a mentoring program that strives to match mentors to children once they launch into kindergarten. The goal is for these mentors to become integrated with the child’s life as it relates to home, school, and play, while the child also partakes in your life to increase exposure to other aspects of the world they would otherwise not see.
Six years ago life changed for my family and me. We had recently learned more about the important work that Talitha Koum does to serve children in extreme poverty and were moved to become mentors to a young boy. As my husband and children were going to support me in my role as a mentor, they were included in the match process. We decided to mentor a four year old boy and haven’t looked back since. He is 10 now and has become an integral part of our life. My life has been full of many incredible experiences and privileges, but the years I have invested into this child and he has invested into us, have truly been the most fun and most wonderful in my life. I look forward to every chance I have to be around this boy and honestly miss him when he is not around.
I tell you all of this because we have a need. We must find a mentor for his younger, 6 year old brother. His brother, let’s call him David, was at Talitha Koum from infancy until pre-K and is now in kindergarten. This sweet child is highly intelligent and despite the potential effects of extreme poverty and instability, does not have any behavioral issues. Due to the nature of Talitha Koum’s mentoring program, David needs his own, unique mentor (or mentoring couple/family) separate from us. It has been heavy on my heart to find a mentor for this child so that he may also have another adult in his corner providing proactive support, experiences, and positivity. Life is about to change for David, a baby will be arriving soon making him a big brother and changing family dynamics for everyone.
I will be honest, the commitment of becoming a mentor to David or any child from Talitha Koum is more than what most mentoring programs in our community ask. Yet I know firsthand that the change you will impact and the change a child will impact in your life, will be far greater than anything you could share through only 30 minutes a week for a school year or two. Waco needs more mentors for all of its children; David needs a mentor now. I urge you to learn more about Talitha Koum’s mentoring program at http://talithakoum.org/mentors/, and if interest is on your heart, I will be honored to tell you more about David, with the hope of exploring if you are a good mentor fit for this sweet, intelligent boy. Please feel to reach me at [email protected]. Mentoring David’s older brother has been a gift to my family and me for six years; I hope mentoring David will be a gift to someone else in Waco very soon.
Betty Bauer serves on various non-profit boards in the Waco community including the Waco Foundation and the MCC Foundation Boards. Benjy and their son Kam own a family business, H & B Packing Company, which has been in their family for 65 years. Their daughter Kalize lives and works in Dallas making frequent trips to Waco. Kam’s wife Shauna is a Physical Therapist at Baylor Scott and White Hillcrest Medical Center.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.