Welcome


Voices for Action is a statewide effort to reduce poverty 50% in Michigan by 2020.

Led by the Michigan Department of Human Services, the initiative has created a network of organizations including human service organizations, government agencies, local faith-based and community organizations, non-profits, and businesses.


This space is for you to share your Voices for Action stories and current information. There are three ways to share.

- Submit a post via email to: voices4action6@haltpoverty.org and we'll post it for you, be sure to include contact info

- Submit a post through blogger: Google account required; request author invite by sending an email with
name & organization information to: voices4action6@haltpoverty.org

- Comment on published posts, no login required

You can use tags to highlight themes, such as 'asset building', 'workforce development', 'food assistance', etc.



Here are current poverty statistics for Region 6:

2009 Poverty and Median Income Estimates - Counties
Name Poverty Estimate All Ages Poverty Percent All Ages Poverty Estimate Under Age 18 Poverty Percent Under Age 18 Median Household Income
Allegan 12,850 11.5 4,601 16.2 50,487
Barry 6,038 10.4 2,111 15.2 53,566
Berrien 27,259 17.4 9,481 25.4 39,856
Branch 7,430 17.9 2,780 26.8 40,798
Calhoun 22,951 17.4 8,193 26.1 39,130
Cass 7,837 15.9 2,334 21.5 45,799
Kalamazoo 46,977 19.6 11,748 21.8 42,336
St. Joseph 10,265 16.9 3,710 23.9 43,402
Van Buren 12,755 16.6 4,409 22.8 41,731






Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area
Estimates Branch

Internet Release date: December 2010




View Michigan Counties - Region 6 Poverty in a larger map

Friday, June 10, 2011

St. Joseph County Only Event - Safe Kids Day June 25

Elder Rights Training in St. Joseph County June 21 1-4 pm

Register by June 17

Did you know that our seniors are the fastest growing population?

With that growing population also comes growing issues of abuse, neglect, and exploitation.  June 21st has been declared Elder Rights Awareness Day in St. Joseph County.  As part of that awareness, I am proud to announce an Elder Rights Training for all interested persons, including the general public.  This training will be held on Wednesday, June 21 from 1-4 PM in the lower level of the SJC Courthouse. RSVP’s are necessary.

Agenda includes:  Guardianships, Estate Recovery Act, Adult Protective Services, Community Services, Police Intervention, Domestic and Sexual Abuse Services and Public Protection Orders, Independent Living Services, and a panel discussion.

Presenters include the Honorable Judge Thomas Shumaker, Commissioner Rick Shaffer, attorney Mike Mestelle, Probate Registar Eva Sylvester, Ernie Riggs of DHS, Laura Sutter, Coordinator from the Area Agency on Aging, Lynn Coursey, Executive Director from the Commission on Aging, Captain Jason Bingaman of the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department, and Mary Lynn Falbe, Director of Domestic and Sexual Abuse Services.

Space is limited.Again, RSVP’s are required and should be directed to me [Janice Reed] via phone (269) 467-1223 or email ReedJ4@michigan.gov by June 17th. Hope to see you there!

Janice I. Reed
Collaboration Coordinator
St. Joseph County Human Services Commission

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Road to Prosperity Wants Your Stories

Half in Ten Logo

The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years

Half in Ten and CHN release the Road to Shared Prosperity story map


The Half in Ten campaign and the Coalition on Human Needs are thrilled to announce the release of the Road to Shared Prosperity, an interactive map displaying a collection of personal stories about programs building the American Dream. At a time when human-needs programs like Medicaid, food stamps/SNAP, and numerous others are facing the threat of extreme budget cuts, it is critical to show how such programs make a difference in the lives of real families, communities, and the economy. Designed to be a rich resource for the public, all stories contained in the map are paired with data on a state’s social and economic situation to show that this is about more than one person’s struggle or one family’s encounter with the safety net, but rather systemic issues that federal programs are successfully addressing.
Visit our resources for advocates page to learn best practices for leveraging the map’s contents for advocacy. We urge you to include stories and data from the Road to Shared Prosperity into your correspondence with members of Congress, in opinion editorials, and in social media campaigns.
Half in Ten and the Coalition on Human Needs are seeking additional stories to add to the map, which will be updated regularly. We welcome short video clips and written stories from service providers, beneficiaries, community leaders, business owners, and others who can speak to the value of federal programs that build prosperity and increase opportunity for all Americans. If you’d like to add your story to the Road to Shared Prosperity, click here.
We hope that this map will prove to be a useful resource in your advocacy around the budget debate. With your help we can pave the road to shared prosperity for all Americans.

Bridges Out of Poverty July 8 SW Michigan Mini-Conference

Bridges Out of Poverty
Southwest Michigan
Mini Conference
·       Learning: Previous graduates of Getting Ahead will discuss how the program has helped them, and made a difference in their lives.
·       Sharing: Cass and Monroe County will share how they have implemented Bridges out of Poverty.
·       Planning: Opportunities and Methods. Be part of the discussion on  how to expand Bridges out of Poverty in Southwest Michigan.

Understanding Poverty. Building Communities. Changing Lives.

Presenters:
·       Sharing and planning for the future by Cass and Monroe County
·       Graduates from previous Classes

Date
July 8, 2011
Location
Southwestern Michigan College
Mathew Conference Center West
58900 Cherry Grove Rd
Dowagiac Michigan, 49047
Time
Time: 10:00 am- 3:00 pm
Attire
Casual Business Attire.
Cost
         Conference is  Free of cost
        Participates may choose to bring  their individual lunch or 
Lunch included- $15 per person (optional)
        RSVP by July 1, 2011
Contact Person
Kimberley Brown
Phone: 269-445-7062
Email Address: eitc.brown@gmail.com

Monday, June 6, 2011

Kalamazoo County - Funding Opportunity MSHDA Emergency Solutions Grant

The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) in Kalamazoo County has a funding opportunity for the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) that is administered through the local Continuum of Care structure (locally known as the Affordable Housing Partnership). 

 

You will find the Notice of Intent and Timeline documents on the AHP Funding Opportunities webpage: www.kalamazooahp.org/funding-opportunities

 

Please note deadlines for submission in the timeline; these deadlines are critical for your application being considered for funding.

 

You are encouraged to contact Michelle Schneider mschneider@lisc.org with questions.