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By KATE BRASER,
Courier & Press staff writer
464-7622 or braserk@courierpress.com
Thursday, December 21, 2006
 
|
(Above)
Robert Barfield of Evansville remembers his friend, Ricky Buzzingham, a
homeless man who died in Evansville this year, during the Evansville
Homeless Memorial Service at Trinity United Methodist Church on Wednesday
morning. Barfield, who also is homeless, knew Buzzingham for more than 30
years and said the last time he saw his friend was when he loaned him a
dollar to buy a cup of coffee at McDonald’s. He died a week later.
Photo by
Denny Simmons |
|
(Left)
Community members participate in a service of remembrance for the homeless
at Trinity United Methodist Church in Evansville on Wednesday morning.
Photo by
Denny Simmons
|
Often during their lives, the
six people remembered Wednesday
at Trinity United Methodist
Church felt alone.
That's why it
was a bit ironic that nearly
every pew was full during a
memorial service for those who
died while homeless. The
ceremony, held at the church for
the seventh year, was
coordinated by Aurora.
The Rev. Al
Amstutz told those gathered at
the candlelight ceremony that
"for someone to die and not be
remembered is unacceptable. That
is why we are here today."
Luzada Hayes,
executive director of Aurora,
said the 49 candles lit on a
table at the front of the church
symbolized the lives of mothers,
fathers, sisters, brothers and
neighbors who have died while
homeless in Evansville over the
past 17 years.
On Wednesday,
seven more candles were lit,
representing the six men who
died this year, plus an extra
candle for unknown homeless
those who might have died.
Volunteers
said Dallas Orames, 66, often
said his greatest wish was to
one day own a home.
Orames was
hit by a garbage truck and died
April 6.
Also
remembered were Robert Davis,
Scott Wyttenbach, William
Brackens, Terry Francis and
Ricky Buzzingham.
Wyttenbach
was described as talkative and
friendly, and someone who once
told friends that he dreamed of
one day buying a big house and
having other homeless people
live there.
After the
candles were lit, a man too
familiar with the plight of the
homeless stood at the front of
the church.
James Davis
used to be homeless.
"On July 26,
2001, I was no longer homeless,"
he said. "I've had a nice warm
place to live since. But these
men lived a hard life. I know."
Davis played
a song he wrote about his
homeless days. It described his
feelings of loneliness, being
dirty and hungry.
Before those
gathered at the church dispersed
into the cold, drizzly day,
Hayes said the ceremony had
helped to affirm that each
homeless person who had died was
a part of the community.
"But all too
often in life, they were
invisible to the larger
community," she said.
### back to top
###
By LYDIA X. McCOY, Courier &
Press staff writer 464-7431 or
mccoyl@courierpress.com
Monday, December 18, 2006
Dallas Ormes
may have
been
"invisible"
to the
residents of
Evansville
until he
turned up on
the front
page of the
Courier &
Press in
April.
Ormes, 66,
died when he
was hit by a
garbage
truck on
Indiana
Street, just
west of
First
Avenue.
One of at
least six
homeless
people who
died this
year, Ormes
will be
remembered
at a
memorial
service
Wednesday at
Trinity
United
Methodist
Church. On
any given
night, there
are at least
400
individuals
in the
city's
emergency
shelters and
transitional
housing
programs. A
third of
them are
children.
"By
honoring
these few,
acknowledging
each as a
person
deserving
respect, we
make visible
a problem
that often
goes unseen
in this
county,"
said Kat
Isbell,
educational
specialist
for Aurora
Inc.,
formerly the
Evansville
Coalition
for the
Homeless.
This is
seventh year
for the
service,
instituted
in 1990 by
The National
Coalition
for the
Homeless, to
remember
those who
have died
because of
the
day-to-day
realities
and
long-term
effects of
homelessness.
The memorial
service is
held near
the first
day of
winter,
which marks
the
beginning of
a
particularly
difficult
and
dangerous
time for the
homeless.
Forty-eight
names
currently
are
memorialized.
"We're
remembering
these
valuable
community
members
whose
influence,
contributions
and lives
have been
lost to us,"
Isbell said.
Evansville
currently is
two years
into
Destination:
Home, a
10-year plan
to end
homelessness.
"(The
memorial)
reminds us
of the
essential
work we're
doing as a
community to
end
homelessness,"
Isbell said.
Those who
know of
homeless
people who
died during
2006 are
encouraged
to contact
Aurora at
428-3246. ### back to top
###
Letter
to the Editor,
Remembering our neighbors who have died
while homeless
published as
Homeless need our support
(although author's first name was
misspelled; should be "Kat")
### back to top
###
Courier & Press staff, Originally
published 01:31 p.m., December 15,
2006; Updated 01:31 p.m., December
15, 2006
A memorial service
to honor the
homeless who have
died in Evansville
has been planned for
10 a.m. Wednesday at
Trinity United
Methodist Church.
The
Homeless Memorial
Service
was started in 1990
by the National
Coalition for the
Homeless. The
service is always
scheduled near the
first day of winter,
which marks the
beginning of a
dangerous time for
the homeless,
according to Aurora
Inc., which works
with other
organizations in
Evansville to end
homelessness
Anyone who knows
someone who died
this year can
contact Aurora Inc.,
at 428-3246.
### back to top
###
(2006 event)
By LYDIA X. McCOY Courier & Press staff writer 464-7431 or mccoyl@courierpress.com
April 5, 2006
Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman was in Evansville on Tuesday touring
locations of the ECHO Community Health Care Clinic.
As she walked through two of the three clinics, Skillman
greeted and talked to doctors and nurses about the work they are doing.
"I've witnessed great outreach," Skillman said after the
tours. "I know there has to be trust and understanding established before
individuals would visit clinics and that's being successful here. Evansville
should be very proud to have ECHO ... within the community."
Skillman is this year's state honorary chair of Homeward
Bound, Indiana's 5K walk to provide housing and fight homelessness. Evansville's
is Saturday.
All the funds raised at the walk will be used to fund 11
local agencies who work with the homeless. This year's goal for the walk is
$50,000. In Evansville, more than 400 people are homeless on any given night.
Rosemary Knight, executive director of ECHO Community Health
Care, said having Skillman visit not only helps bring awareness to the walk, but
also issues surrounding homelessness.
"We're hoping to get more support and people coming out,"
Knight said. "She's a big name, and we're hoping it'll bring more people to the
walk."
What:
Homeward Bound
When: Saturday,
April 8, 2006 - Registration begins 8:30 a.m. and the walk is at 10 a.m.
Where: The walk begins at
the Casino Aztar Pavilion
For more information, call 428-3246
Source:
Evansville Courier & Press
### back to top
###
By LYDIA X. McCOY,
Courier & Press staff writer
464-7431 or mccoyl@courierpress.com
Friday, July 7, 2006
Goodwill Industries
launched its annual
"Ducks on the Ohio"
fundraiser on
Thursday with plans
to raise $60,000
from the adoption of
17,000 rubber ducks.
All proceeds from
the event help
support the Goodwill
Family Center, which
provides
transitional housing
and support services
to homeless
families,
particularly those
with children and
single individuals.
In 2005, proceeds from the race helped provide permanent housing for 14 families, said Judi Early, community relations director for Goodwill Industries. "It's a much needed program," she said.
This year's race will take place on Aug. 5 at 2:02 p.m. at the northeast side of Dress Plaza.
The $5 adoption fee puts donors in contention for various prizes on race day, when the ducks will be released on the Ohio River. You can sign up for the race and adopt a duck at branches of Fifth Third Bank, the Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union, Schnucks and 15 Goodwill stores.
This year, residents can purchase a "quacker's dozen," - 50 bucks gets you 12 ducks. There's also a "six quack," six ducks for the price of five.
Also new this year is the early bird special. People who adopt ducks before July 21 will be entered into a drawing for gift certificates to local area restaurants.
Top prize in the race is $10,000; and if the duck that crosses the finish line is the Fifth Third Million Dollar Duck, the first place winner also wins $1 million, in addition to the other cash prize.
No one has ever won the million dollars.
Early said when they started the race 12 years ago, they didn't know what to expect.
"(The race) has captured people's imagination over the years," she said.. "People remember them from year to year."
For more information or to adopt a duck by credit card, call 429-DUCK between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.
### back to top
###
Homelessness advocates celebrate accomplishments
By
Susan Orr
Originally published 12:07 p.m., December 13, 2007 Updated 12:07 p.m.,
December 13, 2007
Local advocates gathered Thursday to
celebrate their accomplishments — and fortify themselves
for work yet to do — in the fight to end homelessness.
The gathering marked the third
anniversary of Destination Home, a 10-year effort to eliminate homelessness in
Evansville and Vanderburgh County. About 75 people attended the celebration,
held at the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library.
Luzada Hayes, executive director
of nonprofit group Aurora, was
presented with a Distinguished
Hoosier Award, which is one of the
highest honors given to individuals
by Indiana’s governor.
Hayes was involved in helping to develop Destination Home (a process which
took 29 months), and she is currently the resource coordinator for the plan.
Evansville is among about 300 communities nationwide that has a plan to
eliminate homelessness, and it was the second city in Indiana to have such a
plan. Other cities around the country, including Columbia, S.C. and Erie, Pa.,
have contacted Evansville with interest in starting their own programs for
eliminating homelessness.
“It’s exciting to be seen as a model for other communities,” said Evansville
Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel, a member of the City-County Commission on
Homelessness.
On any given night, at least 400 people in Evansville are living in emergency
shelters or transitional housing, according to Destination Home advocates. About
a third of these are children under age 18. It’s estimated that another 30-40
people are living in parks, under bridges or in other places not meant for human
habitation.
At Thursday’s gathering, advocates outlined numerous actions that have been
taken through Destination Home to help reduce these statistics.
Group's program makes inroads Homelessness
still a problem
By
Susan Orr
Friday, December 14, 2007
Local advocates gathered Thursday to celebrate their accomplishments — and to
fortify themselves for work yet to do — in the fight to end homelessness.
The gathering marked the third anniversary of Destination Home, a 10-year
effort to eliminate homelessness in Evansville and Vanderburgh County. About 75
people attended the celebration at Evansville's Central Library.
Luzada Hayes, executive director of nonprofit group Aurora, was presented
with a Distinguished Hoosier Award, one of the highest honors given to
individuals by Indiana's governor.
Hayes helped develop Destination Home, a process that took 29 months, and she
is the program's resource coordinator.
Evansville is among about 300 communities nationwide that have plans to
eliminate homelessness.
It was the second city in Indiana to have such a plan.
Other cities around the country, including Columbia, S.C., and Erie, Pa.,
have contacted Evansville with interest in starting their own programs for
eliminating homelessness.
"It's exciting to be seen as a model for other communities," said Mayor
Jonathan Weinzapfel, a member of the City-County Commission on Homelessness.
On any given night, at least 400 people in Evansville are living in emergency
shelters or transitional housing, according to Destination Home advocates. About
a third of those are under age 18. It is estimated that another 30 to 40 are
living in parks, under bridges or other places not meant for human habitation.
At Thursday's gathering, advocates outlined actions that have been taken
through Destination Home to help reduce these statistics. They include:
 |
Formation of a partnership
involving Aurora, the Southwestern Indiana Mental Health Center and
Indianapolis-based Partners in Housing to develop 60 units of supportive
housing for singles. The units, still under development, are expected to be
complete by the end of next year. |
|
The convening of a group focused on
the plight of homeless youth. Indiana's state legislators also looked at this
issue, and they plan to introduce several bills during the 2008 legislative
session. |
|
Beginning the process of updating a
community transportation study in conjunction with the University of Southern
Indiana. The last study was done in 1998. |
|
Conducting community training in
the Bridges Out of Poverty program, designed to raise awareness of what life
is like for the poor. |
|
Establishing a program to offer
free tax preparation for low-income individuals and families. The program is
designed to ensure that participants receive all of the tax credits and
exemptions for which they are eligible. This service will be offered beginning
in January. |
|
Developing a rating scale to help
identify people who are at risk of becoming homeless. |
|
Increasing community awareness of
Destination Home in several ways, including adding more than 35 signatures to
the list of organizations, individuals and elected officials who support the
cause. |
The group also touched on its 2008 priorities, which include developing more
housing options, working to increase employment and income levels and increasing
community awareness through a speakers bureau and other means.
Rodney Stockment, community services manager for the Indiana Housing and
Community Development Authority, affirmed his group's support of Destination
Home.
"I come here amazed at what you guys have accomplished and what you're poised
to accomplish in the future," Stockment said.
Success, he said, will come through a wide-ranging partnership that includes
state agencies, local government, the business community, faith groups,
individuals and others.
"No one group in this effort is more important than another," Stockment said.
Destination Home celebrates 2 years
By LYDIA X. McCOY, Courier & Press
staff writer 464-7431 or mccoyl@courierpress.com
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
[bracketed words] are corrections to
the text made by the Webmaster
Evansville [and
Vanderburgh
County are]
two years into
Destination:
Home
- a 10-year plan
to end
homelessness.
On Tuesday,
community
leaders looked
at
accomplishments
and what they
want to achieve
in 2007.
"This is a caring community," said Luzada Hayes, Aurora's
executive director. "I really believe that if we invest in
this, we will be able to end homelessness as we know it
today." Aurora's mission is to end homelessness in the
community, and it works to provide services to the homeless,
promote prevention and educate the community on the issue.
The nonprofit agency was formerly the Evansville Coalition
for the Homeless.
[Destination: Home] accomplishments include:
- Establishing the Commission on Homelessness.
- Creating a discharge policy to prevent individuals
coming out of hospitals, foster homes, correctional
facilities or other publicly funded institutions from [being
released into] homeless.
- Hiring an education specialist to focus on the
promotion of Destination: Home to the community and
coordinating the educational strategies outlined in the
plan.
- Development of PlaySpaces, a healthy place for homeless
children to play in [six] shelters and transitional housing
locations.
Hayes said Evansville is one of about 200 communities
nationwide with plans to end homelessness.
"This is part of a national movement to really create
permanent solutions to homelessness," she said.
Patty Avery, an Aurora board member, said the "beauty of
the plan is it points the way."
"It says if we want to end what's causing homelessness,
instead of just putting a Band-Aid on it, here's how we can
get there."
Now, officials are looking to next year. Avery said for
the plan to work, it has to continue to be a community
effort.
"They may not think it's much," she said. "But if people
in the community bring what they have, we'll be able to do
this without overburdening anyone."
Next year's goals include: a focus on
prevention--establishing a [tool] to [identify] families at
risk of becoming homeless; creating support housing
programs; Compassionate Connections to get the faith-based
community involved; and starting a [Homeless Youth] Council.
"We can do this," Hayes said. "I think for a community
our size, it's not going to be easy, but I think we have a
much greater chance at succeeding than some of the bigger
cities that just have huge numbers to with."
### back to top
###
By LYDIA X. McCOY, Courier & Press
staff writer 464-7431 or mccoyl@courierpress.com
Friday, January 12, 2007
Changes are coming that will affect
how Indiana residents file for and
receive unemployment benefits.
The biggest change makes filing for
the benefits online mandatory. It is a change that could come as early as
Sunday.
Tom Horstman, regional director of
WorkOne Evansville, updated members of the Commission on Homelessness on the
changes Thursday.
"There's no choice," he said. "No
ifs, ands or buts about it. It's not an option in Indiana. It is this or
nothing."
Horstman explained that before the
change, residents could fill out paper applications and then workers could input
the data into a computer.
"I cannot do it for anyone, they will
have to do it themselves. I can stand over their shoulder and point and tell
them where to go, but I can't actually do anything for them," he said.
Horstman said the agency will still
be available to help residents when they need it.
Included in that help is the use of
at least 20 computers at WorkOne Evansville at 700 E. Walnut St.
It is beneficial to have the process
online, allowing residents to register anywhere at their leisure, Horstman said,
but there also could be some problems.
Possible problems, he said, would be
those who may not be familiar or comfortable with computers.
"It's frustrating for everyone
involved," he said.
Another change being implemented is
the distribution of a prepaid debit card called the "Indiana Visa Debit Card."
Funds are not available on the card until after the resident is eligible to
receive benefits and a deposit has been made into his account. Previously
residents received the benefits by a mailed check.
"We knew this was coming, and we've
been expecting it," Horstman said.
"I've been doing unemployment for 33
years and I'm still learning things on a daily basis. We are still here to help
people out and to work through it."
On Dec. 19, Gov. Mitch Daniels signed
$1.16 billion contract to privatize parts of the state's food stamp, Medicaid
and welfare programs. The contract is aimed to improve an outdated benefits
system.
Lark Buckman, director of the
Vanderburgh County Department of Child Services, Division of Family Resources,
told commissioners that local staffs have been assured a job with either the
state or the vendor company. Some local employees will move into different
responsibilities. For example, Buckman will only be director for the Department
of Child Services.
Vanderburgh County shouldn't see any
big changes until November or December, he said. Then the Division of Family
Resources will move to a different location. "The state is going to roll this
out incrementally," Buckman said. "Until then, at least on the surface, I don't
think our clients, customers will see a great deal of difference."
### back to top
###
By LYDIA
X. McCOY, Courier & Press staff writer 464-7431 or mccoyl@courierpress.com
Friday, November 17, 2006
Evansville police officials are seeking a Weed and Seed
program grant for the South Sector of Evansville. The
program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice, works
to "weed" out crime and other bad influences in an area and
"seed" social and economic programming in their place.
There is a Weed and Seed program in the West Sector, but the
new program would focus on inmates returning to the
community. The area being targeted is bounded by the Lloyd
Expressway to the north, U.S. 41 to the east and the city
limits on the south and the Ohio River to the west.
The Commission on Homelessness has been working on a
discharge policy, which would put a system in place to keep
individuals, such as inmates leaving jail, from going into
homelessness.
"There seems to be an overlap of what both the commission
and Weed and Seed south want to do, and I said, let's bring
them together," said Gregg LaMar, the city's director of the
Department of Metropolitan Development.
On Thursday, the commission heard about the program from
Evansville Police Department Sgt. William Woods and Lt.
Walter Kochersperger.
There are more than 1,000 people on parole in Vanderburgh
County, the officers told the group.
The program will focus on those re-entering the target
area, helping former inmates get through some of the rough
spots, Kochersperger said.
"So the anticipated (outcome) is they will not reoffend,
therefore the crime rate will decrease," Kochersperger said.
Woods will be the site coordinator and co-chairman of the
south sector program.
The grant application is due Jan. 9.
"There's no guarantee we're going to get it," Woods said.
"It's going to be a challenge. We're still writing it."
And he said, "We really need everyone on the same page."
### back to top
###
By LYDIA X. McCOY,
Courier & Press staff writer
464-7431 or mccoyl@courierpress.com
Friday, October 13, 2006
The Commission on Homelessness is working on
the second piece of a city discharge policy
to prevent individuals leaving hospitals,
foster homes, correctional facilities or
other publicly funded institutions from
becoming homeless.
Cathy Gray, chairwoman of the
commission's discharge subcommittee, told
the group it now has to work on bringing all
involved entities to the table to make sure
implementation of the policy happens.
"Creating a discharge policy has been
challenging. We want this to be a working,
meaningful document, not just a document to
go along with a grant," she said. "There
needs to be some resources attached to make
sure that process happens. We've created a
plan to create a system; now we need the
support."" Commission members discussed
what would be necessary to bring all the
affected entities together for the next
steps of getting the policy off the ground,
including creating a position for a person
to be in charge.
Members of the subcommittee said securing
funding for such a position will help.
"This opens a channel," said Luzada
Hayes, executive director of Aurora Inc.
"They'd pull all the entities together ...
and facilitate what that committee does."
Commission members said they needed more
information, and that at this time creating
a new position may not be possible.
There may be a way of reorganizing a
current position, said Mayor Jonathan
Weinzapfel.
"We're open to exploring that," he said.
Tom Shelter, chairman of the commission,
asked the subcommittee to meet again before
the next meeting to get specifics of a
position together.
Gray said they are moving forward, and
what is next is moving "a piece of paper
into an actual plan. That's the next step."
### back to top
###
-- published in the Evansville Courier &
Press December 21, 2006
Residents' needs would be provided
By SUE ANN HARTIG, Attorney and Executive
Director, Legal Aid Society of Evansville, Inc
To the editor:
If I were granted just one wish for the
coming year, it would be for each
citizen in Vanderburgh County to have
sensitivity to and understanding of our
fellow citizens and the compassion and
grace to want to live in a community
where the needs of each citizen are
provided for.
If that were the case:
- An editorial cartoon showing that job
layoffs, pension plan cuts, catastrophic
illnesses or injuries or the physical
loss of one's home are most often the
cause of homelessness would not be
necessary.
- We would worry about whether families
had nutritious food on the other 363
days of the year, not just on
Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- There would be 365 Days of Caring in
the newspaper, not just 12.
- Social service agencies would have
sufficient staff and resources to carry
out their missions, and agency employees
would be paid competitive wages.
- Every human being would be paid a
living wage. A person could work a
40-hour week job and make enough money
to support a family of four.
- The public schools would have all the
resources needed so that quality
teachers can provide all children a
quality education.
- Affordable medical insurance would
make quality health care and
prescription drugs available to
everyone.
- Plenty of services would be available
to allow elderly and disabled people to
remain safely in their homes.
- Public transportation would be
available for everyone, including the
disabled, seven days a week, 24 four
hours a day.
- Citizens would not be discriminated
against because of sex, race, religion,
disability, sexual orientation or any
other reason.
### back to top
###
Impoverished families need
help with daily life
By SUE ANN HARTIG
special to the Courier & Press
August 13, 2006
Our community mourned the death of a seven- month-old
baby last week.
Perhaps our community should have mourned the fact
that we did not prevent a family of four from having to sleep on a pallet on the
floor at a friend's apartment.
A mother working full time for minimum wage makes
$206 gross a week. A tank of gas for her old car costs $36. Day care for the
baby costs $80. That leaves $49. A father may be disabled, and Social Security
gives him $515 a month to support himself and his family. Add his $119 to her
$495 and they have $169 a week left for rent, utilities and groceries. Could you
make that budget balance?
Or maybe the mother is a waitress and makes $2.13 an
hour plus tips. That could be less than minimum wage on a slow week.
A working mom could take the bus to work, but she
might have to be at the transfer station Downtown at 6 a.m. in order to get the
baby to day care and get to work by 7:30 a.m.
She then works all day ,with a 30-minute lunch and
two 15-minute breaks, and gets off at 4:30 p.m. and spends another 90 minutes
picking up the baby from day care and getting home on the bus.
After a 12-hour day, she is too tired to cook and
clean and help the older child with homework. Would you spend three hours a day
to get your child to day care and get to a minimum wage job that provides no
retirement benefits and no affordable health insurance?
Maybe a family's car broke down and they paid the
$600 repair bill so they have no money for the rent or utilities for the month.
Maybe the family was evicted.
We are told "affordable housing" (rent and utilities)
should not exceed 30 percent of our income. Rent for the first family of four
that I mentioned should cost no more than $369 a month. Could you find a decent
three-bedroom apartment or house with rent and utilities for that amount?
Maybe a relative was sick and needed care so mom
missed work one time too many and was fired. Or mom got to work late three times
because the car wouldn't start again or the bus was late again or the baby was
sick again. Mom was fired.
Maybe mom was a victim of stalking and domestic
violence from an old boyfriend and had to quit her job to be safe.
Mom certainly isn't going to be able to take off work
to go to the parent-teacher meeting or participate in any of the school events.
Maybe a man gets out of prison, having served his
time as a model prisoner and having earned his GED. But because there is a
felony on his record, he cannot find an employer who will hire him or a landlord
to rent to him so he can be reunited with his wife and children and become a
productive member of society.
Maybe dad was making good money before he got sick or
was injured, but he is very young and had not worked enough quarters to qualify
for Social Security Disability, so there are no checks for the children.
Did you know that Housing and Urban Development does
not count the family in the friends apartment as "homeless"? They are just
considered "doubled up," so they don't qualify to use HUD's services to get on
their feet again.
Many people in poverty work hard and simply need a
break. They do not need additional barriers created for them. Can't we as a
community give them that break?
The United Way of Southwestern Indiana is getting
ready to kick off its campaign in September. The employers are running their
campaigns right now. Let's all reach deep into our pockets and support United
Way and its member agencies, and call United Way and volunteer.
Aurora, Inc. has prepared "Destination Home: A Ten
Year Journey to End Homelessness in Evansville and Vanderburgh County. " Please
read that document, sign and return the Individual or Organizational Endorsement
of Support on page 43 or 44, and participate, advocate and contribute to ending
homelessness.
Some of us have been lucky enough to get training on
Ruby Payne's "Bridges Out of Poverty Strategies for Professionals and
Communities."
If you get a chance to attend a Bridges training with
your church, neighborhood association or employer, please take part. And go to
the "aha! Process" Web site
to get a taste of the ideas.
But let's go further than that. Let's ask that jobs
pay a decent wage, that jobs come with retirement benefits and that jobs come
with affordable health insurance.
Let's make sure employer rules allow for
circumstances beyond the employee's control such as a sick child or lack of
transportation.
Let's make sure there is affordable transportation
and affordable day care for everyone in our community. Let's think of the
tenants as well as the landlords when we make policies about evictions. Let's be
accepting of the disabilities some people have. And let's not stop working until
everyone has a decent place to live and no one is homeless and no one is doubled
up.
Let's not forget that but for a job loss, an illness
or an injury, we, too, could be sleeping with our family on a pallet on the
floor of a friend's apartment.
Sue Ann Hartig is an attorney and Executive Director
of the Legal Aid Society of Evansville, Inc.
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By JOHN LUCAS,
Courier & Press Sunday editor
464-7433 or lucasj@courierpress.com
Thursday, December 21, 2006
(PHOTO:
Meghann Kulenkamp, Case
Manager with Aurora, accepts
a cash donation from Adrian
Rocca, student at Christ the
King School,
who
participated in the recent
pay-it-forward-style
project.)
Mike Oberst expects to hear
some heart-warming stories
Friday, stories that will
reflect the true meaning of
Christmas and demonstrate
the tenet that it's better
to give than to receive.
Oberst is the third-grade
teacher at Evansville's
Christ the King School,
where a Christmas angel, an
anonymous parent of one of
his 11 students, recently
asked to help teach the 8-
and 9-year-olds the meaning
of the holiday.
The "angel" gave each of
the children a gift of $20,
with the challenge to use it
to do something good for a
complete stranger.
A note with each $20
informed the students the
money was not the gift that
had been handed to them.
"The gift is what you will
experience when you pay
forward goodness to a
complete stranger and the
feeling you will get from
making someone's day better
with kindness and love," it
said.
The challenge given to
the class was to decide how
to use the money to make a
difference in a stranger's
life.
The note observed "the
possibilities are endless."
It suggested buying food or
toys for someone less
fortunate, donating to a
local charity or church,
buying gloves for workmen
doing the renovation on
Christ the King Catholic
Church or earmuffs and
gloves for the school
crossing guard.
Class members will share
stories of how they spent
their money at a
pre-Christmas vacation party
Friday afternoon at the
school.
"Some of the kids are
pretty excited to share
their stories," Oberst said,
adding he had to instruct
them to wait until the party
to tell.
The family that gave the
money usually adopted a
needy family for Christmas,
Oberst said, but it decided
to try something different
this year to spread the joy
of giving.
"The holiday is about
gifting rather than
receiving," Oberst said. "My
main thing is, a lot of
times at Christmas, even we
as adults like to see what
we get from others when, in
fact, with this they get to
help others they don't even
know."
Lisa Kiesel, whose son
Ben is a member of the
class, found a way to
increase his $20 gift to $60
by challenging family
members to match his gift.
He read through the
Courier & Press's 12 Days of
Caring series about families
and agencies in need of
assistance, and after some
phone calls he found many
had already had their needs
met. However, the Youth
Services Bureau was in need
of car seats, a
pack-and-play, clothing and
diapers for four children.
He planned to shop and
deliver his gifts Wednesday,
his mother said.
"He is very excited about
this and is truly learning
the meaning of Christmas,"
she said.
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By JACOB BENNETT, Courier & Press
staff writer 464-7434 or bennettj@courierpress.com
Originally published 12:00 a.m.,
December 11, 2006; Updated 11:17
p.m., December 10, 2006
|
Aurora Inc. case worker
Jill Miller, center, helps answer questions by clients at a local Evansville
shelter with the help of ECHO health nurse Terri Sutton, left. Although
separate agencies, the two often work together to help the homeless of
Evansville.
Photo by Denny Simmons
How to help
To participate in
the Aurora Inc.’s “Outreach Ornament” project,
visit the office at
1100 Lincoln Ave. or call 428-3246.
A complete list of
needed items is viewable at
www.auroraevansville.org
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Rita Biggs was
almost ready to
move out of the
shelter, but
there were still
things she
needed. Jill
Miller knew
where she could
get them.
Miller, an
outreach
coordinator for
Aurora Inc.,
which works with
other
organizations in
Evansville to
end
homelessness,
told Biggs she
could help her
find furniture
for her new
place, and help
keep her four
children in
their same
schools for the
rest of the
year. Biggs
should be in a
house by early
January.
"It's going
to be nice,"
said Biggs, 33.
"It's OK here,
but you know.
... They want
you to be
independent
anyway."
"One life at
a time," as
Aurora employees
say, the group
is working to
pull people and
families out of
homelessness -
and to help keep
them from losing
their homes in
the first place.
To do this, the
nonprofit agency
relies on
donations of
money, food and
clothing.
The agency is trying something new this year to get the supplies it needs for its clients: an angel tree-type idea it is calling Outreach Ornaments. In their office at 1100 Lincoln Ave., they have a Christmas tree covered in paper ornaments scrawled with items their clients need. These include men's winter jackets, underwear and socks, food vouchers, phone cards and bus tokens.
They are really short on nonperishable food items, said Luzada Hayes, executive director. There is a complete list on their Web site, www.auroraevansville.org.
The tree will be up through Dec. 22.
Each Friday morning, Aurora packs its "outreach van" with these items and takes it around to its various clients. It is nearly empty when it returns. The agency serves about 75 people and their families at any given time, some of whom contact the agency directly and some of whom, such as Biggs, are staying in transitional housing or shelters.
When Biggs moved into the House of Bread and Peace women's shelter in August, she said she and her kids came with nothing - not even clothes. Her children's father was in prison for drinking and driving and other offenses, she said, and they had been moving from friend's home to friend's home throughout the area.
While she was staying at the House of Bread and Peace, Aurora's case coordinators, especially Susan Steinkamp, helped Biggs find doctors, come up with a budget and fill out housing and job applications. They also helped Biggs enroll in life skills classes to make her more marketable in the work force.
"That's our main goal, to get them back on track and into permanent housing," Miller said. "Whatever it takes to get them there, that's what we try to do. We don't want them to fail."
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Homeless shelters get 'a lot of
chicken'
By JACOB BENNETT Courier & Press staff writer
464-7434 or
bennettj@courierpress.com
August 5, 2006
A grandmother's chance encounter
resulted in 3,000 pounds of chicken for the area's homeless shelters.
The skinless, boneless chicken
arrived by truck Friday at Aurora Inc. in Evansville, in 60 boxes, each
containing 10 five-pound bags. It was a gift from the Tyson Foods plant in
Robards, Ky.
"The shelters were like, 'That's
a lot of chicken,'" said Kat Isbell, education specialist at Aurora Inc., which
works with other organizations in Evansville to end homelessness.
Tyson sent the food because of
Isbell's grandmother, Evelyn Stone, 89, of Griffin, Ind., who received a
pacemaker in May at Deaconess Hospital.
While in the hospital, Stone met
a volunteer named Juanita Dixon, who is married to a Tyson employee, and told
Dixon about her granddaughter and the homeless programs in the city.
Ten shelters received as much
chicken as they could hold in their freezers. Hannah House, for example, got
nine boxes. Ozanam Family Shelter asked for one.
The gift was a big help to the
shelters, many of which have seen record numbers of visitors in the last few
years.
Barb Miller, executive director
of Albion Fellows Bacon Center, a domestic violence shelter, said the number of
visits at the center has increased by 50 percent since 2003.
Evansville has about 400 people
sleeping in shelters on a given night.
"This is a fabulous donation,"
Miller said. "Meat is expensive to purchase for our shelter. We're really
excited about it."
Stone choked up when she learned
of the donation, Isbell said.
"It is a good feeling to think
that I, in my elderly years, had some little thing to do with helping someone in
need," Stone said in a statement. "I give the Lord the praise. I know he had a
part in it."
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Gifts of goodwill -
Area support grants holiday wishes
From Staff Reports; Originally
published 12:00 a.m., December 17,
2006; Updated 12:31 a.m., December
17, 2006
This follow-up story
included the following note re: Aurora
Wrapped in
colors of
compassion and
topped with
holiday cheer,
the community
has responded to
stories of need
with generous
gifts of
kindness and
goodwill.
Donations
inspired by the
Courier & Press'
12 Days of
Caring series
are providing
joy for
youngsters, food
for the hungry
and solace to
families facing
adversity and
affliction.
Many have been
helped, but help
is still needed,
and long after
the sweaters,
toys and dinners
are gone, tacit
messages of
concern and
comfort will
endure.
... Aurora Inc.,
an organization
working with
others in
Evansville to
end homelessness
and make life
more comfortable
for those
without homes,
has had some
interest in its
Outreach
Ornaments
program.
However, it
still could use
help with the
effort to
provide for
clients' needs,
such as men's
winter jackets,
underwear and
socks; food
vouchers, phone
cards, bus
tokens and
nonperishable
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