Friday, October 30, 2009

Carsey Institute: Child Poverty High in Manchester

The Carsey Institute has released a disturbing demographic analysis of children in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire.

Some findings:

In Manchester, 25% of children live below the poverty line. This is in stark contrast to the amounts of children living in poverty nearby and across the state: 8% in Nashua, 5% in suburban areas in Hillsborough, and 10% in all of New Hampshire.

"Analyzing data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the report finds additional contrasts between the cities of Nashua and Manchester and suburban Hillsborough County. After significant growth between 1990 and 2000, Manchester and Nashua barely grew from 2000 to 2007: Manchester grew by only 1,700 residents, or two percent, and Nashua by 200 residents, just .3 percent. The rest of Hillsborough County, however, grew by nearly 20,000 people, or 11 percent. Suburban Hillsborough is gaining migrants while Manchester and Nashua are experiencing migration loss.

The Manchester-Nashua metropolitan area is New Hampshire’s most diverse, with nearly half of all the state’s minorities living there. Minorities fueled the modest growth of Nashua and Manchester, with the minority population growing 32 percent in Manchester and 24 percent in Nashua, while non-Hispanic white population declined in both areas. In the suburbs, most population gain was fueled by non-Hispanic whites, though the minority population also grew."

UNH Press release: http://www.unh.edu/news/cj_nr/2009/oct/bp26manch.cfm

The full report is available to download here: http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu/publications/IB-Johnson-Manchester.pdf

Friday, October 23, 2009

Want to help?

This form will be emailed to me, you just have to remove the asterisks (*). Feel free to skip the form and comment here or contact me elsewhere!



Name:

Email:

How would you like to help the WFMY?

Attend the kick off event
Sort clothes
Staff a table
Other

What times are free for you to volunteer?



Any questions or comments?



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Collection Dates and Times

We have our collection dates and times. Come to the lobby at UNHM with your clothing donations. We'll have a table set up. I look forward to seeing you there!

November 9th from 4-6
November 10th from 12-2
November 13th from 4-6
November 17th from 12-2
November 19th from 4-6
November 20th from 12-2

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Statistics

"The poverty rate increased from 12.5% to 13.2% between 2007 and 2008, representing an additional 2.6 million people living in poverty. The large increase in poverty suggests that as anti-poverty policies have come to depend more on paid work as the main pathway out of poverty, the safety net has become less effective in reducing economic hardship when the economy and job market are underperforming.

The poverty rate for children was 19.0% in 2008, representing 14.1 million kids living in poverty. In 2008, over one-third (35.3%) of all people living in poverty were children.

Hispanics and Asians were particularly hard-hit by increases in poverty in 2008, increasing by 1.6 and 1.4 percentage points, respectively, from 2007 to 2008.

In 2008, over one-third (33.9%) of all black children and nearly one-third (30.6%) of all Hispanic children were living in poverty (increases of 0.2 and 2.0 percentage points, respectively, since 2007).

In 2008, 37.2% of all families headed by single mothers were living in poverty (up 0.2 percentage points from 2007). In 2008, of the 8.1 million families living in poverty, 3.6 million of them were headed by a single mom."

http://www.epi.org/publications/entry/income_picture_20090910/

Manchester, NH poverty data:

http://www.city-data.com/poverty/poverty-Manchester-New-Hampshire.html

Culhane Dennis. “Summer 2009 Research Newsletter” National Alliance to End Homelessness. 6 Aug 2009. http://www.endhomelessness.org/content/article/detail/2470

Shierholz Heidi. “New poverty, income data reveal only tip of the recession iceberg.” 10 Sept 2009. Economic Policy Institute. http://www.epi.org/publications/entry/income_picture_20090910/

Kickoff

We're kicking off our drive with the screening of, "The Other Side of Immigration," which will be moderated by its director, Roy Germano.

From the site: "ABOUT THE FILM. Based on over 700 interviews in Mexican towns where half the population has left to work in the United States, The Other Side of Immigration asks why so many Mexicans come to the U.S. illegally and what happens to the families and communities they leave behind. Through an approach that is both subtle and thought-provoking, director Roy Germano provides a perspective on undocumented immigration rarely witnessed by American eyes, challenging audiences to imagine more creative and effective solutions to our illegal immigration problem."

http://www.theothersideofimmigration.com/HOME.html

We think this film is fitting because so many of the Manchester people in need are immigrants trying to get back on their feet. It's important to educate the public on this issue whenever possible.

People from the organizations we are working with have all been invited and you are welcome too! The film is screening on Thursday, October 29th at 5:00 p.m. in the third floor auditorium at UNH Manchester.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

New Horizons

New Horizons – Homeless Shelter/Soup Kitchen/Food Pantry, Manchester NH

Mission Statement: Our mission is to provide food and shelter to people in need
and offer supportive services to achieve self-sufficiency.

From New Horizons’ website:

For Shelter clients, many more services are available than simply a safe place to stay and meals. On site, clients have access to case management services, referral services, medical services, mental health services, substance abuse counseling, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and Narcotics Anonymous meetings.

New Horizons is a "wet" emergency shelter, located at 199 Manchester Street. It can accommodate 63 men and 13 women in dormitory style sleeping areas. The shelter is available to homeless individuals 18-years-old and older.

Shelter residents are required to sign in daily between 5:45 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Although alcohol or illegal substances may not be used on, or brought onto, New Horizons property, adults with active addictions are admitted. While not a treatment facility, we recognize that many of the chronically homeless who use our shelter are addicted to alcohol or other substances, and we work with them to seek treatment when they are ready.

Dinner is available at 3:00 pm for seniors and again at 4:30 for others including adults who do not reside at the shelter. Breakfast is available for shelter residents. There are also shower and laundry facilities on-site as well as health related services.

Angie's Shelter for Women was opened in recognition of the unique needs of homeless women - especially those with addictions - and who may be facing homelessness as they leave, or await openings in, treatment centers or IOP (Intensive Outpatient Programs). Up to 16 women can stay at Angie's Shelter. It is a small, homelike environment where women can access the support and services they need while working to rebuild their lives. Angie's Shelter clients are required to regularly meet with their case manager to create a goal plan to achieve independent living.

The Soup Kitchen serves breakfast for Shelter guests daily. It also serves a complete dinner to seniors (over 50) at 3:00 p.m. (weekdays) and for those over the age of 18 beginning at 4:30 daily. The Soup Kitchen typically serves 200 meals a day. [2009, they are serving 225-250 meals a day.]

The Food Pantry provides pre-packed food items to impoverished families and individuals in Manchester. The pantry provides food to over 700 households each month. [in conversation, the number of households being served in 2009, is 850 families a month.] Between 700-800 children reside in these households.

From Paula's visit and conversation with Mary Silva, volunteer coordinator 9/29/09:

Services are available to Manchester residents only. I asked Kevin (staff: statistics etc) (sorry, didn’t get his last name) how many homeless there actually are in Manchester. “Whew” was the answer, which is also basically unanswerable as so many are “hidden” (couch jumping, etc) He guessed there are generally roughly 1500 people, but this number also includes people in transient housing. At the January “point-in-time” survey, 560 people were found to be sleeping by the river. He couldn't even guess how many live below the poverty line.... says we have to await the census.

They have 100s of volunteers, and 26 paid staff between the 199 Manchester street shelter and Angie’s Shelter.

The residents of the shelters must leave the shelter early and for the day, from May 1 – October 1, weather non-withstanding. They must leave the dorms, but may stay in dayroom from October 1 to April 30.

I have been given verbal permission to include their logo on our info sheets on the donation boxes.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR FOR NEW HORIZONS;
200-300 coats for adults, men and women. Also they are begging for even USED BOOTS, which for the recipient will be so very much more welcomed over the canvass shoes they are wearing, or better than the shoes or boots they currently have that have huge holes in the soles, at the heels and toes.

Friday, October 9, 2009

SNHS Head Start

SNHS Head Start offers part day and full day daycare for children up to two years prior to public school age entrance, up to three or four years old. They have centers in Nashua, Manchester, Hudson, Wilton, and Hillsborough. Eligibility criteria for Head Start is based on age, income, and weighted selection criteria. Income guidelines for families are 100% poverty. A family unit of four, for example, makes around $22,050. Part day Head Start is free. There is tuition assistance available for full day Head Start. They are benefited by The Quality Early Learning Initiative, a scholarship program that serves families whose total household income does not qualify them for childcare benefits.

SNHS Head Start offers pre-writing and pre-reading activities, family education, community access and outreach, coordination with educational and therapeutic services, monthly parent meetings, volunteer opportunities, and nutrition services. They offer medical services such as free hearing and vision screenings.

Activities in Head Start promote literacy, math, and social and emotional development. The centers provide the children nutritious meals in compliance with USDA through the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Currently, there is an enrollment of 299 children in both urban and rural sites in Hillsborough County. Each child has an individually designed program. Early Head Start has an enrollment of 64 infants, toddlers, and prenatal clients.

SNHS’s site says: “Southern New Hampshire Services Child Development programs are designed to meet each child's individual needs. Every child receives a variety of learning experiences that encourage social, emotional, physical and intellectual growth."

There are many options for families who want to join Head Start. Early Head Start serves pregnant women, infants, toddlers, and their families in center based and home-based programs. Centers in Hillsborough county offer after school programs for children in elementary school. Centers in this county also offer a full day care for children of age five who are in kindergarten.

For more information, visit their site: http://snhshome.homestead.com/childdev.html

Mission

MISSION: The mission of the Warmth from the Millyard Project (Fall 2009) is to mobilize the UNH Manchester community in a winter clothing drive to demonstrate our collective power to address the community need for warm clothes through collaborative partnerships.

Our goal is to meet the needs of three Manchester organizations: New Horizons, SNHS Head Start, and Child and Family Services. Our clothing drive will run from November 9th through November 20th. Boxes will be set up in various places throughout UNH Manchester's campus.

We need warm clothing of all kinds and sizes, infant through adult. We are collecting new and lightly used coats, boots, jeans, long shirts, kid's pajamas, pants, socks, underwear, and hats. We just ask that they are clean.

Please help out your community by donating.