Neighbors In Need - The Details

The Jackson community is suffering from the effects of an economic downturn unseen in recent memory.  The demand for local human services is exceeding their capacity to respond.  And economic experts are predicting things to get worse before they get better.

• The Dow Jones industrial average fell by 33.8 percent in 2008, the worst decline in since 1931.  Stocks lost $10 trillion in value between October 2007 and November 2008.
• One in 10 U.S. homeowners is delinquent on mortgage payments or in arrears.  1 in 468 housing units are in foreclosure in Jackson County.  Estimates in the City of Jackson are as high as 1 in 25 housing units in foreclosure.
• Nationally, eleven million people have lost their jobs, pushing the unemployment rate to 7.2 percent, a 16 year high.  Jackson County’s unemployment rate has the highest point in 16 years, exceeding 11%.  About 8,400 Jackson County residents are unemployed.
• Request for food referrals have surpassed all other requests for assistance from Central Michigan 2-1-1.  There has been a 26% increase from 2007 to 2008.

Over 40 individuals representing more than 30 community organizations are meeting to develop priorities and strategies that will improve the delivery of basic needs services in Jackson County.  They believe a community-wide effort is necessary to help Jackson County families get the food, shelter and related services they need in order to make it through the current crisis.

They are proposing to focus the community’s efforts on three areas of need:

• food (preventing hunger),
• shelter (preventing homelessness), and
• increasing access to community services.

The group also established resource development goals in the areas of finance, volunteer support, and advocacy (systems change).
The campaign is titled “The Jackson County Crisis Response for our Neighbors In Need”, or more simply “Neighbors In Need”.

How many can we help?

• An additional 4,000+ people will be able to access services such as food pantries, utility /rent assistance, healthcare and human services, job training, life skills training, etc.
• Food pantries and other services will be able to provide an additional 350,000 meals.
• Over 500 additional families will be prevented from being homeless.

What resources do we need to achieve these levels of support?

Fundraising Goal - $650,000 *

$ 130,000 Food
$ 335,000 Housing
$ 125,000 Access
$   60,000 communications support (in-kind/pro bono) *

Volunteer Mobilization Goal:
500 volunteers to support:

• Food Pantries – extended hours of service
• “Navigators” to help people in need access human services
• 2-1-1support staffing
• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program
• Others to be determined

Advocacy Mobilization Goal:

System changes will be identified that will provide additional funding, system efficiencies, improved service delivery, and increased capacity.  For example:

Remove barriers in governmental systems which prevent clients from accessing services and advocate for change.

Housing Advocacy – Support a moratorium/freeze on foreclosures during this economic crisis.  Also, work with local government to rehab and save property to secure local tax base and to consider extensions for landlords to address housing code violations/improvements while avoiding tenant eviction.

Educate the community on where food pantries are, their hours, and that more food can be supplied to people in need by donating funds than by donating food.

How long will this basic needs support be in place?
12 month initial plan (April 1, 2009 – March 30, 2010), or continue until:

• Food pantries stable/decrease in demand
• Foreclosures drop
• Rent assistance drop
• Utility assistance decrease
• Unemployment drop

   
Community members and organizations who’ve helped prepare the “Jackson County Neighbors in Need Crisis Response” include:

Allegiance Health
American Red Cross (Sarah Hill)
Aware, Inc. (Becky Filip, Linda Schwalm, LaDonna Glenn, Kathryn Williams)
Big Brothers Big Sisters (Jillian Bailey, Bobbie Bryant)
Catholic Charities (Vince Gale, Sue Lewis)
Central Michigan 2-1-1
Child Care Network (Melissa Doletzky)
Community Action Agency (Chris Kilmer, Mary Cunningham DeLuca, Toby Budd, Jon Hart, Jennifer Fitch)
Disability Connections (Monica Moser)
Family Service & Children’s Aid (Judy Jove, Bob Powell)
Flagstar Bank (Joe Lathrop)
Food Bank of South Central Michigan (Dan Salerno, Bob Randels)
Greater Jackson Chamber of Commerce (Mindy Bradish)
Hanover Horton Schools (Linda Brian)
Human Service Coordinating Alliance
Immanuel Lutheran Church (Erick Johnson)
Jackson Affordable Housing Corporation (Karen Jackson, Cindy Duncan)
Jackson County Health Department (Aimee Fors, Ted Westmeier)
Jackson Interfaith Shelter (Katrina Sims, Megan Springer, Keith Krusky)
Jackson Transit Authority (Cam McCollum)
Legal Services of South Central Michigan (Karen Lewthwaite)
LifeWays (Kellie Schiller, Joanne Sheldon)
Michigan Prisoner Reentry Initiative  (Lesia Pikaart)
Nonprofit Network (Dawn Anderson-Meier)
South Central Michigan Works
The Salvation Army (John Mallett, Linda Mallett)
United Way of Jackson County Volunteers/Staff (Phil Bickel, Jim Brian, Mike Butchart, Margaret Grose, Irene LeCrone, Robert McClelland, Mike McKenna, Scott Schmidt, Ray Snell, Dea Talmage, Bethany Timmons, Ken Toll)
Work Services – (Judie Doan)
And many, many others…

                                                                                                                           
Increasing Access to Existing Community Services

Many barriers exist which prevent people from accessing essential community services.  By providing basic support, community education and enhanced case management we will increase the number of people utilizing existing services (including food, housing, health care and human services, job trainings, life skills training).

Proposed Short-Term Response:

• Assistance in obtaining identification (driver’s license, birth certificate, state ID, etc)
• Transportation assistance (Bus passes, gas cards, volunteer drivers).
• Comprehensive identification of existing community resources/programs to support individuals and families
• Collaborative community approach to supporting individuals/families and communicating existing resources

Housing / Preventing Homelessness

Due to the economic climate, we are seeing overwhelming demands in the areas of:

• foreclosure,
• eviction,
• domestic violence,
• utility assistance,
• condemned rentals, and
• homelessness as a result of fire/disaster.

In order to prevent homelessness due to these increased needs, we need to provide emergency help with housing-related expenses until the economy, and our neighbors, get back on track.

Proposed Short-Term Response:

• Make additional resources available to agencies currently providing key services and enhance community coordination and case management to minimize barriers.
• Agencies identified to supply services include: Community Action Agency, Jackson Affordable Housing Commission, Legal Services of South Central Michigan, Salvation Army Partnership Park Downtown Neighborhood Association, AWARE, American Red Cross
• A system will be developed to address overflow at homeless shelters.

Food / Preventing Hunger

Due to the current economy, particularly the unemployment rate in Jackson County, our local Food Bank is projecting a 30% increase in demand for food this calendar year.  Even if we were to achieve fully stocked shelves at food pantries, there are many challenges in the ability of clients to access the food pantries.  Our challenge here is two-fold:  one, to ensure an adequate food supply for individuals and families in need and, two, to improve access to these critical services.

Proposed Short-Term Response:

• Look at broad food distribution system, including food pantries, Meals on Wheels, & church programs, to gain full picture of current conditions and explore need for additional warehouse/storage space.
• Address the issue of inconsistent access due to variations in service hours, policy and procedure and transportation services; discuss potential changes with pantries during this time of crisis, enhance access through new/temporary locations or additional pantries in neediest areas.
• Increase funding to ensure more food in pantries
• Increase volunteers to expand hours of pantries and provide transportation assistance
• Educate the community on pantry locations, hours of service and operating guidelines