Additional Housing Focused Events in the Month of May:

GET ON BOARD:

Join elected officials, nonprofit and church leaders and other citizens for a bus tour around our community exploring the range of housing issues and the solutions currently being utilized. The bus will make several stops where housing providers’ projects will be highlighted and you will hear from those agencies’ leaders.

WHEN: Tuesday, May 21st, 2013 4:30-6:00 pm
WHERE: The tour will leave from the Muncie Fieldhouse, 525 N. Walnut St. RSVP: By May 17th (765)747-7158 or angelic@teamworkql.org.

Rebuilding Together: Ramp Building Projects Contact Michelle Kaitchuck at mkaitchuck@comcast.net or 744-9203.

Habitat for Humanity: Application Meeting, May 13, 5:30 p.m. Contact Jena Ashby at jashby@munciehabitat.org or 286-5739

PathStone: Financial Scams, May 14, 10 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. or 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Pathstone office

PathStone: Homebuyer Education Classes, May 16 and May 23, 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Cross Lake Apts., Anderson Contact Chris Allen at callen@pathstone.org or 286-2162

World Changers/Community Development-City of Muncie: Applications for repair projects available May 3rd to 24th at City Hall Contact Community Development at 747-4825

John DeGraaf at Circles this Thursday

“John de Graaf is Executive Director of Take Back Your Time, an organization challenging time, poverty, and overwork in the U.S. and Canada (www.timeday.org) as well as co-founder and senior partner of The Happiness Initiative (www.happycounts.org). He is a frequent speaker on issues of overwork and over consumption in America. John is the co-author of Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic (2001). His newest book, What’s the Economy For, Anyway? Why It’s Time to Stop Chasing Growth and Start Pursuing Happiness, was published in 2011.  He is also the editor of Take Back Your Time (2003) and co-author of the children’s book, David Brower: Friend of the Earth (1992).

John has been an independent producer of television documentaries for 35 years. More than 15 of his programs have been broadcast in prime time nationally on Public Television. He is also the recipient of more than 100 regional, national, and international awards for film-making. The de Graaf Environmental Filmmaking Award, named in his honor, is presented annually at the Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival in Nevada City, California.  He produced the popular PBS specials, Running Out of Time, an examination of overwork and time pressure in America; Affluenza, a humorous critique of American consumerism; Silent Killer, an examination of world hunger; and Buyer Be Fair, about the worldwide Fair Trade movement.

In 2005 John was the World Food Day George McGovern lecturer at the Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome.  He is a member of the Earth Island Institute Board of Directors and a member of the Balaton Group on International Sustainability, which meets annually in Hungary. His current interest is in a campaign to measure happiness in American communities and colleges.”

At this Thursday’s Circles, we welcome John and Circles members’ guests to listen to his presentation and come with questions.

June Preview: Systemic Barriers to Getting Ahead

What are the systemic barriers that hold people in poverty? Is raising minimum wage to $9 an hour really something that will help people on the margins or will it create more struggles for them in terms of receiving public benefits?  Does our society incentivize or create barriers for people to want to work?  Watch local media and the Delaware County Poverty Awareness Facebook page and TEAMwork Twitter for details on when and where these conversations will happen.

Delaware County Poverty Awareness Facebook

Tweet at us: @TEAMwork1996

May Preview: Housing

Interlocal Community Action Program (ICAP), Habitat for Humanity, Muncie Housing Authority, PathStone, and Rebuilding Together are Poverty Awareness Year partners planning to help the community look at the issue of housing.  The group is planning a program that will focus on how substandard housing affects low-income people in DelawareCounty.

Among the other activities in May will be a bus tour of low-income neighborhoods with an opportunity to tour public housing units.  In addition, Rebuilding Together will sponsor ramp building projects on Saturdays, and Habitat and PathStone will offer homeowners’ information sessions.

April: Prevent Child Abuse Month Examines Addictions and Causes of Abuse

In April, local organizations from the Prevent Child Abuse Council to Delaware County CASA (Court-appointed Special Advocate) have historically brought attention to issues of child abuse and will continue their focus as part of Poverty Awareness Year.  The following activities are the line-up of opportunities for examining the issue, the pervasive nature and the solutions to reduce and end child abuse:

• Prenatal Addiction Forum, Saturday, April 6, 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m., IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital conference area
• Cornfed Derby Games Roller Derby, Sunday, April 7, 4 p.m., Gibson’s Arena, S. Mock Ave. (Half of the proceeds will be donated to the CASA Program Advisory Board)
• Terry Hall’s Body Safety, Monday, April 8, 6-7 a.m. (For the parents of children who attend Sutton Elementary; on the next morning Mr. Hall will meet with all students in small groups)
• Child Abuse Candlelight Vigil, Wednesday, April 17, 6:30 p.m.MuncieCity Hall
• “I Am for the Child” 5k run/family walk, Saturday, April 20, 9:00 kickoff, Morrows Meadow, Yorktown(Hog roast and DJ)  Sign up at http://delawarecasa5k.eventbrite.com/#
• The last Saturday in April is National Rebuilding Together Day, a day all 200 affiliates do a construction project. Rebuilding Together is a volunteer-based organization that helps low-income homeowners who are financially or physically unable to manage repairs.
• Rebuilding Together Delaware County will likely build a wheel chair ramp that day, Saturday, April 27, at 9 am.  People or groups wishing to volunteer on that date or another Saturday should contact Michelle Kaitchuck at mkaitchuck@comcast.net or 765-748-4922.