Habitat for Humanity of Boone County receives $12,500 grant | The Rock River Times

 

Habitat for Humanity of Boone County has been awarded a grant of $12,500 by the Dr. Louis and Violet Rubin Fund of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois,” said Henry Repay, president of the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity of Boone County.

“Our organization has acquired a lot in Belvidere on which we plan to start construction, within the next few months, of a new home for a deserving local family who otherwise might not be able to afford one,” said Repay. “The funds provided by the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois will be instrumental in allowing us to complete this build on schedule.

“Habitat for Humanity has provided six new homes for deserving residents of Boone County over the last eight years,” Repay added. “The grant from the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois will give us additional resources to complete our seventh home in Boone County.”

Habitat for Humanity of Boone County, a locally run affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, was founded in 2007, and works in partnership with people in need to build and renovate decent, affordable housing in Boone County.

The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois is the area’s largest provider of grants and scholarships. Its mission is to attract, grow, and preserve an endowment for the needs of the people of northern Illinois.

Posted Jan. 8, 2015

Habitat for Humanity of Boone County receives $12,500 grant | The Rock River Times

Catherine Rampell: The safety net catches the middle class more than the poor - The Washington Post

 

the past few decades, the federal social safety net has gotten lusher and, on its face, more generous. Spending on the major safety-net programs nearly quadrupled between 1970 and 2010, and that’s after adjusting for inflation and population growth, according to calculations by Robert A. Moffitt, an economics professor at Johns Hopkins University. He included both “means-tested” programs that are explicitly intended to combat poverty (such as food stamps, Medicaid, housing aid, Head Start, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the earned-income tax credit) and social insurance programs (Medicare, Social Security, disability insurance, workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance).

There have been, however, winners and losers during that massive expansion.

the biggest increases in spending have gone to those who were middle class or hovering around the poverty line. Meanwhile, Americans in deep poverty — that is, with household earnings of less than 50 percent of the official poverty line — saw no change in their benefits in the decade leading up to the housing bubble. In fact, if you strip out Medicare and Medicaid, federal social spending on those in extreme poverty fell between 1993 and 2004.

Read the entire article by clicking on the following:  Catherine Rampell: The safety net catches the middle class more than the poor - The Washington Post

Sneak peak from Tuesday's BDR: Belvidere comes together to support Water.Org

By Tricia Goecks
Editor, Belvidere Daily Republican

Imagine if you had to walk two hours each way to get access to water. And you had to wait hours in line in order to fill up your containers with water that may not be sanitary. And then you had to trudge back with home with the additional weight of the water containers.
Imagine living without indoor plumbing or even an outhouse, and you were forced to relieve yourself outside in a crowded slum.
Imagine going to a school that does not have a washroom.
Imagine if you only earned the equivalent of $2 per day as a day laborer and lost several days of work per month because you had to spend that time collecting water.
Imagine having a bucket of water with which you use to bathe once a week.
Imagine having to share that same bucket of dirty wash water with others in the community.
This is the stark reality of many of the nearly one billion people who do not have ready access to safe drinking water and sanitation. Half of hospital beds in the world are occupied by patients suffering from diseases associated with lack of access to safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.
In the 1980s, a child under the age of 5 died every 6 seconds due to diarrhea. Through the efforts of organizations like Water.Org, the situation is improving, but it is still dire. More recently, a child under the age of 5 dies every 21 seconds due to diarrhea.
Water.Org is a nonprofit developmental aid organization. It works with local partners to provide aid to developing countries. It helps build community wells. It works with local lenders to provide low cost loans to provide for home water connections and toilets.
This group that provides hope to improve the lives of millions of people in developing countries is the one that DECA is supporting through two fundraisers. On Feb. 26, Second City will perform at the Performing Arts Center at Belvidere High School. On Mar. 1, students from all area schools will showcase their talents at the Community Building with performances, science projects, a book fair, and food sales.
"Our touring company is honored to be able to assist in bringing wider recognition to the ongoing water crisis and the work being done by Water.org and to be part of the effort toward finding solutions that work in ending it," Joseph Ruffner, the Producer for The Second City Touring Companies said.
“This is one of the first times that a student has brought all of the district schools together for an event,” said Maureen Koteles, owner of the Belvidere McDonalds Restaurant and a member of the DECA board of advisors. “It is about awareness for something that we take for granted.”

To learn more about Water.org, go to belviderewaterproject.wordpress.com and watch the video.

Com Ed Partners with Community Action to Offer Extra Help with Electric Bills

Com Ed Partners with Community Action to Offer Extra Help with Electric Bills
In response to concerns regarding higher than usual electric bills during this extreme winter, Com Ed is announcing temporary changes to their Residential Special Hardship program to help their customers in Winnebago and Boone counties manage their bills. Effective immediately, income eligible households applying for assistance under this program will NOT be required to provide proof of additional hardship such as job loss, documented illness, military deployment, or senior or disability hardships. This temporary change will remain in effect until April 1, 2014 unless otherwise notified. Residents applying are not eligible if they have received assistance through the Residential Special Hardship program within the last two years. LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) recipients are eligible to apply. The available grant amount remains up to $1,500 per household.
Com Ed partners with the City of Rockford Human Services Department, a Community Action Agency, to provide this service. For application requirements and to make an appointment for assistance, call the City of Rockford Human Services Department at 815-967-6237.
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The new face of food stamps: working-age Americans - Yahoo News

 

In a first, working-age people now make up the majority in U.S. households that rely on food stamps — a switch from a few years ago, when children and the elderly were the main recipients.

Some of the change is due to demographics, such as the trend toward having fewer children. But a slow economic recovery with high unemployment, stagnant wages and an increasing gulf between low-wage and high-skill jobs also plays a big role. It suggests that government spending on the $80 billion-a-year food stamp program — twice what it cost five years ago — may not subside significantly anytime soon.

Food stamp participation since 1980 has grown the fastest among workers with some college training, a sign that the safety net has stretched further to cover America's former middle class, according to an analysis of government data for The Associated Press by economists at the University of Kentucky. Formally called Supplemental Nutrition Assistance, or SNAP, the program now covers 1 in 7 Americans.

Read more by clicking on the following:  The new face of food stamps: working-age Americans - Yahoo News

The Government Is Quietly Giving Way More Housing Aid to Rich People Than Poor People - Yahoo Finance

 

The federal government gave out about $60 billion in housing benefits to renters in 2012. It gave out more than three times that much to homeowners. Low-income households receive the vast majority of that rental aid, but the opposite is true of aid to homeowners. That flows primarily to high-income households.

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Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

This comes at a time when renters are struggling to keep pace with rising housing costs . Fifty percent of renters now spend more than 30% of their income on housing. This has forced renters to cut back on other household necessities or live in inadequate units.

 

Renters are more likely to face a severe cost burden (defined as spending at least 50% of income on housing) than homeowners are. This is a result of rising median gross rent and falling media income over the past 15 years.

The Government Is Quietly Giving Way More Housing Aid to Rich People Than Poor People - Yahoo Finance

Conference on Poverty: AUGUST 21, 2013

Health department receives grant to protect children from lead | Belvidere Daily Republican

Written by Bob Balgemann

The Boone County Health Department has received a three-year, $66,061.68 federal grant to protect children from lead and other home hazards.

That is part of an overall $2.996-million award that was given to Winnebago County to address lead hazards in 225 houses, providing safer residences for low and very low-income families.

….It doesn’t matter what city they’re in,” she said. “There may be more money available in the future.”

Click on the following for more details:  Health department receives grant to protect children from lead | Belvidere Daily Republican

Capron Elementary School to have first county soup kitchen | Belvidere Daily Republican

 

A point in time survey on Feb. 23 showed 177 homeless people in the county, with the biggest percentage in Capron.

The plan is to have the first soup kitchen in operation at Capron Elementary the first Tuesday after the 2012-13 school year ends. It would be open from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays to start, with the possibility of adding Saturdays at some point in the future.

After learning about the availability of Capron Elementary, Loveridge checked with Linda Clark, executive director of the Belvidere/Boone County Food Pantry, about providing some of the groceries. She immediately agreed to help.

Click on the following for more details:  Capron Elementary School to have first county soup kitchen | Belvidere Daily Republican

Boone County Food Pantry has big spread in local magazine

The March issue of North Boone County Life, the monthly magazine by the publisher of Belvidere Daily Republican has a big spread on the Belvidere/Boone County Pantry.  The free magazine sent to postal customers in northern Boone County, free of cost.

Click on the photocopy to enlarge:

Northwest Herald | Poverty creeps into county

By STEPHEN Di BENEDETTO

Nearly 10,300 more McHenry County residents now live in poverty than four years ago,

Recent poverty estimates put 28.5 percent of Harvard's population below the poverty line. (Sarah Nader - snader@shawmedia.com)

To read the rest of the article, a subscription may be required; click on following:  Northwest Herald | Poverty creeps into county

County homeless project surfaces, goes away, comes back again | Belvidere Daily Republican

Written by Bob Balgemann

It’s not a dead issue, however.

Danice Loveridge, Boone County coordinator for LOVE, Inc., said the Boone County Homeless Project, a local committee formed five years ago, planned to meet with Shelter Care in the new year. They will explore the possibility of providing some housing for the homeless.

There won’t be any HUD funding,” she said, adding, “We will look at other sources of money.”

Shelter Care was created in 1984 as an outreach ministry of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in downtown Rockford,

Click on the following to read the entire article:  County homeless project surfaces, goes away, comes back again | Belvidere Daily Republican

Illinois Issues blog: New statistics show poverty continues to grow in Illinois

 

By Jamey Dunn
New data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that poverty continued to grow in Illinois in 2011.
According to estimates from the census bureau’s American Community Survey, about 1.9 million Illinoisans were living in poverty in 2011. That compares with about 1.7 million living below the poverty line in 2010. Last year, the census bureau considered a family of three with a household income of $17,916 or less to be living in poverty; in 2010 it was $17,374 for three people. In 2011, 15 percent of Illinois residents were living in poverty, which is a jump from 13.8 percent in 2010. The numbers from the census bureau are the most current comprehensive statistics available on poverty. For more on 2010 poverty numbers, see this Illinois Issues Blog post.
According to the bureau's findings, the median household income in the state has been slipping during the last three years for which figures are available. In 2011, it was $53,234, down from $58,743 in 2008.
Nationally, the poverty rate held relatively steady. It was 15.3 percent in 2010 and increased slightly to 15.9 percent in 2011. About 48.5 million Americans were living in poverty last year.

Read the entire report by going to the following:  Illinois Issues blog: New statistics show poverty continues to grow in Illinois

Great Article Regarding Boone County’s Latino growth and future

The real question is how much do our leaders and community know about our Hispanic neighbors.  What countries do they come from?  If they are from Mexico, each Mexican state is often quite different as far as culture and aspirations. Has anyone even asked these questions? 

Just like my Belgium grandparents they tend to settle in the same place with their brothers and sisters, cousins and neighbors from back home.  They are not always certain that this is the right place for them.  My father was born in Texas because my grandfather left the factory of Moline and tried to do what his brother did—become a vegetable farmer in Texas.  His brother stayed and family still lives there today. My grandfather’s great idea failed and was replaced with others, back in the Quad Cities. 

I find my Spanish speaking neighbors warm, loving.   Many activities are family center with much music and celebration.  Many are seeking a rural life much like myself.  How can we learn to know each other better? Remember that their Spanish speaking forefather held claim to much of the United States before Ellis Island opened its gates.

Click on the photocopy to enlarge:

 

 

Lifelines for the needy disappearing - Sep. 16, 2010

with more people than ever living in poverty, the government's unprecedented effort to strengthen the safety net for needy Americans is running out.

Click on the following for more details:  Lifelines for the needy disappearing - Sep. 16, 2010

Census: 1 in 7 Americans live in poverty

1965 was the year that Lyndon B. Johnson began the War on Poverty. 

The number of people living in poverty has climbed to 14.3 percent of Americans, with the ranks of working-age poor reaching the highest level since at least 1965.

Click on the following for more details:  Census: 1 in 7 Americans live in poverty

Low-cost pet vaccines in Lake Co.

Here is something the low-income residents of Boone County may need.  Has the Boone County Health Department or Boone County Animal Control ever thought about coordinating such a program as a public service? 

open only to low-income residents of Lake County who are receiving government assistance such as food stamps or disability payments.

A one-year rabies shot, tag and distemper is $25 for spayed or neutered pets

Click on the following for more details:  Daily Herald | Your Health: Low-cost pet vaccines in Lake Co.

County receives funding for emergency programs

Boone County has been chosen to receive $56,877 to supplement emergency food and shelter programs for 2010.

local board made up of the American Red Cross, Boone County Council on Aging, Catholic Charities, City of Belvidere, The Salvation Army, United Jewish Communities, Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church, Homeless Representative, RAMP, and the United Way of Boone County will determine how the funds awarded to Boone County are to be distributed among the emergency food and shelter programs run by local service organizations

The Belvidere Daily Republican. - County receives funding for emergency programs

Daily Herald : Results of hunger study show large increase in those needing food

people in the region needing food assistance is "exploding", and the recession is to blame….Hunger in America 2010 study, done by the Chicago-based Feeding America, showed a substantial increase in the numbers of people needing food assistance since the last survey was done in 2006.

61,500 different people in any given week receive food assistance across the 13 counties served by the NIFB. That represents a 65 percent increase from the 37,000 in 2006, officials said. The NIFB serves DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties among others.

43 percent of the households include at least one employed adult. These are working, but underemployed….Someone may drive in with a Lexus. These are people who have lost good jobs and their circumstances have changed," Venturi said. "They were otherwise affluent before the economy turned."

When and if the economy improves, it's not likely those numbers will drop for years

Click on the following for the rest of the story:  Daily Herald | Results of hunger study show large increase in those needing food

Free garage sale for needy

her family will take donations at any time during the next week for the free garage sale. She said anyone who wishes to shop at the sale may do so for free. Those who can afford to donate some food for the Burlington-Hampshire Food Pantry or make a monetary donation for the aforementioned family in need are welcome to do so, she said.

The sale will be held at 233 White Oak St. in Hampshire from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or until all items have been given away.

Click on the following for more details: Free garage sale for needy :: The Courier News :: Local News