Action Project: SOS Children Villiage/ Grace House

Grace House Mission-St. Leonard's Ministries Grace House is to provide a place where women the exiting the prison system are transitionally housed, emotionally and spiritually supported and professionally counseled as they encouraged to set realistic and attainable goals for the future, and to make informed choices that will" enhance and improved self esteem, build self determination; developed personal growth initiatives: and empower them to lead lives with dignity in their communities and their families. Grace House purpose is to enhance the lives of the people they serve.

Grace House is located at 1801 W. Adams, which is on the west side of Chicago. Grace House is a women's residential program of St. Leonard Ministries that provide comprehensive rehabilitative programs for women released from prison who are attempting to set new direction in their lives. This is a place of respite providing time, personal and group counseling, educational and job counseling and supportive community environment to assist them in the transition. Grace House was established in 1994, under the auspices of St.Leonard House, under the agency of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago. Grace House is one of the three programs incorporated under St. Leonard Ministries, it is a interim housing.

Grace House is a network with prisons counselors that set up arrangements for the women exiting prison to come to Grace House. The program director of Grace House, Pastor Bernie, has an application process that requires an over the phone interview with the prospective resident and her counselors at the correctional institution. Women are to come to Grace House directly upon their release. There is a 24 hour a day staff coverage at Grace House.

The action project included Grace House, volunteers and Group 1 to set up a lunch/dinner program for the children in Haiti. Group 1 felt it was a unselfish act for the residents of Grace House to create the idea of having a fundraiser despite that they are still in the process of forming a constructive lifestyle. On Friday, March 19 Group 1: Clarence, Miguel, Marnie and Franca attended and participated in the fundraiser to help raise money for the children in Haiti. The women of race House and group 1 prepared the food to be picked up and delivered at places that had orders larger than 5. Group 1 was mainly in charge of delivering all orders and making sure that the orders was complete. I was passing out the brochure I created for about 2months.

The action project group 1 and me consisted of raising money for the SOS Children Village of Haiti. The way group 1 and Grace house decided to raise money was having a lunch and dinner food drive that will allow anyone to place a order of their desire and with the money we raised Grace House will set up a bank transaction with a cashier check with SOS Children Village of Haiti.

This is where I have completed my internship as a Case Manger, so i have a bond with the residents of Grace House already. It felt good and went smooth because I have a relationship with the residents and the administration of Grace House. I was assisting on putting this fundraiser together for a month. It took me almost a month to complete the brochure I created that briefly talks about Grace House and the services it offers and about the fundraiser event that occurred on March 19, 2010. I have been volunteering for this fundraiser since February and i am overall satisfied with how things went. I donated plates, kitchen utensils, chicken and fish, containers, napkins all for preparation for lunch and dinner. Overall, I felt good and privileged to participate in raising 2500.00 to help the children of Haiti who are in a much greater need.

Ehrenreich text:Nicled and Dimed

Ms Ehrenreich talks about her experiences as a housekeeper, waitress and as a Walmart associate to name a few low wage jobs she has held. The author talk about the inability to live and survive off minimum wage jobs. She states the demands of waitress were stressful, was paid only 2.43 a hour including tips that varies. Her job as a waitress included sweeping, refilling beverages, restocking, slicing and scrubbing throughout her 2pm -10pm shift. Come on....... 2.43 a hour is a sweatshop wage that exploit and oppress people.

According to the World Law Direct (http://www.worldlawdirect.com/) , if the sum of tips plus 2.13 a hour is below the minimum wage of 7.25 an hour the employer is required to make up the difference. On page 16 according to the Fair Standards Act, if the sum plus 2.13 an hour falls below the minimum wage or 5.15 an hour the employer is required to make up the difference. Then if you include the people spokesperson, the governor that does nothing to regulate wages for all people to have the ability to live to the cost of living in the United States. The living wage or hourly wage in Key West, Florida for one adult is 9.17. Now how will Barbara survive off 5.15 a hour wage job. She will definitely fall below the poverty line. This is a capitalist society that dominates and create a larger disparity between the rich and poor. The poor are undeserved, underprivileged, disadvantage, disenfranchise and underclass. The rich is educated, opportunities, resources, upper class, law makers and breakers and etc. We as the people of the new leading generation must challenge corporate America to improve society conditions and equally distribute human rights to all. The land of free is the false conception of America, its the land of greed and inequalities.

Student Blog Review:Justyna

Justyna's blog was enlighting and had powerful photos about poverty. I really like the layout of her blog because everything was so organized and had extra tabs that will go into detail if you want to know more on the issue she was discussing. I am impressed with Justyna drive to help to resolve poverty and you can defintely pick up on this through her writings and photos of choice in her blog. After reading and clicking on tabs with images and videos, I realized she has the passion to aid to those who has greater needs. The photos alone tell me alot about her blog, they are very powerful to me.

Student Blog Review #2:Mike

After looking at mike's blog I can see that his engagement on the issue of homelessness and hunger has dramatically increase since the first blog assignment. The pictures and the content of his blog reflect as a passionate individual that will like to prevent the increase of hunger and homelessness. I also notice that this issue is new to him and that he really don't take a side when it is a disagree and agree issue. Mike does emphasize how corporate America want the power elite to continue their reign at the top and create a larger disparity between the rich and the poor. I noticed the honestly from Mike stating that he didn't have knowledge on homelessness and government assistance programs like welfare, but I can tell that he read and did his research because of his reflection on each topic. Lastly, I went a opposite direction than I did with the selection of a dark background that symbolizes sadness, poverty and homelessness. I selected a bright color because I wanted to display my blog in a neutral but happy mood and I feel Mike agree with my stance that homelessness and hunger will take a collective action from the whole entire community to prevent these issues of our society.

Streetwise Reflection

The documentary about teens living on the streets of Seattle. This film displayed a family that showed their ability to survive. The issues that drove kids to the streets was a alcoholic mother, a stepfather forcing sex from his step daughter and the convict bullying the son on a jailhouse visit. I think that this film displayed the parents way of living so the viewers can understand that the teens on the streets are better off than living at home. The community of the streets of Seattle was more stable than the parent home that the teens abandoned or was thrown out of. The adults of these teens to me was incapable of offering any real helpful support and any meaningful advice. The film streetwise talks about issues that exist everywhere and everyday all over the world. The realistic reflection I have after the watching of this film is that few make it and get decent jobs and try to work their way out of poverty. The rest are left as the product of the environment, some have the strength to keep fighting and striving for resources while others not Strong enough like the boy that visit his abusive father in prison committed suicide.

This film was very disturbing but it is reality. I know how real the issue of being homeless is but it really hit my heart when there is children and teens homeless. Prostitution and hustling was a form of surviving on the streets in this film and it bothered me because I hate that anyone have to commit to wither way because it is degrading. I didn't spot too many resources at the time the film was made. The best and only way to resolve these issue that was brought up in this film is to go to the root of the problem and i believe the root of the problem in this case was the parents because the homes of these children and teens wasn't safe and was very hostile. So i think the problems at home lead to the youth homeless. Also, the parenting style was more negative reinforcement than positive enforcement which can affect a person social, psychological and economic well being.

Speaker From National Runaway Switchboard

The information I received from the guest speaker from the National Runaway Switchboard was enlightening and quite surprising. There were things I thought I knew about runaway issues, such as the leading cause. I am thankful for the presentation from the guest speaker because I learned about what causes people to runaway and learn about services provided for them. The activity that we did as a class was very helpful. We had to put factors on the board that led to the crisis of runaways and then jot down the resources that can be utilize to prevent runaways. According to the National Runaway Switchboard, runaway and youth in crisis make up 75% of the youth status at time of call. The 14% of the combine age of 20-21 for reported caller age was mind blowing for me because I would have never thought at the age of 20 and especially 21 that someone will be considered as a runaway. The family dynamics is the leading problem identified by the callers according to the National Runaway Switchboard and as far as the gender of the caller 72% is female.

The guest speaker had a assessment exercise for the class which was disappointing for me because I got 2 correct out of 6. I definitely learned from this exercise given to us by the guest speaker. I learned that there is 1.6 to 2.8 million of kids that runaway from home each year. There is 9,000 runaway/homeless youth on the streets of Chicago. There is only 3 emergency beds tat exist in Chicago for the non-ward runaway and homeless youth. According to NRS, most runaways survive on the streets because they receive assistance from friends/relative and the most cited reason why kids runaway from home is family problems. My guess was physical abuse. There is only 750 emergency youth shelters that exist in the U.S . The problem I have about the 750 shelters that exist is a shortage and is not enough to house these children which results in homelessness.The issue will continue to grow because if the rate of runways is from 1.6 to 2.8 million each year and the U.S only have 750 shelters available meaning that there is millions of kids on the streets trying to survive.

Prior to the presentation I had no knowledge of this group existing. As a child growing up I was around those who did attempted to runaway and eventually came back and those who ran and never came back. I work with minors everyday and with helping them and interacting with them there are so many legal barriers. I think the issue of runaways should be taught and reinforced all over the world so the home these kids live in can be as less hostile as possible.

Seccombe Chapter 5

I personally know some women that are welfare recipients and I can honestly state that living and surviving on this system is difficulty and it affects the women by the poverty line I believe there are placed in. Being able to afford some luxuries help ward off feelings of hopelessness, despair, and depression that are associated with poverty (Seccombe p.127) I disagree with this because this doesn't represents recipients of welfare and negative statements like this is focused on more than any positive of a welfare recipient. Now there are people that want the American Dream of being part of the main stream is by purchasing demanded clothing styles, jewelry. So I do agree with Seccombe when she states that welfare recipients want part of the mainstream so they buy cosmetics, stereos, jewelry and clothing (Seccombe p.127)



I think this is a critical issue because the unfortunate parent or parents has the same or even greater intention of the middle class or rich families for their children to provide them a good quality of living. This will not be a issue to discuss if the fields were even and the resources are not limited then parent or parents will be able to provide a peaceful environment and purchased materials to keep their child or children happy rather than safe in most cases. The intentions of the welfare recipients is protect their child or children its a mother nature or better yet a parent nature. At times the welfare recipients exceed their budget to buy a material or materials that will keep their child or children occupied so that they will not be a easy target to be a part of the hostile environment that is surrounded by violence, drugs and peer groups that influences others kids. The worries that these welfare recipients face are crime, drugs, and peer groups that could tempt their children (Seccombe p.128)