| I can't afford to see my kids Anna K Works 40 hours per week at $10.00 an hour. She makes $400 per week. x 4 weeks. $1600.00 per month - $400.00 for taxes -$800 for child support She lives on $400.00 a month! With the new law that has employers automatically signing children up on the non custodial parent's health plan, Anna will pay almost $700 a month for health insurance. Anna will be living on a negative $300 a month! This $300 a month will add to her arrears. Once the arrears reach $10,000 Anna can be put in jail and receive a felony charge! These women were stay at home moms who volunteered at there children's school and helped with fund raisers and taking children to sports and other after school events. These women get divorced from abusive husbands and then go through a court battle where they all the sudden, are incompetent, crazy, or abusive mothers. They go from taking care of their children to being the reason for all the problems in the court case. Anna's former spouse claimed the oldest and youngest child on his taxes in 2007. The divorce papers states Anna is to claim the children. The money would have went for the back child support. Anna has filed a motion twice and twice Judge Gardner has denied the motion and refuses to hear the issue. Darlene B Works 40 hours per week at $10.00 an hour She makes $400 per week. x 4 weeks. $1600.00 per month -$400 for taxes - $400. for child support -$225 for health insurance w/children She live on $575.00 a month or $6,900 per year! |
Poverty Mothers
Mother
On A Mission
http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=K4TI
8J1vkUY
On A Mission
http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=K4TI
8J1vkUY
Thanksgiving And The Homeless
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Writer unknown.
How many of us have passed a homeless person and thought to themselves, "what
did they do to cause their situation?" How many of us have thought "there but for
the grace of God go I?"
Have you ever known a homeless person? Maybe you did and didn't realize it. You
also might know someone who is on the verge of desperation and hopelessness
and will become homeless.
I know such a person. I met Debra in an AOL chat room. Debra was a wonderful,
intelligent woman who went from having a good life to having it all taken away. She
became a homeless person. She has found a way out and has given me permission
to tell her story.
The story of “Riches to Rags,” said Debra Kowalcyk as she sat down and began
telling her story of unexpectedly slipping into homelessness.
With a once comfortable middle-class life as a recent memory, Deb found herself
struggling to stay off the street after a series of life-altering events sent her family
and all she and her husband had worked for spiraling out of control.
Debra met her husband while both were working at Buick City in Flint MI. John S
Kowalcyk was Vietnam Veteran having worked on Guam repairing B 52’s as an
electrician. Before that he had worked on the Apollo flights and the lunar land rover.
“He could fix what ever it was I broke” she said laughing.” I knew then I “HAD” to
keep this guy. They were married in October of 1985 and when Deb found she was
expecting their first child in September of 1986, she quit working. Although this first
pregnancy resulted in a miscarriage, Deb gave birth with “My Steven” by her side to
two healthy daughters in 1989 and 1995. “There was no better place then in his
arms; nothing was more wonderful then just watching him hold our daughters in
them.”
Unfortunately, her life was about to change significantly, 11 days short of 14 years
of marriage in 1999. Her husband and the nucleus of the family suffered a heart
attack during a medical procedure.
Deb struggled to keep the family intact and fill the void for her girls all the while
battling her own mental anguish. Since she had been out of the workforce for some
time, Deb found it difficult to reconnect and soon exhausted the resources she and
her husband had built during their time together.
Selling their home of 17 yrs, Debra relocated to Hudsonville in West Michigan in
2003 searching for a better place to raise her daughters and possibly find work.
Meanwhile, the issues of single parenthood began to take its toll and eventually she
became embroiled in a battle with Child and Family services. She made steps to
demonstrate that she would provide a stable environment for her daughters by
successfully graduating from Medical Assistant training with the thought that this
would lead to a more secure position with benefits and giving her nights and
weekends with her children. Although she tried to remedy the situation, the decision
was made to terminate her parental rights causing Debra to sink further into
depression and ultimately fall into homelessness in June 2005.
With her husbands small Gm pension, Debra began facing daily struggles of finding
a place to sleep and food to eat. Her family offered no support so in order to obtain
help she relocated to the Grand Rapids area where resources were somewhat
more available. She began cycling through the agencies in the Grand Rapid’s Heart
Side Neighborhood, a mecca for the homeless and destitute in the area. She found
a bed to sleep on at a local shelter and a couple meals a day when lines were not
too long. She found solace through the Catholic Information Center where priests
gave spiritual and moral support, but uncertainty became daily life. To take control
she needed help and the courage to ask and ask again.
Even at her lowest point Deb persevered, hopeful that she might find the solution to
lift herself out of disparity. She heard on the street that Section 8 Voucher
applications were going to be issued at a local agency where she also learned
information about Genesis Non-Profit Housing Corporation.
Genesis was expanding to further meet its mission to provide a unique type of
affordable housing for low-income special needs persons that would be permanent
and independent. Deb heard the buzz surrounding the HUD-funded expansion at
Genesis’ new location - Kingsbury Place Apartments.
Genesis began taking applications for Kingsbury the following week. “They open
the door at 9 am. I was there at 7:30 am and was 4th in line.” At first review was
rejected based on some back payments owed to utility companies. She appealed
their decision and with the help of Genesis staff, she resolved her previous debt
and cleared the way for her approval.
Kingsbury is a truly unique development. Adopting Genesis’ approach to affordable
housing, coupled with enhanced 24-hour support services for residents and a
Green building design garnering the development the first grant from the Michigan
Green Communities program make Kingsbury one of a kind. The Green design
incorporates numerous energy management and environmentally friendly features
that lower residents’ utility costs and provide a clean living environment to disabled
residents who often have more reactions to pollutants and environmental
contaminants.
As for Debra - “This (Kingsbury) is where I belong, this is home!” Kingsbury has
once again given her a place to call her own, a sense of confidence, and the ability
to look into the future. With her housing issues resolved, there are prospects of a
new job, friends and community ahead. There is also the daily prayer of hope, that
one day her daughters will be a part of her life and future as well.
As you sit around your Thanksgiving table giving thanks for family, friends, and all
your blessings, please remember Debra and those in similar situations in your
prayers. Give thanks for all the thousands of non-profit and religious organizations
that find ways to provide for the needy. Maybe today you can find in your heart a
way to give of yourself to volunteer or support those organizations in your city,
county or state so they can help others, like Debra find their way out of the
darkness of poverty.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Writer unknown.
How many of us have passed a homeless person and thought to themselves, "what
did they do to cause their situation?" How many of us have thought "there but for
the grace of God go I?"
Have you ever known a homeless person? Maybe you did and didn't realize it. You
also might know someone who is on the verge of desperation and hopelessness
and will become homeless.
I know such a person. I met Debra in an AOL chat room. Debra was a wonderful,
intelligent woman who went from having a good life to having it all taken away. She
became a homeless person. She has found a way out and has given me permission
to tell her story.
The story of “Riches to Rags,” said Debra Kowalcyk as she sat down and began
telling her story of unexpectedly slipping into homelessness.
With a once comfortable middle-class life as a recent memory, Deb found herself
struggling to stay off the street after a series of life-altering events sent her family
and all she and her husband had worked for spiraling out of control.
Debra met her husband while both were working at Buick City in Flint MI. John S
Kowalcyk was Vietnam Veteran having worked on Guam repairing B 52’s as an
electrician. Before that he had worked on the Apollo flights and the lunar land rover.
“He could fix what ever it was I broke” she said laughing.” I knew then I “HAD” to
keep this guy. They were married in October of 1985 and when Deb found she was
expecting their first child in September of 1986, she quit working. Although this first
pregnancy resulted in a miscarriage, Deb gave birth with “My Steven” by her side to
two healthy daughters in 1989 and 1995. “There was no better place then in his
arms; nothing was more wonderful then just watching him hold our daughters in
them.”
Unfortunately, her life was about to change significantly, 11 days short of 14 years
of marriage in 1999. Her husband and the nucleus of the family suffered a heart
attack during a medical procedure.
Deb struggled to keep the family intact and fill the void for her girls all the while
battling her own mental anguish. Since she had been out of the workforce for some
time, Deb found it difficult to reconnect and soon exhausted the resources she and
her husband had built during their time together.
Selling their home of 17 yrs, Debra relocated to Hudsonville in West Michigan in
2003 searching for a better place to raise her daughters and possibly find work.
Meanwhile, the issues of single parenthood began to take its toll and eventually she
became embroiled in a battle with Child and Family services. She made steps to
demonstrate that she would provide a stable environment for her daughters by
successfully graduating from Medical Assistant training with the thought that this
would lead to a more secure position with benefits and giving her nights and
weekends with her children. Although she tried to remedy the situation, the decision
was made to terminate her parental rights causing Debra to sink further into
depression and ultimately fall into homelessness in June 2005.
With her husbands small Gm pension, Debra began facing daily struggles of finding
a place to sleep and food to eat. Her family offered no support so in order to obtain
help she relocated to the Grand Rapids area where resources were somewhat
more available. She began cycling through the agencies in the Grand Rapid’s Heart
Side Neighborhood, a mecca for the homeless and destitute in the area. She found
a bed to sleep on at a local shelter and a couple meals a day when lines were not
too long. She found solace through the Catholic Information Center where priests
gave spiritual and moral support, but uncertainty became daily life. To take control
she needed help and the courage to ask and ask again.
Even at her lowest point Deb persevered, hopeful that she might find the solution to
lift herself out of disparity. She heard on the street that Section 8 Voucher
applications were going to be issued at a local agency where she also learned
information about Genesis Non-Profit Housing Corporation.
Genesis was expanding to further meet its mission to provide a unique type of
affordable housing for low-income special needs persons that would be permanent
and independent. Deb heard the buzz surrounding the HUD-funded expansion at
Genesis’ new location - Kingsbury Place Apartments.
Genesis began taking applications for Kingsbury the following week. “They open
the door at 9 am. I was there at 7:30 am and was 4th in line.” At first review was
rejected based on some back payments owed to utility companies. She appealed
their decision and with the help of Genesis staff, she resolved her previous debt
and cleared the way for her approval.
Kingsbury is a truly unique development. Adopting Genesis’ approach to affordable
housing, coupled with enhanced 24-hour support services for residents and a
Green building design garnering the development the first grant from the Michigan
Green Communities program make Kingsbury one of a kind. The Green design
incorporates numerous energy management and environmentally friendly features
that lower residents’ utility costs and provide a clean living environment to disabled
residents who often have more reactions to pollutants and environmental
contaminants.
As for Debra - “This (Kingsbury) is where I belong, this is home!” Kingsbury has
once again given her a place to call her own, a sense of confidence, and the ability
to look into the future. With her housing issues resolved, there are prospects of a
new job, friends and community ahead. There is also the daily prayer of hope, that
one day her daughters will be a part of her life and future as well.
As you sit around your Thanksgiving table giving thanks for family, friends, and all
your blessings, please remember Debra and those in similar situations in your
prayers. Give thanks for all the thousands of non-profit and religious organizations
that find ways to provide for the needy. Maybe today you can find in your heart a
way to give of yourself to volunteer or support those organizations in your city,
county or state so they can help others, like Debra find their way out of the
darkness of poverty.
We are fools
for Christ, but
you are so.
We are weak,
but you are
strong!
You are
honored,
we are
dishonored!
To this very
hour we go
hungry and
thirsty, we are
in rags, we
are brutally
are homeless.
We work hard
hands. When
we bless:
we endure it;
when we are
slandered, we
answer kindly.
Up to this
moment we
are scum of
the earth, the
refuse of the
world.
1 Corinthians
4:10
for Christ, but
you are so.
We are weak,
but you are
strong!
You are
honored,
we are
dishonored!
To this very
hour we go
hungry and
thirsty, we are
in rags, we
are brutally
are homeless.
We work hard
hands. When
we bless:
we endure it;
when we are
slandered, we
answer kindly.
Up to this
moment we
are scum of
the earth, the
refuse of the
world.
1 Corinthians
4:10
escapes and begins leading slaves to
1903 The National Women's Trade Union
League advocate for improved wages and
working conditions for women.
1920 Women get the right to vote
1972 First hot line for battered women
1976 National Organization for Women forms
a task force to examine battering of women.
*Book Battered Wives published
*Nebraska abolish marital rape
1977 First newsletter on battered women is
published.
1978 National Coalition Against Domestic
Violence created and Pregnancy
Discrimination Act
1979 Office of Domestic Violence is
established in U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services but is closed in 1981
1985 U.S. Surgeon General issues a report
identifying domestic violence as a major
health problem.
1986 Supreme Court finds sexual harassment
illegal job discrimination.
1991 First woman is granted clemency
because of battered women's syndrome.
1994 Violence Against Women Act passes as
part of a Crime Bill.
1995 Violence Against Women office opens
Children Taken Away by Courts
History does not change by hoping someone else will do it.
For each and every one of these changes to take place in our history,
women had to band together.
"Well behaved women seldom make history" by Laurel Thather Ulrich
Rape
Marital Rape
Rite to Vote
Divorce
Contraceptives
Abortion
Equal Pay
Domestic Violence
and now
Legal Domestic Abuse
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