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First Annual Celebration a Big Hit
The Duluth Task Force for Improved Community Police Accountability invites area citizens to attend one of a series of public forums on “Building Trust Between the Community and the Police.” At the forum, people will be able to meet Eileen Luna-Firebaugh, a professor at the University of Arizona and consultant on issues related to community –police relations and civilian oversight. Ms. Luna-Firebaugh is currently in the process of developing a report with recommendations for improving trust between the Duluth Police Department and all aspects of the Duluth community. Those attending the forum will also be able to learn about the work of the Duluth Task Force for the Improvement of Community Police Accountability and share their perspectives on how to build trust between the community and police. The forums will be held as follows:
The Task Force consists of representation from the Duluth Police Department; People’s Institute North; Peace UCC Dismantling Racism Team; Lake Superior College Multicultural Services; Duluth American Indian Commission; Community Action Duluth; Duluth Human Rights Office; Duluth YWCA; and Community Members. The work is carried on in memory of Anthony LaDeaux who was an original member of the Task Force. Public Invited to Participate in Police Community Assessment Community Action Duluths Circles of Support Program Manager, Xavier Bell and former executive director Stan Kaitfors, along with others including Chief of Police Gordon Ramsay, have been part of the Duluth Task Force for Improved Community Police Accountability for several years. The hard work of this group is resulting in an assessment by a nationally recognized expert of best practices to assist with creation of a civilian review of the Duluth Police Department.
Click on this link for a list of community partners involved in this project.
Staff Participate in Silent March and Rally
Pucks Against Poverty A Big Success Click on the image below for the Northland News Center story
Minnesota's Ladder Out of Poverty Click on the links below to check out videos on the Ladder out of Poverty. Thanks to Jay Cole for producing the videos and providing these links. Ladder Out of Poverty Support request to MN Legislatures End Poverty by 2020 in MN Mayor Don Ness on Ending Poverty by 2020
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Rally Community Action Duluth Staff members Allegra Henderson and Xavier Bell were the MCs at the 2010 Martin Luther King Day rally at the DECC.
Photo taken by Naomi Yaeger, Hillsider Newspaper www.sundogpress.com The Realities of MFIP Community Action Duluth board and staff are taking action to educate elected officials and the general public about the realities of the Minnesota Family Investment Program- MFIP Click here to read the Board's recent letter to the editor on MFIP Click here to check out MFIP: Myth versus Reality
Community Action Board Votes to Make GAMC a Priority Earlier this year, Governor Pawlenty line-item vetoed and then unalloted General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) – a health care program that currently serves between 35,000 and 40,000 adults without children in Minnesota. To find out more about how this unallotment affects our community and what YOU can do about it, click here!
Duluth City Council Candidates' Forum on Poverty On September 30, Community Action Duluth hosted a candidates forum on the issue of poverty with the At Large City Council Candidates. The forum was co-hosted by CHUM, Twin Ports Action Coalition, Gloria Dei Church, A.H. Zeppa Family Foundation and the League of Women Voters-Duluth The following questions were asked of the candidates: 1. What keeps people in poverty? 2. Duluth’s Blueprint to End Poverty Report of 2007 indicates that there are large numbers of the “working poor.” These are people that are working hard and yet find it difficult to get by. What can be done to encourage employment opportunities in Duluth that offer a living wage job with benefits? 3. According to the Race Matters Report, more than 40% of African Americans and more than 43% of Native Americans are living below the poverty level in Duluth. Should something be done to address these startling statistics? If so, should the city of Duluth have a role in helping get more people of color hired in the Duluth workforce? 4. For people working or wanting to work nights, second shifts, or weekends, transportation is consistently listed as a barrier to employment. What can be done to improve transportation options in Duluth? 5. We know also that accessibility for those with disabilities can be a great barrier in finding gainful employment and enjoying a certain quality of life. What issues of accessibility do you find particularly pressing in Duluth and what role can the city play in addressing them? See At-large city council candidates answer these questions by clicking on the link below. Candidates Dan Hartman, Becky Hall and Beth Olson attended. Jim Stauber was not able to attend. Thanks to Superior Educational Television for filming the forum. http://www.duluthvote2009.blogspot.com
Community Action Duluth is a member of the Duluth Anti-Racism Coaltion. Coalition: The Coalition is made up of groups and organizations that work towards this vision. Acknowledging that racism operates on the individual, cultural and institutional level, members of the Coalition agree to stay at the table with each other to address racism and transform Duluth through the work of our organizations/groups. Our work is both personal (individual/internal) and cultural and institutional (external). For more information about the Anti-Racism Coalition click here
Community Action Dultuh's Tax Site Receives Community Partnership Award On June 25th, Community Action Duluth received the Community Partnership award from AccountAbility Minnesota
FAIM Report Details Program Success Community Action Duluth completed a research project to document the long-term outcomes of the FAIM program for people who completed that program from 2005-2007. Between 2005 and 2007, Duluth's FAIM program had 76 successful graduates. Through a grant from the University of Minnesota's Center for Regional and Urban Affairs, a study of program graduates was completed in the summer of 2008. University of Minnesota-Duluth MSW graduate student Rachel Forsyth worked with Community Action Duluth to determine the long-term outcomes of the FAIM program regarding asset retention and financial practices. A database of FAIM participants' enrollment information was compiled and a phone survey instrument was developed and utilized with an impressive 80% response rate, reaching 61 of the 76 graduates during the summer of 2008. The report: Family Assets for Independence in Minnesota: A Closer Look at Asset Retention and Financial Stability documented the successes of FAIM graduates during this time. A one page summare of the report is avaialble by clicking here on the FAIM Research Summary Report link. volunteer allies making a difference
In this particular Circle, the Participant has struggled with transportation as a barrier to employment. During her involvement in the program the Participant has at times, had no vehicle and difficulty meeting transportation needs through public transportation because of where she lives. At other times she has had unreliable vehicles that have cost her money in repairs. In recent weeks the vehicle she had been driving had a major break down and she and her Allies were discussing what she might be able to do. One of the Allies in this Circle, responding to this on- going problem, suggested a solution. She offered to “trade” vehicles with her Participant. This Ally’s family has an extra, older vehicle and the ability to assess the Participant’s broken vehicle and possibly fix it or sell it for parts. Of course the Participant was thrilled with this generosity and the Ally even offered the additional offer to buy back the vehicle from the Participant, should it break down and start to need expensive repairs. Of course, not everyone is in a position to offer their Participant a car, but the beauty of this example is that through their on- going relationship, the Ally was able to identify a barrier that the Participant has been struggling with and looked to their own resources to help overcome this barrier. The direct effect for this Participant is that this vehicle will assist her in maintaining her employment and thus continuing her move off of ‘the system’ and into self-sufficiency. The Participant’s plan is to continue working through the summer and by the end of the summer she will be in a position to get a low- interest car loan through Community Action’s JumpStart Duluth program.
Poverty Quiz Made available by the Blandin Foundation and was updated in June of 2009 1. Women and children make up what percentage of homeless people in St. Louis County?
2. As of September 2008, there were about 21,000 unfilled jobs outside of the Twin Cities metropolitan area (i.e. in Greater Minnesota). How many job seekers were competing for those jobs?
3. A decade earlier, in 1998, there were about 42,000 unfilled jobs outside of the Twin Cities metropolitan area (Greater Minnesota). How many job seekers were competing for those jobs in 1998?
4. What was the January 2009 unemployment rate in Duluth?
5. What was the January 2009 unemployment rate in the State of Minnesota?
6. The JOBS NOW Coalition updated its Cost of Living in Minnesota research in 2008. For 2008, for a family of four with both parents working, how much must each parent earn to meet basic needs?
7. What hourly income would a working single parent with one child need to meet basic family needs in St. Louis County?
8. What is the average hourly wage in the City of Duluth?
9. In the Duluth School District, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2007 what percent of single mother families with children under five years old lived below the poverty level?
10. In the Duluth School District, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2007 what percent of all families with children under five years old lived below the poverty level?
11. According to U.S. Census Data for 2000, what percent of the Duluth population was living in poverty?
12. According to U.S. Census Data for 2000, what percent of the Minnesota population was living in poverty?
13. To qualify for free and reduced-price lunch in school, a family must have a household income below 185% of the federal poverty guidelines. What percent of students in the Duluth School District qualify for free or reduced-price lunch?
14. In the Duluth School District, what percent of third grade students who were eligible for free and reduced-price lunch were proficient in mathematics on their 2007-2008 MCAII tests?
15. In the Duluth School District, what percent of third grade students who were not eligible for free and reduced-price lunch were proficient in mathematics on their 2007-2008 MCAII tests?
16. In the Duluth School District, what percent of 10th grade students who were eligible for free and reduced-price lunch were proficient in reading on their 2007-2008 MCAII tests?
17. In the Duluth School District, what percentage of 10th grade students were not eligible for free and reduced-price lunch were proficient in reading on their 2007- 2008 MCAII tests?
18. What is the change in the number of children living in poverty in St. Louis County from 2003 to 2007?
Answers: 1. c 2. d 3. c 4. d 5. b 6. c 7. d 8. c 9. c 10. a 11. d 12. b 13. b 14. c 15. d 16. b 17. d 18. c
Find Out More About Community Action Agencies In Minnesota? Find Out More About Circles of Support? Start a Business? Buy a House? Save for the Future? Service Referrals
Learn more About Poverty?
It's time for all of us to act and strengthen our community's capacity to care by offering opportunities for people marginalized by poverty and to develop their leadership and their voice. It's time to build the capacity of ordinary community members to care for their neighbors by facilitating relationships across class and race lines. Only through these relationships will we learn about what is needed from us, poor and middle class alike, to end poverty. It's time to mobilize a constituency of caring leadership across class, race and gender lines that will identify and address the systemic barriers that hold poverty and isolation in place. It's time for us, the wealthiest nation in the world, to mobilize our resources and transform people living in poverty. Write to any of these representatives and let them know you want them to get involved and help end poverty. Mayor of Duluth 411 West First Street, Room 403 Duluth City Council
Governor of Minnesota
State Representatives
State Senator Yvonne Prettner Solon 651-296-4188 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Capitol Building Room G-9 St. Paul, MN 55155-1606
United States Representative United States Senators
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Engaging our community to end poverty 19 North 21st Avenue West . Duluth, Minnesota 55806 email: mail@communityactionduluth.org . phone: 218-726-1665 . tty: 800-627-3529 . toll-free: 866-761-5257 |