Commonwealth Conversations: Engage!

Governor and Commonwealth Corps Prepare Donations for the Holidays

Posted by: Cynthia Orellana
Commonwealth Corps Coordinator

Last Friday, over 50 Commonwealth Corps members, Alums and program partners from the eastern side of the state joined Governor Patrick and an additional 50+ community volunteers for a holiday- themed service project hosted by City Year. Corps members had an opportunity to build community with other fellow members and volunteers while preparing items to be donated to those in need this holiday season.

Together the group produced nearly 200 items that included care packages for soldiers, apple pies for Pine Street Inn, murals for Shriner’s Hospital, cards for terminally-ill children through Make a Child Smile, teddy bears and toys for Salvation Army, and fleece products for Red Cross Disaster Relief.



The winter season can be a tough time for many individuals and families to meet even their basic needs.  Sometimes all it takes is a small act of grace. There are lots of opportunities to volunteer in your community. Check out www.mass.gov/connectandserve to find service opportunities today and share your volunteer experiences with us and each other!

Faith communities working together to end homelessness

 Posted by: Liz Curtis, Executive Director, Massachusetts Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness

Across the state a revitalized effort is underway to work with faith communities in the effort to end homelessness. Today a group of faith-based organizations came together to talk about their successes in working with homeless service providers within the Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness Regional Networks to End Homelessness. These efforts were made possible by the partnership of Episcopal City Mission and One Family, Inc. Representatives from 8 different regions shared their success in building upon faith communities’ great tradition of charity. Moving even beyond charity, these organizations believe in bringing about social justice in the form of permanent housing for the homeless.

One exciting example of this effort comes from Lowell where the Greater Lowell Interfaith Partnership to End Homelessness is working to develop a website that will educate people of faith about homelessness and mobilize them to take action. They hope this website will be live in April. In the meantime, you can log on to the site of one of their members – The SHIFT Coalition, which has been working to prevent or end homelessness since 2003. Another fantastic example comes from Worcester where the Interfaith Coalition to End Family Homelessness is working with a number of congregations to develop an “early warning system” that would identify families at-risk of homelessness before the crisis hits. They will focus on families accessing pastoral emergency funds and congregation-based food pantries and health clinics. The goal is to create a faith-based system to identify and help families at risk of becoming homeless, as well as to provide education and training for clergy and laity with web support.

The Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness has a distinct goal to engage all relevant stakeholders in the effort to end homelessness. What these faith-based organizations are doing serves as a wonderful example of how a real variety of people can identify roles they can play and make a real impact on homelessness. I would encourage everyone to consider how they can involve the groups and organizations they belong to in this broad effort. Do you belong to a faith community that would be willing to provide information about homelessness or help connect homeless individuals and families to community resources? Do you take part in other civic engagement or volunteer groups that would dedicate their time and energy to work with nonprofits linking people to permanent housing? Would you be willing to serve on the board on a nonprofit agency in your community that is working to end homelessness or hunger?

In 2008, the ICHH put together a civic engagement toolkit that you can find here.

This toolkit can help you think of other ways you and others in your community can be a part of the solution. Please share this with your friends, family, and colleagues this week to help raise awareness about hunger and homelessness and how we can each make a real difference.

Young Adults Engaged on the Cape

Posted by: Cynthia Orellana, Commonwealth Corps Coordinator

On Thursday evening we held our latest forum of the “What’s Your Massachusetts” Young Adult series with Secretary Greg Bialecki of the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development.  This time we met with about 100 young adults in Hyannis from across the Cape Cod region. The panel and audience raised many different issues, both positive and challenging, that young adults face on the Cape.

Gary Sheehan, co-founder of the Cape Cod Young Professionals kicked off the forum. The panel included Erin Madden from Cape Cod Broadcasting, Patrick Johnson from the Governor’s Youth Council, Rayssa Ribeiro from Cape Cod Community College, and Patrick Cassidy, a reporter for the Cape Cod Times who worked on a young adult series called Generation Exit that the paper put together a year ago.

At left, Rayssa Ribeiro from Cape Cod Community College.
At right, Patrick Johnson from the Governor’s Youth Council.

As the evening unfolded, we heard a range of topics; some echoed what other young people have said in other regions, yet were unique to life on the Cape. For example, the need for affordable housing has been a popular theme across forums, but on the Cape it included the need for more rental units and start-up housing for young families, confronting youth homelessness and finding solutions via use of the vacant seasonal housing stock.

Cape Cod’s vacation destination status was a source for many of the comments raised including what makes it a desirable place to live, as well as the challenges of being a seasonal economy. People suggested more entry level jobs and permanent employment opportunities; the need to support local small businesses and establish a niche for certain industries, e.g. “The Silicon Sandbar.” Another important theme had to do with inclusion of recent immigrant communities, including through educational institutions.

Thanks to all who came and shared their voice! If you didn’t get a chance to attend, please share your thoughts and recommendations. We will continue to meet with smaller organized groups of young people over the next month in Worcester and Chelsea to continue the discussions about the issues that matter most to them.
 

The Fight to End Homelessness Goes to Worcester

 

  Posted by: Liz Curtis, Executive Director, Massachusetts Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness

On Monday, November 16th, a group of homeless service providers, advocates and state agency representatives from across the state came together for a Peer Learning Session in Worcester. The session was part of a technical assistance effort associated with the Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness Regional Networks to End Homelessness. Over 80 people attended this workshop and learned about best practices in providing stabilization to households that have transitioned from homelessness to permanent housing. For families and individuals who have recently experienced homelessness, it remains challenging to find long-term stability. Homelessness disrupts a family’s life beyond just the house or apartment. Children often change schools, friends and family might not be as close by, or it may be more difficult to get to work. With community-based partners across the Commonwealth the ICHH is working to support stabilization efforts that create pathways to success.

We heard at the Peer Learning Session that many service providers are finding innovative ways to provide longer-term housing stabilization services for their clients. State and federal funds are being made available so that case workers have the tools they need to help people transition into permanent housing and then thrive in their new homes. Stabilization can include employment and training, helping households access the benefits to which they are entitled, and linking them to other resources in the community, such as health care or child care. Some providers have become experts at housing and stabilizing people who have experienced homelessness for many years. Others are serving families who never imagined before the recession that they would find themselves without a home. While each household will need different types of support, it’s important that we all think creatively and flexibly to get the right resources to the right people at the right time. You can get more information about what’s happening in your area on the ICHH website. You can also join an ICHH Network’s blog and participate in the effort here.  

Governor volunteers at the Greater Boston Food Bank - How will you get involved this winter?

Posted by:
Elizabeth Clay, Director of Grassroots Governance

This morning I had the opportunity to join Governor Patrick, Secretary Greg Bialecki, fellow state employees and young people from Boston’s Year Up Program volunteering at the Greater Boston Food Bank, sorting cans of food to be distributed throughout Eastern Massachusetts.

We sorted and packed 11,500 pounds of food which will feed over 8,000 people. The sorted cans were all from ‘Canstruction,’ a design/build competition where teams of architects, engineers and students compete to design and build giant structures made entirely from full cans of food.

Prior to sorting canned goods, the Governor loaded 160 turkeys and other Thanksgiving items into the churches van, to be distributed at the Twelfth Baptist Church Food Pantry for the upcoming holiday.

With the economic crisis across the country, a recent report on nationwide hunger alerts us that food insecurity is an urgent matter. As we enter into the season of giving, there are still lots of opportunities to volunteer in your community. The four Mass. regional food banks are always accepting donations and volunteers, or check out www.mass.gov/connectandserve to find service opportunities today!

It's National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week! Get Involved!

  Posted by: Liz Curtis, Executive Director, Massachusetts Interagency Council on Housing  and Homelessness

Each year the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness sponsor National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness week. As we lead up to Thanksgiving we will spend this week from November 15 – 21 raising awareness about issues related to hunger and homelessness in the Commonwealth. We all have felt the effects of the economic recession, but many of our neighbors struggle to find affordable housing and enough food for their families. A Project Bread report in October 2008 said that 8% of households (522,000) in Massachusetts experienced “food insecurity” meaning they weren’t able to obtain adequate nutritious food for a healthy life. In December of 2008 a point-in-time count found that there were 15,448 homeless people in Massachusetts, which included all homeless men, women, and children. Of those, 6,871 were single individuals and the rest represented members of families, with children as the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population. 

Over the last few years there has been a dedicated effort from the Patrick-Murray Administration and the Legislature to end homelessness for good in Massachusetts. In 2007 the Commission to End Homelessness worked to develop a 5-year plan to end homelessness. A broad group of stakeholders from the public and private sectors came together to design solutions, recognizing that all our neighbors deserve a safe place to call home. Since then, Lt. Governor Tim Murray has served as chairperson to the Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness (ICHH) which has been charged with implementing the 5-year plan. Despite the economic downturn and the increased demand for help that came with it, we have seen a great deal of success in moving towards a more coordinated and efficient way to provide housing-based solutions rather than shelter-based solutions. For example, earlier this spring the ICHH spent $8 million to support the development of Regional Networks to End Homelessness across the state. These Networks are forming to bring together as many resources as possible to prevent homelessness in the first place or rehouse those who have experienced homelessness. Just last month (October 2009) ICHH-funded partners prevented 553 families from becoming homeless. In addition, between July 1, 2009 and September 30, 2009 partners housed 17 homeless adults who had been homeless for a year or longer and have mental or physical disabilities. Additionally, on October 8, 2009 Governor Patrick announced a $17.9 million investment of federal recovery funds to boost comprehensive homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing efforts. All of these resources are aligned so that as a Commonwealth we are getting the right resources to the right people at the right time.

Ending homelessness isn’t easy. We need the help of the entire community – including service providers, consumers, the business community, faith communities, employers, and average citizens who believe we all have a right to housing. An organization working every day to raise awareness of family homelessness recently produced a short film that highlights the issue and puts a human face to the challenge. To understand more about the people we’re talking about, check out the video from Homes for Families here. You can play a role in raising awareness this week, too. Share this post with friends and family or write your own post on a blog you read. Get a group together to donate food or money to a local food bank or homelessness prevention fund.

Visit this blog throughout the week for more information about hunger and homelessness, what the Commonwealth is doing to make a difference, and how you can get involved.

Serve the Commonwealth on a Board or Commission: Find Out How

  Posted by: Madelyn Grant, Senior Assistant Director, Governor's Office of Boards and Commissions

“And I will be calling on you each one of you to stay engaged, to bring forward your solutions, not just your problems, to suggest a better way, to keep your eye on the higher ground we seek, and to act like this State House is your House.”

Governor Patrick made that call to service during his first minutes in office because he believes that government works best when citizens are involved and engaged in their communities. Since that cold day in January 2007, over 1500 residents of Massachusetts have elected to serve their Commonwealth by lending their expertise and time to a board or commission.

With over 700 boards and commissions throughout state government, ranging from the Boards of Trustees of public colleges to local Housing Authority Boards to the Boards of Professional Licensures, board members help shape the policies and regulations that govern or Commonwealth every day.

Examples abound of residents who see a need in their community, and a place for themselves to serve that need. Zakiya Thomas came to Boston for graduate school and wasn’t sure she was going to stay after completing her Masters of Fine Arts in 2002. After seven years of dedicated service to the enhancement and access of such institutions as the Boston Symphony Orchestra and currently the Museum of Fine Arts, Zakiya was appointed to the Massachusetts Cultural Council on October 5, 2009.

Michael Jones of Worcester began his post-secondary education with an Associates Degree in Business Administration at Quinsigamond Community College before going on to pursue his Bachelors and later Masters Degrees at Assumption College. On October 7, 2009, he was appointed to the Board of Trustees for his alma mater and the place where his college experience began, Quinsigamond Community College.

Service on a board or commission is an important way to make a positive difference and get involved in state government. If you are interested in serving on one of these important bodies, please check out http://appointments.state.ma.us.

Connecting with Seniors across the Commonwealth

Posted by: Secretary Ann L. Hartstein, Executive Office of Elder Affairs

Having been involved with seniors most of my professional life, I am deeply committed to the idea that if I want to know what people are thinking and what they want, I have to ask them.   That’s the reason for the Listening Tours I’ve undertaken around the commonwealth.  Since becoming Secretary of Elder Affairs in July, I’ve visited a number of senior centers, councils on aging (COA) and housing sites. 

At each stop, I’ve met with seniors, staff, family-members, local veterans’ agents, police and fire personnel, health department staff, town managers, COA and senior center board members, ASAP staff, volunteers – anyone and everyone with an interest in senior life. Although these are challenging times for seniors and their families, many COAs and senior centers are working with other community organizations to provide programs and services in imaginative, innovative ways.  Many “Friends” groups are devoting new energy and time to make resources available to the seniors in their communities.  As a former council-on-aging director, I know how important their contribution is and I applaud their efforts.  

Seniors are describing their efforts to contribute to their communities’ life.  They are stressing the need for adequate transportation alternatives, better home and community based services and affordable housing.  They, in other words, are saying what all of us want, a way to live and grow in the community of their choice.  I applaud them and their families in their efforts and will commit the resources of the EOEA to help them achieve that end.

Engage with the MA Recovery and Reinvestment Office

Posted by Jeffrey Simon, Director of Infrastructure Investment

Greetings, I’m Jeffrey Simon.  I head up the Massachusetts Recovery and Reinvestment Office.  Governor Patrick has assigned our office the task of overseeing the federal stimulus program here in Massachusetts.  I’d like to fill you in on what we’ve been up to.  Most importantly, I want you to engage with me and tell me what you think about what we’re doing.  I should mention that I am new to blogging, so please go easy on me at the beginning if I make a mistake.  Hopefully we will be able to start a dialogue or a discussion about what this program means and how it works.

You probably know that last February, Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - thus the name of our office.  This is a $787 billion law designed to get the economy going again and to help those who have been hurt by this terrible economic situation.  Those are the two main goals of the Recovery Program – to stabilize and to stimulate.  Stabilize the lives of the people and stimulate the economy.  The thinking behind this is that if we can stop the slide backward, we can try to move forward by spending money on solid projects that need to be done and at the same time put people back to work. 

So we are working in Massachusetts to make that happen.  Out of the $787 billion, we figure that about $14 billion of that will benefit Massachusetts one way or the other; just over $4.5 billion in tax and bond financing issues and $3 billion directly to cities and towns, non-profits, private companies and health and educational institutions.

 April 17, 2009, Governor Deval Patrick joined Congressman John W. Olver in breaking ground on the Commonwealth’s first “shovel ready” stimulus project – a regional transit center in Greenfield.

That leaves about $6 billion that flows through state agencies that I want to talk with you about.  I’d like to share details about the rest of the program as well, but I’m going to start by talking about the money that actually comes through state government. Here’s how it’s being spent:

 
Today is really just an introduction, so I won’t get into a lot of detail (check out our Citizens' Update for more detail).  But I do want to ask you to help me out.  If you have a question, ask me.  If you want to make a comment, tell me - whether you think I’ll like it or not.  Let me know how the recovery program is affecting you in your city or your town or tell me if anyone knows how it’s going.  Do people in your city or town even know which programs are stimulus programs?  All of this is information that will help me do a better job for you, which is why the Governor appointed me.

Thanks for listening.

Connecting For Change Summit - Youth Empowerment in the Commonwealth

Posted by: Brianna Busby, Governor's Statewide Youth Council member (Plymouth County)

On October 24, 2009 the Governor’s Statewide Youth Council, in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Community Affairs and the Department of Public Health, hosted their first ever Connecting For Change: Youth Empowerment Project MA Statewide Youth Initiative (YEP), a day long summit with some 600 young people from across the Commonwealth, The goal: for us to become more knowledgeable about our communities and realize we have a voice that can make a difference.

Our Summit focused on Civic Engagement, Education, Jobs, Teen Pregnancy Prevention and Youth Violence Prevention, Youth Violence and many other issues concerning the youth of Massachusetts and how we can make a positive change by becoming involved in our communities and connecting with each other. Youth organizations hosted workshops and we learned about individual empowerment as well as how to stay connected to these organizations in our own communities.

For us, the conference represented an opportunity for the youth of Massachusetts to be heard, to become more knowledgeable, to connect with other youth and to realize that we can make a difference.  We look forward to working with all the participants and organizations to continue our efforts of empowering the youth of Massachusetts.  YEP!

To contact the Statewide Youth Council leave a comment here or email anny.jean-jacques@gov.state.ma.us.