Santa dropped by New Beginnings Childcare Center yesterday. Some of the littler ones were a bit timid meeting the guy in the red suit. The older children were thrilled.

We would like to thank the Marines and their Toys for Tots campaign for the wonderful gifts for the children.

We also thank the Holyoke Barnes and Noble and especially Gail Harris, Community Relations Manager, for her help in hosting our very first Book Fair. And of course, thanks to everyone who shopped at B&N that day and supported the Book Fair. We raised enough money to purchase a book for each child at New Beginnings. We were just thrilled to present a new book to the children to start their very own libraries and to help them enjoy reading. That is Biscuit's Christmas Eve that the children are holding.

All of us at Springfield Partners wish you the best holiday season and a safe, happy and prosperous 2011.

Playing for Change

Ken Ackerman, creator and manager of Virtual CAP, a web site that shares information among Community Action Agencies, has shared this site with us for the holidays Playing for Change - Peace Through Music

This is a wonderful and moving video of street musicians around the world, singing together. Enjoy!

Early Education is sooooo Important

Just took a look at Strategies for Children's blog (we do try to keep abreast and blogs can be a wonderfully quick and up-to-date way to do that) on a study of pre-kindergartners in New Mexico. Not surprisingly to those of us who have an early education program, the study by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) found that children in pre-kindergarten entered into kindergarten with stronger vocabulary and math skills than children who were not enrolled in a pre-k program. Read the blog for yourself at http://eyeonearlyeducation.org/2010/12/13/study-finds-positive-results-for-nm-pre-k/

Thanks to all who joined us at the Texas Roadhouse Fundraiser

Wow! We had a great time on Wednesday night at the Texas Roadhouse on Cooley Street in Springfield. A big shout out to everyone who braved the cold and joined us there. It's always fun at Texas Roadhouse!

Thank you to our generous sponsors and board members who donated fun prizes for the raffle. We raised just about $600 that night and we are buying new play equipment for our childcare center, New Beginnings.

Winners of our raffle prizes include:

Gordon Quinn

Eric Kobos

Diane Valliere

Sandy Kane

Kathy Kocot

Cee Jackson

Kate Agin

Fudge Milledge

Winnie Cardaropoli

Gymmetta Brantley.

Everyone had a great time, people won fun prizes, and the kids will now have brand new gym epquipment that they can use for climbing and jumping and general cavorting. Great exercise for their little bodies under the guise of fun. Thanks for all your help.

Extend unemployment and end tax breaks for millionaires

This should be a no-brainer; extend unemployment benefits for millions of laid-off workers and don't give any additional tax breaks to people who really don't need it, millionaires. The National Community Action Partnership has joined 79 other groups asking Congress to take care of business. Here's the link to the press release with more details:
http://www.responsibletaxes.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/FINAL-ADVISORY-National-Groups-letter-11.19.101.pdf

Massachusetts is 2nd worse at providing eligible children with free school meals

This is an ironic report considering the abundance of food that most have access to over Thanksgiving. According to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service October 2010 Report to Congress, only 61% of categorically eligible low-income kids in Massachusetts receive free school meals. Here is the link to the report:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/ORA/menu/Published/CNP/FILES/DirectCert2010.pdf

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) is actively working on a USDA grant to improve participation.

What is your local school district doing? And can you help in any way?

Book Fair at Barnes & Noble

Many apologies for not posting about the Book Fair earlier. We had a wonderful day at Barnes and Noble and so many people stopped at our table to say hello, to get more information about our services, and to make sure they had a sticker to inform the cashier that their purchase included a donation to Springfield Partners for Community Action.

Here are just a few photos from that day. One is Keshawn Dodds signing his book for a customer. One photo is of three kids in the audience reading Gabby Saturday. And the third is all the authors. From left to right: Crystal Senter Brown, Jacqueline Williams-Hines, Keshawn Dodds with his daughter Sydney, and Latoya Bosworth. They were just exceptional and wonderfully entertaining. Thanks again to all of you!

We don't have a final sales total yet as we have to wait for online sales to be computed. We do know however, that we have enough for our goal - to purchase a new book for each child at our daycare center, New Beginnings. The books will be wrapped and presented to the children at Christmas.

So, many thanks to all those who bought books, coffee, or pretty much anything at all that day. Thanks to the board and staff members and volunteers who worked the table that day. And many thanks to the local authors who were just amazing. Each one gave a reading from their books and it was all entertaining and dynamic. All in all, it was just a great way to spend a day.

Mass Appeal with Jacqueline Williams-Hines

Watch the video of the very composed Jacqueline Williams-Hines on Channel 22's Mass Appeal yesterday. Ms. Williams-Hines will be signing her book, Joshua and the Startabulous Dream Maker, at the Holyoke Barnes and Noble on Saturday, November 6. She is one of four local authors helping to raise funds for New Beginnings, our childcare center by signing and reading from their books at the Book Fair.

http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/mass_appeal/community/autism-advocate-helps-alleviate-poverty

So stop by to meet the authors, to buy a book, or to enjoy a coffee. 15% of your purchase will help us to present every child at New Beginnings with a brand new book for Christmas.

No! No! No! on Ballot Questions 1, 2 and 3

Hopefully everyone is aware of the three ballot questions that really threaten our communities. Please get out and vote on Tuesday, November 2nd and please vote NO! NO! NO! on questions 1, 2 and 3.

A quick update:
Question 1 would take away all state money for drug and alcohol treatment by ending the tax on alcohol.
Question 2 would take away opportunities for affordable housing across the commonwealth by eliminating the main affordable housing law.
Question 3 would take away more than $2.5 billion from our schools, parks, roads, youth programs and services for seniors by reducing the sales tax from the current 6.25% to 3%.

So, remember - protect our services, protect our homes and protect our communities by voting NO! NO! NO!

Vote for Your Community Action Representative

We are holding elections on Wednesday, November 10, to elect members to our Board of Directors from three city districts. Voters from each district may vote at our main office, located at 619 State Street, here in Springfield, between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm.

District #2 consists of Old Hill Neighborhood, the Upper Hill Neighborhood, and a portion of the Forest Park Neighborhood. Voters from this district may cast their vote at the Mason Wright Retirement Community, 74 Walnut Street, Suite B109, from noon till 6:00 pm.

District #4 consists of Metro Center, the Lower Liberty Heights Neighborhood, and parts of the Forest Park Neighborhood. Voters from this district can visit the Hungry Hill Citizens Council at 474 Armory Street (rear) from 8:00 am till 12:30 pm to cast their vote. They can also use the YMCA of Greater Springfield, 275 Chestnut Street, to vote between noon and 5:00 pm.

District #6 consists of Indian Orchard, East Forest Park and of course, parts of the Forest Park Neighborhood. Voters may visit the Church in the Acres, 1383 Wilbraham Road, from noon till 3:00 pm or the Weatherization Office for Springfield Partners for Community Action at 284 Main Street, Indian Orchard, from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm.

If you reside in one of these districts, please come out and vote. Board members have the responsibility of guiding the agency in fulfilling its mission. As the city's anti-poverty agency, we have over 20 programs designed to help low-income residents improve their living and economic situations.

We are still accepting nomination papers for a seat on the board from the three districts mentioned. Nomination papers are available at 619 State Street, at our Childcare Center located at 721 State Street, and at our Weatherization Office at 284 Main Street in Indian Orchard. Nomination papers must be signed by 10 district residents and returned to 619 State Street by noon on Thursday, November 4.

Members are elected for two year terms. Board meetings are held on the last Thursday of each month and additional committee meetings are held on a monthly basis.

Please call our main office at 413-263-6500 with any questions and please, be sure to vote.

More Scholarship Info

Forgot the recent promise to add some more photos of the Scholarship Awards Breakfast. So, added an animoto video for fun. Hope you enjoy.
http://animoto.com/play/0nlnAjpbe18Kf03fyzVXDA

Springfield Partners Home Fair

Springfield Partners Home Fair

New Beginnings Graduation 2010

New Beginnings Graduation 2010

Pathways to Homeownership Fair

We held our Home Fair this past Saturday at Springfield Technical Community College. There were bankers, realtors, housing inspectors, housing agencies and more with booths, information and giveaways. Many, many thanks to the vendors for being there to provide information to the Home Fair attendees and for generously donating raffle prizes. Many thanks to Ray Jordan of HUD, for stopping by. And of course, a special thanks to our volunteers for giving up most of their Saturday to help us put on this fair so that we could provide some very essential information to anyone looking to buy a house.

Poverty Rates Released

The most recent newsletter of the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), their Director of Health Policy Research, Elise Gould, responded to the newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau:

"After nearly a decade of neglect that ended with the most severe recession since the Great Depression, it is no surprise that poverty hit its highest rate since 1994."

On September 16, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that 43.6 million people, or one in seven Americans were now living in poverty. And that the rate for children was even scarier: one in five children in this country are living in poverty.

Read the rest of EPI's newsletter at www.epi.org/pages/epinews

Scholarship Awards

We had a really lovely morning last Friday, presenting 21 scholarships to Springfield residents. That included the Ray Hershel Honorary Scholarship awarded to Bryan Palmer.

Many, many thanks to John Gormally, President and Owner of abc40 for sponsoring the scholarship. And of course, thanks to Ray Hershel for being our stellar Master of Ceremonies, and for agreeing to the scholarship presentation. (that's Bryan, flanked by John Gormally on the viewer's left and Ray Hershel on our right.)

Bryan is a junior at Westfield State University where he has a double major in Communications and Ethnic and Gender Studies. Bryan hopes to work in the broadcasting field after graduation.

Our absolutely fabulous keynote speaker, Myra Smith, VP of Human Resources and Multicultural Affairs at Springfield Technical Community College, talked about Change. She encouraged the scholarship winners to approach change with a positive attitude, to ask questions even if doing so made them feel uncomfortable, to diversify their network of associates and friends, and to share their knowledge by bringing it back to the community.

She ended with a quote from Les Brown, motivational speaker, coach and author, "When life knocks you down, you should always try to land on your back - because if you can look up, you can get up!"

And I really want to acknowledge Citizens Bank for being Gold Sponsors and Bay State Gas for their Bronze Level Sponsorship. We could not have held such a nice event without their help.

And stay tuned, we'll share even more photos later. And check us out on Facebook for additional photos.

Scholarship Awards Breakfast

Just one week till our Scholarship Awards. We will be honoring 21 winners on Friday, September 17 at Springfield Technical Community College.

We are just so thrilled that John Gormally at abc40 has chosen this venue to present the first Ray Hershel Honorary Scholarship. Ray deserves it! He has served as our long time Master of Ceremonies and he is so clever and so quick witted and we truly appreciate his work and his time.

The breakfast event is being sponsored by Citizens Bank, our gold sponsor and by Bay State Gas, our bronze sponsor. Now all monies raised through ticket sales will help fund the scholarships for next year. Thanks very much to both companies.

Annual Convention

Community Action changes people's lives, embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities, and makes America a better place to live. We care about the entire community, and we are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other.

That is the Promise of Community Action and we heard and recited it several times last week at the National Community Action Partnership Annual Convention in Boston, Massachusetts. Hundreds of Community Action staff gathered from across the nation to learn, share, network and to celebrate.

Ray Suarez, Author and Senior Correspondent at PBS NewsHour, gave the opening address entitled, What's Wrong With This Picture? Media, Politics, and Diversity.

A favorite vendor was Beads in a Box. Every visit to the Exhibitor Hall showed the popularity of this vendor. This is a non-profit, hand designed jewelry business that raises discretionary funds for the Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska. So, finally, women get to buy lovely items and feel good about it. And they were indeed doing a brisk business.

Social Security Turns 75. That is older than Community Action!

The Economic Policy Institute, a D.C. based entity whose mission is to achieve shared prosperity by raising the economic status of low- and middle-income Americans, released an article entitled Social Security and the Federal Deficit. It is pertinent information for every reader, regardless of age.

http://www.epi.org/publications/entry/social_security_and_the_federal_deficit/

The Myth of the Culture of Poverty

With our scholarship awards coming up next month, we are increasingly aware of the concerns that people have around education.
We came upon this very interesting article from ASCD, an educational leadership organization dedicated to advancing best practices and policies for the success of each learner. The Myth of the Culture of Poverty discusses preconceptions or misconceptions about poverty. The author cites concrete research that debunks various myths like; Poor people are unmotivated and have weak work ethics. He points out that, according to the Economic Policy Institute, "Poor working adults spend more hours working each week than their wealthier counterparts."

Here is the link for this thought provoking article http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/apr08/vol65/num07/The-Myth-of-the-Culture-of-Poverty.aspx

And something very encouraging in this article - action steps we can take to help improve the education experience for all students while dealing with our own perceptions of classism.

We will host a home fair, "Pathways to Homeownership" at Springfield Technical Community College on Saturday, September 25 from 9:00 till 2:00. Bankers, realtors, housing inspectors and other experts will have informational tables and be available to answer questions.

Of course we'll have staff from our own housing related programs, Weatherization Assistance, Housing Counseling, our matched savings program or Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) where we can help you save to buy a house, and many more.

Pictured here is proud homeowner Jackie Rosado, who participated in the IDA program and bought her very own home.

Stay tuned for more information and updates.

We have been busy with many projects and blogging seems to have fallen by the wayside. So, first: we are giving away $1,000 scholarships to 21 low-income Springfield residents. The application deadline is August 18 and applications are available on our website.

One scholarship is being presented in honor of Ray Hershel. Most of you know Ray from watching the news on WGGB-TV. The applicant must be studying journalism or a related field.

Two scholarships are being set aside for applicants studying in the field of Early Childhood Education.

Scholarships will be presented at an awards breakfast at Springfield Technical Community College on Friday, September 17. So, fill out those applications and get them in to us.

Weatherization TV

What a novel idea! Weatherization TV! A weekly television show on Weatherization from the clever people at the Montana Weatherization Training Center. This is helpful for everyone, not just contractors learning the process. It's nice to know just what happens in the various Weatherization components like insulating, duct sealing, testing furnaces and more. It also demonstrates the safety steps that are taken by the Weatherization crew members.

So, take a look! Most of the shows are brief but if you are in the mood for extended watching, just make sure the popcorn is at the ready.
http://www.weatherization.org/wxtv/

Announcing Scholarship Opportunities

We will present 20 scholarships of $1,000 each to 2010 high school grads and to adult learners in early September. Two scholarships will be awarded to students pursuing a degree in the field of Early Childhood Education.

Eligible applicants:

• must be residents of Springfield (MA)
• must have been accepted to an accredited or licensed Massachusetts college or vocational program
• should have demonstrated a commitment to the community through volunteer work or other means
• need to meet income guidelines (200% of the Federal Poverty Level).

Interested persons should call us at 413-263-6500 for additional information or for an application.

New Beginnings Childcare Graduation

Here are the kids celebrating their day at the DeBerry School.

National Training Conference

Last week we attended the Community Action Program Legal Services, better known as CAPLAW, training conference in Savannah, Georgia. The conference was bittersweet as it was dedicated to the late Bob Coard, a legend in the world of Community Action and founding President and board member of CAPLAW. Mr. Coard was the President and CEO of Action for Boston Community Development and a lifelong advocate for the rights of low-income people everywhere.

The Keynote Speaker was Bryan Stevenson, Esq. Mr. Stevenson is the Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama and Professor of Law at the New York University School of Law.

The Legislative Update Speaker was David Bradley. Mr. Bradley is the Executive Director of the National Community Action Foundation and please take the time to visit their website at http://www.ncaf.org/ for more info. Mr. Bradley also has a blog, which includes a reading list and you can follow him at http://www.bradleysbrushback.com/

Heather Rose, our Human Resource Director, kindly offered to share some of her photos of the beautiful city of Savannah.

Reading Success by Fourth Grade

Yesterday, several staff members attended the launch of a groundbreaking effort to have 80% of Springfield's incoming fourth graders reading proficiently by 2016. A year in the planning, Reading Success By Fourth Grade is an initiative of Cherish Every Child.

More than 200 people attended the event at the Basketball Hall of Fame to hear Dr. Nonie Lesaux present findings and recommendations from her report – “Turning the Page: Refocusing Massachusetts for Reading Success.” You can read her report at http://www.strategiesforchildren.org/Publications/TurningThePageReport.pdf

The importance of yesterday's event really can't be overstated. Consider that 64% of third-graders in this city read below their grade level, which means that their chances of completing high school just plummet, we all need to work together to change that horrifying statitistic.

You can download a copy of the executive summary of Reading Success by Fourth Grade at http://www.cherishspringfield.org

There are many ways for everyone to become involved and 2016 will be here before you know it.

We're Hiring!

We’re Hiring!

Isn’t that good to hear, considering the economic climate?

Springfield Partners for Community Action will be at the "Springfield Stimulus Job Expo" on Monday, June 14, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Basketball Hall of Fame. We're seeking teachers for New Beginnings Childcare, as well as energy auditors and interns.

Please visit our table at this job fair on Monday, which is sponsored by FutureWorks Career Center, WMAS, the Hall of Fame and ESPN 1450 AM.

Springfield Partners operates programs that serve various needs of low-income residents in the greater Springfield area. Programs focus on building assets; housing and credit counseling and assistance; health and nutrition; income tax assistance; and job training and employment for seniors. Springfield Partners also offers affordable childcare and home weatherization services.

As a non-profit, our mission is to empower people in need to attain self-sufficiency and economic stability.

To read about Springfield Partners job opportunities, please visit http://www.springfieldpartnersinc.com/careers/index.html

To see a full list of companies scheduled to attend the Springfield Stimulus Job Expo, visit:
http://www.futureworks-now.com/pdf/Job%20Expo%20Companies%20Attending%206-2010%20.pdf

National Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half

We have endorsed the pledge from Half in Ten, the campaign to cut poverty in half in 10 years:

We endorse a national goal of cutting poverty in half in 10 years, and ask elected officials at all levels of government to support policies to achieve it. Furthermore, we call on the administration and Congress to outline and implement a plan to incorporate this goal into our government’s long-term economic policymaking, and to set benchmarks that will move our country toward shared prosperity and a stronger middle class.

For more info, check them out at www.halfinten.org

State Street Rededication

Here is Tanya Jones-Murray, IDA Coordinator for Springfield Partners, being interviewed by Channel 22 News about the State Street Rededication just before she and several other staff members joined in the walk down State Street on Thursday, June 3rd.

We joined politicians, city officials, local business representatives and community residents in the walk from Mason Square to the new Federal Courthouse. The courthouse was the impetus for the $17 million revitalization of one of Springfield's most important thoroughfares and the site on Thursday of a dedication ceremony.

Improvements to the State Street corridor have included the physical reconstruction of 3 miles of roadway, from East Columbus Avenue to St. Michael’s Cemetery. Sidewalks have been added and improved, the road has been repaved, and cobblestone crosswalks have been installed.

Springfield Partners for Community Action has had a presence on State Street for many years. Currently, we occupy our main office space at 619 State and our Childcare Center, New Beginnings, is housed at 721 State Street.

The improvements to State Street will be of benefit to all: it is safer to cross the street and it is definitely looks so much better. As one of the many State Street businesses, we are extremely pleased with the renovations and thrilled to be a part of the celebration. We welcome the public to come in and check out our programs.

Housing and Homelessness

We are busy putting together an application for funding to make sure we keep our Eviction Clinics going. Every Wednesday, we hold clinics to assist those scheduled to attend Hampden County Housing Court the next day. The overall goal of the Eviction Clinics is to keep people in their homes and out of the shelter system.


So that of course, brings us to the recently released report on Reducing Family Homelessness in Massachusetts commissioned by the Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation. You can read the report at http://www.ppffound.org/documents/whitepaper.pdf

The point of the paper is to suggest ways in which the Emergency Assistance (EA) program in Massachusetts could be redesigned to increase its effectiveness in preventing homelessness without requiring additional budget resources. There is certainly a lot to think about here.

Another group working to help the homeless is the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, a network of providers and the first statewide advocacy organization for the homeless in the nation. Check out their website at http://www.mahomeless.org/

There is much to be done to assist the homeless in our area and to ensure housing for everyone.

HUD news

As a HUD-certified Housing Counseling Agency, we receive regular updates from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Certainly, this latest may be of interest to readers of this blog:

Housing Affairs Letter EXCLUSIVE:
HUD’s months-long effort to change the way the Sec. 8 housing voucher program is managed has evolved into a 57-page legislative blueprint that could dramatically alter the program and attract a new generation of users.
HUD crafted the legislation, dubbed the Preservation, Enhancement, and Transformation of Rental Assistance of 2010 (PETRA), using $350 million the Obama administration wants taken out of the public housing capital budget in FY 2011. The administration justifies transfer of the money from public housing renovation funds (which are already short some $26 billion) by pointing to the infusion last year of more than $4 billion for improvements from the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act.
The legislative draft, obtained exclusively by Housing Affairs Letter, shows a major move to bring foreclosed homes and multifamily properties into the HUD fold as Sec. 8 properties.
The proposal would give HUD the authority to set uniform policies across all the department-funded rental-assistance programs, including Sec. 8. Tenants would be awarded a new right to move to a location of their choice anywhere in the nation as long as they stay in one place for two years.
For the rest of this in-depth exclusive story and many others about HUD and public housing, just click on or cut and paste the following link into your Web browser to get free access to Housing Affairs letter, our online, interactive, continually updated news service covering the latest in federal housing and budget developments-- since 1961!
http://www.cdpublications.com/d092
When you reach our site, just scroll down the page and check off Housing Affairs Letter. The date of this story is 5-14-10

Energy Saving Workshops

Joe Kerigan, our Energy Director and all-around good guy, gave a brief presentation to residents at Springfield Housing Authority's Saab Court complex this morning. Joe passed out energy saving lightbulbs to everyone in attendance and explained how these lightbulbs not only save money, but keep rooms cooler.

Here is a nice shot of Joe on the right, explaining the weatherization process to Governor Deval Patrick last summer at a home in Springfield. Looking on is one of our energy contractors.

Joe and his staff provide energy saving workshops to interested groups throughout the city. We also weatherize homes throughout Hampden County. Anyone interested should first contact New England Farm Workers to determine eligibility for fuel assistance. Anyone outside of Springfield should contact the Valley Oppoutnity Council about the same eligibility process. That makes a homeowner or tenant eligible for our services and we then use a priority list to provide weatherization services. Weatherization services can save more than $300 a year on a home's utility bills.

Additional World Asthma Day info

We were able add Dr. Kaslovsky's presentation from World Asthma Day to our web page. Just click on the first page and the whole document opens up.
http://www.springfieldpartnersinc.com/events/index.html

Considering the high rate of asthma in the Pioneer Valley, many of you reading this blog will have a relative with asthma. Take a few minutes to look through Dr. Kaslovsky's extremely helpful information. There is info on asthma triggers and irritants, great explanations around medications, inhalers, peak flow meters, etc. and a really cool photo of a dust mite! Many thanks go to Dr. Kaslovsky, as well as to Dr. Sadof and Kathleen Szegda of the Pioneer Valley Asthma Coalition (PVAC), for putting together a really enjoyable and extremely informative event for World Asthma Day. You should definitely check out PVAC's site, too:
http://pvasthmacoalition.org/home

Mothers Day at New Beginnings Childcare Center

Last week, the children at the center invited their mothers to come and make smoothies with them. Several mothers and a few of the fathers came to enjoy the drinks. Thanks to a grant from the Springfield Early Care and Education Partnership, each family went home with a book, Mommy and Me. Here we have some nice photos from the day and you can see more on our Facebook page.

Success Story

Springfield Partners for Community Action has helped Kim Rivera achieve the American Dream of homeownership.

Ms. Rivera took advantage of Springfield Partners’ Individual Development Account (IDA) program. After a year of stashing some cash from her paycheck into an IDA savings account every week, she had $2,000 saved. Her $2,000 was double-matched, giving her a $6,000 down payment on her Habitat-built home at 75 Pomona Street in Springfield.

She and her family moved into their new Forest Park home in December 2009.

“Homeownership was important to me because I wanted to make sure my children had a stable home,” she said recently from the three-bedroom house she shares with two adult children.

“I went through homelessness in my younger years, and I didn’t want that for my kids.”

For Ms. Rivera, a parent facilitator at Brunton School in Springfield and a residential aide at Sullivan & Associates, helping people is second nature. A few years ago, she decided it was time to help herself reach her goal of homeownership. She applied to Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity and started her own IDA at Springfield Partners.

As an IDA program participant, Ms. Rivera learned about money and credit management at Financial Fitness workshops, and discovered the importance of owning property.

“It’s important to have a home as an asset, because it’s important that you have assets. I was never taught that when I was young,” she said.

Ms. Rivera urged people to take advantage of Springfield Partners for Community Action’s programs.

“How many places do you know that are going to help you get the American Dream?” she said. “I tell everybody about the IDA program. It’s a golden opportunity.”

World Asthma Day

Last night (Tuesday, May 4, 2010) 100 people attended World Asthma Day at American International College. Dr. Robert Kaslovsky of Baystate Medical Center's Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine department, presented information to the audience. After dinner, the audience was invited to several stations to learn more about various inhalers, about asthma triggers like pollen, dust mites, and secondhand smoke, and to play interactive games that focused on asthma education. Doctors, nurses, respiratory specialists, and health outreach workers were on hand to answer questions and to help demonstrate various breathing devices. In this photo, respiratory therapist Donna Hawk, helps Iris Martinez of Springfield with an inhaler.

Asthma awareness is of extreme importance for Springfield residents because of the high rates of asthma, especially in Springfield's children. Rates are even higher for people of color. Springfield Partners works closely with Baystate Medical Center to provide outreach and follow-up to people who have recently been hospitalized for asthma. Our Health Outreach workers visit the homes to discuss asthma triggers and taking asthma medicines and we can even help enroll people in various health insurance options to make sure they can afford their medicines.

Trying Again

So, after the initial posting, realized that our readers will have no way to know where we are located since there are so many Springfields around the country. We are in Springfield, Massachusetts and we are the first city with that name. Springfield, MA is known as the City of Firsts. Check out more about us on Wikipedia or the city's own web site. We will just mention that we are home to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and of course, Springfield is the birthplace of Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss.

Springfield Partners for Community Action was started in 1964 as part of the War on Poverty. We are still fighting that war today with programs and services such as safe, affordable, licensed year-round child care for 90 families at New Beginnings Childcare Center, Community Health Advocacy, linking residents to health insurance and programs, Free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance to 2,000 residents every year, encouraging people to use their income tax refunds to establish Individual Development Accounts: matched savings accounts that help people buy a house, start a business, or go to college, Financial Literacy classes and multilingual assistance to low-income taxpayers, HUD-certified Housing Counseling, assisting first-time homebuyers and helping established homeowners with credit and foreclosure problems, Weatherization assistance to 1,000 residents annually, allowing them to conserve energy and reduce energy bills by almost $400 per year, Educational workshops focused on health issues, saving energy, buying a home & more, Telephone Reassurance, in which staff makes daily “Check and Chat” calls to socially isolated elders, helping them live independently, Subsidized on-the-job training for adults 55 and older throughout Hampden County. Not wanting to bore anyone here, but thought a brief background would be helpful. Check us out at www.springfieldpartnersinc.com and visit us on FaceBook. We welcome your input and suggestions.

The beginning

Today is the very first blog for Springfield Partners for Community Action. We are all pretty excited here and hope to hear from many stakeholders. The plan is to use this blog to discuss relevant issues, to let you know about upcoming events at Springfield Partners and other important regional events. Hopefully, we can elicit some responses and some discussion and definitely some suggestions.

More than 400 people attended our Food Policy and Obesity Conference that was held at the YMCA here in Springfield, on Saturday, April 17. Did some of you know that Springfield has the very dubious honor of being the fattest city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts? That is just sad!

So, future posts will discuss issues like obesity and food insecurity (don't you just love that term? A wonderful euphemism for hungry!), housing and foreclosures, paying for our kids to attend college, making sure that our kids graduate from high school in the first place, and the many other obstacles that our clients and many others face. Perhaps together we can generate ideas and take steps to ensure that everyone has opportunities.

Please feel free to respond or if you are shy, to call me at the office at 413-263-6500.