Reduce - Reuse - Recylce

Saturday we took part in The Great American Cleanup here in Toledo, and today is Earth Day.

A group of us spent time Saturday morning picking up trash in an alley a few blocks away from the Family Promise Day Center. We filled many garbage bags, and hauled large items (abandoned car doors, tires) to the corner for pick-up. It was a beautiful day - and good work to do.

A woman came out of her home - a home that borders the alley - and asked if we were volunteers from 4H. I affirmed that we were volunteers, but not from 4H. She was disappointed. I am not sure why! I told her what we were doing and why we were there, and invited her to join us. She quickly went back into the house. I did not see her again.

The volunteers who were working with me were mostly homeless clients from our shelter. They were not complaining about the work and did a good job. They were proud of the work they accomplished. I was astounded by the situation. A woman - with a home - watching homeless people clean up her neighborhood.

Really makes you stop and think!

Fair Market Rent

This week, the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) released Out of Reach, their annual report on the affordability and availability of housing at the national, state, and local level. The report's primary measure of housing affordability is the Housing Wage, which is the hourly wage a worker must earn to afford a two-bedroom apartment in their community.

The report finds that in 2008 there is no jurisdiction in the country where a full-time worker earning minimum wage can afford a one-bedroom apartment.

In Ohio, the housing wage is $13.07 - assuming a 40 hour work week, 52 weeks per year. Minimum wage in Ohio is $7. To afford the Fair Market Value of a two-bedroom apartment in Ohio, a minimum wage earner must work 75 hours per week, 52 weeks per year.

Domestic Violence

Domestice violence affects almost every family we see at Family Promise. While we are not specifically a DV shelter, we certainly do work with families who are recovering from the affects of abuse.

These statistics come from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

• 1 in 4 women experiences domestic abuse in her lifetime.
• 1.3 million women are assaulted by an intimate partner each year.
• Boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own partners and children when they become adults.
• 92% of homeless women experienced severe physical or sexual assault at some point in their lives.
• Because a DV victim will leave her abuser multiple times before she finally escapes the violence, she and her children may experience multiple periods of homelessness.
• 46% of homeless women reported staying in an abusive relationship because they had nowhere to go.

People who live in abusive relationships suffer more than physical harm. The psychological damage pervades every part of their life - impairing judgment - and making the decisions of everyday life a challenge.

It's important that Family Promise volunteers understand the longterm and far-reaching impact of domestic violence on the families with whom we work. We must respond to both children and adults with great patience. Our social worker provides linkage to appropriate mental health agencies and outreach groups to help abuse victims recover from their experiences and move from victim to survivor.