Event: Forging Justice: Creating Safe, Equal and Accountable Communities Conference

Date: August 8, 9 and 10, 2013

Where: Detroit, MI

HAVEN and NOMAS (The National Organization of Men Against Sexism) are pleased to announce Forging Justice: Creating Safe, Equal and Accountable Communities, a three day (August 8, 9 and 10) conference in Detroit exploring gender-based violence through a social justice lens.

If you want to join us in Detroit, or just find out more information, you can do that here. You can also donate to the Forging Justice Scholarship Fund (making the conference financially accessible) by contacting me at prevention (at) haven-oakland (dot) org. No amount is too small. You can also find the event on Facebook.

Source(s): NCADV

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

Across the country, for the past several years, there have been reports of efforts being made to shrink the pool of Americans who will be able to vote in the years ahead. In thirty-eight (38) states and counting, strict new voter ID laws, restrictions on early voting and Sunday voting, and racially motivated bans on ex-felons have either been passed or proposed.

As was aptly stated by President Johnson when discussing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, “The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men.” With that knowledge, there have been rallies across the country to stand up against the forces trying to block the right to vote for millions. The persons in attendance at these events understand that, if we, as citizens, do not take action to stop restrictions on voting, no one will.

Voting is the one right that practically defines a democracy. The right to vote is one of the cornerstones of the United States Constitution. Nonetheless, during periods of history in America, millions of this nation’s citizens were denied this most precious right based on an immutable characteristic such as race. In the century following Reconstruction, African-Americans in the South faced overwhelming obstacles to vote. Despite the Fifteenth and Nineteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which had enfranchised black men and women, southern voter registration boards used poll taxes, literacy tests, and other bureaucratic impediments to deny African-Americans their legal rights. Southern blacks also risked harassment, intimidation, economic reprisals, and physical violence when they tried to register or vote. Elsewhere, other minorities also suffered this type of discrimination. As a result, African-Americans and other people of color had little if any political power, either locally or nationally. It took the courageous civil rights movement to put an end to this discrimination.

In response voter discrimination, the Voting Rights Act was adopted initially in 1965 and extended in 1970, 1975, 1982, and 2006. The Act made it a federal crime to deny a citizen the right to vote. It outlawed a number of tricks and schemes used for decades to disenfranchise African-Americans. No longer could racists in state governments use literacy tests, poll taxes, and other devices to keep African-Americans from registering to vote. The Voting Rights Act also allowed the federal government to oversee voter registration and elections in places where discrimination occurred. The Act has been described by Irving Bernstein as “a rare and glittering moment in the history of American democracy.”

The Voting Rights Act has often been referred to as the most successful piece of civil rights legislation ever adopted by the United States Congress. The Voting Rights Act codifies and effectuates the 15th Amendment’s permanent guarantee that, throughout the nation, no person shall be denied the right to vote on account of race or color. In addition, the Act contains several special provisions that impose even more stringent requirements in certain jurisdictions throughout the country.

At least 31 states are considering laws that make it harder for people of color and young, elderly, and disabled citizens to vote. An upcoming decision from the Supreme Court on Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act may make the implementation of these state laws easier than ever before. All our children deserve to grow up in a country where their voting rights are protected, and where they are respected and supported no matter what race or color they may be.

Voting is a cherished right. Countless brave people gave up their lives to secure that right. Federal law guarantees it. Now it’s up to each of us to protect the right to vote and to make our vote count.

Source(s): US Constitution. Wikipedia. US Department of Justice. NAACP. Stand For Freedom

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

Equal pay for equal work is a simple matter of fairness. Four years ago, President Barack Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, with Lilly Ledbetter, who suffered twenty (20) years of pay discrimination. Data indicates that working women in the United States are paid an average of eighty (80) cents for every dollar paid to men. Because women earn less, on average, than men, they must work longer for the same amount of pay. The pay gap is even larger for most women of color; on average, black women earn about seventy (70) cents, and Latinas about sixty (60) cents, of every dollar paid to all men. Our daughters and granddaughters should know that they’ll enter the workforce as equals to their male counterparts. But it’s going to take a real effort to get this done.

The Equal Pay Act, the law that was supposed to make equal pay for equal work a reality, is in bad shape. That’s why right now, the people from all around the country are picking up their telephones to take action– and you can join them. Call the White House comment line and urge the President to get the ball rolling on closing the wage gap by prohibiting federal contractors from punishing or firing workers who talk about their salaries with co-workers. This action from the President would address one piece of the Paycheck Fairness Act and protect nearly a quarter of the federal civilian workforce despite congressional gridlock.

President Kennedy called the Equal Pay Act “a first step” to ending the widespread practice of paying women less than men for the same amount of work. And that’s exactly what it was: a first step. 50 years later, we’re still fighting this fight, and women STILL make 23 cents less on the dollar. House Democrats have proposed a solution — the Paycheck Fairness Act — but Republicans voted to block this legislation from even coming to a vote. That is unacceptable.

In 1996, Equal Pay Day was established by the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) as a public awareness event to illustrate the gap between men’s and women’s wages. For the past thirty-two (32) years, the National Committee on Pay Equity has been working diligently to eliminate sex- and race-based wage discrimination and to achieve pay equity.

In 1979, the National Committee on Pay Equity was founded as a coalition of women’s and civil rights organizations; labor unions; religious, professional, legal, and educational associations, commissions on women, state and local pay equity coalitions and individuals working to eliminate sex- and race-based wage discrimination and to achieve pay equity.

9 to 5 shared that a woman has had to work an extra three months this year to match a man’s income in 2010. As we think about the work women have done for equal wages, help is needed in the fight for the next step toward pay equity. It reminds us of the continuing problem of sex- and race-based wage discrimination and the need to achieve pay equity. The alert reads as follows:

When the Equal Pay Act passed nearly 50 years ago, a woman earned an average of 59 cents for every dollar a man made. Today, she makes 77 cents. The annual gap between men and women’s median annual wages is a staggering $10,849. With more and more families relying on women’s wages to support them in an ailing economy, shortchanging women nearly $11,000 a year is inexcusable.

Solution:
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is an important step in the continuing struggle for women’s rights. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Actwould take several steps towards closing the wage gap, including: clarifying acceptable reasons for differences in pay between men and women; prohibiting retaliation against workers who inquire about or disclose information about employers’ wage policies and their pay rates; making it easier to file class action lawsuits based on equal pay; and requiring the EEOC to survey current pay data and obliging employers to submit pay data identified by race, sex and national origin of employees.

Action Needed:
Help 9 to 5 and other advocacy organizations to make this very necessary change: Contact your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representative and urge them to support and sign on to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Women have waited too long for equal wages. We, as a nation, cannot afford to wait any longer. —9 to 5

Official Summary
The following summary was written by the Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan arm of the Library of Congress, which serves Congress.

4/13/2011–Introduced.

“Paycheck Fairness Act – Amends the portion of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) known as the Equal Pay Act to revise remedies for, enforcement of, and exceptions to prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages. Revises the exception to the prohibition for a wage rate differential based on any other factor other than sex. Limits such factors to bona fide factors, such as education, training, or experience. States that the bona fide factor defense shall apply only if the employer demonstrates that such factor: (1) is not based upon or derived from a sex-based differential in compensation, (2) is job-related with respect to the position in question, and (3) is consistent with business necessity. Avers that such defense shall not apply where the employee demonstrates that: (1) an alternative employment practice exists that would serve the same business purpose without producing such differential, and (2) the employer has refused to adopt such alternative practice. Revises the prohibition against employer retaliation for employee complaints. Prohibits retaliation for inquiring about, discussing, or disclosing the wages of the employee or another employee in response to a complaint or charge, or in furtherance of a sex discrimination investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, or an investigation conducted by the employer. Makes employers who violate sex discrimination prohibitions liable in a civil action for either compensatory or (except for the federal government) punitive damages. States that any action brought to enforce the prohibition against sex discrimination may be maintained as a class action in which individuals may be joined as party plaintiffs without their written consent. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to seek additional compensatory or punitive damages in a sex discrimination action. Requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to train EEOC employees and affected individuals and entities on matters involving wage discrimination. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities for negotiation skills training programs for girls and women. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Education to issue regulations or policy guidance to integrate such training into certain programs under their Departments. Directs the Secretary to conduct studies and provide information to employers, labor organizations, and the general public regarding the means available to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Establishes the Secretary of Labor’s National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the EEOC to collect from employers pay information data regarding the sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in the enforcement of federal laws prohibiting pay discrimination. Directs: (1) the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to continue to collect data on woman workers in the Current Employment Statistics survey, (2) the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to use specified types of methods in investigating compensation discrimination and in enforcing pay equity, and (3) the Secretary to make accurate information on compensation discrimination readily available to the public. Directs the Secretary and the Commissioner of the EEOC jointly to develop technical assistance material to assist small businesses to comply with the requirements of this Act.”

Source: GovTrack. 9 to 5. The National Committee on Pay Equity. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Action Alert DCCC.org.

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

June is national hunger awareness month. Ironically, the U.S. House Agricultural Committee voted to give more subsidies to big agribusiness and cut food aid for 2 million families, children, and senior citizens. Drastic cuts like these are not a necessity. But rather this was a choice to support tax breaks for the wealthy and big businesses (like Apple) by literally taking food from hungry kids. The full U.S. House of Representatives votes soon on whether or not to cut funds for SNAP.

Please contact your members of Congress to tell them to reject any cuts to SNAP in the Farm Bill. It is already a national sin and a shame that one in five children in America are at risk of hunger while companies like Apple skirt taxes on at least $74 billion in profit. Currently, Congress is poised to funnel more subsidies to profitable corporate agriculture companies. This is yet another example of legislation that favors corporations and the 1% over the 99%.

Our voices are more important than ever. Harmful automatic cuts (sequestration) to human needs programs are chipping away at critical and effective anti-hunger initiatives. There are efforts to cut SNAP (formerly food stamps) and international food aid in the farm bill.

Please call your members of Congress today and amplify the stories of others seeking to fight hunger in the world by sharing your own. Tell your members of Congress what drives you to work toward ending hunger?

Join the choir of Bread For the World activists taking to Capitol Hill on June 11, 2013. Let’s show Congress what a movement to end hunger looks like. It’s not too late to come to Lobby Day on Tuesday of this week. But even if you can not be with their for Lobby Day, you can still participate right where you are. Here’s how:
•Call or email your members of Congress today.
•Ask them to
1.Protect SNAP and improve international food aid in the farm bill.
2.Replace sequestration with a balanced plan that includes both revenues and sensible cuts.
•Share your story about why you are a Bread for the World member and why SNAP, international food aid, sequestration, and ending hunger matter to you.
•You can include additional facts from our Lobby Day talking points.

It is simply outrageous and morally wrong to give money to highly profitable large corporations at the expense of America’s children who rely on food aid. With that said, contact your members of Congress to tell them to reject any cuts to SNAP in the Farm Bill.

Personal stories like yours are what will move your members of Congress to act. So don’t delay. Help amplify the message that we can and must end hunger.

Source(s): AFL-CIO; Bread For the World

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art.

Parents play an integral role in the development of their children either directly or indirectly. In recognition of the important roles played by parents in the lives of their children, we honor and celebrate mothers in the month of May on Mother’s Day and fathers in the month of June on Father’s Day. This year, Mother’s Day was held on Sunday, May 12th, 2013 and Father’s Day is Sunday, June 16th, 2013.

Each year, for the past twenty-nine (29) years, in the United States, on the third Sunday in the month of June, we honor and celebrate the contributions that fathers make in the lives of their children. Dr. Sigmund Freud is reported to have said that, he could not think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection.

For a growing number of American children, they have not known the love, protection, and guidance of a father. Social science research has shown the devastating impact of fatherless homes on the lives children. Data indicates that children in fatherless homes experience more major challenges in life than those who grow up with a father at home. The following statistics on children in fatherless homes are alarming and should give any father pause when thinking about his children.

“Incarceration Rates. “Young men who grow up in homes without fathers are twice as likely to end up in jail as those who come from traditional two-parent families…those boys whose fathers were absent from the household had double the odds of being incarcerated — even when other factors such as race, income,
parent education and urban residence were held constant.” (Cynthia Harper of the University of Pennsylvania and Sara S. McLanahan of Princeton University
cited in “Father Absence and Youth Incarceration.” Journal of Research on Adolescence 14 (September 2004): 369-397.)

Suicide. 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of the Census)

Behavioral Disorders. 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders
come from fatherless homes (United States Center for Disease Control)

High School Dropouts. 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes (National Principals Association Report on the State of High Schools.)

Educational Attainment. Kids living in single-parent homes or in step-families report lower educational expectations on the part of their parents, less parental monitoring of school work, and less overall social supervision than children from intact families. (N.M. Astore and S. McLanahan, American Sociological Review, No. 56 (1991)

Juvenile Detention Rates. 70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes (U.S. Dept. of Justice, Special Report, Sept 1988)

Confused Identities. Boys who grow up in father-absent homes are more likely than those in father-present homes to have trouble establishing appropriate sex roles and gender identity.(P.L. Adams, J.R. Milner, and N.A. Schrepf, Fatherless Children, New York, Wiley Press, 1984).

Aggression. In a longitudinal study of 1,197 fourth-grade students, researchers observed “greater levels of aggression in boys from mother-only households than from boys in mother-father households.” (N. Vaden-Kierman, N. Ialongo, J. Pearson, and S. Kellam, “Household Family Structure and Children’s Aggressive Behavior: A Longitudinal Study of Urban Elementary School Children,” Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 23, no. 5 (1995).

Achievement. Children from low-income, two-parent families outperform students from high-income, single-parent homes. Almost twice as many high achievers come from two-parent homes as one-parent homes. (One-Parent Families and Their Children, Charles F. Kettering Foundation, 1990).

Delinquency. Only 13 percent of juvenile delinquents come from families in which the biological mother and father are married to each other. By contrast, 33 percent have parents who are either divorced or separated and 44 percent have parents who were never married. (Wisconsin Dept. of Health and Social Services, April 1994).

Criminal Activity. The likelihood that a young male will engage in criminal activity doubles if he is raised without a father and triples if he lives in a neighborhood with a high concentration of single-parent families. Source: A. Anne Hill, June O’Neill, Underclass Behaviors in the United States, CUNY, Baruch College. 1993”[i]

If you want to make a meanigful difference in the lives of children and youth in homes where the fathers are absent, you can support the very necessary work of nonprofit organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and/or Boys and Girls Club. Big Brothers Big Sisters has a 100 year history of providing quality youth mentoring services that have proven to have a measurable impact in the lives of: the youth served, their families and their community. Boys and Girls Club’s mission is to “…enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.” Every day, these agencies are changing the perspectives of children and enabling them to see the world around them in a more positive light. With that newfound point of view, they can see their potential more clearly and dream bigger about their future. Get involved in a child’s life.

Sources: Boys and Girls Club’s website. Big BrothersBig Sisters’ website. Indystar.com. “Father’s absence takes heavy toll on children”, Editorial, June 18, 2011. “Statistics on Fatherless Children in America”. Wayne Parker, About.com Guide. Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art.

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[i] “Statistics on Fatherless Children in America”. Wayne Parker, About.com Guide

Our members of Congress must come to the understanding that for the US economy to experience a real and sustained economic recovery they as our elected officials must pass legislation which promotes the growth of living wage jobs.

As aptly stated by Professor Lawrence H. Summers from Harvard University, “…the United States and other countries will not benefit from further measures directed at rapid deficit reduction. Output and jobs will suffer. A weaker economy means that our children may inherit an economy with more debt and less capacity to bear the burden it imposes. Already, premature deficit reduction has affected economic performance in Britain and several countries that use the euro.

The 2012 election results should have sent the message to all elected officials that the electorate is more concerned about jobs than cutting the national debt. For more than two and a half years, there has been positive private-sector job growth. In the United States, the unemployment rate declined from 8.1% in August to 7.8% in September. According to figures released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), one hundred and fourteen thousand (114,000) jobs were added that month.

In response to the release of the job growth report, AFL-CIO President said that the recent jobs report by the the BLS: “confirms that the economy is finally beginning to build some momentum, as we work to dig out of the devastatingly deep hole that President Obama inherited from George W. Bush and a generation of flawed policies. Now we need the President and Congress to build on this momentum and keep their focus on job creation, including by passing the American Jobs Act.”

Prior to the election, some political analyst asserted that the 2012 Presidential Race was all about jobs, jobs, jobs. The election results proved that they were in fact correct. The 2012 election at the federal level was all about jobs. As a result, the Democrats increased their number of seats in the United States Senate, United States House of Representatives, and they maintained the White House for a second term.

Highly regarded economists and the electorate have spoken “Trickle Down” economics failed miserably under Reagan and Bush as best demonstrated by the economic collapse— the road to recovery for our nation is in fact all about jobs, jobs, jobs.

Source(s): Washington Post, June 2, 2013. AFL-CIO. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art.

Tell Congress to Keep College Affordable for Students and Working Families. US Senator Elizabeth Warren came out with a bold proposal to have students pay the same interest rate on student loans as the big banks pay on their loans while Congress figures out a long-term solution to the problem.

Senator Warren needs our help to get more attention for it in the halls of Washington, in the media, and across the country. We can win this fight and show that Congress needs to respond to an agenda that works for us—not their big corporate backers—but only if we organize together in our communities, on college campuses, and everywhere our representatives can see us in this crucial month ahead.

On July 1, 2013, student loan rates are set to double. Last week, the Republican controlled House of Representatives voted to eliminate the fixed-interest loans for students entirely. This was a devastating move which could result in “ballooning financing costs” for new graduates struggling to survive in these particularly difficult economic times.

Stafford Loans are federal student loans made available to college and university students to supplement personal and family resources, scholarships, grants, and work-study. Nearly all students are eligible to receive Stafford loans regardless of credit. Stafford loans may be subsidized by the U.S. Government or unsubsidized depending on the student’s need. Stafford loan interest rates for 2012-2013 are currently unknown.

A 2007 law that reduced the interest rate on Stafford Loans from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent is was extended by one year. Without legislative action, subsidized Stafford loans will return to the 6.8 percent interest rate on July 1, 2013.

Each year, more than ten (10) million students use subsidized Stafford loans to help pay for college. With rising tuition costs, attending college is very difficult for many students, and the increase in interest rates would cause a college education to be out of reach for many college age people. With that knowledge, we must act to ensure that Congress passes legislation to stop student loan interest rates from doubling this summer.

Stafford Loan Information: Eligibility
You must be a U.S. citizen or national, a U.S. permanent resident, or eligible non-citizen accepted for enrollment or attending a school that participates in the Federal Family Education Loan Program. Additionally:
• You must have submitted a FAFSA to be eligible for a Stafford loan
• For subsidized Stafford, you must have financial need as determined by your school
• You must be enrolled or plan to enroll at least half time

If Stafford loan rates doubled, countless students would be affected. “We tell our children to get an education, and we owe it to them to keep that door to higher education to the middle class open.” Stafford loans have provided an opportunity for tens of millions of Americans to attend college.

A whopping 7% Stafford interest rate means that our students will be carrying our nation’s deficit. Meanwhile, banks borrow from the federal reserve at an interest rate of about 0.75%. Something just doesn’t add up. Getting an education shouldn’t mean financial devastation. Ask Congress not to double student interest rates!

For up-to-date information on this issue, check out the Student Loan Network Blog.

Tell your elected officials in Washington, DC to take swift action to pass the legislation to keep college affordable for students and working families.

Source(s): MoveOn Action Alert May 28, 2013. MPRNews On Campus, January 30, 2012. http://www.mndaily.com. http://www.staffordloan.com/stafford-loan-info/.
Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art

In response to the increasing number of deaths associated with bullying, there have been anti-bullying laws enacted across the country. Forty-four (44) states and the District of Columbia have enacted anti-bullying laws. Seven states have criminal sanctions which attach to bullying. States have created systems to investigate claims of cyber bullying that help police and school officials to better ascertain the circumstances of each occurrence and prosecute or punish the culprits to the fullest extent of the law.

The law enforcement community has responded to this growing phenomenon by seeking to diligently enforce the anti-bullying laws and working with the community to raise awareness about this pressing problem. Additionally, students, parents, educators, administrators, some elected officials and other concerned citizens have been advocating for better laws to address this growing problem. Their collective advocacy efforts have been relatively successful nationwide.

After the death of Tyler Clementi, New Jersey enacted an “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights”. New Jersey’s recently enacted “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights” is intended to eliminate loopholes in the state’s first anti-bullying law, enacted in 2002, that encouraged school districts to set up programs to combat bullying but did not mandate it. The new law requires training for most public school teachers, administrators and other employees on how to spot bullying and mandates that all districts form a school safety team to review complaints. School districts will be graded by the state on their efforts to combat the problem.

Under the Anti Bullying Bill of Rights, administrators who do not investigate reported incidents of bullying will be disciplined, while students who bully could be suspended or expelled. School employees will also be required to report all incidents they learn of, whether they took place in or outside of school. The effective implementation of this law should serve to provide children and youth with a sense of safety and freedom from being intimidated or harassed.

The Obama administration has joined the efforts to combat bullying. His administration is directing resources for the express purpose of reducing bullying in schools and to raising awareness around its ramifications, and, of course, to countering its negative impact. Toward that end, the White House convened a conference on preventing bullying, on Thursday, March 11, 2011. The Obama administration launched of a new website, http://www.stopbullying.gov, devoted to bullying prevention. There are other resources available to combat bullying including but not limited to: the Cyberbullying Research Center website.

The Cyberbullying Research Center website provides information about the nature, extent, causes, and consequences of cyber bullying among adolescents. The Center’s overarching goal is to bring sound research about cyber bullying to the forefront; and serve as a clearinghouse of information concerning the use and misuse technology by adolescents. (Cyberbullying Research Center).

For further information on cyber bulling, there are several websites you can visit including but not limited: http://www.fightcrime.org; http://www.bullypolice.org; http://www.healthline.com; http://www.cyberbullying.us; http://www.stopbullying.org; http://www.stopbullying.gov; http://www.isafe.org ; and others.

Source(s): §2 – C.18A:37-13.1 §1 – C.18A:37-13.2 §16 – C.18A:37-15.3 §§17; http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2010/Bills/AL10/122_.PDF. Fight Crime.org; Bully Police USA, Inc.; Healthline.com; Politics Daily; MyFoxPhilly.com;NJ.com; Cyber Research Center; Stop Bullying, Inc.; i-Safe, Inc.; “NJ Assembly, Senate Passes “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights’ in Wake of Tyler Clementi’s Death” November 22, 2010, NJ.com; “Rutgers Student Tyler Clementi Commits Suicide After Video Voyeurism”, October 5, 2010, Star Ledger.

Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art

Because of the growing prevalence of homelessness in our nation, this post highlights the very necessary work undertaken by Volunteers of America to eradicate homelessness for individuals and families nation wide.

An important component of their work is working with the individual or family until they have returned to self-sufficiency. Volunteers of America services for the homeless or persons at risk of homelessness include but are not limited: supportive services, emergency shelter, outreach, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing.

For further information about the services offered by Volunteers of America nation-wide, visit their website at http://voa.org/Get-Help/National-Network-of-Services/Homelessness.aspx.

Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art

Each year in the month of May, on Memorial Day, we honor the lives of fallen U.S. soldiers. Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of the month of May which commemorates U.S. soldiers who died while in military service. Initially, Memorial Day was enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War. After World War I, the decision was made that the holiday would honor Americans who have died in all wars. This year, Memorial Day is celebrated on Monday, May 27, 2013.

As was aptly stated in the Washington Post, “…with a spring that brought news of international conflict, ongoing U.S. wars and the death of Osama bin Laden, the road to Memorial Day seems particularly hard-fought.” Research indicates that the lives of over four thousand lives US service persons have been lost as result of Operation Iraq Freedom and over sixteen hundred lives related to Operation Enduring Freedom.

To get a better picture of the lives lost in Operation Iraq Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, you can visit the Washington Post website. The portion of Washington Post website entitled “fallen” seeks to provide the publication’s readers with knowledge about the fallen soldiers such as their age, year of death, hometown, and military branch.

Sources: Washington Post. http://www.memorialday2011.org. http://www.apples4teacher.com. washingtonpost.com/fallen/.

Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art