St. Paul public libraries are providing free lunches this summer. This is the first time the libraries have served free lunches. Librarians saw the need for the service after so many children were showing up hungry.
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Category: government
“Designed to fail” system of public education
Protestors march to Pennsylvania’s state capital to oppose Governor Corbett’s planned budget cuts to public education. These cuts will largely affect poor and underserved children. On the state chopping block are art, music, and library programs.
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Doing Better for Families
Poverty in households with children is rising in nearly all OECD countries. Governments should ensure that family support policies protect the most vulnerable, according to the OECD’s first-ever report on family well-being.
Doing Better for Families says that families with children are more likely to be poor today than in previous decades, when the poorest in society were more likely to be pensioners.
OECD (2011), Doing Better for Families
Permanent homes for homeless vets
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) allotted $15 million in funds to build permanent housing structures for homeless veterans. The following existing HUD grantees or ‘Continuums of Care’ located near the following military installations will each receive $2 million: MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida; Camp Pendleton in San Diego, California; Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas; Fort Drum in Watertown, New York; and Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Washington. In addition, VA medical centers in the following areas will each receive $1 million: Tampa, San Diego, Dallas, Syracuse, New York; and American Lake in Washington.
National Call Center for Homeless Veterans
“The Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) has founded a National Call Center for Homeless Veterans hotline to ensure that homeless Veterans or Veterans at-risk for homelessness have free, 24/7 access to trained counselors. The hotline is intended to assist homeless Veterans and their families, VA Medical Centers, federal, state and local partners, community agencies, service providers and others in the community. To be connected with a trained VA staff member call 1-877-4AID VET (877-424-3838)…
What will happen when I call?
* You will be connected to a trained VA staff member. * Hotline staff will conduct a brief screen to assess your needs. * Homeless Veterans will be connected with the Homeless Point of Contact at the nearest VA facility. * Family members and non-VA providers calling on behalf of a homeless Veteran will be provided with information regarding the homeless programs and services available. * Contact information will be requested so staff may follow-up.”
Helping Patrons Through Hard Times
Washington State Library sees library patrons suffering and they are offering assistance. Their partnership with the Washington State Employment Security Department/WorkSource (ESD) provides information/training; online resources; face-to-face training for library staff with employment services staff; online training on topics of interest; and programs for volunteers to help neighbors in the library all in an effort to get communities through these hard times. See Hard Times online.