Amazing Donations

Someone Really Cares About Homeless People.

We received a donation of mats made out of plastic bags from the grocery store.  Click over to the story to see pictures of these amazing mats.  Speaking of donations, we did not make our goal of 5,000 blankets this year.  I think that the mild winter made it harder to get people into the frame of mind for donating.  Plus we actually did not need as many blankets.  There was not as many nights of overflow needed this last winter.

Click here to see the mats and read more about donations.
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Support the National Coalition for the Homeless

Crisis Hidden in Plain Site

I am a proud member of NCH’s board of directors, and over the years I’ve gotten an up-close look at the amazing work of this small but feisty, progressive, and passionate advocacy organization.  NCH is, simply put, the leading national voice for homeless and formerly-homeless people and progressive advocates in the ongoing struggle to end homelessness and protect the civil rights of those experiencing homelessness. 

That struggle has never been more vital than now, in the midst attacks on the safety net; efforts to criminalize homelessness in cities throughout Ohio, and a concerted effort to limit access to the ballot box for minority and low income populations.  We have seen a failure of leaders in Washington to work on comprehensive solutions to homelessness and instead pit one subgroup against another.  We have seen a failure of some advocacy groups to tackle the root causes of homelessness.  

I can assure you that NCH is standing as a national voice for those living on the streets or in the shelters for a comprehensive solution to end homelessness for all populations. I have helped work on a national foreclosure report to show how it impacts the homeless population, and I have chaired the National Civil Rights Organizing Project.  I know that the staff and board have regularly appealed to elected officials and federal bureaucrats to expand housing opportunities to meet the dramatic rise in homelessness and poverty since the economic crisis began.  NCH has, like many other progressive groups, also had to struggle with financial hardships in recent years – but we keep on fighting. 

So here’s why I’m asking for your help right now:  NCH has launched a special short-term appeal, called “Crisis Hidden in Plain View,” and a generous supporter has given us a $30,000 matching grant.  Their goal is to match and exceed that amount by mid-March – and I’d be so grateful if you could help us reach that goal.

Here’s where you can find information about the appeal and where you can donate:

National Coalition for the Homeless – Crisis Hidden in Plain View:

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/advocacy/crisis.html

Donate to NCH:

https://npo.networkforgood.org/Donate/Donate.aspx?npoSubscriptionId=1001845

Show them that Ohio cares and that we value a strong national advocacy organization.  Thank you so much for any help you can give.

Brian Davis

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More Blankets Coming In

Still Seeking Blankets

The holidays are now over, but the we still have three long months of winter.  Those warm fuzzy feelings of the Christmas season are fading, but homeless people still need your help.  We are still collecting blankets for homeless people who are resistant to shelter.  Thanks to Mission and Members of Holy Trinity Church on East 131st Street for collecting blanket this last week.  We distributed those and are looking for help from other churches, synagogues or civic organizations in the community.  Our goal is to collect between 3,000 and 5,000 blankets this year. 

Brian

PS the above picture is from the Transformation Art Center at the Cosgrove Center. 
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Distributing Toys

NBC Today Show Toys and Household Items Distributed by NEOCH Staff

NEOCH Staff Wrapped and Distributed Toys Locally
Every year, NEOCH is the local recipient of the NBC Today Show Toy Drive gifts.  These are books, toys, and other household items donated by major retailers in the United States to go to children and families in shelters.   This year William (Santa hat) and Larry played Santa Claus by distributing the items.  Ms. Harris and Ms. Barnes wrapped the toys that we received from HomeGoods.  We gave out new cutting boards and kitchen cutlery and cooks' tools to those in transition to housing.  We distributed women's intimates, and bath and soap items to a women's shelters.  We gave away winter clothing, and a few smaller items that came in.  All of these items are new and the kids items we wrapped and delivered to family shelters with name tags identifying who would appreciate the toys the most.  This is a great program for shelters throughout the United States.  Thanks to NBC and the Today show and all the corporations which participate in this program.

Brian
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We Are Still Looking for Blankets for Winter

Blanket Drive 2011

As you take a few days off for the holidays, please remember that we are still looking for donations this winter especially for those resistant to shelter.  Possible donated items that we distribute at the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless to outreach workers who then deliver it to homeless people:

1.    New Socks
2.    RTA one day Bus Tickets
3.    New underwear (any sizes)
4.    Trial size soaps, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant
5.    Toothbrushes, disposable razors, Ziploc sandwich bags
6.    Blankets
7.    Towels/ hand wash cloths
8.    Tissue/Kleenex
9.    Hand sanitizer
10.    Water Bottles
For larger donations of blankets (over 35) we can pick up!! Call Larry Davis at NEOCH 216/432-0540 or bring them downtown to 3631 Perkins Ave. just off of I-90 near Cleveland State University.
Press call 32 at the door. 

We are delivering the toys and household items we have collected on Thursday of this week as part of the NBC Toy Drive.

Last reminder that the Homeless Memorial Day is Wednesday December 21, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. at St. Patricks Hunger Center on the near west side of Cleveland on the corner of Bridge Ave and West 37th St.  State Senator Nina Turner will be our featured speaker along with religious leaders.

Brian
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Olivet Baptist Church Collects Blankets

Blankets Collected from Olivet Baptist Church 2011

Thanks for your Support

The members of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church collected well over 400 blankets for homeless people in Cleveland this summer.  This was a part of their "Christmas in July" celebration.  We have already delivered half of the blankets to the Bishop Cosgrove Center and to Care Alliance.  Tonight we will give out the rest to the outreach teams who go out every night and serve those resistant to shelter in Cleveland.  Each of the blankets has a gift tag with the name of the donor.  Thanks to the Adams', the Lawsons', and to Ms. Pitts, and the hundreds of other families who contributed a blanket from the church.  Our volunteer coordinator, Larry Davis, was overwhelmed with the large number of blanket the members of Olivet collected when he picked them up this week.

This reminds us that winter is right around the corner, and we have a goal of collecting 5,000 blankets this winter up from 3,000 last year.  As part of this blanket collection, we are collaborating with the Bishop Cosgrove Center on a kickoff luncheon on October 21, 2011 called the Hand Up Gala.  For everyone who donates their name will be entered into a fabulous auction.  All proceeds that we raise from the fundraiser will go to the collection and distribution of blankets and winter items over the next six months.  You can donate to this fundraiser on-line and indicate "hand up gala" in the purpose line by clicking here.

Brian
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CWRU Socks: Social Justice Question #1

Photo by Cheryl Jones from the Grapevine Photo Project

CWRU: Is the Mortgage Interest Deduction Fair?

The students of CWRU are doing a project in which all the incoming freshmen are reading the same book. The Common reading program is centered around Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? by Michael Sandel. As part of this project they are collecting donations and socks to distribute to homeless people in Cleveland. NEOCH is assisting with this project by putting together a section of our website that provides additional information and resources in the community. One aspect of this project is to prompt the students to begin to talk about social justice issues. We have put together a series of social justice questions around housing and homelessness. We hope to solicit discussion here on the blog and in the local community with comments and debate.

Question: Is it just that the U.S. Government gives a huge mortgage interest deduction of $110 billion per year to home owners while only $4.79 billion is spent on targeted homeless programs in the United States?

Sometime during what historians call the Progressive Era in this country, the government determined that homeownership should be a part of the American dream, and they decided to try to make that dream attainable for everyone. Since then, the government has instituted a plethora of policies in the name of “increasing homeownership.” What most people either forget or choose to ignore, however, is that while the middle-class has consistently expanded over the last century, those left behind, those stuck in the trap of poverty and homelessness, have had precious few bones thrown their way. If the government truly wants to help those most in need with the dream of owning their own house, it should reexamine how it currently spends much of its discretionary money.

The $110 billion that is spent (or more accurately, not collected) per year in mortgage interest deductions is consistently advertised as helping those in the lower-income brackets afford to own a home by allowing them to deduct mortgage interest payments from their income taxes. However, if this is truly the government’s aim, helping lower-income homeowners, they are largely wasting their money. This is because the vast bulk of mortgage interest deductions come from those with the highest incomes. According to the Tax Foundation, those earning in excess of $75,000 per year account for 53.8% of mortgage interest deductions claimed, while accounting for just 16% of all tax returns filed. In contrast, those earning less than $30,000 per year account for just 9.3% of mortgage interest deductions claimed while accounting for 51.9% of all tax returns filed.

There are several reasons why mortgage interest deductions disproportionately benefit the wealthy, the biggest being that in order to receive a mortgage interest deduction, one must itemize their tax return, which many lower-income taxpayers do not do because the incentive for doing so is much less for them than for those in higher income brackets. The bottom line is that if this is a way for the government to “help out” lower-income homeowners, it isn’t really working. In fact, all it is doing is accounting for lost revenue from wealthier Americans, those who can afford to own a house without benefiting from such deductions. Now consider the $4.79 billion that is spent annually on targeted homeless programs. This is such a small number compared to the government’s overall budget that it is laughable. And yet, compared to tax breaks that benefit the wealthy, it has been proven over and over that such direct spending on lower-income, poverty stricken populations is much more effective in helping the overall strength of the economy. This means that the government can expect to get more back for its money.

So why is it that the government spends so little money on homeless services? It’s not really surprising when you consider that compared to middle-class Americans, homeless people have so little political clout, and thus are often ignored by politicians. That means that from a government purporting to do everything in its power to help those in need, homeless people aren’t receiving their fair share of the pie. So no, it isn’t just that while homeowners receive $110 billion per year in mortgage-related tax breaks, homeless services agencies are left scuffling with their meager $4.79 billion. The reasons listed above are largely economic, but it also goes against every moral and ethical obligation that we as a society should feel to completely ignore those of us in the unfortunate situation of not being able to afford a home.

by Sam the Intern
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CWRU Hosting Sock Drive

Socks from Spartans and Common Reading Program

The Students at Case Western Reserve University, as part of 2011 orientation, are doing a Common Reading Program with the book Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? by Michael Sandel. Professor Sandel teaches government at Harvard, and will speak at the Fall Convocation on Wednesday August 31 at Severance Hall regarding justice issues. As part of this presentation and orientation programming, students are collecting new socks to distribute in the Cleveland shelters and to those resistant to shelter in the area as a sign of their commitment to justice. NEOCH has put together a section of our website to assist the students with local resources. There are links all over our website to this page www.neoch.org/cwru.htm.

The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, one of the leading social justice organizations in the community, is partnering with CWRU and the "Socks from Spartans" program to assist with the distribution of this vital resource in the homeless community. NEOCH will also act as a springboard for discussion about issues of justice in the area of housing and homelessness. The Coalition for the Homeless has year round volunteer opportunities or internships for students, information about homelessness/social justice and we also have developed ways to weave the knowledge learned during orientation into the day to day college experience while working on solutions to big community problems. The Justice Harvard website has recent interviews with Professor Sandel and a discussion section.

NEOCH have already begun distributing the socks. Yesterday we took a large bag over to the Cosgrove Center to distribute. Thanks to the students for all their help. There is nothing like putting on a new pair of socks especially after having to walk all day interviewing for jobs, trying to find food, and looking for housing in the community. We would be interested in hearing from CWRU students about the orientation, about the book Justice:What's the Right Thing to Do? or about the collection of items to distribute to homeless people in the comments section.

Brian Davis
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Blanket Drive 2011 Revisited

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Underwear Turns into Blankets

As many of our faithful blog readers may remember just before the holiday season NEOCH received a donation of new thong underwear for 100 homeless women. As one can imagine NEOCH staff were a little taken aback by the donation. We wondered if it would appear inappropriate for us to donate them to shelters. To address this concern we put it to a vote on our blog, and contacted The Plain Dealer. The blog readers voted that we should go ahead and donate them. The Plain Dealer article mentioned that during the winter month’s blankets and warm clothing is also a welcome and much needed donation. Those one hundred pairs of thong underwear generated many blanket donations. I just recently drove to Olmstead Falls to pick up a large number of blankets. A local business owner in Olmstead Falls coordinated a blanket drive after reading about the donation of thongs in the newspaper. This Olmstead Falls resident said she plans on doing another blanket drive next year.

Many blankets were donated due to the major media outlets that went into a frenzy over the discovery of Ted Williams and his “Golden Voice.” Brian Davis was interviewed in response to Mr. Williams’s overnight success. Brian pointed out that Cleveland’s homeless shelters are full of talented people. He also pointed out that on an average night roughly 4,000 people are homeless in Cleveland and that the donation of blankets is vital to survival in the winter months. The owner of a Medina County auto repair store (RADAIR, Complete Car Care) viewed this interview on the news and coordinated an expansive blanket drive that raised almost 1,000 blankets, many were waterproof outdoor blankets which the homeless outreach workers of Cleveland, who visit people living outside on a regularly basis greatly appreciated. These waterproof outdoor blankets were amazing, and all of us have to thank Lisa and the other RADAIR staff for all their hard work.

These are just two examples of the many blanket donations NEOCH has received. Since December over 1500 blankets have been donated to NEOCH and distributed to various shelters and homeless social service providers. The community has done a fantastic job in helping those living in the shelters and on the streets of Cleveland.

by Holly Lyon
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Blanket Drive 2011

Thanks For Your Support!!!

We have had an outpouring of support from churches, citizens, and businesses donating blankets to serve homeless people. We have given out 800 blankets so far to people who sleep outside and those living in the emergency shelters in Cleveland. A special thanks to the Diocese of Cleveland St. Vincent Depaul Society for purchasing 300 blankets and delivering them to us yesterday. This is going to be a huge help to the shelters and the outreach teams in Cleveland. Thanks to everyone who have helped out. We will be collecting blankets through March 2011. If you have 35 blankets or more collected, we can come out and pick them up. If you can only donate blankets in the evening, there are two shelters that can accept your donation. Call NEOCH for more details 216/432-0540.

Also, remember that InterAct Cleveland is collecting other items for the 2011 Stand Down. They are collecting winter clothing and hygiene items for the January 30 and February 18 Stand Down.

Brian
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Underwear Saga Complete

The People Have Spoken
Forty six people joined our poll over what exactly we should do with the donation of thong underwear that we received over the holidays. The majority of the people said "It is just underwear--give it away.

Yes, not a problem, it is just underwear	24 (52%)
It is questionable, but since they are donated do it	8 (17%)
Donate them to a non-homeless facility	7 (15%)
It is inappropriate don't do it	7 (15%)

We have given away all the underwear. We gave it to women in transition, so those ready to move out onto their own. We also gave it out at a daytime shelter. These were really nice pieces of clothing that were rather expensive, and the women were extremely appreciative. Thanks to those who weighed in on this issue. I think for the old geezers in our office (like me) who saw thong underwear, and could not understand what a corporate executive was thinking when they sent this out. It just seemed strange to me for a corporate exec to say, "I really want to help out our society today, I will send some thong underwear out to homeless people throughout the county." What I have found in my extensive underwear research is that people are loyal to their choice in underwear. People have a strong commitment to briefs, granny pants, boxers, or thongs--no matter if they are homeless or housed.

Brian
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Happy Holidays from NEOCH

Happy Holidays from NEOCH!

As we finish the year, we at the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless want to thank you for all your support in 2010. We advocated for the 20,000 who found themselves without housing by marketing the affordable housing website that allows individuals to find a home. We also work to assure that public resources are available to those in need of a hand up. NEOCH works every day to assure that anyone in need of shelter has a quality decent place to spend the night.

For those who avoid shelter, we coordinate the diverse agencies providing outreach services. Our goal is to provide access to well informed professionals, public assistance, blankets, resources, or food in order to build a trusting relationship with those living outside. We work to educate media, young adults and communities of faith about homelessness and the solutions to homelessness with 36 presentations in 2010. We work to teach organizing skills to people experiencing homelessness so that those individuals will have the tools to work on finally solving the problem associated with a lack of affordable housing.

We have worked with local universities and the federal government to host interns and support staff who work to solve problems, such as creating the Family Street Card, maintaining our website, and assisting with all of our research projects. In light of the huge anticipated changes taking place after the last election and the passage of the HEARTH Act that will fundamentally change homeless services in the United States, the NEOCH director has taken a leadership role with the National Coalition for the Homeless Board. He meets regularly with federal officials to assure that the needs of those living in Ohio are heard in Washington DC.

We’re proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish with your support. We could not have done it without you! Pictured here are three of our five staff paid through federal grants. Proving once again that NEOCH has the ability to stretch a dollar and that your federal tax dollars are reinvested in the local community. 2011 will be just as challenging with the changes in state and county government.

We hope that you can make a tax deductible donation to NEOCH over the holiday season so that we can continue our work to bring housing justice to Greater Cleveland. You can support NEOCH by going to our website and clicking on "donate now" or just following this link here. Your support is needed now more than ever.

With Appreciation,
NEOCH Board and Staff
Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a healthy New Year.

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Take Our Poll

Should NEOCH Distribute Donated Thong Underwear??

Every year in December we collect toys and blankets to distribute. All the toys are donated new mostly from major toy manufacturers in the United States. This year, we received a donation that stopped us in our tracks. We received 80 new individually wrapped thong underwear packages for distribution to the homeless population. No, I did not mean to type long underwear, which we would love to have donated. A major corporation donated new (high priced) thong underwear to homeless groups throughout the country.

What do you think that we should do with the thong underwear? We have posted a poll on the right hand side of this blog to solicit your opinion. You are also welcome to comment on this post. Is it appropriate to donate to women living in a homeless shelter thong underwear? Is it appropriate to distribute this underwear to facilities that are closely associated with churches and the religious community? Some people connect thong underwear with date night, and so is it appropriate giving these items out? Besides high school boys, is there a thong underwear lobby who will be offended by even having the discussion? There are certainly religious conservatives who will not want the thong underwear distributed on their property. What do you think that we should do with this thong underwear for the holidays?

Brian
PS: If you can donate blankets, we are always looking for this help. If you have more than 35 blankets to donate, we will come out and pick them up. We distribute them to people sleeping outside and to the shelters in Cleveland. During the winter months, we can never have enough blankets.
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Flu Outbreak and Homelessness

Homeless Providers Call for Prevention Efforts to Avoid Swine Flu Spread In Local Homeless Shelters

How do you stay away from those with the flu if you live in a homeless shelter with 40 to 400 other people? The worst fear of all the homeless social service providers in the community is that the latest flu outbreak will materialize in a congregate living facility. The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, Care Alliance, and Volunteers of America are asking for donations of hand sanitizer, blankets, bottled water, and tissues to be distributed to the homeless shelters and unsheltered homeless persons to help us prevent the spread of the new strain of flu.

Our efforts will be to collect and distribute these items to all of the shelters in Cuyahoga County. This will help minimize swine flu (2009 H1N1 flu) outbreaks in Northeast Ohio. Often, homeless people do not have access to even the simplest means to prevent them from getting sick. Shelters and homeless programs in many cases cannot afford these items in the quantity needed to contain the spread of this virus.

Swine flu is spread through the air when infected people cough or sneeze. People who are homeless are at higher risk because they come together in large groups for meals and live in group quarters. Many times these facilities are not adequate places to wash hands and it is not always possible for them to “stay at home when they are sick.”

Medication is available to treat swine flu, but it must be taken within 48 hours of symptom onset to be effective. The symptoms include fever, muscle aches, cough, sore throat, headache, and diarrhea or vomiting (or both). Since many homeless people do not have access to timely physician treatment, prevention is vital.

We are urging people to donate hand sanitizers, tissues, water, and blankets to the Volunteers of America Shelter on Walton Ave. (2710 Walton Ave) in the Clark Fulton neighborhood. The Homeless Coalition and Care Alliance will work to distribute these items to all of the shelters locally. We need 750 to 1,000 boxes of tissue and hand sanitizer to distribute to all of the shelters over the next month.

For more information, contact Brian Davis of NEOCH at 216/432-0540. To contact Care Alliance (Cleveland’s Health Care for the Homeless) call Donna Kelly at 216/924-0275. To contact the Volunteers of America call Martin Williams at 216/621-0120

For More Information call:

Brian Davis at NEOCH, 216/432-0540

Donna Kelly at Care Alliance 216/781-6228

Martin Williams at Volunteers of America 216/621-0120

Brian Davis
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There Are a Number of Angry People

Photo by Pleasure Simmons--Not for republication--copyright maintained by artist.

We Received this Back in the Mail Today

We sent out our membership mailing a couple of weeks back, and discovered that there are a few people who are very angry about the results of the last election. I have no problem with this type of anger, but write down your name and be willing to stand behind your opinions. This was delivered anonymously. If nothing else we would take this individual off our mailing list, so that we do not raise the ire of a former donor with any future request for a donation.

"Please forward this request to the White House and suggest that the President consider it as part of his redistribution plan. Ask that he distributes to you whatever he wishes from the additional portion of money he will be taking from me as part of that redistribution. Good Luck.

p.s. And, as long as Obama is president, please send all future requests for a charitable contribution directly to the White House."

This was written in same festive red printing, but without a name attached. How are we supposed to forward all future requests if we do not know who this person is? I am not sure how effective this plan will be to send all charitable requests to the White House, but we are willing to try. I pay pretty close attention to national politics and policies that would have an impact on homeless, and have not heard about this Obama redistribution plan. I will keep an eye out for an announcement as part of the transition. Thanks for the information, and maybe we need to give the new guy in office a chance to take the oath before we start criticizing him.

Brian
Posts by Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless staff and Board.

Kickoff for 2009 Stand Down

Photo by InterAct Cleveland of the Ear, Nose and Throat Docs from MetroHealth Hospital who attended the 2008 Stand Down for free exams.

Stand Up for the Next Stand Down

It is time to gear up for the next Stand Down. We will begin the process for collecting clothing, hygiene kits, and winter clothing. We will begin gathering volunteers for this huge undertaking of three days of social services, rest and relaxation. The official kick off is Sunday September 21 at 2 p.m. at Calvary Presbyterian Church at East 79th and Euclid Ave. The 2009 is set to begin the last week in January in 2009 with the big event at the Convention Center on Friday February 6. Presenters will talk about opportunities to volunteer, goals for this year, and an overview of the previous efforts. For more information call Toni Sacco at InterAct at 216/241-0230 for more information.

Brian Davis
Posts by Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless staff and Board.

Speaking of Donations...

Questionable Solicitors at the West Side Market

Speaking of where to donate your charitable dollars...I am all for second chances, but should a guy convicted multiple times for theft be the representative to ask for money for St. Jude's Hospital? The Grapevine vendors are complaining about a guy standing behind the West Side Market asking for donations for St. Jude's Hospital. He did this last year, and this year was given a license by the City of Cleveland Parks Department. His name is Steve, and he has a long history of questionable activities with charities including NEOCH, the Salvation Army, St. Augustine with multiple arrests and convictions for theft, grand theft, receiving stolen property, passing bad checks, unauthorized use of a credit card, and more between 1990 and 2000.

I am a big supporter of the Second Chance Act, and reintegrating those coming out of incarceration back into society, but there are some jobs that may not be appropriate. I mean, it takes a great deal of trust to put cash into a person's hand and expect it to get to the charity. Just as I would not hire Jim Bakker or Winona Ryder as cashiers, Steve may not be the best person to ask for cash for St. Jude's Hospital. St. Jude's feels bad that they sent all the material to Steve, and we now know that the City does not do a background check on the people requesting a permit for soliciting charitable dollars. Steve told St. Jude's that he was raising dollars by conducting a craft fair, but instead is asking for money while standing behind the West Side Market. Last year, he gave the charity $800 and also stood behind the Market asking for money during the holidays. Now, I am sure that the Salvation Army can raise more than $800 a day behind the West Side Market, but certainly they could do it in two days. Otherwise, it would not be worth paying those guys $7 per hour to ring the bell all day in the cold. Steve pulled a permit for an entire week.

Shoppers beware of who you give your money to. This includes panhandlers, bell ringers, charity solicitors, and Grapevine vendors. The badged vendors of the Grapevine are a good bet. Make sure that you get a paper or call us at NEOCH. If they are rude or inappropriate in any way, let us know and we can yank their badge. The red kettle of the Salvation Army is a good bet. Those guys have a code of conduct, a permit, and their is local oversight. You might want to avoid Steve, the convicted felon, "raising" money for St. Jude's Hospital. Your choice-you decide.

Brian
Posts by Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless staff and Board.