NEOCH Annual Meeting

Congratulations to Chandra and Stowe NEOCH Award Winners

The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless held its annual meeting on March 15, 2012.  We introduced our 2011 Annual Report which is available on our website here.  We also gave out awards and had a nice meal provided by the Board.   Subodh Chandra was recognized as the Advocate of the Year for all his work protecting the rights of homeless to vote in person.  The Board recognized Brent Stowe from Lakewood as the Volunteer of the Year for 2011 for his help in restarting the street newspaper locally.

For more information go here.
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Homeless Stand Down 2012

A Wonderful Day for Those Experiencing Homelessness

2012 Homeless Stand Down (photo by William Gilmore)

2012 Stand Down at the Masonic Auditorium (photo by William Gilmore)

All reports from the Stand Down was that it was a great day for those experiencing homelessness.  There was a very good positive article in the Plain Dealer.  HandsOn NEO took the lead and did a great job coordinating this huge event.  Our long time partner, InterAct Cleveland, went out of business, and HandsOn Northeast Ohio took on all the responsibilities of this critical event.  This is the 20th year for the City of Cleveland to feature an all day service fair for veterans and non-veterans in the same facility on the same day.  Cleveland was the first city to expand the Stand Down to include non-veterans in the early 1990s.  Stand Down is a military term for a period of rest away from the battlefield.  The Stand Down originated in San Diego as a day in which every part of the Veterans Administration along and most other government agencies who serve veterans would meet on an open field and set up tents to provide housing, jobs, benefit check and health care screenings.

Cleveland has done the Stand Down at Cuyahoga Community College campus, Old Stone Church, Trinity Cathedral, the Cosgrove Center, the Convention Center and now at the Masonic Auditorium over the years.  We have served 700 to 1,700 people depending on the year and the size of the facility.  NEOCH began partnering with InterAct in 2003 after years of doing it ourselves.  We moved the Stand Down to the winter as a Winter ReStock operation.  The thinking was that those who spend time on the streets get a boost from all the volunteers and help during the holiday, but by the end of January all of those winter items were worn out or lost and they needed a hand up.  I really believe the Stand Down is an important event for the community that many wait months to attend.

It is important to have all the services in one place. The 2012 Stand Down took place on Sunday January 22  at the Masonic Auditorium on Euclid Ave.   It is great that all of these volunteers show up to help.  There are valuable items given away, and a great deal of information passed onto the community.  But on the individual level it is transformational for the people who attend.  I have seen many people show up beat down by the stress of finding a bed and food every day, and walk out with a full heart, full stomachs, a full bag of winter clothing, and full of hope for the future.  They get a haircut, a beautiful portrait, new clothing, and a relaxing day centered around their needs.  I have had women who had their lives saved after discovering a lump at the breast cancer screenings at the Stand Down. A lot of people who are resistant to shelter wait for the winter coats and boots.  There is entertainment, food, and a chance to catch up with a social worker or a friend you may not have seen for many years.

The care volunteers at the Stand Down are highly professional and sensitive to the needs of the population.  They go above and beyond to make the men and women feel welcome and the whole event is centered around those without housing.   Despite the large number of people, HandsOn did a nice job efficiently and effectively serving those who were requesting help.  Here are the numbers from the 2012 Stand Down:

840 people attended including families.
172 haircuts were completed free of charge.
89 Podiatry screenings.
147 non-food service volunteers helped out, and a total of 400 volunteers to stage the days activities. 

Thanks to the community for opening its arms to help those in need with some extra tender loving care on one day out of the year.

Brian
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Hand's On Needs Your Help with Stand Down

Stand Down 2012

The 2012 Stand Down is set for January 22, 2012 at the Masonic Auditorium.  Since InterACT has gone out of business, Hands On Northeast Ohio is taking the lead in the Stand Down.  They are doing most of the planning and especially gathering the volunteers.  They are looking for volunteers to help with the transportation and organizing of the event on the couple of days before the Stand Down.  Volunteers are gathering on Friday January 20th at Pilgrim Church in Tremont and Saturday January 21 to get ready for the event.  For more information or to volunteer call 216/432-9390. 

Larry Davis
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Homeless Support Collective Bargaining in Ohio

May 6, 2011 Homeless will Collect Petition Signatures

Many homeless individuals were laid off union workers or certainly want to be part of a union in the near future. We all realize that union membership means social justice in the work place. Many are concerned about attack on collective bargaining taking place in Ohio, Wisconsin, New Jersey and Indiana. The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless along with the Coalitions in Cincinnati and Columbus are proclaiming Friday May 6, 2011 as "Homeless Support Collective Bargaining Day in Ohio." Volunteers and advocates will work on May 6 to get Senate Bill 5 legislation on the November 2011 ballot by collecting petition signatures.

Vendors at the three street newspapers (Cleveland Street Chronicle, Cincinnati Street Sense, and Columbus Street Speech) will be collecting signatures for part of the day. We will also have volunteers go into the area shelters to gather signatures to overturn SB 5. Contrary to popular belief most people experiencing homelessness are registered to vote and a higher percentage then the rest of the population actually do vote. Homeless people are well educated on current events and are concerned about this attack on public employees. They have a special relationship with EMS workers, social workers at the Department of Human Services, Community College professors, and continuing education teachers who will all be impacted by these new rules. There is a big concern that this is only the beginning of a broader attack on unions in the state.

If you would like to volunteer on Friday May 6, please call the office at 216/432-0540 in Cleveland to help collect petition signatures. You will go out in pairs to the shelters and drop in centers to collect signatures. We need your help to protect collective bargaining in Ohio.

Brian
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Award: Special Projects Volunteer

Special Events Volunteer of the Year for 2010: Dominica Dearing

The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless presented a Special Events Volunteer of the Year award to Dominica Dearing. She is a graduate of Ursuline College and is currently attending Tiffin University for her Master’s Degree. Dominica regularly comes to NEOCH to volunteer, and helped with the Hand Up Gala in 2010. Dominica raises her son and oversees a real estate company. Dominica was able to work with her son’s music teacher at Brush High School to bring them to the Cosgrove Center last year and sing for the guests at the Hand Up Gala. This was mentioned as one of the highlights of the afternoon by many guests. Dominica thanked the board for this recognition. Pictured above is Dominica receiving the award with her mother to the left.

Brian
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David Westcott Volunteer of the Year

2010 NEOCH Volunteer of the Year: Larry Davis

Larry Davis is the 2010 David Westcott volunteer of the year for 2010, and was given the award at the March NEOCH Annual meeting. Davis came to NEOCH in 2006 as a volunteer by way of the Cleveland Tenants Organization. He is a veteran of the US military who has taken a leadership role within his church and the apartment buildings that he lives in. Larry, previously was an AmeriCorps VISTA for a year and a half, and now is a Mature Services member doing community organizing for CTO. He regularly volunteers 20 hours a week at NEOCH to help with the Street Voices project and assigning volunteers useful work for the organization. Larry is a key member of the Stand Down leadership committee and started a blanket and winter clothing drive at NEOCH in 2009 that continues today.

Pictured above is Roy Love, (left) NEOCH Board Vice President, presenting the award to Davis (right) at the March 19 NEOCH annual meeting. Larry talked about his reasons for coming to NEOCH and his commitment to working on social justice issues in Cleveland. Davis in accepting the award mentioned all the people who have helped him overcome obstacles, and his desire to give back to the community. He thanked the board for the award, and appreciated the time that he has spent at NEOCH. Larry welcomes other volunteers to assist the Coalition. If you would like to help out with clerical, research, civil rights, or other advocacy projects contact Larry at 216/432-0540 ext 103. NEOCH can utilize volunteers for a day or just a couple of hours a month.

Brian

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VISTA MLK Day Project

"A Day On Not a Day Off"--MLK Day

“We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers. Our abundance has brought us neither peace of mind nor serenity of spirit.”---Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love, 1963

For Martin Luther King Jr. day a few of us Cleveland VISTA’s planned a class that included meditation and creative expression through various art forms at a Cleveland men’s shelter. Kimberly Sandoval, Monica Christoperson, Annie Holden all VISTAs at Lutheran Metropolitan ministries, and Holly Lyon a VISTA at the Northeast Ohio Coalition organized the event.

The class started with a brief tutorial on to practice mindfulness, a form of meditation. We then did a few mindfulness exercises followed by artistic expressions as a form of stress relief. Some residents wrote journal entries, drew pictures or contributed inspirational quotes. Several collaborative posters were made out of the art work and will be hung in the shelter.

The best part of the class was socializing with the residents as we all worked on our individual art projects. Many laughs and stories were exchanged. All of us contributing VISTAs hope to develop a regular artistic expression class at the shelter.

Holly
[Editor's Note: Holly is an AmeriCorps*VISTA member at NEOCH, and took the day to coordinate a volunteer activity at the shelter. This was part of President Obama's call to service on MLK day. VISTAs everyday work on solving poverty in the local community by developing programs, building collaborations, and supporting public policy initiatives in the area of children and families, homelessness, neighborhood safety, literacy, and workforce development. On the Martin Luther King holiday these individuals go outside of their regular jobs to do community service projects. Holly worked an event at the large men's shelter. ]

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We Need Your Help!!!

Stand Down 2011 Coming

NEOCH is in need of transportation assistance for the Homeless Stand Down 2011

We are in need of people with vans to help transport guests to and from the Homeless Stand Down in 2011. As well as assisting to transport, we are looking for donated goods to the Homeless Stand Down. Transportation is vital to making the Homeless Stand Down possible. Listed below is the three dates of the event, transportation services needed for all three days.

Location and Dates

Sunday January 30: Masonic Temple, East 36th and Euclid Ave.

Winter Clothing Given Out, 9am – 2pm

Saturday February 12: HSD Care-Van traveling to various shelters in Cleveland.

Friday February 18: Health Fair, 9am-2pm

What is the Homeless Stand Down?

The Stand Down is a winter retreat for individuals experiencing homelessness and/ or poverty. Several social service providers offer free health screening, massages and haircuts to those in need at one location. Guests spend the day indoors, out of the cold enjoying food, a hand up, and entertainment. They are also provided with winter clothing and many more needed items.

For those with a few extra hours, we could use your help to volunteer with the transportation committee of the Homeless Stand Down. Contact Larry Davis, the director of transportation for the Homeless Stand Down at 216-432-0540 x 103 or at larrydavis (at) neoch (dot) org. Help give those in need a hand up, thank you and God bless.

Larry and Holly
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Volunteer Opportunities in Cleveland

How Can I Help Homeless People?

Pictured: Kytara of Baldwin Wallace, Larry Davis, NEOCH Volunteer Coordinator, and Joe of Case Western Reserve from the summer 2010. Joe and Kytara both gave up their summer to serve homeless people in Cleveland. Kytara cleaned up our volunteer programs and Joe put together our family street card.

We have posted an updated list of volunteer activities for individuals or groups in Cuyahoga County to use if they want to volunteer to assist homeless people. Holly and Kytara contacted all of the homeless services to gather projects that may interest volunteers. We have posted the list of direct service opportunities in our community including the contact for each of the projects. There are everyday projects such as serving a lunch or clerical to special projects that may take a couple of months or may involve some specialty skills. While NEOCH can always use your help, we encourage you to spend some time directly serving those in need.

Brian
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Bernadette Janes Passes

A Good Friend of the Coalition

Bernadette Janes, a diminutive grandmotherly type who spoke loudly with her pen, has passed away. Janes was a longtime friend of the Coalition, and wrote a number of stories in the Homeless Grapevine newspaper here and here and here. She was great at profiles of people like Sabrina and Arthur, and had a history of supporting social justice organizations in Cleveland. Every so often she published letters in the Plain Dealer. Janes supported the rights of women, opposed the attacks on poor people by government and marched against wars. She was a veteran and was a great volunteer for NEOCH. In fact, at the 2007 Annual Meeting, Bernadette was awarded Volunteer of the Year for 2006 for NEOCH. She would take the Community Response Transit bus every week or every other week depending on her health to NEOCH to volunteer. Bernadette had no problem with stuffing envelopes or entering data or doing a profile for the Grapevine. She realized that all of it contributed to improving the Coalition. Every mundane task freed up time for the director to issue an advocacy alert or the development director to send out a grant. She was happy just helping, and loved interacting with the staff.

Janes talked to us about homelessness and tried to understand how things had gotten so out of control in our society that families were the fastest growing population of homeless people. She wanted to learn from the people that she interviewed. Bernadette wanted to understand the health issues that led to Arthur becoming homeless, and then she was able to boil down those complicated ideas into a story for the Grapevine. She wrote advocacy journalism to educate the public about the holes in the US safety net. She tried to listen to Sabrina's story about family homelessness and capture that pain, anger and harm that this caused to put it all down on paper.

Another guardian of social justice lost in Cleveland. We miss Bernadette, and wish her family strength in this time of sorrow.

Updated 9/7/10: Text from the announcement at Busch Funeral Home. "Janes passed away on September 3, 2010. Memorials may be forwarded to Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH), [Address slightly incorrect, but corrected here] 3631 Perkins Ave., #3A-3, Cleveland, OH 44114. Memorial services will be at the funeral home at 12:00 noon on October 9th. For those attending, in honor of Bernadette's life, colorful attire is encouraged, and please bring a non perishable food item for donation to the Hunger Center. Friends may call from 11:00 - Noon at the BUSCH FUNERAL HOME, 21369 CENTER RIDGE RD, FAIRVIEW PARK. Cremation by Busch Crematory."

Brian
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Another Successful Stand Down

Friday's Health and Service Fair at the Convention Center

Larry, directing transportation outside, William sitting with a red shirted volunteer on Friday, and Luke checking a guest into breakfast attended all three Stand Down's this year. The final one wrapped up on Friday at the Cleveland Convention Center. We were able to serve over 1,700 guests over the three days and gave out hygiene kits, bus passes, information, haircuts, messages, and a ton of clothing.

InterAct Cleveland is the main sponsor of the Stand Down now, but the show could not go on without the hundreds of volunteers and all the social service and health care providers who attend. We gave out more haircuts than we have ever done in the past. In addition, we also had the largest number of social service providers gathered together to serve homeless people compared to the previous 18 years of Stand Downs. We have to recognize the City of Cleveland and the Department of Public Health for securing the facility and helping bring all the health care organizations to the event. The Department of Veterans Affairs does a tremendous amount of work helping to stage the Stand Down. Care Alliance and MetroHealth are critical healthcare partners for the success of this event. The FoodBank and Catholic Charities Cogrove Center are important partners to provide the breakfast and lunch. Finally, the Stand Down could not exist without Sr. Donna, Toni and Pam from InterAct Cleveland. They dedicate so much time to make this event a success. They deserve heaps of thank yous from all of us in the community for taking up this wonderful social service fair. It was another fantastic event with food, entertainment, health care, jobs, housing, referrals, and specialty services all in one place to provide for every need of the homeless population of Cleveland.

As we get more stats, we will post the information and more pics.

Brian
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Homeless Stand Down 2010

Photo from a 2005 Homeless Stand Down by staff

Time to Sign Up To Volunteer at Stand Down

It is time to sign up to volunteer for the 2010 Homeless Stand Down. InterAct Cleveland is now signing people up for the Cleveland Homeless Stand Down at the Convention Center. The dates for the Stand Down are February 7, February 28 and the big social service fair is set for Friday March 5, 2010. In the past, we have needed over 800 volunteers to stage these three important events. We will be giving away clothing on the first two dates and providing a day of rest on all three days. All volunteers sign up for a training session. Volunteer trainings are scheduled in January and February.

The 2010 Stand Down is expected to the biggest ever with the downturn in the economy and the lack of jobs. We hope that you can sign up as a volunteer on the InterAct Cleveland website. We need to collect winter clothing items, hygiene items, coats, and boots. We need congregations to sign up to make bagged lunches or donate RTA bus passes. All this information can be viewed on the InterAct website.

Brian
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NEOCH Awards

Advocate and Volunteer of the Year

Pictured here is the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless 2008 Advocate of the Year--Margaret Wilson. NEOCH had our annual meeting on March 11, 2009. At the meeting, we reviewed the last year and introduced our 2008 Strategic Plan. We will have more details on the plan in the next few weeks. We will also post our annual report and publish it in the next three weeks.

The best part of the Annual meeting is the giving out of the awards. We have Meg Wilson as the Advocate of the Year and Traci Ext as the 2008 volunteer of the year. Here is a brief description of the award winners.

NEOCH Advocate of the Year

Margaret Wilson is the current Outreach Coordinator at GESU Roman Catholic Church, and plans all parish wide activities including the December Service Day. She is a former president of the Homeless Coalition, and has been a board member since 2002. Wilson has always been an active board member, and is regularly involved in policy and advocacy strategies. She is a former teacher who has taught at the junior high, high school and college levels. She has Bachelors in political science from Catholic University of America as well as a Master degree in Education. She also has a Masters in English from Cleveland State. Wilson has worked to establish the Interfaith Hospitality Network at GESU Catholic Church. The GESU commission is active in the community and has worked with a number of organizations, including FAMICOS, New Life Community, and Sociedad de los Amigos de Ninos in Honduras.

NEOCH Volunteer of the Year

Traci Ext is an attorney currently working for the federal government, and she gives up most every Monday afternoon volunteering for the Homeless Coalition. Ext assists with our press relations and our advocacy agenda in Cleveland. She has volunteered with the Homeless Stand Down, and has worked on many of NEOCH’s research reports. She has previous experience at the Legal Aid Society, and is a law school graduate from Harvard. Ext did her undergraduate work at Rice University, and has a strong interest in social justice. She relaxes by playing basketball and was recently married.

We are sorry that you missed the annual meeting. Congratulations to both our award winners.

Brian
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Speaking of Voting...

All Hands on Deck: We Need Your Help with a Survey!!!

The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless and the Homeless Grapevine have an opportunity for you to volunteer to assist with preparations for the upcoming election. We will be going to shelters throughout the community to survey homeless people about their interactions with the health care system and how that contributed to their homelessness. NEOCH volunteers will be registering people to vote at the same time. The Homeless Grapevine will survey homeless people on their opinions on the upcoming election for publication this fall. WE NEED VOLUNTEERS. All volunteers will meet at the Coalition offices and will go out in teams to the various shelters. We need a large number of volunteers to help. The times and dates are:

Saturday September 27 at 12:30 p.m.

Monday September 29 at 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday September 30 at 10:30 a.m.

Wednesday October 1 at 5:30 p.m.

Thursday October 2 at 5:30 p.m.

If you can volunteer for any of these times please call Joshua Kanary at 216/432-0540 or e-mail publicoutreach (at) neoch (dot) org.

Brian
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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
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Homeless People do Vote!!!

NEOCH Needs Help To Get Out the Vote!!

Remembering Stephanie Tubbs Jones and her constant push to protect the voting rights of low income individuals, NEOCH is working in an all out effort to get homeless people to vote. We need your help getting homeless people to participate in democracy. As you may have seen in many Ohio newspapers, the Secretary of State released rules on registering and voting on the same day. There are five days in which a person can register or change their address at the Board of Elections office and then immediately ask for an absentee ballot and vote. Those votes are counted later in November as part of the presidential election. We are looking for help transporting homeless people to the polling places. We need vans and van drivers to volunteer September 30, October 1, October 2, October 3 and Monday October 6 to help with getting homeless people to vote. If you can volunteer on any of these days (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), please call Brian Davis at NEOCH at 432-0540 or e-mail at neoch [--at--] neoch [dot] org.

Most homeless people get registered to vote or change their address at the shelters. With the horrible ID provisions on election day, we are trying to encourage people to vote early. We understand that there is a great fondness for going into the polling place on one day when everyone else is voting, but this is becoming increasingly difficult. We need to demonstrate that homeless people care and will show up to vote. On election day, we have to provide transportation all over the County and even the region. During the five day overlap, we can provide transportation to one central point in Downtown Cleveland. Please volunteer to help expand democracy.

Brian
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More Updates from the Coalition

Homeless Coalition Upcoming Events

1. Ione Biggs Award Nominations Due Monday: You still have time to submit a nomination for the Ione Biggs Award using our website. Go to http://www.neoch.org/nav/contactus.htm and complete the application and send it to NEOCH. The application is a two page summary of the accomplishments of your nominee and their work on social justice in 2007.
   
2. NEOCH Annual Meeting March 20: All members are welcome to attend the NEOCH Annual Meeting on Thursday March 20 at 5:30 p.m. at the NEOCH offices at 3631 Perkins Ave. Third Floor Conference Room. We will look back at 2007, give out a few awards and look at 2008 including our upcoming planning process.
3. Training at May Dugan Center on March 25: The new self help legal center opened and there are now computers available for people who need legal assistance, but cannot find a lawyer to help. In addition, HousingCleveland.org has been up and running for 2.5 years now. If you want to know more information about either of these programs, there is an in-service training on Tuesday March 25, 2005 at 2 p.m. at the May Dugan Center . May Dugan is at 4115 Bridge Ave. in Ohio City . You need to park on the streets, because there is no parking available in the lot. This training is directed at social service providers, case workers and anyone interested in knowing more about these two resources. For more information call 216/432-0540 or 939-1850.
4. Human Services Institute March 28, 2008. The Center for Community Solutions sponsors a gathering for human services workers in the community at the Cleveland Convention Center on March 28, 2008 all day. You can register at www.communitysolutions.com. NEOCH staff will be conducting a workshop on ideas for finding jobs for the difficult to employ. We hope that you can join us with the keynote speakers of Erin Gruwell of Freedom Writers Foundation and Richard Rodriguez, an author and journalist for this event.
5. Volunteer Orientation March 29, 2008. Did you make a New Years resolution to volunteer to end homelessness? We have an easy way to fulfill that resolution. NEOCH is hosting a volunteer orientation on March 29 at 1 p.m. at our main office 3631 Perkins Ave. third floor conference room. We have legal needs, voice mail assistance, general office, event planning, fund raising, street newspaper help, and advocacy help. You can volunteer once a week or once a month. Whatever your skills or your availability we can find a place for you to help us end homelessness. Please RSVP to Larry Davis at 216/432-0540 ext. 103.
6. Homeless Congress on Thursday April 3: The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Homeless Congress is Thursday April 3, 2008 at 1 p.m. at the Bishop Cosgrove Center ( 1736 Superior Ave. ). This is when representatives of the various shelters meet to discuss issues. The public is welcome to attend.
7. Save the Date May 2, 2008--Partnering to End Homeless Fund Raiser: Please put in your calendar the date for the NEOCH Fund Raiser is May 2, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. This year the event will be at GESU family center near John Carroll in University Hts. Invitations and Save the Date Cards are on the way.

Brian
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Updates from Homeless Coalition

Ways to Get Involved...

1. Teach In set for this week

2. Please renew your membership if you have not done so

3. Volunteer Open House July 19

1. The AmeriCorps*VISTA members of the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless will host a Homeless Teach In on Wednesday June 27, 2007 at 6 p.m. to focus on the homelessness and mental health issues. The Teach In is a 3 hour tour of homelessness in Cleveland with speakers from the homeless community and profiles of programs that serve homeless people with a mental illness. Please RSVP to Emily at 216/432-0540 to join us for this event. We will provide a light meal, and materials to provide a glimpse of homelessness in Cleveland.

2. Our membership renewal went out this week, so if you have forgotten to renew your membership for 2007 please do it this week. Celebrate freedom in America on this upcoming July 4th weekend by renewing your membership in the Homeless Coalition. You can do that online at our website at www.neoch.org or by returning the envelope that we sent to you.

3. NEOCH is hosting an open house on July 19 to provide information to potential volunteers. We will talk about all of the exciting opportunities for helping the Coalition. There are special events, planning parties, major donor efforts and increasing membership in the Coalition. We need your time and talent. If you are a good writer or have good people skills we need your help. Join us on Thursday July 19 at 7 p.m. and learn how your talents can be put to good use.

If you have any questions give us a call at 216/432-0540

Brian

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NEOCH Annual Awards

Annual Meeting Held on the Ides of March

The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless issued its Annual Report last night at Franklin Circle church. It will be available on our website in the near future. We elected our new Board for 2007-8, and gave details on our plans for 2007. The treasurer gave his report on the state of the NEOCH finances, and Teri' Horne did a summary of the activities undertaken over the last year. Finally, the Board elected a new executive committee for the Coalition. The most anticipated part of the Annual Meeting was the awards ceremony. There is no red carpet or band to play the winners off the stage, but it is nice to recognize people who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. In addition, NEOCH gave out one notice of condemnation to the City of Akron.

Joan Burda--Five Years of Service
We celebrated Joan's five years of service to NEOCH as the Director of Cleveland Homeless Legal Assistance Program. She has doubled the number of clinics operated by the CHLAP lawyers and is now working on establishing a pro se legal clinic on the near West Side. This facility would allow low income people to come in and print out their legal documents and file themselves court proceedings. She has served thousands of homeless people over the last five years, and the Board appreciates her dedication to the job.

Jim Schlecht--NEOCH Advocate of the Year
Jim is the outreach worker for Care Alliance, and has worked with homeless people for decades. He is also a noted peace activist and champion of those abused by capitalism. The Board proclamation cited his tireless service to protect fragile populations from the elements. They thanked him for his compassion and steadfast work for social justice in forwarding solutions. NEOCH recognizes Jim Schlecht's work to oversee the 2006 Housing Stand Down, and his work to develop a 24 hour drop-in center in presenting the Advocate of the Year award.

Bernadette Janes--NEOCH Volunteer of the Year
Bernadette volunteered with the Cosgrove Center and for the Coalition as a writer. She was recognized by the Board for her distinguished career assisting organizations throughout the community. The Board cited her countless hours working with the Homeless Grapevine in documenting the struggles that homeless people face everyday.

City of Akron--Roadblock to Progress 2006
The NEOCH Board condemned the City of Akron for their efforts to make it illegal to be poor within the city limits by passing the worst law against pan handling in the United States. For providing criminal backgrounds to the long list of barriers a person living in Akron must overcome if they fall on hard times, and for not forwarding solutions to homelessness were a few of the reasons cited by the Board in proclaiming the City of Akron as the Biggest Roadblock to Progress in 2006.

Brian
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