Advocates for Change- Is a committee made up of members of the homeless community in Dallas County Contact James Waghorne or Clora Hogan for new meeting times. Monthly Summary of Advocates for Change Meetings- September 2002 Sept 9 a) James Waghorne presented the group with the minutes of MDHA meeting on Sept 6. b) A copy a public information flyer was handed out to be discussed and approved by the Action Committee. c) The importance of filing grievance forms against shelters who do not respect or who abuse homeless individuals, some paying up to a night, was discussed. Grievances or civil rights abuses can be reported at the Americorps/VISTA office, phone: 214-560-2511x407 or at the Endless Choices office at the Stewpot. People also may contact these offices to obtain more information. d) Clare Nilson presented a discussion on receiving SSI benefits. She gave an informational talk on the legal rights of homeless individuals seeking SSI payments. People who have questions concerning SSI please contact Clare Nilson or James Waghorne Sept 16 Meeting no notes Sept 24 a) New Police Action- A new police initiative to sweep the homeless south of I30 loop was discussed. b) October 5th Rally- The rally will coincide with the U.N. Habitat Day and National Tenants Day. Advocates for Change will be making t-shirts and cardboard boxes, to symbolize homelessness, for the rally. c) Two homeless volunteers were chosen, Ben Johnson and Gregory Green, to act as representatives to the media that day. Mr. Johnson and Mr. Green will study the issues to be prepared for the event. d) Homeless Job Fair-The date for the homeless job fair has been set on November 16. The fair will include employers who are willing to hire ex-offenders. Monthly Summary of Advocates for Change Meetings- October 2002 October 1 a) The October 1 meeting was abbreviated -another meeting on Friday October 4 was scheduled b) A rally, October 5, will take place on the U.N. Habitat Day and the National Tenants Day. c) A proclamation was signed by Mayor Laura Miller addressing the housing problems here in Dallas. The rapid loss of public housing and inadequate availability of section 8 housing and the growing number of homeless individuals in Dallas were mentioned in the statement d) A homeless person or a formerly homeless person, according to MDHA by-laws must be on the Board. Homeless people concerned about issues within their community were encouraged to attend the MDHA Membership meetings. Oct 8 a) The October 5th Rally to celebrate UN Habitat Day and National Tenants Day was held. Reporters from Channel 4 and Channel 8 TV News covered the event. Speakers included Ben Johnson, a homeless volunteer and activist. Mr. Johnson is a member of the Advocates for Change Speakers' Bureau. b) Homeless Summit on November 1, 2002- announced c) The MDHA meeting was held Friday October 4. Potential members to the Board were discussed. According to their by-laws, 3 Board members must be homeless or formerly homeless individuals. So far 2 people have been appointed, Mr. Robert Hollins, and Ms. Clare Laric. d) Meningitis- 2 men were infected with meningitis. One man infected in July has been confirmed as having since died. To stop a full-scale outbreak, men staying at Union Gospel were vaccinated. There will be shots available to people staying at three shelters here in Dallas. e) James Waghorne announced that he would be speaking October 20 at the Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church. Oct 15 a) James Waghorne, Ben Johnson and Janet Rae Askins, will be presenting a talk at the League of Women Voters at the First Presbyterian Church of Dallas on October 29 from 9:45 to 12 noon. b) The Homeless Summit. On November 1, 9 am to 12 noon a homeless summit will be held at City Hall on the 6th floor (6ES). We strongly encourage attending this meeting. c) The job fair on Saturday, November 16 was discussed. The fair will be part of an event to be held near the Day Resource Center from 10am-3pm. d) Jobs- The issue of employment was discussed. Oct 22 a) Job Fair. The November 16 job fair was discussed at the meeting. Stigmatizing Homeless Workers. The issue of discrimination on the job was brought up. Obstacles homeless people face can include: finding transportation to a job, being able to shower before work, having a place to safely store their valuables while working, being locked out of shelters, and having to wait up to two weeks for their first paycheck. b) 24-hour Day Resource Center. Advocates for Change members would like to see a 24-hour center where workers could shower and prepare for going to work. c) Mayors Summit. The summit will be on November 1 at 9am. We encourage everyone who is homeless or formerly homeless to meet at 8:30 at the Stewpot then go together. Oct 29 -No Notes- Cancelled due to League of Women Voters Presentation. Monthly Summary of Advocates for Change Meetings- November 2002 Nov 5 a) Mayor's Summit- Mayor Millers summit meeting was discussed. The meeting took place on November 1 at City Hall. Advocates for the homeless included: Dwayne Shepherd, Janet Askins, Ben Johnson, Russell James, and Terry Webster. b) Speaking in front of groups- It was suggested that people become more involved in the Speakers Bureau. c) Dwayne Shepherd had some suggestions; one, a centralized intake location for the homeless, a single facility that has housing units and on site service providers to alleviate homelessness. Two, more public washrooms-public toilets could be set up throughout the city Nov 12 a) Video- A documentary was shown which took up most of the meeting time. The film was made by SMU. It featured Clora Hogan, director of Endless Choices, as well as advocates James Waghorne, and Gordon Hilgers. b) The Hunger and Homelessness Event- announced c) Money for Dallas- HUD grants d) Shelter Sites- it was suggested that Dallas look into using the abandoned military barracks near Navy Reserve Airport as a shelter site. Nov 19 a) Shelter Abuses- Various human rights abuses were spoken about at our meeting. Abuses include: unfair lock-outs and theft by shelter staff. Advocates for Change suggest that you CALL THE POLICE b) Low Income Housing- Because of the bad economy, many apartment complexes are now accepting applicants without a background check or large deposit. c) Church Involvement- We will be speaking at more churches in the future to gain support. d) UPS Jobs- Applications will be taken at 10155 Monroe Dr., Dallas. from 9am to 1pm for the next three weeks. e) Mayor's Response- The Mayor of Dallas, Laura Miller made a statement on November 16 at the Hunger and Homeless Event. She stated the city plans to expand or build a new Day Resource Center, and increase the Center's operating hours and services. f) MDHA Board Meeting- The Board of Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance will meet today at 3:30. Nov 26 a) Low-low income housing- The group talked about low income housing available in the city of Dallas b) Getting Benefits Monthly Summary of Advocates for Change Meetings- December 2002 Dec 3 a) The December 3 meeting was facilitated by Ben Johnson, a homeless volunteer and advocate. b) Rumors about feeders- There are rumors about the limiting of street feeders. The main rumor is that after the first of the year, the city will force all street feeders to be licensed or quit serving food. c) Service providers treating clients badly- Mr. Hollins, of the MDHA Board, voiced his concern regarding how service providers treat their clients. d) Low income housing- more information on low income housing was handed out at the meeting. e) Suggestions about holiday activities- So far, suggestions have included giving out goody bags filled with some presents, and organized Christmas caroling to raise money. Dec 10- No Notes- Meeting cancelled Dec 17 a) The Dec 17 meeting was held in the main eating room of the Stewpot. b) WorkSource Centers- information and assistance available at these centers were discussed. c) Job and housing opportunities- would be posted d) Effort and motivation- James Waghorne and Ben Johnson, both formerly without housing, spoke about what steps they took to get off the streets. Dec 24- No Notes- Holiday Paula Melvin