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Archive for February, 2012

Feb 28

Michiana’s Got Talent!

Join us on Monday, March 12th as Getting Ahead Graduates compete in a fun-filled talent show! 

Who knew South Bend’s Getting Ahead Graduates had so much talent?

At our February Networking Meeting, we turned our serious format into a fun night of Talent Show Auditions.

Fourteen brave and talented men and women shared with us their many talents.  We enjoyed poets reciting their own original pieces, a dramatic reading, and several compelling gospel singers, at least one worthy of competing on American Idol!   Some highlights:

Milton who recited several short and long poems including an assortment of Shakespeare and the popular The Signifying Monkey: A Theory of African-American Literary Criticism by American scholar Henry Louis Gates.
Lonnie, who designs men’s and women’s clothing and accessories, put on a unique fashion show with his original designs.  Assisted by runway models, he shared his stunning Coyote hat and matching fur watches for men and a fabulous poncho for women.
Edenia stunned us all with her poetry performance. She dominated the entire stage using movement and emotion. The performance was in Spanish and despite the language difference we all felt the passion and power of her words.

Our panel of judges included (move over Jennifer Lopez!) our most dedicated ally Nimbi Cushing, Bridges’ accountant Janet Bonham, our Getting Ahead Drug Court partner Eric Ivory, and from our wonderful business sponsor, Specialized Staffing, were Joanne Camacho and Theresa Blake. The judges had a tough job in choosing the top 8 performances to move in to the finals in March, who will be competing for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes.

You won’t want to miss next month’s exciting conclusion.  We hope you can make it…

Same date: Second Monday of the Month (March 12)

Same time: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. with dinner first and the talent show around 6 p.m.

Same place:  First United Methodist Church; 333 N. Main St. (Enter the basement on the Madison Street side)

Feb 23

Talent Show

Did you miss our February MNM? We had our first ever talent show auditions! Check out this youtube video to preview what you missed. On Monday, March, 12th 2012 the best of the best are expected to step it up a notch and compete for prizes. In March, we will not only have our talented grads competing but we will have special performances by allies. h’orderves and conversation will start out the night followed by SJC Bridges out of Poverty’s first ever Talent Show! To RSVP call the Bridges office at 246-0533.

Feb 15

Take the Test!

Test your knowledge of the links between health, poverty and health care costs.

True or False?

1. Poor adults are 5 times more likely to be in bad health than adults in the highest-income group.

2. Children in poor families are about 7 times more likely to be in poor or fair health than those in highest-income families.

3. Poor adults are two times more likely to have diabetes and 50% more likely to die from heart disease.

4. U.S. businesses lose more than $1 trillion a year in productivity due to chronic illness.

5. Per person, the U.S. spends more than twice the average of other industrialized countries on health care – 16% of our GDP in 2006 – yet has some of the worst health outcomes?

6. Although typically poorer, recent Latino immigrants are healthier than the average American. However, those who have lived in the U.S. five years or longer are 50% more likely to have high blood pressure and almost 40% more likely to be obese.

The answer to all is true…. Research links overall health to economic stability, education, safe and affordable housing, nutrition/food security, and other factors. Find out more at the Bridges Into Health workshop!

Can you help?

We have Getting Ahead Graduates and community members who have asked for financial assistance so they can attend our Feb. 24th Bridges Into Health workshop.

So we are asking you for help with full and partial scholarships.  The $50 workshop fee includes materials, refreshments and lunch.

Your support for $50, $25, $10… will help us get people to attend six hours of outstanding information from a national presenter, Terie Dreussi-Smith.

To donate, just click on the donate button here on our webpage, or drop a check in the mail. Thanks for your help!

 

Feb 15

Two seminars you won’t want to miss!

Friday Feb. 24 Bridges Into Health &  Saturday Feb. 25 Day One (Bridges Out of Poverty Overview)

9 to 3 p.m. each day (registration starts at 8 a.m.) Both workshops are at the new St. Vincent DePaul Society building at 520 Crescent Ave, South Bend 46617.  Parking across the street.

Each workshop only costs $50 and includes materials, refreshments and lunch, and six hours of outstanding information from a national presenter, Terie Dreussi-Smith. Some partial scholarships are available.  Space is limited and registration ends Feb. 22, so don’t delay! And if you are an HR professional, you can receive HRCI credit for the Strategic area!

Register for both workshops here:   http://www.unitedwayec.org/nrn-workshops.htm

Terie Dreussi-Smith, M.A.Ed. co-authored Bridges Out of Poverty and is an expert community alcohol/ drug treatment and prevention.  She presents nationally and assists communities to embed Bridges Out of Poverty concepts in redesigning policies and services for families and youth in generational poverty.

Questions?  Call us at 574.339.1232.

Human Resource Professionals:

Did you know you can earn

Five Strategic HRCI units for

the Bridges Into Health Workshop?

Poverty, poor health and rising health care costs are linked.  How do we address this growing problem?  If you want to learn more, than you’ll want to come to our Bridges Into Health Seminar.

Bridges Into Health dovetails the Bridges Out of Poverty concepts and tools with the growing body of health inequities research. Economic class affects all aspects of health and health care. To improve this, strategies must address economic class and other social determinants.

The workshop includes a continuum of policy and practice critical to improving health among the disadvantaged. Research links overall health to economic stability, education, safe and affordable housing, nutrition/food security, and other factors. Meaningful learning tasks, direct teaching, videos, and large-group dialogue are integrated into this workshop.

Bridges Into Health:

  • · Highlights how social capital and social interactions can be redesigned to improve health outcomes
  • · Provides an overview of research that indicates “poverty is making us sick”
  • · Introduces a dialogue on how Robert Sapolsky’s “Theory of Social Coherence” is limiting access to health care within our health care systems and community health initiatives
  • · Illustrates tools to address health inequities

The workshop is for community leaders from all sectors, as well as clinical staff at all levels in the private nonprofit and public health sectors. There will be a two-hour Bridges Out of Poverty overview from a fresh perspective embedded in the workshop.

Feb 10

Bridges Out of Poverty: Day One Training

Bridges Out of Poverty: Day One Training

Saturday, February 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

$50 includes coffee, lunch, book and materials

 (Registration opens at 8 a.m.) Space is limited – register early!

St. Vincent DePaul Society:  520 Crescent Ave, South Bend 46617

Bridges Out of Poverty training is an approach to addressing poverty in a comprehensive way that looks at the impact of economic class and the dynamics that cause and maintain poverty from the individual to the systems level.

This training provides a theoretical framework and concrete tools a community needs to prevent, reduce, and alleviate poverty.

Participants will:

  • create a mental model of poverty,
  • review poverty research,
  • examine a theory of change
  • analyze poverty through the prism of hidden rules of class, resources, and language.

The Bridges Out of Poverty training assists employers, community organizations, social-service agencies, and individuals and provides powerful tools for change. The training shares approaches for people from all economic classes to come together to improve job retention rates, build resources, improve outcomes, and support those who are moving out of poverty.

To register, go to:

http://www.unitedwayec.org/nrn-workshops.htm

 For more information, see our website www.svdpsb.org

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