Speak and Be Heard in WV!

The Teen Track went great this year. The teens are becoming more responsible and aware of their actions and how they impact everyone. We did however have some name calling and rumors (It was not just by the teens) but that cant always be avoided when you have that many people together those that were the target of these name calling and rumors handled things very well. There was no physical violence things were talked out with the person or the person saying these things was ignored when starting rumors or name calling. You all handled yourself very well. Everyone pretty much followed the rules. I want to thank you all for showing respect to the Teen Track staff even if you were older then or the same age as them. We had some unexpected guests that we were glad to see this year Tanner (TJ) Parsons and Sam Roseberry we are glad you both could come this year!! It wouldn’t have been the same without you.

I aged out of the system and no longer can get health-care…So I can’t afford to go to the eye doctor which is a really big problem because I have a really bad astigmatism, which basically means I am going blind, and I can’t see 6inches in-front of me without glasses or contacts. Well the dog got a hold of my glasses two days after my CHIPs ran out in January 2007. Luckily I had my contacts and then I ran out of contacts so I wore the same pair for 3months, you are only suppose to wear them for 1month but when you have no money and no health-care you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes. Eventually my eyes started to really hurt bad from wearing the same contact lenses. So I searched for some old glasses hoping to find some that would work the only ones I could find were 3years old bent up and held together with a bread tie its all I had so I had to wear them I couldn’t see good at all with them and they looked crazy but it was better then none after I filed my income taxes I called the eye doctor and got an appointment I have glasses and contacts now with the help of my mom who paid for my appointment and I paid for the glasses and contacts but the glasses and contacts alone are $200 which is cheap compaired to what it could be but it is only a six month supply of contacts. I do need the contacts I can see better with them, the glasses are just a back up but because I had to buy glasses and contacts I had to make a choice weather I needed to see or go to the doctor to see about a pain I have been having wear my gallbladder is and I chose sight because I can always go to the ER if it gets really bad and pay it off slowly over next 20 years but if I can’t see then well I wouldn’t be very much help to anyone and it would also be dangerous for me I would be falling downstairs I didn’t see and such. I shouldn’t have had to make that choice no-one should have to make that choice.  We need free universal health-care!!

Poor People have to make choices like this everyday…for example A lot of parents have to go without medical care because they simply cant afford it. I know a single mother that only has been to the doctor when she breaks something or she is really sick and isnt getting better. And when she goes to the doctor she has to make a choice what not to pay if she needs medication.

This is why I fight to end poverty no-one should have to make choices like these and I don’t want my little niece or nephew (that will be here this summer) to have to make these choices when they grow up. This is why I fight to end poverty it is for the future I don’t want them to have to make the same hard choices as so many people before them have had to make.

We are back from the conference in Canaan Valley. Say some old friends and learned some new stuff. Everything went really good.  The teens did a great job with their workshops and had a blast at the dance.  Everything ran so smoothly that I even had a chance to take a dip in the hot tub on Saturday night.  If you want to check out all the great phots click here.

Well, today I am sick…. and without health insurance……will just have to tough it out.   Anyway, I wanted to spread the word about something going on.  Here is a blurb from a friend that gives all the details.

Help Patriots For Peace and Citizen Action Group

The web-based straw poll we are launching (VoteWV.net) will give West Virginia voters a chance to express their choice for a presidential nominee prior to February 5th, when the primary races may be effectively over.  In the process we are hoping to underscore the importance of the Iraq War, and its disastrous effects on the economy, as issues in this election.

By launching the website at the voter registration office, we want to stress the importance of West Virginians casting a real ballot on Election Day and participating in the political process at all levels.  The Voter Registration office will be closed on Sunday, but we intend our brief gathering there to call attention to the fact that many West Virginians feel closed out of the primary process because West Virginia is one of the last five states to hold their primary election.

Vote WV January 27 through February 5

So go visit the website and vote.  Let your voice be heard!!

Oh and by the way, even though I am really sick…….tomorrow I get to spend the morning at DHHR sifting through papers as part of our FOIA request regarding the “new Medicaid plan”.  Hopefully someone, somewhere has real numbers we can look at.

Well the students left on Friday. Saturday I slept and Sunday I cleaned my house. Even though the students were only here a week it seems enough time to form a bond.  I will miss them.  Now I have to play catch up and settle back into the everyday craziness of running DAWG and trying to change the world.  Not to mention ……the state legislative session began while the students were here and I haven’t even had time to finish reading Gov. Machin’s State of the State let alone started following any of the bills yet.

This was the first time we have ever hosted such a large group for this length of time.  It was a great learning experience for the entire organization.  We have some lessons learned like don’t always rely on Internet directions and just because a speaker was good once doesn’t mean they will be someone you want to ever hear again.  Such as a certain Pastor, that will remain nameless, who referred to all children without fathers in the home as orphans and tried to justify it by calling it a Bible reference.  That was a lesson for me in “good ol’ keep your mouth shut”.  That was one argument I knew I could never win because he is staunch in his views and I really didn’t see wasting my time trying.  There are more important battles to be won.  Needless to say, I don’t think we will explore further collaboration. 

Being with the Appalachian Immersion Trip participants really gave me a chance to recharge my batteries.  Sometimes it is hard to continue to fight the good fight and just when I was really having some doubts about myself and DAWG, these wonderful people show up and let me know how great we are and what an amazing thing we are doing here in West Virginia.  It has made me take a look at what we really are doing and what we want to continue to move forward with in the organization.  I am pumped and ready to hit the ground and do some organizing. I am really excited about the great connection we made with the WV Head Start Association and the video we are working on.  It is really encouraging for me to find people who get what we are doing and who want to get more involved.  I look forward to the work we - DAWG and the Media Mobilizing Project - are going to be doing with the WV Head Start Association. 

View pictures of the Immersion Trip

The students came and I went with them to .  If you don’t know about what happened in Matewan you should read up on it or watch the movie. A lot of people, including children, lost their lives in Matewan over coal mining and trying to fight for safe working conditions. The history of Matwan nd the Coal Wars is something that is important for everyone to know. Not only for those of you here in West Virginia  but everyone.  It is the only time in history that the US military fired on their own citizens. When we were in Matewan Donna May who runs the Depot Restaurant said during that time there was a train called the Bull Moose Special  it came through where miners were striking to unionize the mines.  As the train rolled by with guns point out the windows, they shot everyone in sight men, women, and even children. The families dug holes to put the children in to shield them from the flying bullets for the next time the train came rolling through.

For along time Matewan’s story went untold because if you admitted you knew anything about what happened you were dead in a matter of months. Everyone in America needs to know this story because even though lives were lost they were not lost in vain. Everyday when people go into the mines, they are safer now and have a union to back them up thanks to those brave miners and their families that stood up and said I have had enough and I will not be treated this way! When the head of the coal company at the time was asked whats more important to you your miners or your mules he said “the mules they are harder to replace”. I was shocked when I heard that statement.

Hearing the story of these miners also made me think about what people in my family have always said.  When I am ready to run to the streets and get in the face of someone about something I believe in, my family says ”is it worth dying for if ?” . If the answer is yes then go do it. The answer was yes for these people and the answer is yes for me to end poverty. It is a cause I would die for and I am not afraid to stand up and fight for what is right like these brave souls were not afraid to stand up.

On the way to Matewan the students talked with me about Teen DAWG and how we started that day at the capitol during the stop the TANF cuts rally. How we took matters into our own hands and when we saw the head of the welfare department walking on the capitol grounds we were off and chased him clear to the other side and surrounded him demanding answers…And I also joke that that was the only time I ever ran.

 They spoke with our teens in Big Ugly about anything and everything from school to boys and music. They are really interested in Teen DAWG and what we do with the youth here in West Virginia and the fact that we are a statewide project. I talked with them about the upcoming conferences and our Teen 2 Teen reference books we distribute. 

We are planing to make the Appalachian Immersion Trip an annual event and I would love if they met more of our teens. I want to hold a party for them to get to know our teens and for them to see how strong and wonderful our teens are. I am really excited for them to come again and I can’t wait for the teens to meet them!!

Well OK…… so I have had every emotion known to man writing this, but that’s OK.  I miss the students and i can’t wait for them to come back.  I met some great youth and an awesome professor at Ithica named Alicia Swords who was brought up protesting and fighting for justice,like I was. We talked about how we could’t rebel against our parents by getting aressted or leading a walk out like most kids do because our parents did it already and are cool with it.

Also we found out that Carl Johnson, who is from Baltimore with UWA, received a grant from Self Development Of People. The same people DAWG has received two grants from and Teen DAWG received the grant to do our own teen conference this summer from. We learned this after Carl told Jesse Haynes he knew him and told him how…Isn’t that just wild?! At least I think it is. I cant wait to see everyone again…And the new people they bring next time!!

Today is the first full day of our new endeavor.  We are hosting a week long Appalachian Immersion trip for the Poverty Initiative of Union Theological Seminary.  We have about 35 people - students, community organizers, pastors, etc. from various parts of the east coast mainly the New York area.  This morning Rev Dennis Sparks and Rick Wilson spoke to the group about justice issues and organizing.  Prior to arriving in Charleston they were in Wheeling and Philippi. 

If the Wheeling DAWG had her Internet service she could blog about what happened with the group in Wheeling.  But as we all know paying the rent and keeping the heat on comes before paying the Internet bill. 

I know that in Wheeling they met with a group of Head Start parents and also were given a tour of the city by one of our board members and lifelong Wheeling native.  Tonight they are going to hear all about our work and Teen DAWG and then in the morning we are off the Matewan and Big Ugly.

Well, its almost time for Halloween, the beginning of the holiday season that just costs too much.  It starts with Halloween.  The kids need costumes, and you got to buy candy or make some cupcakes for them to take to school.  Then comes Thanksgiving, which ain’t too bad because most of the stuff you need you can buy with your food stamps, but that makes the rest of the month harder.  Then comes the holiday all us poor mama’s dread.  Christmas.  And God forbid if any of us was unlucky enough to have birthed our kids in the winter.  That means on top of all this money for Halloween and  Christmas, then you got birthday.  And all  these holidays come one right after another.  It don’t give you anytime to save up, but there ain’t much saving when you living on less then $300 a month.  Then on top of everything, its the time of year when your bills go up because its cold and you got to have your heat on.

Everybody thinks all the churches and the Secret Santa’s will help.  Well, they do and I thank them for it, but its just not the same as going out and being able to pick out the stuff you want to buy for your kids.  Its just not the same.

The new Medicaid, Mountain Health Choices, is rolling out in about 15 more counties.  It is very important that you make sure that families know they need to watch for the packet of information to come and that they need to choose Enhanced in order to get all their benefits.   

DAWG is working hard on this issue and needs your help. 

The new Medicaid has already rolled out in Clay, Lincoln, and Upshur.  I have already sent out flyers and surveys to Clay, Lincoln, and Upshur counties.  In the next couple of weeks I will be getting them ready to go out to the other counties that just rolled out.  In the mean time I could use your help. 

 Ways YOU can help right now 

• If you get anything from Mountain Health Choices or about Mountain Health Choices, I need to see it.  If you could make me a copy of everything including the envelopes the stuff comes in that would be really great.  Of course you can mark out your name, address, case number, and any other identifying information.  You can mail it to me at the address below.  If you need a large envelope and stamps to mail it send me an email by clicking here Evelyn with your mailing address and I will send you out the envelope and stamps to mail it.  If you don’t have access to a copy machine, you can send me the originals and I will make a copy and send it back to you.

 DAWG

PO Box 20079

Charleston, WV 25362

• Keep watching your email and this blog for more important information from DAWG about this issue. If you are not on the DAWG email list you can join by sending an email to The DAWG List
• Make sure and get the word out to your friends and neighbors that Mountain Health Choices is the new Medicaid program.  Not to throw away any large white envelope from Mountain Health Choices thinking it is junk mail.
• Let me know about any problems or issues that are coming up, like no help from DHHR or Mountain Health Choices in filling out the application, no one to answer questions, problems with doctors not signing the contract and truning it in on time, not being able to understand the packet that was sent to you or anything else.  I want to hear any and all problems/issues related to this new Medicaid. No matter how small the problem is I want to know about it.
• Volunteer with DAWG to get out the information in you community, distribute flyers, take surveys, etc.
• Send me an email and let me know how you can help out. Evelyn

Well I am back from New York and my quarterly meeting with the National Center for Law and Economic Justice but as most of us still call it…..Welfare Law Center.  I was going to make a hyper link to the Center but I couldn’t figure it out and don’t really have the patience tonight to try.  As you can tell I am new to this whole blogging thing.  But, everyone said DAWG needed a blog so here it is.  As you can see we have several contributors, including me.  So you might want to check back often to see what’s up.  You will know when I have figured out this whole blogging thing becaseu then I will have one of those sites that does all kinds of stuff………………like hyper link