According to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, the state has received money from the federal economic stimulus funds. The funds are to provide families that qualify with a one-time payment of $500. Those families who qualify will get a letter in the mail later this month from the DHHR. The one-time payment will be applied to the balance of any unpaid child support and will not affect any other DHHR benefits.

via Stimulus Money Available to Help Pay Child Support Arrearages – WOWK-TV – WOWKTV.com.

It’s about time some of this ” Stimulus money” makes it into the hands of the people who really need it and will use it to stimulate the economy by spending it on necessities. 

 I have said for years that the government should pay us our child support each month and then go after the deadbeats and make them pay the government back.  Many of us who have been on welfare would have never needed it if we were getting our regular child support payments each month.

Families didn’t understand the hoops they had to jump through in order to get the services they needed.  The state provided little assistance to families with questions and referred them to their “medical homes” for answers.  The health care providers (Medical Homes), didn’t understand the program and couldn’t help their patients with the process and referred them back to the state.  By the time people figured out what they needed it was often too late and they were assigned to the Basic program with fewer services.  The entire program was a mess.

Don Perdue, chairman of the House of Delegates Health and Human Resources Committee, said he is “glad to hear of [the programs] demise.” “Many of the people in the provider community and many clients were saying It just doesnt work; we dont understand it,”" the Wayne County Democrat said. “The thing didnt do what it was supposed to do. It was very garbled in its delivery.”

via Controversial Medicaid program to be discontinued  – News – The Charleston Gazette – West Virginia News and Sports -.

We are glad there is an end in site but we are very interested in finding out what all DHHR has in the works for Medicaid in the future.

 Specifically, we can receive the money if we extend eligibility to people seeking only part-time work and to people who had to leave work due to domestic violence, sexual assault or compelling family circumstances, such as having to care for a sick relative or having to leave work to keep a family together when a spouse has to relocate. In all cases, people would only be eligible for benefits when they are available for work. The change in eligibility for part time workers would particularly help women, who make up the majority of part time workers and who often have to balance work with caring for children or elderly relatives. Taking these steps would help families dealing with hard times and bring money to local economies.

Currently, two bills are floating around the legislature to do just this: HB 4332 and SB 569— but they need your help this week if they are going to get anywhere.

To send an email to your legislators and Governor Manchin in support of these changes,

click here:

http://capwiz.com/preventchildabusewv/issues/alert/?alertid=14688781

A Seattle woman claims the Work First welfare program violates her right against “involuntary servitude.”  She is suing the state under the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution over the practices of the Work First program, KING-TV, Seattle, reported Thursday.

“Neither slavery, nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crime … shall exist within the United States,” the amendment states.

Wood said the $453 monthly benefit she gets from the program requires her to either spend 32 hours a week looking for work at a program office or serve an internship at a non-profit for the same amount of weekly hours.

via Suit: Welfare program unconstitutional – UPI.com.

This is definitely a case we will need to watch.  Often times the hours of “work activities” required for TANF (welfare checks) does not equal out to minimum wage and therefore violates labor laws and now maybe it will be shown that it violates the Constitution.

via Local News | Jean Colman, made a career helping low-income women | Seattle Times Newspaper.

I just received this news today about a strong sister in the struggle who was taken all too soon.  When I first heard the news, I was so upset thinking that on May 8ththis strong wonderful woman – Jean Colman – died and I was working.  This woman who had held my hand all the way from Seattle and helped me through the forming of DAWG as an organization. Who had supported me along with many other strong sisters in the struggle through the tough times.  I was working , as if nothing as important as her passing was occurring.  I didn’t have a clue what was happening all the way in Washington State.  She died while I was busy working on details of a Poverty Scholars Leadership School. 

Then, I began thinking about how she would have loved to be part of this Leadership School.  How my continuing my work and planning this school for all the welfare mommas and poppas and all the other people in America living in poverty and struggling to fight the system that keeps us down was a tribute to her.  I was honoring her spirit without even knowing she had left this world.  So after the tears and the sadness, tomorrow I will continue working and continuing this fight to honor her and all the other strong sisters who have gone before and will come after.

Jean Colman, you will be missed and you will be remembered for all the good you did in your life to help all those whose lives you touched……..even those who didn’t realize you had a hand in improving things for them and their families.

via San Mateo Daily Journal.

The economy was built on the backs of the poor so it only makes sense that the poor would be the ones to save it.  When will our country learn that investing in the needs of the people has a much higher pay back then investing in the airplanes and bonuses of CEOs.  Exactly how much money does one person need?  I have never received a “bonus” and I have helped hundreds learn how to survive poverty.  They get multi-million dollar bonuses because they made an already wealthy company more money.  What is wrong with this picture?  Childcare workers who care for the children of these CEOs do not make enough money to care for their own families and must rely on food stamps for food.  The servers at their fancy parties are living in the shelter and the janitor who cleans up their messes can’t even afford to put shoes on his children’s feet.  They jet around to lavish “retreats” at spa resorts and ride around in limos while the people who do all their dirty work take 3 buses just to get to work and worry if they can pay for their child’s lunch. 

Its time to wake up America and smell the coffee at the soup kitchen.  Until our country gets its priorities straight and realizes that everyone should be able to eat and anyone who works full-time should make enough money to provide for themselves and their families things are only going to get worse.  What good will your money do you when we finally decide to stop cleaning up your messes and watching your children?  What good will your money do you when poor people decide to rise up and say enough is enough?

via Food Stamps, CalWORKS Boost Economy, report claims -Roseville California News including Rocklin and Placer County.

Well what do you know, another report that confirms what we have been saying all along.  Poor people spend money and our money generates economic activity.  We never have much money and what little money we do have we turn right around and “invest” it in the economy by buying food, diapers, shoes, and paying bills and rent.  If you really want to stimulate the economy, send all us poor people the money.  We are not like the wealthy and hang on to our money.  We spend it.  We don’t have the luxury of having savings accounts and gold lying around waiting to accumulate profits.  Every penny we have goes right back into the economy and mainly the local economy – the local grocery store or the local department store. Usually the ones within walking distance or on the bus route.  Our money helps to support all the stores and all their employees in the local community.  Every dime we make goes right back out just so we can survive.  So it only makes sense that if you want money flowing into the economy give to us and watch it flow.

Leaders who have participated in preparatory Strategic Dialogues will be joined by an additional 100 select emerging leaders from partner organizations to participate in a variety of training sessions, arts and cultural events, and campaign planning.

Goals Include:

Training a core of leaders in the movement to end poverty;

Networking poor leaders/organizations from diverse communities across the country;

Beginning to lay the groundwork for reigniting the Poor People’s Campaign;

Formally integrating Poverty Scholars into the leadership of the Poverty Scholars Program and its activities.

via Poverty Scholars Program | Poverty Initiative.

We are very excited to be a part of this and look forward to sharing this experience with leaders within DAWG and in the larger community.

Poverty Scholars Pictures March 2008

Be sure and visit the DAWG Website and check out other scholarship information in our links section.