Shared Lives Studio, which allows artists with developmental disabilities to create and sell their work, is the new beneficiary of Chicks for Charity.

Chicks for Charity is an informal group of about 1,800 women and girls who choose an organization to help support and raise awareness for every two years. The group raises money through individual fundraisers like lemonade stands and wine tastings and also through events like the annual Chicks Mix.

Shared Lives Studio is a division of Lott Industries and formed after the Ford Maumee Stamping Plant closed, making job opportunities harder to come by.

“I’ve always said that art is a great equalizer. Everybody has a voice and it’s personal,” said Shared Lives Art Director Lori Schoen at a presentation Dec. 6.

The other finalists to become the Chicks’ beneficiary were Food for Thought and Family House. They also presented for the Chicks on Dec. 6. Members of Chicks for Charity could either vote for the new recipient at the presentation meeting or online.

Family House was started in 1985 and offers shelter for homeless families, allowing them to stay together during a homeless emergency.

Food for Thought, started in 2007, has one stationary food pantry and 10 mobile pantries that reach both urban and rural communities. The group emphasizes serving people with dignity.

The Chicks’ last recipient was the International Boxing Club, which provides programming for at-risk youth. Chicks for Charity raised $104,000 for the program.

Schoen said in a news release,“We look forward to using these next two years to educate the community more about Shared Lives Studio and what it provides. Our association with Chicks for Charity gives us the opportunity to be recognized and also raise money to support and expand the programs we offer, but most importantly to show how wonderfully talented and able our artists are. This gives us an amazing opportunity to share with our community our talents and gifts.”

Shared Lives Studio helps break down stereotypes, she said.

At the Dec. 6 presentation, Schoen recalled the first art show the studio had at Toledo Botanical Garden.

“One mother just kept walking around and saying, ‘I had no idea what he was capable of.’ Another mother just sort of burst into tears,” Schoen said.

Many of the artists even have fans of their work who are eager to meet them.

“[The artists are] contributing members of our society. They’re a part of our community and their jobs are very important,” Schoen said, adding that the artists are often “chomping at the bit” to start their workdays.

One of the artists, Tyler, spoke after her at the presentation.

“I can’t wait to go to work every day,” he said, later adding, “You are the best thing that could have happened to me.”

Martha Vetter, founder of Chicks for Charity, said in a news release, “[Shared Lives’] contribution to the regional art scene is wonderful; we’re so fortunate to have an organization like this in Northwest Ohio.”

Shared Lives has a studio at 20 North Saint Clair St., Toledo and at 1645 Holland Road, Maumee. To learn more, visit http://shop.lottindustries.com/studio.html or http://www.chicksforcharity.net/.

Tags: Chicks for Charity, Family House, Food for Thought, Lori Schoen, Martha Vetter, Shared Lives Studio

This entry was posted on Monday, December 10th, 2012 at 12:39 pm and is filed under Charity.
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Three local charities made their cases Dec. 6 to be the next beneficiary of fundraising efforts by Chicks for Charity.

Chicks for Charity is an informal group of about 1,800 women and girls who choose an organization to help support and raise awareness for every two years. The group raises funds through individual fundraisers like lemonade stands and wine tastings and also through events like the annual Chick Mix.

“There are a lot of organizations and communities that are trying to emulate us,” said Martha Vetter, founder of Chicks for Charity and president of R/P Marketing Public Relations. “Every community should be trying to do something like this. We’re on to something here, chicks.”

The three finalists, narrowed from 22, are Shared Lives Studio, Food for Thought and Family House. The last recipient was the IBC, which provides programming for at-risk youth. Chicks for Charity raised $104,000 for the program.

The winner, who will be voted in by the Chicks, will be announced Dec. 10. Members of Chicks for Charity could either vote at the presentation meeting or online by 4 p.m.  Dec. 7.

Family House

Renee Palacios, executive director of the Family House, made the first presentation. Family House was started in 1985 and offers shelter for homeless families, allowing them to stay together during a homeless emergency.

“What makes Family House different than other homeless shelters in the city is that we keep families together,” Palacios said. “They’re safe. They’re in one room together.”

The Family House has 103 beds and gets six to eight calls per day seeking shelter. The shelter helps provide support for the families in a variety of ways, whether through providing childcare or mental health help.

The shelter also provides aftercare for when a family leaves. Children can still attend the Family House’s childcare center once their family has moved out.

In Lucas County, 35 percent of the homeless are families with children, Palacios said. If her group is selected by Chicks for Charity, she hopes to work to break stereotypes of the homeless.

“I could use help eliminating stereotypes. That’s the biggest hurdle that we have,” she said. “The elimination of stereotypes is so important for our families so they don’t hide in their cars.”

“We also have some threats from our current funders who want us to cut the shelter time from 90 days to 30 days,” Palacios said, adding that it takes an average of 42 days to rehouse a family.

“That means we’re gonna be forced to kick out families before they’re ready and that’s not right,” Palacios said.

Food for Thought

Sam Melden, executive director of Food for Thought, presented next. His group, started in 2007, has one stationary food pantry and 10 mobile pantries that reach both urban and rural communities. Food for Thought also emphasizes serving people with dignity, Melden said.

“It’s more about eye contact than it is about full stomachs. It’s more about conversations than calories and it’s more about a handshake than a handout,” he said.

Food for Thought has distributed 12,000 carts of groceries, containing about half a million pounds of food, this year.

Food for Thought also adds some fun to serving. Community members doodle on each and every bag through the Art for Thought program.

“Now every lunch we hand out, no bag is the same,” Melden said.

If Food for Thought is selected by the Chicks, another mobile pantry could be added. Melden said the group could also bring a nutritionist intern on board to help encourage healthy eating habits although the group prides itself on allowing patrons to choose what they eat.

A second community garden where patrons could grow their own food could also be added, Melden said.

Shared Lives Studio

The final group was Shared Lives Studio, a division of Lott Industries. Shared Lives Studio allows artists with developmental disabilities to create and sell their work.

“I’ve always said that art is a great equalizer. Everybody has a voice and it’s personal,” said Art Director Lori Schoen.

She recalled the first art show the studio had at Toledo Botanical Garden.

“One mother just kept walking around and saying, ‘I had no idea what he was capable of.’ Another mother just sort of burst into tears,” Schoen said.

Shared Lives Studio helps break down stereotypes, she added.

“[The artists are] contributing members of our society. They’re a part of our community and their jobs are very important,” Schoen said.

One of the artists, Tyler, spoke after her.

“I can’t wait to go to work every day,” he said, later adding, “You are the best thing that could have happened to me.”

After the presentation, Roxanne Ring, who has been a Chick for three years, said there was a clear winner to her because of the state of the economy, but she declined to name her choice.

“That’s the sad part of Chicks for Charity is there are so many needy organizations we could help and it’s difficult to narrow it down,” she said.

For more information, visit www.chicksforcharity.net.

Tags: Chicks for Charity, Family House, Food for Thought, Lori Schoen, Martha Vetter, Renee Palacios, Sam Melden, Shared Lives Studio

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 6th, 2012 at 5:54 pm and is filed under Charity, Community.
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Toledo City Council members presented proposed legislation at a June 13 hearing to temper some fears of area homeless shelter directors in light of recent cuts.

Looming budget cuts have trapped some homeless shelters in a bind, as money they have always depended upon dries up with no other source to cover the losses, said Renee Palacios, director of the Family House.

The city released Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) recommendations last week and the results dashed any hopes shelter directors had of making up for cuts they incurred when the city announced Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) recommendations.

These funds come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), but allocation decisions are made locally.

The homeless shelters, including the Aurora House, Family House, Bethany House, Harbor House and La Posada Family Emergency Shelter, learned about two months ago that they would no longer receive their typical funding. Many of these shelters have depended on tens of thousands of dollars from these grants each year for decades. The Aurora House, a rehabilitative transitional housing program, used CDBG funding for at least 12 percent of its budget.

The new budget cycle starts at the beginning of July for these shelters, so staff and directors must scramble to fill holes within two weeks.

Palacios said the proposed cuts would eliminate 12 percent from their total budget, around $85,000.

“We have had emergency meetings to find where $85,000 can be cut and we’ve put three things on the chopping block,” Palacios said. “We’ve put feeding our residents, security and transportation for children to our daycare all on the chopping block. When you’re talking 12 percent in 11 days, you have to make some pretty rash decisions.”

The Family House provides 37,000 meals a year to their residents.

Lourdes Santiago, director of the Department of Neighborhoods, said the city’s review panel did not grant some agencies with CDBG funding because they were eligible for ESG funding while other agencies were not. The CDBG pot was shallower this year — Toledo  received $6.8 million this year compared to last year’s $8.8 million. At the same time, HUD afforded Toledo $610,000 in ESG, up from $353,000 in the year prior.

Jennifer Flory, a Family House resident, addressed the issue of rapid rehousing — a method that county shelters are being asked to pursue.

For Flory’s daughter, 9-year-old Jaylyn, rapid rehousing would not be good as she has ADHD, epilepsy and a form of autism, Flory said.

“It would not be safe for us to move an autistic child around so much,” Flory said.

Many other shelter residents pleaded with City Council members to make a well-informed decision as to where money needs to go. City Council has the final say.

“This should not be about how many shelters there are,” said Ken Leslie, founder of nonprofit 1Matters and former Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board member. “If the Family House closes, where will people go?”

Palacios said she won’t give up.

“One Government Center isn’t going to be able to shake us out,” Palacios told Toledo Free Press last week.

Councilman D. Michael Collins introduced a proposed amendment that would reduce funds to other local agencies by 10 percent in order to gently guide the shelters into the fiscal transition.

“This is a one-time fix,” Collins said. “It gives the organizations and the City of Toledo a year to come up with a better way of addressing HUD’s changing priorities and the Department of Neighborhoods’ policies.”

Council will host another hearing to present additional proposals.

Tags: Aurora House, Bethany House, Community Development Block Grant, D. Michael Collins, Emergency Solutions Grant, Family House, Harbor House, La Posada Family Emergency Shelter, Renee Palacios, Toledo City Council, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

This entry was posted on Friday, June 15th, 2012 at 2:20 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.
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Toledo City Council members presented proposed legislation at a June 13 hearing to temper some fears of area homeless shelter directors in light of recent cuts.

Looming budget cuts have trapped some homeless shelters in a bind, as money they have always depended upon dries up with no other source to cover the losses, said Renee Palacios, director of the Family House.

The city released Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) recommendations last week and the results dashed any hopes shelter directors had of making up for cuts they incurred when the city announced Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) recommendations.

These funds come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), but allocation decisions are made locally.

The homeless shelters, including the Aurora House, Family House, Bethany House, Harbor House and La Posada Family Emergency Shelter, learned about two months ago that they would no longer receive their typical funding. Many of these shelters have depended on tens of thousands of dollars from these grants each year for decades. The Aurora House, a rehabilitative transitional housing program, used CDBG funding for at least 12 percent of its budget.

The new budget cycle starts at the beginning of July for these shelters, so staff and directors must scramble to fill holes within two weeks.

Palacios said the proposed cuts would eliminate 12 percent from their total budget, around $85,000.

“We have had emergency meetings to find where $85,000 can be cut and we’ve put three things on the chopping block,” Palacios said. “We’ve put feeding our residents, security and transportation for children to our daycare all on the chopping block. When you’re talking 12 percent in 11 days, you have to make some pretty rash decisions.”

The Family House provides 37,000 meals a year to their residents.

Lourdes Santiago, director of the Department of Neighborhoods, said the city’s review panel did not grant some agencies with CDBG funding because they were eligible for ESG funding while other agencies were not. The CDBG pot was shallower this year — Toledo  received $6.8 million this year compared to last year’s $8.8 million. At the same time, HUD afforded Toledo $610,000 in ESG, up from $353,000 in the year prior.

Jennifer Flory, a Family House resident, addressed the issue of rapid rehousing — a method that county shelters are being asked to pursue.

For Flory’s daughter, 9-year-old Jaylyn, rapid rehousing would not be good as she has ADHD, epilepsy and a form of autism, Flory said.

“It would not be safe for us to move an autistic child around so much,” Flory said.

Many other shelter residents pleaded with City Council members to make a well-informed decision as to where money needs to go. City Council has the final say.

“This should not be about how many shelters there are,” said Ken Leslie, founder of nonprofit 1Matters and former Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board member. “If the Family House closes, where will people go?”

Palacios said she won’t give up.

“One Government Center isn’t going to be able to shake us out,” Palacios told Toledo Free Press last week.

Councilman D. Michael Collins introduced a proposed amendment that would reduce funds to other local agencies by 10 percent in order to gently guide the shelters into the fiscal transition.

“This is a one-time fix,” Collins said. “It gives the organizations and the City of Toledo a year to come up with a better way of addressing HUD’s changing priorities and the Department of Neighborhoods’ policies.”          Council will host another hearing to present additional proposals.

Tags: D. Michael Collins, Emergency Solutions Grant, Family House, HUD, Lourdes Santiago, Renee Palacios, Toledo City Council

This entry was posted on Friday, June 15th, 2012 at 10:30 am and is filed under Community.
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In a June 13 public hearing, directors of area homeless shelters expressed concern to city council over the threat of looming budget cuts to their agencies.

Councilmembers presented some legislation but put the discussion on hold in the interest of time after about two hours.

The city released Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) recommendations last week and the results marred the hopes that any shelter directors had of making up for lost funding they incurred from prior cuts.

The homeless shelters, including the Aurora House, Family House, Bethany House, the Harbor House and La Posada Family Shelter, learned about two months ago that they would no longer receive Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). Many of these shelters have depended on this money for decades. The Aurora House, a rehabilitative transitional housing program, used CDBG funding for at least 12 percent of its budget.

Now, staff and directors of the local shelters have nearly two weeks to create a new budget and find a solution to their problems. The new budget cycle starts at the beginning of July.

Renee Palacios, executive director of the Family House, said the proposed cuts would eliminate 12 percent from their total budget, around $85,000.

With the fiscal year ending on June 30, Palacios said there is not a lot of time.

“We have had emergency meetings to find where $85,000 can be cut and we’ve put three things on the chopping block,” Palacios said. “We’ve put feeding our residents, security and transportation for children to our daycare all on the chopping block. When you’re talking 12 percent in 11 days, you have to make some pretty rash decisions.”

Lourdes Santiago, director of the Department of Neighborhoods, spoke before council. She said the city review panel did not grant some agencies CDBG funding because they were eligible to receive ESG funding while other agencies were not.

Dino Peluso, board president for the Family House, was outraged at the proposed cuts. He, like many at local shelters, was under the impression that the CDBG money lost would be restored by ESG funding.

“What makes me so upset is that, between CDBG and ESG, they cut 12 percent of my budget and then they keep telling me it’s going to be alright,” Peluso said. “They expect us to up our service to the homeless but I don’t understand how we can do that with less money.”

The Family House provides 37,000 meals a year to its residents.

Both Peluso and Palacios expressed their concerns when speaking to the council at the hearing.

“We have a community at the Family House that is at the worst moments of their lives losing their shelter. Now, they have to worry about losing their food,” Peluso said. “We want to be on the forefront of homelessness. We want to be the voice of the people. But it’s hard to be the voice of the people with 13 percent less money.”

If the funding is not restored, Peluso said that the Family House, as well as other local shelters, could face a hard and bleak future.

“What happens if, at the end of the day, Family House has to close?” he said. “Out of the 137 beds in area homeless shelters, we have 90. Yet, it seems fit to cut 100 percent of our CDBG funds. We’re asking for help. Our organization is at its end if something doesn’t change.”

While speaking in front of council at the hearing, Jennifer Flory, a Family House resident, addressed the issue of rapid rehousing — a method that county shelters are being asked to pursue.

For Flory’s daughter, 9-year-old Jaylyn, rapid rehousing would not be good as she has ADHD, epilepsy and a form of autism, Flory said.

“Rapid rehousing is not good for us,” Flory said. “It would not be safe for us to move an autistic child around so much.”

Many other shelter residents spoke in front of council, telling their stories and pleading with the city to make a well-informed decision as to where money needs to go.

“This should not be about how many shelters there are,” said Ken Leslie, founder of 1Matters and former Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board member. “If the Family House closes, where will people go?”

City Council has the ultimate decision, one it will reach by the end of June.

“Homelessness really is a complex issue,” said City Council President Joe McNamara. “There is no one-size-fits-all solution to homelessness. All I can say is that I think everyone in this room has the common goal to end homelessness.”

Councilman D. Michael Collins introduced a proposed amendment to the ESG recommendations that would reduce funds to other local agencies by 10 percent in order to gently guide the shelters into the fiscal transition.

“This is a one-time fix. It gives the organizations and the city of Toledo a year to come up with a better way of addressing HUD’s changing priorities and the Department of Neighborhoods policies,” Collins said.

Council will have another hearing to discuss additional proposed legislation.

Denise Fox, executive director of the Aurora House, addressed council on the unexpected news of the funding cuts, urging them to make the decision about what is best for the people needing the services.

“When we first started [the fiscal year], Aurora attended a meeting for CDBG like usual. We became aware that Toledo suffered a 3 percent cut of funding,” Fox said. “As an agency, we have received those funds for over 20 years and we fall under eligible CDBG services.”

When it comes to reducing the length of time a resident can stay at the Aurora House, Fox said rapid rehousing is not the best option.

The Aurora House, which specializes in helping women and their children, often houses their residents for extended periods of time. The prospective loss of around $70,000 would likely cut the length of time a resident can stay, she said.

“As an agency, we are very much focused on long-term housing,” she said. “We are sincerely looking at a program that changes lives and you can’t do that in a short amount of time.”

Tags: 1Matters, Aurora House, Bethany House, Community Development Block Grants, D. Michael Collins, Denise Fox, Dino Peluso, Emergency Solutions Grant, Family House, homeless shelters, Jennifer Flory, Joe McNamara, Ken Leslie, La Posada Family Shelter, Lourdes Santiago, rapid rehousing, Renee Palacios, the Harbor House, Toledo City Council, Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 14th, 2012 at 2:14 am and is filed under 1Matters, City of Toledo, Community, Toledo City Council.
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Homeless shelter directors will address members of city council June 13 about deep cuts their agencies might soon have to take.

The staff and directors are clamoring to figure out how they’ll fill gaping budget holes by the beginning of next month, when they have to start a new budget cycle.

The city released Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) recommendations last week and the results marred the hopes that any shelter directors had of making up for lost funding they incurred from prior cuts.

City Council has yet to vote on the recommendations, and has the final say.

The homeless shelters, including the Aurora House, Family House, Bethany House, the Harbor House and La Posada Family Shelter, learned about two months ago that they would no longer receive Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). Many of these shelters have depended on this money for decades. The Aurora House, a rehabilitative transitional housing program, used CDBG funding for at least 12 percent of its budget.

The Family House, a homeless shelter for families who stay about 38 days on average, loses 10 percent of its budget without CDBG funds.

Renee Palacios, director of the shelter, is irate.

“One Government Center isn’t going to be able to shake us out,” Palacios told Toledo Free Press last week.

Toledo took a cut in federal money for CDBG funding, but got more money for ESG allocations compared to prior years. Lourdes Santiago, director of the Department of Neighborhoods, said the city’s review panel chose not to grant some agencies with CDBG money because they were eligible for ESG while other city programs were not.

This did not imply, however, that the amount the shelters might receive would entirely replace the amount lost from CDBG money, Santiago said.

Palacios said she and other shelter directors were led to believe that the ESG money would cover for CDBG losses. But the amounts announced last week are meager replacements, Palacios said.

The public hearing will take place in council chambers at 1 Government Center at 2 p.m.

Tags: Aurora House, Bethany House, Caitlin McGlade, Family House, Harbor House, homeless shelter funding, La Posada Family Shelter, Lourdes Santiago, Renee Palacios

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 12th, 2012 at 9:27 pm and is filed under City of Toledo, Community, Toledo City Council.
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