Pages tagged "Blog"
Millennials and Social Services
By: Annabelle Gonzalez
Catalyst Miami connects people to economic opportunity through the Prosperity Campaign. The health component of this campaign focuses on securing access to basic needs services and healthcare for all age groups. There is an underrepresentation of college students accessing these health services, even though they access other services and programs. Younger individuals who are currently enrolled in higher education institutions are not applying for services made readily available to them.
Catalyst Miami's Prosperity Campaign assists community residents in applying for benefits like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. All of the services offered at Catalyst Miami are open to the public. However, it is important to engage the younger generation. Millennials account for a large portion of the population. Their size goes hand-in-hand with the limitations they are facing. They are the generation with, “higher levels of student loan debt, poverty and unemployment, and lower levels of wealth and personal income” than older generations (Pew). Millennials cannot afford to shy away from help.
If you are interested in applying for SNAP or Medicaid or any of the other services we offer, contact Catalyst Miami and schedule an appointment at (305) 576-5001. These programs are not limited to individuals enrolled in college; they are open to all individuals and families that meet the designated criteria. We are also connected with many partners who also offer great services.
War on Poverty, Part III: A Closer Look: State by State
Blog Feature: Yesenia Rojas
As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the War on Poverty, it is important to see the effects, progress, and problems taking place at the national level and also among all 50 states.
The Half in Ten report "Resetting the Poverty Debate: State of the States 2013" provides fact sheets and tables highlighting data and other information that evaluate a state’s poverty rate. They analyze unemployment insurance coverage, affordable housing, gender wage gap, etc, and show how inextricably linked the War on Poverty is to other factors in our communities.
One of the most important causes is unemployment insurance cuts; a strong trend in the data shows southern states like Florida and Georgia lead the nation with worsening coverage numbers.
What can we do? A call to action is necessary.
The Center of Budget Priorities explains that "approximately 5 million Americans are expected to lose emergency unemployment benefits over the next 12 months," without a doubt the shocking state-by-state impact numbers should urge citizens to contact Congress.
If our government does not invest in social programs the future of this war seems dismal.
Social security, food stamps/SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Medicare/Medicaid, and federal support for education should all be well funded so that our wavering economy may be sustained.
The safety net programs provide security and support both nationally and at the state level.
War on Poverty, Part II: Supporting the Solutions Nationally: Education & Social Progress
By: Yesenia Rojas
While unemployment rates increase and wages continue to plummet, many families are facing dire challenges, such as: increased housing costs, access to child care, and meeting other basic needs. If wages are not accommodated to suit the basic needs of breadwinners, then we have no fighting chance to stay afloat.
What can we do? Support assistance programs. As congress considers reckless cuts this new year, we must instead fight for their funding.
Even though our economy has experienced growth since the recession, not every citizen has felt the effects of these changes, meaning that intelligent and strategic investing is pivotal. The fiscal dialogue should face and tackle the issues that will impact the War on Poverty in years to come:
• Backing a fruitful economy that will serve everyone regardless of tax bracket.
• Making sure all citizens can feel the effects of a successful financial boom, not only those at the very top. Creating new jobs and supporting social agendas that will propel positive and fair change should be of utmost importance.
• 14.5% of U.S. women are in poverty and make only close to 76.5% of what their male counterparts do. Although females are predicted to participate more in the workforce than men in the next 5 years these numbers are proof that Americans can do more to employ and support families.
Data shows that between 1959 and 1973 America was able to "cut our poverty rate nearly in half" with the use of strong safety net programs—these programs are undeniably a driving force to achieving success in this war.
What benefits will we reap? Only the strongest foundation for eliminating poverty in future generations; the financial support system required to educate them. As the workers of tomorrow we must ensure that college is affordable for all students: race, ethnicity, gender and class cannot play a role in impeding success.
Everyone in our country should be allowed the opportunity to succeed; after all, freedom and equality are fundamental American values.
Our economy should reflect this financial abundance, making the future generation and their contributions crucial to our War on Poverty in the next 50 years.
Although the Half in Ten report states that "we haven’t responded well enough to the economic and family changes that have occurred,” the decisions we make now on policy support, education, and social funding will deeply affect the strength of our antipoverty programs and essentially our economic stability.
War on Poverty, Part I: National Antipoverty Programs Paving the Way for a Win
Guest Blogger: Yesenia Rojas
In 2014 the Half in Ten campaign released the “The War on Poverty: Then and Now” report that entails the progress we've made as a country with our ongoing mission to save millions of citizens from poverty and what we've done to make those changes powerful and lasting.
Bottom line: the United States has not failed; the war on poverty is still being fought and battles are being won.
How? Through policy reforms that resulted in safety net programs which aided our success: Medicare, Medicare, Head Start, Pell Grants, nutrition assistance and expansions to Social Security. Without these programs it is expected that our poverty rate would be doubled today.
President Lyndon B. Johnson's State of the Union Address 50 years ago launched this "unconditional" war and the data collected reflects progress and hope for the future.
Currently 46.5 million people are under the federal poverty line. If we were to look at the Census Bureau data from previous years, it has shown that ongoing efforts to improve numbers throughout history have worked. A new study from Columbia University shows that with the help of our safety net programs poverty was reduced from 26% during the time of President Johnson's speech to 12% in 2012.
In fact, incredible change resulted only 10 years following the war's announcement; our country's poverty was at a record low of 11.1%.
Yet, as safety net programs prove helpful and successful, the variable in our fight has definitely been a wavering U.S. economy.
Job Security as a Result of Volunteering: These Are the Facts
Blog Feature: Yesenia Rojas
An important deciding factor for many job interviews nowadays is probably something most applicants overlooked in the past: volunteering.
Recent studies conducted by the NCoC have proved that civic participation is clearly related to economic stability. The 2011 and 2012 reports show that engagement in nonprofit activities, trust and teamwork are linked directly to financial and social success in our communities.
With U.S. employment rates plummeting in recent years it seems volunteer work may offer a solution to citizens who are looking to secure jobs and become eligible for competitive salaries.
According to the CNCS (Corporation for National and Community Service) “volunteers have a 27 percent higher likelihood of finding a job after being out of work than non-volunteers.”
The deciding factor for finding employment was not affected by demographics or work experience in the least. In fact, the rate of employment sky rocketed among people without high school degrees and those residing in rural areas.
Not only do volunteers living in these areas have a 55 percent higher likelihood of getting a job but volunteers without a high school diploma have a 51 percent heightened probability than those without civic experience.
Other facts support the undeniable correlation:
- The NCoC studies are proving that civic life must integrated in all of society to protect the job market, economic success and a strong nonprofit presence in our society.
- Community leaders in varying areas must help bridge the gap between businesses and civic involvement. They should support government policies that invest in solidifying “social cohesion” thru volunteering.
Everyone should work together to achieve the obviously reasonable solution to many of the economic fumbles we face—civically strong communities will withstand greater issues and grow with increasing citizen participation.
Affordable Care Taking the Lead in Florida
Blog Feature: Yesenia Rojas
Florida is now a frontrunner with 17,908 residents signed up for the Affordable Care Act as of Oct. 1 (nationally over 364,000 Americans are on board). In November, a total of 110,000 citizens—almost four times as many as in October—are now insured with the help of the federal online service.
Our state’s participation numbers are playing a vital role:
Applications completed in the Sunshine State (150,142), Applications for coverage (281,517), Number of plans selected (17,908). And according to the U.S. Census, 3.8 million uninsured residents under the age of 65 live in Florida, the second-highest rate in the country only to Texas.
With more and more Americans becoming eligible for coverage (1.9 million just recently), we might see a powerful surge in Affordable Care patients well throughout March 2014 according to Michael Hash, director of HHS’s office of health reform.
The federal online exchange is programmed to handle about 800,000 consumers a day and enrollment data in Florida proves this may very well happen in the near future with the help of education and outreach by the Obama administration.
Although improved practicality made it a more user-friendly system, technicians at healthcare.gov continue to fix other issues that have intervened in the application process. Officials are quickly working to correct these problems and fix them immediately. Since the site was re-launched in Dec. 1, close to 100% of Affordable Care consumers can now transmit information successfully and accurately.
However, although the Congressional Budget Office estimated that nearly 90 percent of citizens enrolled in the exchange would be eligible for financial assistance, fewer qualified for subsidizes than expected. Only 41% enrolled in the plan, got qualified for aide and also managed to pay monthly premiums.
CMS says that it is too early to determine the subsequent rise in enrollment but things could change before mid-2014.
If you would like to know more about how you can navigate the marketplace in search of health insurance, contact Catalyst Miami today! Our navigators are ready to help you with you needs. Call us today! 305-576-5001
Civic Engagement = Economic Survival and Success
Blog Feature: Yesenia Rojas
Civic richness directly affects economic stasis. Communities that encourage civic responsibility and engagement have achieved higher employment rates and a boost in economic performance overall.
In 2011, a study on economic resilience and civic engagement showed how different aspects of a community, including communal morale, infrastructure, and job opportunities were heavily affected by healthy civic involvement. After close examination, the NCoC (National Conference on Citizenship) discovered that simple measures, such as attending town/city meetings, registering to vote, voting, and volunteering contribute to solid social solidity in any community.
A new study found that areas with a stronger non-profit presence resulted in an environment where civic participation is weaved into the community fabric. These areas proved to be more resilient during some of the most frightening economic periods in American history, like the Great Depression.
“Volunteering as a Pathway to Employment”, a report from the Corporation for National and Community Service released in June 2013, provided strong evidence regarding the correlation between volunteering and employment. The remarkable truth is volunteering directly impacted the job opportunities of various applicants. A person’s age, ethnicity, gender, specific job market conditions or geographical area were not limiting or negatively associated with the increased employment rate.
Civic engagement develops skills that employers seek: desirable worth ethic, a genuine interest in assigned tasks and good teambuilding skills. With experience in the non-profit sector, people are more encouraged to seek employment and are more likely to get the jobs they want.
· The Unemployed: Volunteer while looking for work to strengthen interpersonal skills, build your resume and gain experience working with different organizations. To find volunteer opportunities in your area visit Serve.gov or apply to our Connect for Good Program.
· The Employers (Non-Profits): Recruiting should be ideally reserved for those who will benefit the most from volunteering– out of work individuals, specifically those who hold only a high school degree or who live in unpopulated rural areas. To connect with volunteers, join our Connect for Good program as a partner.
Volunteering has also proven to increase individual confidence and awareness; civic participation in turn increases trust in other people. This year, the CNCS report showed that innovations in business and economies were directly related to trustworthy employees. And so investments (financial, time) and community promotions grew exponentially because of the engagement in community programs. Recruitment in civic organizations will most definitely serve two purposeful outcomes: numerous improvements to communities and improved employment outcomes for its members.
The economic stability and social longevity of our communities are a direct result of their civic involvement—these are the answers to a thriving, profitable and cohesive future.
Affordable Care: How to Get It and How to Share It
This past Friday, Catalyst Miami partnered with Florida Blue Foundation to host "Affordable Care: How to Get It and How to Share It." Initially, we expected a maximum of 100 attendees. Surprisingly, we were joined by more than 220 guests on the day of the event! Needless to say, we had an amazing morning learning from healthcare professionals and community activists about ways we can collaborate and support the Affordable Care Act in South Florida. Thank you to all of you who joined, we hope to continue partnering in this effort. Want to see some of the highlights? Click here.
The Arrival of the New Health Insurance Marketplace
By: Shannon Charles, guest blogger
For millions of Americans today, the idea of acquiring adequate healthcare coverage seems farfetched. With the uninsured rate gradually increasing for adults between the ages of 26-64, does this really provide much hope for the future? Next month, the new Health Insurance Marketplace will be introduced as a solution to help the uninsured, but before we address this topic, let us examine the past. In March 2010, President Barack Obama signed the health reform, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), into law. The main goals of the ACA were to increase the quality and affordability of health insurance, lower the uninsured rate by expanding public and private insurance coverage, and reduce the costs of health care for individuals and the government. The ACA has come under some harsh criticism from those who believe that it will lead to higher healthcare costs, slower job growth, and rising numbers of part-time workers.
October 1, 2013 marks the beginning of open enrollment in the new Health Insurance Marketplace. The Marketplace is a new way to find affordable health coverage that meets your needs. Our main goal as health advocates is to provide assistance to help people select the right health coverage option for themselves and their families. The ACA has outlined three opportunities for consumer assistance which include the following:
· Patient Navigators
· Certified Application Counselors (CACs)
· General education and outreach
Patient navigators educate consumers on health coverage options and assist with eligibility, enrollment, and health plan selection. The navigators are put in place to focus on our low-income, disadvantaged, and hard-to-reach populations. In Florida alone, 2.7 million individuals remain uninsured. In regards to our CACs, these individuals are required to provide information about a full range of Qualified Health Plan (QHP) options. Additionally, they help facilitate enrollment in QHP, Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP). They are also expected to comply with privacy and security standards and disclose conflicts of interest. Although both group’s roles are similar, the two groups differ when considering the fact that the work done by CACs is strictly on a voluntary basis. Patient navigators are compensated through funds provided by the federal government. As of August 15, 2013, the federal government decided which organizations would receive funding to work in the community as navigators.
The creation of the new Health Insurance Marketplace addresses many important issues that Americans have faced for several years. For instance, most Medicare Prescription Drug Plans have a coverage gap commonly referred to as the “donut hole.” This means there's a temporary limit on what the drug plan will cover for drugs. The coverage gap begins after you and your drug plan have spent a certain amount for covered drugs. The new Health Insurance Marketplace has worked to eliminate the “donut hole” to allow seniors to purchase name brand medications at lower costs. Another issue tackled is the idea of pre-existing conditions. In the past, health plans were able to deny individuals access to health coverage or raise costs because of a pre-existing health condition. Starting in 2014, health insurance plans are no longer allowed to discriminate against these individuals. The new Health Insurance Marketplace has even made strides to eliminate the gender bias; women are no longer being charged more for health coverage than men. These are only some of the issues addressed in the new Health Insurance Marketplace. Last week I had the pleasure of attending an insightful forum on the ACA, hosted by United Way, that shed some light on several topics. The challenges we currently face include: few people understand ACA, there are limited resources for one-on-one assistance, and general education and outreach. As consumers we must make efforts to become more knowledgeable about the marketplace to help inform others.
One of the particularly fascinating additions to the Health Insurance Marketplace is the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP), which is a new program that simplifies the process of buying health insurance for small businesses. For 2014, the SHOP Marketplace is open to employers with 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees (FTEs). The advantages of this program include:
· You control the coverage you offer and how much you pay toward employee premiums.
· You can compare health plans online on an apples-to-apples basis, which helps you make a decision that's right for your business.
· You may qualify for a small business health care tax credit worth up to 50% of your premium costs. You can still deduct from your taxes the rest of your premium costs not covered by the tax credit.
The SHOP will be very important to businesses as we near the arrival of the new Health Insurance Marketplace. It is very encouraging to see steps being made to solve the healthcare crisis in the United States. Many individuals have been affected by inflated healthcare costs because of a variety of issues that I mentioned earlier, such as: pre-existing conditions, gender bias, and the coverage gap. As the unemployment rate continues to decrease, we will see more individuals being able to join the workforce and select health coverage through their employers. For those individuals who are uninsured due to their unemployed status, it becomes extremely difficult to maintain monthly payments for even the most minimal health plans. It is imperative that we monitor the unemployment rates in the United States because it goes hand-in-hand with access to adequate health coverage, since most individuals acquire insurance through their employers. Hopefully we will see some significant change in the years to come.
Considering how much there is still to learn, Catalyst Miami will be hosting a forum in partnership with Florida Blue Foundation on October 4, 2013 from 8am-12pm. The event is titled: Affordable Care: How to get it and how to share it. Stay tuned as we send out more information on this event. If you have any questions, please reach out.
A Collection of Stories in Support of Saving Miami-Dade Libraries
Story #1: A Teacher
Concerned residents of Miami-Dade County are engaged in a fight to save nearly half of its libraries, which are at risk of closure under the County's proposed budget. Should the closures proceed, it would be the largest cut to a public library system in US history. On a rainy Saturday, nearly 300 residents of all ages gathered to support the library system and express their displeasure in the proposed cuts. Given that Mayor Carlos Gimenez has told local media that the "age of the library is probably ending," we have an uphill battle ahead of us.
To support our cause, please sign the online petition, join the #SaveOurLibrary hashtag on Facebook or contribute to the larger #SaveOurLibrary hashtag on Twitter. For more information, visit www.FriendsofMDPL.org
Story #2: A Librarian
In the summer of 2011, the Arcola Branch Library, 49th in the network of 49 neighborhood libraries, opened on the site of an abandoned drive-in movie theater. Forty years of blight was finally replaced with county government's $4.525 million investment in the future of Liberty City. The story below was one of the repercussions of $7.4 million drained from the library system 's 2009-10 budget the year before. The library's money was granted to a list of organizations that provide high end art exhibits and concert series. Taxpayers had no say in the decision that library hours and library programs such as free tutoring were being cut. The 250 library staff affected went quietly. The public, for the most part, only thought that the library system had hours reduced. Here's how it felt for one of the survivors as he prepares to be a victim of the next tidal wave of 169 layoffs. He will be one of our finest who will be told to leave for good. This is his story:
A pat on the back and a kick in the teeth seldom come on the same day. Although the library staff knew they’d be coming close together. We were waiting for them both. But not on the same day. It was supposed to be our day of triumph. We were opening the new library for Arcola Lakes. We had given one of the poorest neighborhoods a state of the art library that would be envy of the richest. They loved it.
The people swarmed this palace of self-improvement filled with brand new books, brand new computers, brand new furniture, brand new everything. In one month we had gone from bare walls and bare floors to this. Soon, we were helping everyone, from hard-working immigrants trying to keep up with USCIS paperwork to young mothers needing advice on helping their child stop struggling with reading. And today was the grand opening.
There was the mayor, the county commissioner, our library director and half dozen other VIPS. Several classes of children from Arcola Lake Elementary came with their teachers. Even my old high school teacher, now a school librarian herself, was there to see it. The speeches were said. The applause, but not the glow from the achievement, faded away. The mayor shook my hand. He shook all of our hands. The VIPs left. Everyone relaxed.
And then they came. They came with the layoff letters:
· A demotion for my manager
· A demotion for me.
· A termination for my new Trainee.
· Transfers for some of the rest.
We were honored for our effort, then scattered to the four winds. All on the same day.
It hurt but until this July I counted myself lucky and felt my fate was hard but someone had thought it necessary to keep the library intact.
The library would go on and I would still able to serve. We would still get the job done. Mine must’ve been the easiest letter to hand out that day. I could live with this. But I was sad for my manager. We had all worked with dogged dedication when things were grim, and with great enthusiasm when they were not. But more than all the rest, she had poured her heart into that library. It was not just a building or a collection. It was seen as an opportunity to affect the future course of the community. She was a great manager. She deserved better. They all deserved better.
So, we took the severe layoffs two years ago with barely a murmur and little public action. And this year, we just cannot. We cannot be silent or silenced.
Because then, as bad as it was, only our own jobs were at stake, and not the library herself. Self-interest is not enough to get a librarian to rally in the streets. This year is different, like night and day. This time they’re gutting the library and stuffing her carcass with empty promises. On the outside the library will look almost the same.
But when people go inside to order a book or ask for computer help they will find that little remains but rags and bones. All too often they will walk up and the doors will simply be closed.
Our county mayor wants to save the “footprint of the library”. A footprint is good to look at but not much else. A footprint is a memory, nothing more.
~Employee 169
Story # 3: A Senior
There are NO words to describe my gratitude for being able to READ books via the Miami Dade Library System. The “Connections” service has been and continues being a “life saver” for me! I would probably go crazy were it not for Linda, who usually selects books that are mailed to me regularly! (She has been super wonderful to me!)
I am a senior citizen, living alone and partially disabled. Relying on a computer is NOT comfortable for me. Therefore, reading occupies 99% of my free time, which involves hours, hours and more hours daily!!!
When weather permits, I try to leave my home & using of my walker (a must), I literally push myself to get to the Miami Beach branch library. Once in a while I read so much that I have to go there because I get ahead of reading the books sent to me!
I’m 100% positive that there are hundreds (if not thousands) of seniors who depend upon the library system for reading and relaxation. Not all of these folks are “addicted” to computers. It’s important for us seniors to read in order to keep our brains working
PLEASE, PLEASE do everything possible to insure that our library system remains intact. There are many other ways for this government to save money than to penalize those of us who are in NEED of libraries. Government waste is an issue that is not to be discussed at this writing.
Thank you for your time.
Ms. Natalie S. Greenfield,
Story #4: A Student
Hi, my name is Kevionna Boswell and here is what I have to say about the proposal to defund the public libraries. Please do not close our libraries, even if technology has taken over the world and how we absorb knowledge. We need to think about the kids who don't have technology and whose only resource is to go to the library. There are so many individuals that rely on the public library system to access knowledge and learning experiences. For these reasons, I, Kevionna Boswell, am asking that you keep from defunding the Miami-Dade County libraries.