By: Joseph Goodman

The chalk all washed away. It appears like the community activism and public awareness that put it there isn’t going anywhere.

More than a dozen community organizations met Saturday afternoon at Parcel B behind AmericanAirlines Arena to voice their support for a public park along the waterfront. A few hundred people participated in the event, which was dubbed “Chalk-tacular: an art project to reclaim Dan Paul Park.” The many creative chalk drawings didn’t last long — it rained around 4:30 p.m. — but that did nothing to curb the momentum that appears to be steadily building for a permanent public space along the bay.

County commissioner Xavier Suarez attended the event and praised participants for their “sticktoitiveness.”

“They really define the word,” Suarez said. “I’m happy to be here with my staff, and they all know how I feel about this. I voted against putting anything here other than a park. It has been a 30-year battle for the waterfront, and that includes Watson Island, this and what is now Museum Park.”

Earlier this year, the county asphalted much of Parcel B to accommodate Formula E1, the racing event that drew limited attendance in March. “Chalk-tacular” brought people together for a “chalk-filled fun day in an effort to transform Parcel B into the park of their dreams.” Currently, the county-owned site is mostly used by the Heat for valet parking and event staging, and the asphalted portion of the property — about two acres — is turning out to be an embarrassing ordeal for the county.

“The irony is that it was supposed to be an environmentally friendly race and they killed all the grass and trees and paved it over,” said Justin Wales of Engage Miami, the event’s host.

Formula E1 promoters originally promised a multi-year commitment to county officials, but the event won’t be returning after its unsuccessful debut through the streets of downtown. So, now one of the county’s most beautiful pieces of public land is an unused parking lot that’s fenced off from use most of the time.

“Our county deserves world class parks,” said county commissioner Daniella Levine Cava. “The Chalk-tacular event brought together park advocates from all over Miami-Dade to demand investment in our parks system. If we truly want to become an international city, then we must invest in our open spaces.”

“Chalk-tacular” was spearheaded by a number of community organizations, including recently organized Engage Miami, whose mission is to “drastically increase youth engagement within Miami-Dade County by developing a culture of participation that is impactful, interesting and fun.”

Despite the sweltering heat of the blacktop, children and young adults enthusiastically chalked the asphalt with creative designs as well as powerful messages. One recurring theme was a sentiment to rename Parcel B to Dan Paul Park. Dan Paul was a prominent First Amendment and environmental lawyer in Miami, who passed away in 2010. Paul argued Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo before the Supreme Court. The landmark case established precedent that government cannot dictate a newspaper’s content.

Other co-hosts of the event included New Tropic, Miami Parks Foundation, Ladyfest, Colony1, Catalyst Miami, Center for Social Change, Chalk Project, Celebrate Diversity Miami, Colony1, Dark Matter Collective, Emerge Miami, Guitars Over Guns, Ladyfest Miami, Miami City Chess Club, Miami Parks Foundation, The New Florida Majority, New Leaders Council - Miami, The New Tropic, Roots Collective, SMIA Group / Sustainable Miami, Urban Environment League, Urban Paradise Guild, and Urban Impact Lab.

For many years, community organizations and public-park advocates have hoped the county and the Miami Heat would make good on a promise to build a public park at Parcel B to go along with the construction of AmericanAirlines Arena. The Heat’s move to its bayfront site was a hotly debated topic 20 years ago. The county-owned arena helped spur the redevelopment of downtown Miami, but Parcel B remains undeveloped.

“We organized this and brought all the groups together to try to bring awareness for the county’s broken promise and the Heat’s broken promise,” said Wales, a local First Amendment lawyer.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article30510786.html#storylink=cpy

FORT LAUDERDALE — Airport employees crowded a section of Hollywood-Fort Lauderdale International Airport on Wednesday afternoon to demand higher wages and better benefits.

The protest took place as part of a public assistance fair put on by a local union. Joining the workers — a collection of employees ranging from wheelchair attendants to skycaps— were elected officials, including state Reps. Hazelle Rogers and Evan Jenne, and Broward Commissioner Dale Holness.

Travelers who approached Terminals 2 and 3 at the airport saw the unusual activity along the walkway. Supporters estimated about 50 people participated.

“Many airport workers are paid so poorly that they must work multiple jobs or rely on public assistance just to survive,” said Holness, who represents District 9. “This is unconscionable. We should ensure that the hard-working workers who take our bags, clean our bathrooms, provide security, assist wheelchair bound passengers, and clean the aircraft make a fair and decent livable wage so that they can support themselves and their families.”

Currently, more than 1,200 airline-contracted workers are excluded from Broward County’s $13.20 Living Wage Ordinance. These wheelchair attendants, skycaps, security agents, checkpoint workers and others earn an average of $8.14 per hour. Salaries are so low that about 29 percent of airport workers are eligible for government assistance programs, said Ana Tinsly, a spokeswoman with 32BJ SEIU, which organized the activity.

Broward County Commissioners introduced a bill in May to extend the County’s Living Wage ordinance to include airport workers, as well as commissioned a study on the issue. Two more motions are needed in order to advance the measure. Advocates say once this loophole is closed, it will inject an additional $14 million per year into Broward’s economy and communities.

Some of the workers got paperwork assistance from Catalyst Miami and Hispanic Unity of Florida, which provided the eligibility screening for government programs including, nutritional benefits, low-cost health care and assistance in paying their energy bills.

Sandra Smith, a wheelchair attendant who works for two airline contractors, G2 Secure Staff and Eulen America, takes a two-hour bus ride every day to the airport, where she earns a little over $8.00 an hour. At the benefits fair, Smith learned that she might qualify for food stamp benefits and possibly other programs.

“We are human beings. We cannot survive on the wages we are earning,” said Smith, who lives in a one-room apartment with her daughter. “Every time I try to look for an apartment, the rental managers ask me for my pay stubs. They always want to know how will I be able to feed my family after I pay the rent. I work more than 50 hours a week. There is no reason why I shouldn’t be able to afford an apartment, buy food, and pay my bills.”

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, one of the area’s most important economic engines, is responsible for 135,000 jobs and has an estimated annual economic impact of about $10.6 billion. Activists contend that the airport has a shadow economy in which hundreds of workers struggle with poverty wages and little or not benefits.

They say the airlines use low-bid contractors who routinely cut costs on the backs of employees.

“I work hard lifting and moving heavy suitcases for passengers all day and yet I need two jobs just to make ends meet,” said Newton Ingram, a said Newton Ingram, a skycap who works for G2 Secure Staff, which services Southwest and Virgin America Airlines.

“Airport jobs used to be good jobs. This is no longer the case. I earn $5.00 an hour plus tips. My wife and I help take care for my mother-in-law, who has expensive medical bills. Somehow we are making it work, but just barely. What if I get sick? What if my mother in law’s health care becomes more expensive? Earning a living wage would mean piece of mind and the knowledge that my work is valued,” Ingram added.

http://www.sfltimes.com/news/local/airport-workers-demand-higher-wages-in-protest

Contact: Carla Moreira Strickland

Allegany Franciscan Ministries invests in Catalyst Miami’s initiative to provide residents with social services through grassroots community outreach

MIAMI, Florida – On August 6, 2015, Catalyst Miami, an anti-poverty nonprofit organization, will launch “Prosperity Miami,” an initiative to bring social services to Miami-Dade County residents in their own neighborhoods. Catalyst   Miami will partner with South Florida Voices for Working Families and New Florida Majority Education Fund to identify and engage 8,000 families in ten neighborhoods.

For many low-income families, accessing social services is a challenge. The family caretaker has to worry about making an appointment, getting permission to miss work, accessing transportation, figuring out childcare, and, most importantly, losing income. These challenges make it hard for families to access social services that can improve their quality of life.

To mitigate these challenges, Catalyst Miami will offer on-the-spot enrollment services at health fairs, churches, job sites, school open houses, and back-to-school events in ten neighborhoods, including Coconut Grove, Downtown, Florida City, Hialeah, Homestead, Liberty City, Little Haiti, Little Havana, Overtown, and Sweetwater. According to U.S. Census data, these ten neighborhoods have the highest numbers of uninsured and underinsured children and families, families at risk of becoming uninsured, families medically underserved due to low-income/asset-limited status, and individuals and families impacted by the 5-year ban on permanent residents.

“We are delighted to provide funding for this important effort in a community with one of the widest gaps between rich and poor in the country and disturbingly large numbers without health insurance. The project will connect our most vulnerable residents to critical services and help them achieve economic stability,” said Eileen Coogan Boyle, President and CEO of Allegany Franciscan Ministries.

“Catalyst Miami is eager to begin this pilot and reboot our Prosperity Campaign. We are ready to bring our services to our clients, meeting them as close to home as possible. We are also grateful for our partners in this endeavor. New Florida Majority Education Fund and South Florida Voices for Working Families bring community connections and civic engagement opportunities to Prosperity Miami, making it easier for us to fulfill our mission,” said Gretchen Beesing,   Chief Executive Officer of Catalyst Miami.

Catalyst Miami will hold a community event on Thursday, August 6, 2015 to officially launch “Prosperity Miami.”

###

Allegany Franciscan Ministries is rooted in the tradition and vision of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany providing funds in three regions of Florida and working with community partners to create healthier, safer, and more prosperous places for our most vulnerable residents. As part of Trinity Health, its mission is to serve together in the spirit of the Gospel as a compassionate and transforming healing presence within communities served. For more information, visit www.afmfl.org.

Catalyst Miami is a nonprofit organization committed to developing and supporting individual leadership and community organizations with the purpose of improving health, educational, and economic outcomes in South Florida. You can visit Catalyst Miami’s website at catalystmiami.org and follow Catalyst Miami on Twitter at @CatalystMiami.

By: Michael Fernandez

There’s an extensive, strangely formatted report that tells the story of our financial lives. Whether we truly understand it or not, its weight dictates our ability to buy a car, a home, apply for a credit card, and even get a job. It is, of course, our credit report — the neat charts and obscure listings financial institutions use to derive our credit score. The notion of credit is one of the building blocks of capitalism, and whether we like it or not, its traditional gatekeepers are financial institutions.

Access to credit is one of the many ways financial institutions like banks have a lasting presence in our everyday lives. They provide us bank accounts, credit cards, and home and auto loans. And the price for those services is dependent on the interest rates, calculated in part by our looming and ever-present credit score.

It can seem like a straightforward storyline, but it’s one that leaves many in peril, including those too young to have built credit or too new to the country, as well as those with personal challenges like job losses, divorces, illnesses, a history of poverty, or simply a few bad financial decisions. Without a healthy credit score, they can be especially vulnerable to predatory lenders or have limited access to housing in Miami’s tight rental market. Those of us with no credit can be stuck with few options outside of asking credit-worthy friends and family to expose themselves to the risk of cosigning our loans or leases. And those of us with bad credit history are often denied access to loans altogether or charged steep interest rates, costing thousands of extra dollars over the life of the loan.

The lending circle lifeline

Lending circles can provide a socially responsible way for people to help themselves get better, and in communities across the developing world especially they can serve as a financial lifeline. While lending circles have been around for centuries, it’s only recently that financial institutions in the U.S, have started catching on to their viability as financial instruments. Lending circles are now being recognized by both financial institutions and credit reporting agencies, an unprecedented development that can help members build or rebuild credit, giving them access to new levels of financial freedom.

Here’s how it works. Let’s say we have 10 people who each want to borrow $1,000 dollars. Each of these people has their own motivation for the money — pay back a loan, catch up on their bills, build a financial safety net. The group agrees on a set monthly payment that everyone pays, typically ranging from $25 to $200 a month. The term, or length, of the loan is also agreed upon. Once the lending circle starts, the $1,000 is periodically distributed to each member of the lending circle, until everyone has received the money. Every month, someone new gets the pot of money. Everyone, including the person receiving the loan that month, is required to make the monthly payment. This continues until the balance is paid off by each participant. At that point, the lending circle is over. If done through a partnered organization, the payments can be reported to credit reporting agencies, which then use the information as part of each member’s credit history. Successfully paying off a loan like this can make a dramatic positive difference in a person’s credit history.

From informal groups to formal recognition

Organizations around the country have taken notice of their potential for helping financially underserved communities. One of the first to commit to the idea in a big way was the local social services organization Catalyst Miami, which is a program managed by Mission Asset Fund and funded by JP Morgan Chase.  With lending circles already popular within immigrant communities around South Florida, Catalyst Miami set out to bridge the divide between these informal communities and formal banking institutions, providing a way to have a lasting impact beyond the life of the loan term.

So far, the organization has launched 5 different cohort groups, with each cohort group consisting of six to 12 people. The number of people in the lending circle defines the length of time for loan repayment. For example, a six-member lending circle would last 6 months, while an 11-member lending circle would last 11 months. The progress of every member is reported to Transunion and Experian, with an Equifax agreement currently in the works.

Cohorts come from all walks of life, each with their own reason for joining. The primary focus of the program is credit repair, but participants have also joined to start building their credit history from scratch. Catalyst Miami has taken an the extra step by providing financial education, ensuring members are in a position to make better financial decisions. Catalyst Miami also has members of each lending circle meet in person at the start of each program. It helps members get to know each other, while also building trust and confidence between members of the group.

Coming together for new possibilities

Darren Liddell leads the lending circle program for Catalyst Miami, managing the day-to-day operations of each lending circle. According to Liddell, there are two major long-term organizational goals driving the future of the program in South Florida.

First, he says Catalyst Miami is working to connect their Lending Circles program to members of other organizations in the community. Second, Liddell is exploring how to create goal-specific lending circles.

For example, a group could consist of members who each want to buy their first car, or are trying to put together the down payment for their first home. Imagine a group of students using a lending circle to cover part of their educational costs while building a good credit history without having to resort to high interest credit cards, or of entrepreneurs coming together to brainstorm new ideas while also raising the seed capital to grow or launch their small business.

Need and limited access to resources often stem innovation. But lending circles are coming together to create new possibilities, all while improving their members’ credit and increasing their prospects for the financial freedom that comes along with it.

Interested in getting involved in a lending circle program? Email Darren Liddell at Catalyst Miami for more information or check us out at www.catalystmiami.org and www.LendingCircles.org. 

Fort Lauderdale – State Representative Hazel Rogers, Commissioner Dale Holness, and other supporters joined airport workers at a rally today (July 29) in support of extending Broward County’s Living Wage Ordinance to subcontracted airline workers. The event was held in conjunction with a Public Assistance Benefits Fair, to help workers that earn poverty wages access government assistance programs.

Currently, more than 1,200 airline-contracted workers are excluded from Broward County’s $13.20 Living Wage Ordinance. These wheelchair attendants, skycaps, security agents, checkpoint workers and others earn an average of $8.14 per hour. Salaries are so low that an estimated 29% of workers at FLL are eligible for government assistance programs.“Many airport workers are paid so poorly that they must work multiple jobs or rely on public assistance just to survive,” said Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness. “This is unconscionable. We should ensure that the hard-working FLL workers who take our bags, clean our bathrooms, provide security, assist wheelchair bound passengers, and clean the aircrafts make a fair and decent livable wage so that they can support themselves and their families.”

Some of these airport workers were helped today by Catalyst Miami and Hispanic Unity of Florida, who provided the eligibility screening for government programs including, nutritional benefits, low cost health care, and assistance in paying their energy bills.

 

Sandra Smith, Wheelchair Attendant

Sandra Smith, a wheelchair attendant who works for two airline contractors, G2 Secure Staff and Eulen America, takes a 2 hour bus ride every day to the airport, where she earns a little over $8.00 an hour. Today she learned that she might qualify for food stamp (SNAP) benefits and possibly other programs.

“We are human beings. We cannot survive on the wages we are earning,” said Sandra who can only afford to live in a one-room apartment with her daughter. “Every time I try to look for an apartment, the rental managers ask me for my pay stubs. They always want to know how will I be able to feed my family after I pay the rent. I work more than 50 hours a week. There is no reason why I shouldn’t be able to afford an apartment, buy food, and pay my bills.”

The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is one of the most important economic engines in South Florida. It is responsible for 135,000 jobs and has an estimated annual economic impact of about $10.6 billion. And yet, unbeknownst to most Floridians, the airport has a shadow economy in which hundreds of workers struggle with poverty wages and little or no benefits.

That’s because the airlines–who are earning record breaking, billion dollar profits–use low-bid contractors who routinely cut costs on the backs of employees.

“I work hard lifting and moving heavy suitcases for passengers all day and yet I need two jobs just to make ends meet,” said Newton Ingram, a said Newton Ingram, a skycap who works for G2 Secure Staff, which services Southwest and Virgin America Airlines.

“Airport jobs used to be good jobs. This is no longer the case. I earn $5.00 an hour plus tips. My wife and I help take care for my mother in law, who has expensive medical bills. Somehow we are making it work, but just barely. What if I get sick? What if my mother in law’s health care becomes more expensive? Earning a living wage would mean piece of mind and the knowledge that my work is valued,” Ingram added.

Broward County Commissioners introduced a bill in May to extend the County’s Living Wage ordinance to include airport workers, as well as commissioned a study on the issue. Two more motions are needed in order to advance the measure. Advocates say once this loophole is closed, it will inject an additional $14 million per year into Broward’s economy and communities.

Como parte de un movimiento nacional por un salario digno, trabajadores del aeropuerto de Fort Lauderdale exigen un aumento de sueldo.

Figuras como el representante estatal Hazel Rogers, el comisionado del Condado de Broward Dale Holness, el candidato al Congreso Alina Valdés, Catalyst Miami y el Hispanic Unity de la Florida, se unirán a la causa de docenas de trabajadores del aeropuerto en su petición de ser incluidos en el Living Wage Ordinance del condado de Broward.

Las aerolineas siguen rompiendo récords de ganancias, ya que se aprovechan de los costos económicos del Aeropuerto Internacional de Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (uno los más baratos de la nación). Mientras tanto los contribuyentes del condado de Broward pagan las compañías aéreas un subsidio indirecto porque los salarios bajos ofrecidos por las empresas que contratan dejan a los trabajadores dependiendo de la asistencia pública.

Más de 1.200 trabajadores de las aerolíneas están excluidos de la tasa fijada en $ 13.20 por la Ordenanza de Salario Digno del Condado. Estos asistentes de sillas de ruedas, maleteros, agentes de seguridad, trabajadores de los puestos de control y muchos otros ganan un promedio de $ 8.14 por hora, muy por debajo del promedio federal de pobreza.

Los salarios son tan bajos que se estima que el 29% de los trabajadores en FLL son elegibles para los programas de gobierno. Con un número récord cerca de los residentes de Broward que dependen de los beneficios de SNAP (estampillas de comida) para sobrevivir.

Cerrar la brecha de salarios inyectaría un estimado de $ 14 millones adicionales al año a la economía y las comunidades de Broward.

http://www.miamidiario.com/general/aeropuerto/fort-lauderdale/trabajadores/exigen/mejora-salarial/341634

More than 50 million Americans are at risk of losing their refund unless both the House and Senate take action. Join Taxpayer Opportunity Network members from across the country and sign onto this Congressional support letter before 5pm this Friday. Make sure taxpayers’ voices are heard in Washington!

On May 29, 2015, Threads Miami, which was part of a nationwide series of conversations held by the Independent Sector (IS), brought together dozens of leaders from Miami's charitable sector to discuss nine key trends shaping the future of the charitable sector. IS sought to bring awareness to our community about these trends and to start a conversation about how our sector will adapt and react to these trends. IS just released the highlights from our three-hour conversation. In Miami, participants spoke about the need for deeper partnerships among nonprofits, funders, and the community. In sum, there is a desire for "more co-creation."

Read in-depth highlights from Threads Miami
 
Threads Miami was held in the historic and light-filled Coral Gables Museum. The need for collaboration with multiple stakeholders – funders, nonprofits, and community – was a major theme throughout the day. Some participants articulated a need for deeper connections that reflect “relational not transactional” relationships and include “more voices” in conversations about solutions and the future. Several participants described nonprofits today as living through a moment when the old model is broken but the new model has not yet emerged. The old model, they said, is characterized by a challenged funding model, lack of capacity, and superficial relationships with community. The group identified several examples of organizations and coalitions that are addressing these issues, for example by leveraging business and government funding, using innovative technology, and developing community leadership.

If you weren't able to follow the Miami conversation on social media, be sure to check out Independent Sector's Storify to see what people were sharing online using #ThreadsMIA.

Varias organizaciones comunitarias que abogan por los derechos de los inmigrantes expresaron este jueves su apoyo a la creación de un documento de identidad para indocumentados del condado de Miami-Dade, cuyo gobierno estudia ya esa posibilidad.

“Como sobreviviente de violencia doméstica e inmigrante indocumentada, esto sería un beneficio para mujeres como yo”, dijo Rosana Araujo, vicepresidenta del Centro de Trabajadores de Miami,y residente de Miami desde hace 14 años.

Esta semana el comité de Planeamiento Estratégico y Operaciones de Gobierno de la Comisión del condado de Miami Dade aprobó por unanimidad una resolución de apoyo a la creación de una tarjeta de identificación para los habitantes de dicho condado.

La resolución, impulsada por los comisionados Juan Carlos Zapata y Daniella Levine Cava, pide al alcalde del condado, Carlos Giménez, que presente en un informe a la Junta del Condado la factibilidad del proyecto. Giménez tendrá 180 días desde la aprobación de la resolución para presentar el informe.

Esta decisión podría beneficiar a aquellos que por alguna razón no tengan la posibilidad de adquirir una licencia de conducción o pasaporte, como familias de inmigrantes indocumentados.

“Tener una identificación en sus manos es una manera de detener los abusos contra los campesinos por parte de los empleadores y la policía local”, dijo la organizadora para la Asociación Campesina de la Florida en Homestead, Elvira Carvajal.

“Muchos campesinos indocumentados o residentes permanentes no pueden acceder a un documento que los identifique, incluyendo pasaportes de su propio país de origen, y esto les limita su vida diaria al no poder siquiera llevar a sus hijos a la escuela o visitar a un ser querido en el hospital”, agregó.

El Centro de Trabajadores de Miami, en coalición con WeCount!, la Asociación Campesina de la Florida, United Families, Catalyst Miami, Haitian Women of Miami, y otros grupos comunitarios, asistieron a la reunión de la Comisión durante la audiencia de la resolución para dar testimonio en apoyo a la iniciativa.

Si Miami-Dade crea un ID del condado, se unirá a otras ciudades y condados en todo el país que han adoptado la misma medida incluyendo Aventura (FL), Los Ángeles (CA), Oakland (CA), Nueva York (NY), Washington, DC, y New Haven (CT), entre otros.