Baskets of Hope by Rissa Meyer
During the Thanksgiving months I had an amazing opportunity to help with the Cornucopia food basket project and the TSAS community leadership program. I helped get volunteers and baskets of food for the needy in and around the Durham community. It took over a month for everything to get put together. There were a few bumps in the road but we were able to get over 160 baskets.
My favorite part of this project was being at Cornucopia and actually making the baskets. This really made me feel like I was making a difference in someone’s life. I knew I was going to help someone have a better, less stressful holiday season.

baskets of hope Jon Buckley

This thanksgiving I was given the opportunity to work together with many great people in the community leadership program at the Thompson School. After our thanksgiving food basket project was assigned early in the semester, I was not so sure we would reach our goal of ninety baskets. Even though I knew I was working with some great people who care a lot about the community we live in, I was kind of doubtful that we could find ninety donors in the Durham area. Was I ever wrong. As the semester rolled on, we started getting donations from people all around the UNH campus, departments I didn't even know existed. As a member of the residence halls group, our group's goal was to get thirty baskets from the different residence halls throughout the campus. At first, we struggled finding dorms which would organize a basket for us. However, as time went on, we kept recieving calls back from various residece halls, pledging a basket for our food drive. As Thanksgiving neared, we arrived just under out goal of thirty baskets, making me very proud. In total our class along with Cornucopia took in over 150 food baskets from various members of the Durham area. I would just like to thank all donors, as they made Thanksgiving possible for many families who deserve to have a wonderful thanksgiving.

Poverty in America By: Brooke Rallis

Poverty in America is growing every day. Poverty is when people have lino money or any support. The government Department of Human and Health Services use poverty guidelines to determine a person or person’s eligibility for help from the government. Some examples would be Head Start, Food Stamp Program, National School Lunch Program, the low-income home energy assistance program and the children’s health insurance program. There are programs that are called cash public programs which use temporary assistance for families that are in need and supplemental security income. These do not use the poverty guidelines in determining eligibility. These are a list of some programs that use poverty programs, Community Services Block Grant, Head Start, and Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
Poverty is a large issue in America currently in today’s society. With the large number of homeless women, men, and children, the government has been consistently putting forth effort into the demolish of the increasing poverty level. The stereotypical views of people who live in poverty include the people who live in the urban part of populated cities such as New York or Chicago. These “so-called” people, roam the streets, beg for food, and sleep wherever they can. These people are actually known to be homeless. This view set by the U.S. Americans who witness these people, do not know the meaning of poverty.
What people do not realize is that poverty includes the people who live under certain financial level, which is set by the U.S. government. The issue of poverty is has been increasingly rising and does not seem to be slowing down. Hopefully sometime soon, poverty will not be a large issue to America in the future.

"Baskets of Hope" 2008 feedback and overview Jon Farhadian

The early days in the “Bar” seem so long ago. I can remember sitting in the dimmed lighting of that classroom with those tiny little desks. This is when we first began to learn about the “Baskets of Hope” project. We were to work together to reach our goal of 90 Thanksgiving food baskets. This number to me looked high at first, but everyone knew that it needed to happen. Average families are struggling right now. Imagine what’s happening to people with low income jobs. This year called for a greater demand of food and money donations.
The only way to get people to donate was to make people aware of the project. My specific group dealt with resident halls, so I went and talked to my dorm about poverty and why they should donate some food baskets. I e-mailed hall directors, if they didn’t e-mail me back I called them. I started off slow. I didn’t know how to approach people, probably with similar financial concerns and ask them to donate. The thing I didn’t realize is how willing people are to help. People love to help other people; they enjoy being a part of something big. All you have to do is ask. I wish I knew this right off the bat. To someone starting this project next fall I recommend you get on the ball right away and get donors, you’ll be happy you did.
It was also nice to see the way my classmates worked under pressure. We had a nice mix of personalities in our class that bonded just right. We were able to watch our basket count go up. We eventually passed our 90 basket mark and finished with around 170 baskets. The “Baskets of Hope” project gave me some eye opening insight to the world of poverty. The demand for baskets was as high as we expected it to be due to the current economic conditions. Probably a little more than expected. I never realized how serious of an issue poverty was within our own community. Participating in this project was a privilege and if I could do it over again I would go at it way harder. One important lesson I learned through a project like this is try not to “fall asleep” because before I knew it, it was over and it had me feeling like I wish I did more. All in all the “Baskets of Hope” 2008 project was a huge success and I hope its number exceed these next fall.

Poverty in New Hampshire

An article published by the Carsey Institute (December 2006) reported,

"New Hampshire boasts the nation's lowest percentage of people living in poverty and maintains strong national rankings in other quality-of-life measures. But 48,000 New Hampshire families struggle to make ends meet."

Additionally the article reveals a shocking and eye-opening statistic on how NH is impacted by poverty.

"Despite the overall well-being of the state, one in seven New Hampshire families lives in poverty. 1 in 7!"

The article notes that this information "brings attention to low-income families in New Hampshire." These families need support. In the article Carsey Institute Director, Cynthia 'Mil' Duncan states, "We know that economic and family stability are so important for children's future, and that stability depends on whether these families can secure sufficient earnings, government assistance, and social support to sustain a basic family budget."

The article also reports on the number of factors and trends affecting including housing costs and ability access higher education and jobs beyond the low-skilled sector. 

Perspective of the persistent fear and proximity of poverty to some families is stated in the following quote:

"The adults and children that comprise New Hampshire's low-income families live in a precarious position. Even small fluctuations in their family, employment,or the economy can push a family into poverty."

The Carsey Institute's findings were not an isolated incident, earlier in the year (June 2006) NH Public radio had a news report on New Hampshire children living in poverty.

The report declares that according to "the 2006 Kids Count national survey, conducted by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, says between 2000 and 2004 the number of poor children in New Hampshire went from 6% to 10%.

That's a 67% jump, the largest growth rate of any state nationwide."

Like the Carsey Institute the news report looks into some of the factors involved and the need of increased concern and reaction to poverty including,

-'Wages not keeping up with costs'-minimum wage

-Increased cost of health insurance

-Cost of housing (rent)

-The fact that most families facing poverty have jobs, even multiple jobs just to get by "parents scrape together whatever is available."

Toward the end of the report Ellen Shemitz of the Children's Alliance says, "the problem is bigger than a lack of affordable housing, or poor paying jobs. She says sate and federal policies make it harder for children to get out of poverty." More attention needs to be brought to issues such as minimum wage, social services, and health insurance.

Sources: 

Direct Link to Carsey Institute article: http://www.unh.edu/news/cj_nr/2006/dec/as20carsey.cfm

Direct link to NHPR news report: http://www.nhpr.org/node/11126

Carsey Institute Homepage: http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu

New Hamsphire Public Radio Homepage: http://www.nhpr.org

Poverty is real. Sometimes too real. In a struggling economy fear can thrive and lives can change. I am lucky to be in a caring, supportive family with a decent living. We don't go on extravagant vacations across country or abroad and we infamous clearance rack shoppers. However, I am aware and more so now that based on a number of scenarios my family and I could find ourselves facing poverty. We could become one of the one in seven families that lives in poverty in New Hampshire. 

1 in 7. It really gives perspective. Pick out seven of your neighbors, seven of your friends, seven of your classmates. One in each group could be feeling the impact of poverty first hand. Poverty is hard to see but its there and sometimes closer then we tend to think it is.

-Kristen Mosher

"Baskets of Hope...Still Hopeful" by Maureen Walcek

I thought when starting this project, the reality of getting people to donate so much extra food to the homeless in this time of economic crisis was not possible. Each class we would talk about organizing the project and everyone brought up new and exciting ideas. The problem I found was that we were doing a lot more talking than action. I am the type of person that like to dive in head first and get their hands dirty with a project. But, with this project, I learned that my way wasn't the only way that will work.

We went from class to class updating each other on how many baskets we had. It was frustrating as a member of the Student Organizations group because we had put so much work into Fraternities and Sororities. I had the impression that every Greek organization would donate a few baskets. However, only a few confirmed donations with us so we had to think of another alternative. We tried to email as many student organizations as possible, but it could be quite possible that students don't read their email as much as we wished they would. So, without phone numbers, and without a designated number of baskets, we were suck.

Then came the day of organizing everything at Waysmeet. It was hectic and crowded in the room that we had to put together baskets, but it had to be done. For the most part, everyone from our class showed up for at least two hours, some stayed longer. Our basket making strategy was to organize the food in an assembly line of sorts. By the time we were done with the baskets, we still has a lot of canned goods, breads, and fresh fruits and vegetables. The baskets came out full of food and other supplies for those who requested them. All of the extra food was left for the pantry.

I went into this project thinking we wouldn't get enough baskets period. We ended up with a surplus of food and volunteers to bring a happy Thanksgiving to all that we could

Misperceptions

A month or so after moving to UNH, my Community Leadership Class was beginning to start the Thanksgiving Food Basket Drive and we were instructed to meet one Thursday at the Cornucopia Food Pantry. I was excited to go and see what the pantry looked like, especially since I heard it had just been moved to bigger space and was better and more improved than its previous location in Christensen Hall.
A food pantry. My mind had its own picture of what it would look like. It would be warm and inviting to those who visited. Windows letting in sunlight, carpets on the floor, maybe a table or two. Food was a shoo-in. Of course there would be shelves stocked with food! Everyone donates to the food pantry, so the shelves could never be near bear. The picture in my mind was a close version to my own kitchen pantry at home. Nice and bright from the sun light outside, inviting cabinets stocked with food . . .
The first question that popped into my head after Larry lead us into the room, was where is it? Where is the food pantry? This is someone’s basement! The walls were bare, the ceiling cob-webby. The floor was bare and there were small windows filtering in as much light as they could. There was a door with chain link over it and you could see the studs in the walls. I thought it was a storage space. A spider jumped out at one of the kids in my class.
Entering further through the chain linked door, I finally saw the food pantry. It looked exactly the same as the rest of the basement, except there was food stacked on metal shelves and two refrigerators to hold perishable items. What struck me the most was the food—there was not even close to the amount I had pictured in my head. The items present were separated and stacked upon the shelves according to type. I saw brands of cereal I had never seen or heard of, cans of food I never knew were made. I also saw a surplus of random items like syrup and powdered milk.
“The interesting thing,” Larry explained, “is that food pantries are usually given the cast-off food from people’s homes. People buy the brands that are the cheapest, or that they don’t want to eat. They donate the food they are unwilling to eat, not realizing that those who visit us aren’t going to want to eat them, either. Most of the things on the shelves are unrecognizable to you, and they are unrecognizable to those who come looking for food.”
I suddenly realized how true this is. I didn’t see anywhere on the shelves name-brand items like Campbell’s, Kellogg’s, or Uncle Ben’s.
I also thought of something else: When a person or family decides to donate food to a food pantry, they are giving support to the institution. We are agreeing to try and end hunger. Shouldn’t we donate in such a way as to take pride in the cause we are supporting? I wondered what this pantry would look like, and how many more it could serve, if more in the community were aware of its need. When talking to Durham residents, I learned that most do not even know there is a Cornucopia food pantry, or that there is a problem with hunger in the community.
I left the food pantry that day with a completely different outlook. Gone was my beautiful food pantry picture. Gone was the warm, inviting appearance and fully stocked shelves. The seriousness of the situation had hit me. This was a place in need—who helped those in need. How can change in the community occur if the institutions created to help, cannot? I left with a drive and excitement to begin the food drive and help make a difference in the lives of those who visited the Cornucopia Food Pantry. I know others in my class did as well. I wonder how amazing the difference in the food pantry and in the community would be if more could see what I saw that morning.

If their impressions of a food pantry were set straight.

So I encourage you, go visit it for yourself. Go visit it for others.

Growing Divide at UNH??

Growing Divide at UNH? A brief essay by Kate Hanson

As a long-time faculty member and community activist on campus, I am both impressed and dismayed by this year’s Dialogue on poverty and opportunity. The programs offered and the articles by our UNH colleagues are great--interesting and relevant--and I'm delighted to have these resources to share with my students. However, I think we're ignoring the issue here at home where, I believe, we are experiencing and condoning a growing divide among those of us who work here.
For examples:
A review of salaries at UNH as of December 2007 shows well over 200 administrators and faculty who make more than $100,000 a year in salary AND have access to extensive health and retirement benefits in addition. Almost all of these employees benefit from annual percentage increases--that both help them meet the cost of living and feed into this growing divide (4% of a $100,000 income results in a much greater raise in salary than 4% of a $30,000 salary and this accumulates year after year).
At the other end of the scale are dozens and dozens of "adjunct" faculty or part-time instructional staff who earn as little as $2600 a course in some colleges. These employees receive no regulated cost-of-living increases, no benefits and no job security. In fact, any of them can have a class cancelled the week it is to start.
Outsourcing of our housekeeping and other facilities-related services has saved money for UNH and made money for the providing businesses but it has not been equally beneficial for the workers. At one time, the people who cleaned and cared for our buildings received full UNH benefits. Now, many of them receive limited or no benefits at all.
A look at our current employment listings shows 42 openings, 8 of which are "temporary without benefits." Of these, most are positions in housekeeping, dining services and building services.
Some of the positions advertised pay as little as $8.50 an hour (without benefits) when a living wage in this area is often calculated to be over $15.00 an hour. *
Our parking permits cost $50 per academic year regardless of our incomes.
My students in the TSAS Community Leadership program have worked with Waysmeet, the Office of Community Service and Learning, the Housing Office and dozens of other offices/groups on campus to provide food baskets for those in economic need here at UNH. When we started doing this four years ago, my students organized 30 baskets. Last year, we provided over 125 baskets. While I am proud that we’re able to collaborate to meet this increasing need, I confess to VERY uncomfortable feelings about being part of a system that is structurally unfair and then offers supplemental food.
I often wonder how we reconcile these growing inequities with our often-stated commitment to justice, respect, and equality.
I am not suggesting that I have the answers to this "growing divide" and I know that there are many factors that influence poverty and opportunity here on campus. I would, however, like to see us at least openly acknowledge what's happening and create ways to publicly discuss our reactions to it. After all, this is our community and we do have some power to make decisions about who earns what here.
Kate Hanson, Associate Professor and Program Chairperson, TSAS Community Leadership Program, kate.hanson@unh.edu
*There are many organizations that focus on this issue of living wages. Here are a few:
http://www.democracyfornewhampshire.com/node/view/949; http://www.worldhungeryear.org/why_speaks/ws_load.asp?file=06&style=ws_table http://www.universallivingwage.org/fmrtables_2008/ME_FMR2008.htm

Cornucopia Food Basket Project 2008

CORNUCOPIA FOOD BASKET PROJECT 2008

Help us help people: donate a food basket to Cornucopia 

to brighten someone's Thanksgiving!

This time of year, even in established communities like UNH/Durham,  sometimes families need a helping hand. You can help by donating a basket, money, or your time to show the community that you are there for them.

"Our mission is to bring the community together to support fellow community members with economic needs by providing food baskets. We will educate the community about why people are hungry and learn how to run organizations like Cornucopia"

CSL 201, Class 2008

Contact Information:

Community Leadership Program: UNH Thompson School

lisa.ciccotelli@unh.edu

website: www.cornucopia.unh.edu

Look for Us on Facebook: Baskets of Hope

Click Here for the donation form 

Here for the food list

Here for the complete packet of information

Here to request a basket

Who needs help in Durham?

The information below was gathered mostly from UNH websites regarding the economics of living and working at UNH.

Forest Park is an apartment complex on campus that is mostly occupied by graduate students with families, although some staff live there as well.
A full-time student, renting a 2-bedroom, ~520 square foot, apartment for their family pays $935/month for the 2008-2009 school year.
Source: UNH Department of Housing (www.unh.edu/housing)

Babcock Hall is the graduate student dormitory. A single room costs $5,950 per academic year. The room dimension is 8’ x 13’.
Source: UNH Department of Housing (www.unh.edu/housing)

I recently spoke with a graduate student from Taiwan who moved out of Babcock this year. The rent had been raised each year and had become unaffordable for her. She was also tired of sharing a kitchenette with 13 other people. Very few graduate students living in Babcock can afford the UNH Dining meal plan. This student is now sharing an apartment in Durham and is much happier.

Graduate Stipends are giving to many graduate students who work either as teaching or research assistants. The taxable, graduate stipend for 2008-2009 ranges from $14,100 to $16,000 for the academic year. Costs not covered by the stipend include: the Health Services and Counseling fee, the Memorial Union fee, the Student Recreation fee, and the Transportation fee, health insurance, and textbooks.
Source: UNH Graduate School (www.gradschool.unh.edu)

Health Insurance is required for all UNH students. The insurance UNH offers, for the 2008-2009 plan year (12 months of coverage), is $1,490 for a student, $4,540/year for a spouse or same-sex domestic partner, and $865 per dependant child/year.
Source: UNH Health Services (www.unh.edu/health-services/shbp)

Employees of UNH are classified by the terms “exempt”, “non-exempt”, and “non-status.” Exempt staff are eligible to receive a full range of benefits (health, dental, life, disability, UNH contributing to retirement account, etc.). Non-exempt staff do not receive the full range of benefits. The only benefits for non-status employees are those that are legally required: workers' compensation, unemployment compensation, liability insurance coverage, and the social security benefits program, unless otherwise specified.

The job titles of: Farm Worker, Grounds Worker, and Mail Clerk (and others) are “non-exempt operating staff” and are classified as pay-grade 3. The FY09 midpoint wage for grade 3 is $13.70 per hour or $28,606 per year.

The use of “non-status” employees is growing (10/06 = 2,275; 10/07=2,409). UNH is currently hiring for the following non-status positions: Food Service Assistant at $12.30/hour and housekeeper at $10/hour (housekeeping shifts are 4 am to noon or 10 pm to 6 am).

In October 2007, non-status and non-exempt employees comprised 35% of the USNH workforce (4,400 non-exempt employees with limited benefits and 2,409 non-status employees with only those benefits required by law).
Source: UNH Human Resources

Compiled by Rachel Feeney, UNH staff member and C0-Lead student

No Such Thing As A Free Lunch by Will Stewart

“No Such Thing As A Free Lunch”

By Will Stewart, Community Organizer and Tenant Services Coordinator for NeighborWorks-Greater Manchester and UNH Community Leadership student

Standing in front of the board on the first day of the semester, my high school economics teacher wrote the following in big blue letters:

TANSTAAFL

This acronym, he said, underlies all economic activity, from household budgets to the global economy. Advertisers, marketing gurus, politicians and even some economists will often try to tell you otherwise, he told us, but don’t let them fool you: “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch” — TANSTAAFL.

In short, TANSTAAFL means that it is impossible to get something for nothing. There is always a cost, monetary or otherwise.

For instance, I received a credit card offer in the mail the other day. The company in question offered me a Red Sox-themed card. As a bonus, I would also receive a “free” Red Sox umbrella for signing up. But of course it wouldn’t be free, as I would end up paying for that umbrella via interest and fees. And even if I paid my balance off every month, the umbrella’s cost would be paid by some other card holder. There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.

As a community organizer and tenant services coordinator for NeighborWorks® Greater Manchester, a nonprofit affordable housing developer in Manchester, I am reminded of TANSTAAFL on daily basis. You see, the tenants who live in my nonprofit’s affordable apartments are nearly all low-wage workers.

In researching the employment status of our adult tenants last fall, I found that custodians make up the largest group of tenants employed in any one field. The average hourly wage of this group is a whopping $8.97. This equals, before any taxes are taken out, $358.80 a week, $1,435.20 a month and $18,657.60 a year!

For the most part, the dirty work performed by these custodians — including the ones who clean the malls we shop in, the airports we travel in and out of, the offices we work in and, yes, even our own University of New Hampshire — is outsourced. That is to say, the custodians are not actually employed by the company or institution they clean. Instead, they are employed by third-party cleaning companies that are awarded cleaning contracts by submitting the lowest bids, on which they are able to make a profit by such means as hiring only part-time workers so that they do not have to pay for such “benefits” as health insurance.

Under increasing pressure from shareholders and taxpayers respectively, business and government see such outsourcing as a way to reduce to costs. Otherwise they would have to hire custodians directly, paying not just wages, but also health insurance costs and Social Security, disability unemployment insurance taxes for each employee. If your main (or only) concern is the bottom line, outsourcing a no-brainer. Or is it?

On the surface, outsourcing might seem like a good deal for shareholders and taxpayers, even if one somehow manages to totally ignores the clear exploitation of fellow human beings, who, especially in the custodial field, are more often than not immigrants and refugees who came to this country with the dream of improving life for themselves and their families.

But despite their low incomes, these outsourced workers are still expected — and here’s the rub — to pay full price for the goods and services they and their families need to survive. Indeed, I’m not aware of stores that sell low-income shoes or low-income groceries. But even these needs – which are getting more expensive by the year – pale in comparison to rent.

Here in Manchester, the average two-bedroom apartment goes for $1,026 a month, according New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority’s 2008 Residential Rent Cost Survey. In the Portsmouth-Rochester area, which includes Durham, the cost is $1,072 per month. In both locations, your average custodian must spend more than two-thirds of his or her $1,435.20 monthly income just to cover rent. What little remains must go to buy those market-rate groceries, clothes, transportation and other necessities. How someone is able to survive (forget about getting ahead) in this manner is a miracle.

Or is it? Remember, there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch. The money has to come from somewhere. And indeed it does. But if not from the profits of the employers of these individuals, where?

From groups like mine, for starters. By offering below-market-rate rents, my nonprofit and those like us are basically subsidizing these employers' already impressive, multimillion and multibillion dollar bottom lines by allowing them to pay their workers a criminal wage. Indeed, why should they have to pay the workers more? They have organizations like ours to pick up their collective slack when it comes to providing essentials like heating assistance, food, warm clothes, furniture, health insurance and transportation. The list goes on and on. And the buck is literally being passed on each and every one of them.

In the end, it’s you and me who foot the bill. We pay for it through our tax dollars, which go to support many nonprofits. We pay for it when we buy the goods and services from companies that use a very small portion of their profits to make “generous” donations to the nonprofits who work to meet the unmet needs of outsourced and other low-wage workers.

And because such donations are tax-deductible, that also means the rest of us must pay more in taxes to make up for the resulting decrease in tax revenue. And if tax revenues are lower, that means there’s less money to go toward things like higher education, which in turn means higher tuition for students.

It’s a shell game, to be sure, but the money always has to come from somewhere. Remember: there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch!

Copyright: Will Stewart, 2008. Please request permission before copying.

Mission statement and what

Our mission is to bring the community together to support fellow community members with economic needs by providing food baskets.  We will educate the community about why people are hungry and learn how to run organizations like Cornucopia.

This is the mission statement we as a Community leadership class stand behind. We invite anyone who has experience working on the project along with Colead in the past and currently to post or comment about there experiences.

Our over all goal for this blog is to give a place to those have information to share about hunger, the food basket project, and Colead to post the knowledge. more importantly provide a spot for others to learn more about these topics.

eventually we hope it is built into a journal like location to inform those who don't know a lot about hunger in Durham as well as the food basket project

this is  test post