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Faith Based PartnershipsWritten by Pam EllisonDiscuss this on our discussion forums After School Tutoring for Students and ParentsAchievement can be raised substantially in K-12 Education, by using Faith Based Organizations to work on after school tutoring programs for reading, writing and math proficiency for students and parents alike. We need to make certain the parents of our children can read as well, so they can be more engaged in their children's successes.After School Tutoring for Students and ParentsAchievement can be raised substantially in K-12 Education, by using Faith Based Organizations to work on after school tutoring programs for reading, writing and math proficiency for students and parents alike. We need to make certain the parents of our children can read as well, so they can be more engaged in their children's successes.Faith Based Childcare and Elder CareChild care and Elder care are high on my agenda and the transformation of assisted living centers to provide safe, kind and competent care for our elders is highly important to me. This is also an area where faith based organizations have a strong history.There are many Senior, assisted living care facilities operated by faith based organizations and provide excellent care to their residents. We need to encourage more facilities such as these by providing funding incentives to create high quality facilities for all citizens requiring this type of housing. Find more funding sources for Faith Based Assisted Living FacilitiesConversely, I have been quite shocked at some of the stories I hear about the neglect, abuse and sad conditions of many facilities all over the state that are harmful to the residents they are charged to care for. We cannot allow those who are vulnerable to be abused and neglected because we lack the financial will to care for them. This is where we need to work with the faith based community to find the funding to build caring, safe and accessible facilities for all of the elderly and disabled that need long term care. We cannot allow people to spend their final years in unsafe surroundings
This is MINNESOTA folks, we can do MUCH better than this!We can be a caring state and meet needs by rearranging priorities at the State Capitol and redirecting funding to the essential sources that need it. Ending Hunger in MinnesotaWe need to make certain that all children have access to food. I believe there is much food that is wasted in our society and there are ways of picking up good food that can no longer be used in a restaurant or store but still has an appropriate shelf date. These foods can be directed to local food shelves. In Pine City there is a Community Church that picks up foods that are donated from different entities and has a once a month event that allows everyone to come and gather the items they need for a cost of $12.00 per month, there is no limit except what is available. This idea could be replicated in every town across the state as another approach to meeting the hunger needs of children and families. I would like to further develop faith-based programs such as Loaves and Fishes and offer them at more community and church facilities. I would like to connect restaurants and food stores with a network that would deliver good, unused foods to shelters and food programs such as Loaves and Fishes. Encourage each House of Worship to Have a Food ShelfWe need to make certain that our Food Shelves are well-stocked and encourage each church to not only give to the larger community food shelves, but to have a small food shelf themselves for walk ins that need food assistance.Encourage each House of Worship to Have a Joseph's ClosetI think that using the name of Joseph is perfect because of the Biblical story of Joseph and his coat of many colors being stripped from him by his brothers when they sold him into slavery in Egypt. I draw that parallel because there are many who are homeless that were at one time in homes with successful careers and lost it all due to crisis that forced them to the streets to begin again. Likewise, Joseph was stripped of his standing in the family and sold into slavery, with even the coat on his back, taken from him.People always have good serviceable clothing to donate, and providing for the needs of people in the congregation or community, particularly in the urban areas. Many people who are homeless or are struggling need access to clothing. Professional clothing is needed to assist people with presenting themselves professionally in job interviews, and interviews for obtaining housing. There are so many people with wonderful discards of clothing that would be generous and excited to give to a Joseph's closet. Invest in Housing for the Homeless, Affordable and Transitional Housing Affordable housing and housing for the homeless are initiatives that we can work on together to see that everyone has a safe place to sleep and be sheltered from the elements. Our Housing platform is a great plan for success in this area. We can also make it easier for places of worship to open their doors to shelter people that need to be sheltered. We need to make certain this can be done with ease without fear of retribution or high liability insurance to the donor to shelter these folks temporarily. Create an Accessible Network of SupportWe need to make certain there are helpful networks of willing agencies to assist and that this network is readily accessible and available to all of the citizens that need it. We need to make certain that we are able to get people back on their feet as soon as possible and provide them with the tools to become gainfully employed and moved into transitional housing with services such as social workers and those who can help teach life skills and job search/resume techniques to individuals in need.I am very excited there is an initiative in place to End Poverty by 2020. I have joined their efforts to see that we reach out to those who need comfort and assistance and get them back on track to success for themselves and their families. |