The Baby Boy Wears a Size 5: A Story from San Francisco’s Bayview

The other day I had the privilege to attend a private screening of a new short documentary film about our newest partner, the Bayview Mission. It was wonderful to see old friends and meet new ones, and learn more about the mission’s work.

For San Franciscans who don’t know, the Bayview Mission is a ministry started in 2004 by the Reverend Nina Pickerrell, and her many devoted volunteers at Grace Cathedral, the beautiful church and landmark on top of California Street. The mission is literally a beacon of hope inside the Bayview district, creating community through the food pantry that distributes every Monday afternoon. They supplement basic human needs and other supplies (groceries – including fresh produce!, clothing, school supplies, children’s books, and toiletries) to working families, the homeless, as well as any Bayview resident that comes to them in need of help.

And one of their highest needs is….diapers.

The Bayview/Hunter’s Point district of San Francisco is known as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in California. For years, Bayview’s residents have been marginalized – both economically, and geographically from the rest of San Francisco. There are Bayview has the highest density of children in all of San Francisco, a 50-percent poverty rate, high levels of gang violence, has more liquor stores than grocery stores, and is predominately African-American.

The local Walgreens locks up diapers and formula.

Every Monday when the mission opens for food distribution, there are about 40 families who come to them and have a child in diapers. Diapers are in scarce supply at the mission. So much of an unmet need that, up until recently, they have only been able to distribute diapers once a month.

Nina and the mission’s volunteers told me story about a mom that usually comes to them on Mondays. She has a young child, as well as a 6 month old baby boy. Because she believes that larger sized diapers hold more, and therefore, are cheaper in cost, she puts the baby boy in size 5, even though he really fits a size 3. The baby is six months old and is still wearing newborn clothes, because the mother doesn’t have bigger clothes for him to wear. So his clothes are too tight, and he stays in the Size 5 diaper longer than he probably should.

It warmed my heart to hear that because of our very first diaper donation to the Bayview Mission, this baby boy got some of the perfect size of diapers when he came the next Monday.

And yet.

It also made me very sad to hear, the same story we hear time and again, that there are children, just like this baby boy, who go without something so basic as a diaper – here within the city limits of one of the most beautiful and affluent regions in the country.

SF Bay locals: You can help us continue this work by coming to support our event on May 2nd at Peekadoodle and/or pledging to host a drive in May. Please pass it on!

How YOU are Making an Impact: East Bay Edition

It’s crazy busy here at HAMO world headquarters. We’re literally underwater trying to get ourMother’s Day campaign off the ground starting with our kick off events. Grassroots! BTW, we’d LOVE to meet our supporters. Please join us and invite your friends! Also, if you’re a blogger and want to help spread the word, copy and paste our nifty little magenta Mother’s Day campaign button onto your site ———>

So with that, we wanted to share some quotes from east bay moms that we’ve been helping out atBrighter Beginnings.  For background, Brighter Beginnings does outreach in the poorest regions of the east bay – Oakland, Richmond, and Antioch. They literally go to where families in crisis live and assist them with difficult issues and provide parenting resources and support. They keep families from falling into homelessness and prevent child abuse by providing tools and resources to keep children healthy. We recently ask a few of their moms how our diapers have impacted their lives and how it makes them feel.

“It has helped a lot because sometimes we don’t have the money.  It’s a life saver!  It takes a worry away.  One less thing to worry about.” ~ Maria C., mother of 1, Oakland

“You giving me diapers for my baby feels really good because my boyfriend is not working and it helps us out a lot.  I really appreciate it  a lot because you give them to us when we really really need them. ~ Maria F., mother of 1, Oakland

“With the help of diapers from Brighter Beginnings, I am able to use the little money I have on food and other important necessities for my kids.” ~ Jennifer, Emeryville, 2 kids

These are real moms in their own words, and this is how YOUR support has helped to keep babies clean and healthy. If you are a mother, you know that STEP NUMBER ONE in taking care of your baby is to keep them in a clean diaper.

THANK YOU. You should feel like a super hero 

There’s still a lot of work to be done, including helping US take HAMO to the next level! Please join us in May!

Still Hungry After All These Years

A year ago, a slough of news stories about the growing number of Californians struggling with hunger and risking foreclosures and homelessness provided the catalyst for us to start Help a Mother Out. Today, despite a change in national leadership and increasing public awareness of the not-so-trickle-down effects of the ongoing recession, the situation is little better. In fact, for many Californians the situation is getting worse.

According to this illuminating piece produced by Southern California Public Radio station KPCC, food banks across the state are giving out record amounts of food—in wealthy counties as well as less-well-off ones. According to a UCLA study, “more than 2.8 million households struggle to feed their families. The total population of these households is 11.3 million”—that means more than 1 in 4 Californians are hungry.

At the same time, the state of California is infamously broke, and legislators are trying to balance the state budget on the backs of the neediest. CalWORKS, the state’s welfare-to-work program that provides cash assistance, childcare, and job training for poor families is on the chopping block—and the California Food Assistance Program, which provides food aid to legal immigrants not eligible for stamps, is about to be eliminated entirely.

And yet, according to the researchers who produced the article, “mountains of nutritious food are being thrown away”:

In 2008, more than six million tons of food were plowed under on California farms or dumped by grocers and restaurants statewide, according to the California Waste Management Board. Much of the food was still edible.

California is still a deeply agricultural state, especially in its fertile Central Valley. Drive along the freeways and you see acres upon acres of green crops waving in the breeze. But in some of the most highly farmed areas, the very workers who once picked those crops cannot feed themselves. TakeMendota, for example, where unemployment is at 41.5 percent.

As the article note, there’s a small spark of hope, however: A new spate of efforts are focusing on such diverse efforts as removing hurdles to participation in existing food-stamp programs; organizing weekly farmers’ markets in urban “food deserts” where it’s nearly impossible to purchase fresh, healthy foods; and even working with restaurants to make donations to food banks easier and more efficient.

Diaper Assistance Is Necessary

Remember the Diaper Genie in Chicago?

Father Jim recently wrote a guest column in the Northwest Herald.

Many people ask me why such an obvious human need such as diapers is on the food stamps “taboo” list along with alcohol, tobacco, and pet food. The simple answer is that diapers and other hygiene products – including toilet paper; toothpaste, and tampons – are not food items. Our mission is to ensure that families living in poverty have an adequate supply of diapers for their infants, toddlers and adults. And to raise awareness that “basic human needs” include diapers and that those needs are not being met for children and adults living in poverty.

Even with reformed government policies, it is likely that many of our families within our county, towns, and neighborhoods still will need assistance in affording hygiene products, the same ways that families on food stamps sill suffer from food insecurity.

What do you all think? Are diapers a “basic human need?”

Scientists Discuss Long Term Effects of Early Childhood Poverty

If you are currently a parent to a young child and geek out over parenting books, you know that brain development is crucial during the first five years of life. Feed them whole milk yogurt, avocado, olive oil, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, organic! We try our best to feed our kids right, make sure they get enough activity and social interaction. Sometimes we may break the rules, but for the most part we do our best, with what we have.

What about the kids who aren’t as well off? How does stress from poverty – including experiencing homelessness, hunger, and lack of other basic needs, affect their development?

Over the weekend the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) held their annual meeting. Presented at the meeting was a panel on early childhood poverty and it’s long term affects.

Researchers presented findings that poverty-related stress from birth to age 5 can affect the neurobiology of the child – including how their genes are expressed, how their bodies release of hormones, both of which can have lasting results on physical and mental well being later in life.

One study looked at data from a 40-year demographic study on Americans from different household incomes:

They found “striking differences” in how the children’s lives turned out as adults, depending on whether they were poor or comfortably well-off before the age of six.

“Compared to children whose families had incomes of at least twice the poverty line during their early childhood, poor children complete two fewer years of schooling, work 451 fewer hours per year, earn less than half as much,” the study said.

They also received more than 800 dollars a year more in food stamps as adults, and were more than twice as likely to report poor overall health or high levels of psychological distress, the study said.

Poor children were also fatter than their more affluent counterparts, and were more likely to be overweight as adults.

Interestingly the study found that public policy matters.

The study also found that it was possible to positively shape the futures of poor children, by giving the families of under-fives additional income.

This was associated later in life with significantly higher adult earnings and work hours, and less need for state aid in the form of food stamps, the study found.

“The analysis indicates that policy makers might do well to focus on situations involving deep and persistent poverty early in childhood,” the study said.

We have acute problems today – the ranks of the “new poor” are rising, and family homelessness is on the brink of explosion. But the long term effects won’t be seen for quite some time. Affordable childcare and providing basic needs (food, shelter, healthcare, diapers!) for all children should matter to each and everyone of us.

The question remains, how much are we willing to act on it?

HPRP: Stimulus Funds Helping Would Be Homeless Families

Since October, 2009 a little known federal program, the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP), has assisted an estimated 600,000 Americans in avoiding homelessness. The micro-funds provided by HPRP are used to cover expenses such as rent checks, security deposits, utility bills, and moving expenses.

According to a recent Time Magazine article, struggling families have been especially hard hit in the recession:

Meanwhile, unemployment and foreclosure have sent tens of thousands of families into financial free fall. At the beginning of 2009, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities projected that the severe recession and the growth of long-term unemployment would push an additional 1.5 million people into the streets. Asks Roman: “Why should we think that people can get their lives together, get a job, keep their kids in school, when they live in a van or a shelter? It is not reasonable. People need the stability of a home. You need housing to be employed. It’s the platform for everything else.” With long-term unemployment at record highs, Congress is considering providing an additional $1 billion in funding for HPRP as part of a forthcoming jobs bill.

Micro-funds to keep people off the streets and on the road back to self sufficiency. Now THIS is the kind of stimulus we could get behind.

We’d love to hear from folks on the front lines  – what do you think of this program? Do you think providing these types of funds to qualifying individuals works?

MADRE: Helping Women and Families in Haiti

Since last week each and everyone of us has had the Haitian people in our hearts and minds. We are all connected to each other, despite national borders and different cultures. For those of us who are mothers, we are especially sympathetic to Haitian mothers who are unable to shield their children from pain and suffering.

As such, we are encouraging our supporters to give what you are able to organizations supporting relief efforts in Haiti. In addition to the large scale international organizations such as the Red Crossand UNICEF, we wanted to let our supporters know about a smaller yet highly effective organization,MADRE,  partnering in direct work with Haitian women and families. Here is an excerpt from their website:

In the wake of disasters like the catastrophic earthquake that struck Haiti, it is often comforting to see big international agencies taking charge of relief and reconstruction efforts. No doubt international agencies—with their resources, know-how, heavy machinery, and access to government—have a critical role to play. But large-scale relief operations are not always best suited to meet the needs of those who are made most vulnerable by disaster, namely, women and their children.

All Haitians are suffering right now.  But, women are often hardest hit when disaster strikes because they were at a deficit even before the catastrophe. In Haiti, and in every country, women are the poorest of the poor and often have no safety net, leaving them most exposed to violence, homelessness and hunger in the wake of disasters. Women are also overwhelmingly responsible for other vulnerable people, including infants, children, the elderly, and people who are ill or disabled.

Because of their role as care-takers and because of the discrimination they face, women have a disproportionate need for assistance. Yet, they are often overlooked in large-scale aid operations. In the chaos that follows disasters, aid too often reaches those who yell the loudest or push their way to the front of the line. When aid is distributed through the “head of household” approach, women-headed families may not be recognized, and women within male-headed families may be marginalized when aid is controlled by male relatives.

We may not be able to send diapers to Haiti, but we can still help women and children directly. Please consider donating to MADRE’s Haiti relief fund.

You can DONATE to MADRE’s efforts in Haiti here.*

*According to MADRE’s website, 100-percent of your donation goes to relief efforts as their administrative costs are underwritten elsewhere.

Since last week each and everyone of us has had the Haitian people in our hearts and minds. We are all connected to each other, despite national borders and different cultures. For those of us who are mothers, we are especially sympathetic to Haitian mothers who are unable to shield their children from pain and suffering.

As such, we are encouraging our supporters to give what you are able to organizations supporting relief efforts in Haiti. In addition to the large scale international organizations such as the Red Crossand UNICEF, we wanted to let our supporters know about a smaller yet highly effective organization,MADRE,  partnering in direct work with Haitian women and families. Here is an excerpt from their website:

In the wake of disasters like the catastrophic earthquake that struck Haiti, it is often comforting to see big international agencies taking charge of relief and reconstruction efforts. No doubt international agencies—with their resources, know-how, heavy machinery, and access to government—have a critical role to play. But large-scale relief operations are not always best suited to meet the needs of those who are made most vulnerable by disaster, namely, women and their children.

All Haitians are suffering right now.  But, women are often hardest hit when disaster strikes because they were at a deficit even before the catastrophe. In Haiti, and in every country, women are the poorest of the poor and often have no safety net, leaving them most exposed to violence, homelessness and hunger in the wake of disasters. Women are also overwhelmingly responsible for other vulnerable people, including infants, children, the elderly, and people who are ill or disabled.

Because of their role as care-takers and because of the discrimination they face, women have a disproportionate need for assistance. Yet, they are often overlooked in large-scale aid operations. In the chaos that follows disasters, aid too often reaches those who yell the loudest or push their way to the front of the line. When aid is distributed through the “head of household” approach, women-headed families may not be recognized, and women within male-headed families may be marginalized when aid is controlled by male relatives.

We may not be able to send diapers to Haiti, but we can still help women and children directly. Please consider donating to MADRE’s Haiti relief fund.

You can DONATE to MADRE’s efforts in Haiti here.*

*According to MADRE’s website, 100-percent of your donation goes to relief efforts as their administrative costs are underwritten elsewhere.

Schwarzenegger’s Raw Deal for California Families

Governor Schwarzenegger released his budget proposal on Friday, and it’s really ugly.  Knowledge is power, and though it sucks to have to relate this bad news to supporters of HAMO, I am heartened by the fact that once people understand how bad this budget proposal is, they’ll mobilize to fight against it.

Image from http://www.imdb.com/

“Regular cuts”  and “trigger cuts” One of the first things to understand about Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal is that it contains two levels of cuts.  The first level contains the regular cuts that would take place regardless of how much money California gets from the Feds.  The second level includes more drastic “trigger cuts”, cuts that will only take place if “triggered” by the Federal government giving California less than $6.9 billion by July 2010, and “Regular Cuts”  affecting children and families:

• Cutting CalWORKs (California’s welfare program) grant levels by 15%. (This is on top of last year’s 4% CalWORKs grant cut).  This cut will cost the typical CalWORKs family of three $109/month.
• Elimination of the CalWORKs recent non-citizen entrants program (for legal immigrants who have been in the US less than 5 years).
• Elimination of the California Food Assistance Program (provides nutrition assistance to legal immigrants who are ineligible for Food Stamps solely because of their immigration status.)
• Reducing the level at which the state reimburses CalWORKs child care providers.
• Reduction of SSI/SSP grants by $15/month (this would be the fourth cut in 12 months for low-income disabled and/or elderly folks on SSI/SSP.)
• Reduction of family planning reimbursement rates.
• Limiting eligibility for Healthy Families as well as increasing premiums and decreasing benefits for some children in the program.
• Asking voters to approve raiding “First 5” funds to pay for programs usually funded through the General Fund.  (“First 5” programs help kids aged 0-5 and is funded through a 50 cent per pack tobacco tax.)

Trigger cuts

• Complete elimination of the CalWORKs program.
• Complete elimination of the Healthy Families program.
• Complete elimination of the In Home Supportive Services program.
• $36 million in cuts to Transitional Housing Plus Program for foster youth.
• Elimination of “federally optional” Medi-Cal benefits like durable medical equipment and physical therapy.
• Asking voters to allow the state to raid Prop 63 funds to pay for existing mental health programs (Prop 63 levies a tax on millionaires. Funds are used for new — not existing– mental health treatment programs.)

So, what are we going to do about this?

The worst thing we can do right now is stay silent! Tell your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers about the Governor’s proposed cuts and encourage them to speak out against the cuts.

Contact your California Legislators and the Governor and tell them what YOUR budget priorities are! Contact the Governor here. Not sure who your California legislator is?    Search by zip code here.

Keep up with the latest developments.

• Check the Western Center on Law and Poverty’s blog here
• Check California Budget Project for excellent budget analysis and information.
• Check Health Access California’s blog for updates about health programs and opportunities for advocacy.

What’s It Like To Be a Homeless Child?

Check out this video produced by Tacoma Rescue Mission to hear what it really is like to be a homeless child (found by way of Change.org).:

Children’s Stories from Tacoma Rescue Mission on Vimeo.

Cora’s Story

This is a guest post from our friend Kristine Brite (@kristinebrite). Kristine was one of our first supporters on Twitter and we actively followed her pregnancy and birth of her baby girl Cora.  Thank you Kristine, for sharing Cora’s story with our readers. You inspire so many with your strength and determination.

***

My first thought when I saw my positive at-home pregnancy test: “How are we going to pay for this?”

For years, I’d heard the mantra chanted over and over, “babies are expensive.”

I worried about buying all the baby paraphernalia, stretching our budget for diapers, wipes and all the other baby stuff. This positive pregnancy test shocked me. Needless to say, this was an unplanned pregnancy. My now husband, then fiancé, just asked me to marry him three months before the positive test. Nine months before he popped the question, we fled our duplex just before eviction to move back to my hometown and in with my mother. Without the help of family, we would have been on the streets.

Preparing for a newborn while living on the edge

The nine months between near eviction and engagement, our financial situation improved little by little. My husband, Ben, and I planned on moving to our own apartment within a month or two. We couldn’t provide for a baby I despaired.

Within weeks of finding out I was pregnant, I was laid off from my position with Google working as a temporary quality rater. I spent my pregnancy tapping every resource I could. Pride flew out the window. I explained to my family and friends that this is what government resources were made for, people like us struggling but fighting none the less. We signed up for WIC, food stamps and Medicaid. I found a local charity that provided us with a new and beautiful crib. Our families again saved the day giving generous baby shower gifts knowing our financial situation.

We depended on the loans and grants my husband received to go to school. The chances of me, a pregnant lady with a journalism degree, finding employment in the midst of a recession weren’t good.

I worried about having enough diapers. The prices shocked me. I turned into crazy couponing hoarder lady. I hunted online sites for the best deals around town and clipped every coupon I could find. I argued with store cashiers and managers who thought the deals I found were too good to be true and didn’t want to honor them. Ben’s school loan checks only come twice a year, so I braced for the bad times by purchasing diapers in all sorts of sizes. Soon we had hundreds and hundreds of diapers.

My water broke while I flipped through my coupon binder looking for good deals because I worried we didn’t have enough diapers or baby supplies to last us through the tight months to follow.

A story of life and death

My daughter, Cora Mae, cried for two hours straight when she was born November 30, 2009. I felt happiness I didn’t know was possible. I remember feeling like I joined the secret parent club that day. No one could prepare me for the love and pride I felt. I awakened that night and became a new person. Instantly, patience, compassion, and pure joy reverberated through me.

Despite the economic stress, my pregnancy was healthy. Labor and delivery went smoothly. The nurses and doctors reassured me Cora was in perfect health. I bragged about the nines she received on her Apgar tests after birth.

We brought Cora home on schedule after two days. I woke up every few hours in the night to feed her. Five days after she was born, we had a feeding unlike the others. One minute she suckled sweetly from my breast, the next moment her face was covered in blood and she wasn’t breathing. Cora died in my arms while breastfeeding.

Baby Cora (Photo from http://instructionsarenotincluded.blogspot.com/)

We later found out she had an unknown congenital heart disease, or CHD.  Ben and I looked up congenital in the dictionary. We’d never heard of CHD. I didn’t understand how somebody so perfect looking could have such a serious heart problem nor how it went undetected. I reached out through Twitter and learned congenital heart defects are way to common, affecting about 1 in 100 babies. I soon learned of the need for advocacy and fundraising and started the journey into fighting for Cora by spreading her story.

After Cora’s death, I knew I had to share the changes she made in me. Her love and beauty would only multiply, I vowed.

My daughter lives through my actions

Just thinking about Cora’s nursery constricts my chest and makes me hold my breath. The nursery represents hours of hard work fighting to provide for my daughter. For the first days, we went in the nursery often. Now we both tend to avoid it. A day or two after Cora died, I opened up her closet and looked at the stacks of diapers. I instantly knew where they belonged. I thought of a woman I was following on Twitter who championed for mothers who were even more desperate than I had been. I contacted Lisa from Help a Mother Out to ask how I could help. She quickly shot back a message with the name of a homeless shelter about 30 miles from me in Fort Wayne, Indiana with diapers on their Web site’s wish list.

For Cora’s one month birthday, Ben and I decided to load up our minivan and drop off 12 packs of various size diapers from our stockpile. I counted before we left, the 12 packs held 583 diapers. We also dug into our baby wipes supply and donated a couple of tubs.

Before we headed up to the homeless shelter I called. The woman on the phone told me, yes, they needed diapers. In fact, a 7-week-old infant called the shelter home right then. I learned this shelter catered to women and children and let them live there for several months while providing classes and assistance for them to become self-sufficient.

I knew nothing about this mom or baby. The image of tiny infant feet, curled and wrinkled, popped into my head. I might not be able to see this mom and baby, but they weren’t invisible to me. I thought of how we struggled and multiplied the struggle by a hundred.

Cora's gift underneath the homeless shelter's Christmas tree

Driving home from the shelter, my younger sister called Ben. He described our experience and told her “When you think you’ve got it rough, think of a mom with a 7-week-old baby in a homeless shelter.”

***

Kristine started as a newspaper reporter back when newspapers were still relevant. She is currently transitioning to lobbyist, fundraiser, and awareness raiser after the sudden death of her newborn daughter, Cora. She fights in her daughter’s name for mandatory congenital heart disease screeningfor all newborns and spends any free time spreading Cora’s story. She graduated from Indiana University. She blogs about her daughter at instructionsarenotincluded.blogspot.com. For more information about Cora or congenital heart disease become a Facebook fan of Cora’s Story.

Please take a moment to post a comment for Kristine below.

Happy New Year!

What a year!

When we started HAMO in the spring of this year we thought we were going to do a health and hygiene drive, maybe collect extra hotel soaps and a thousand diapers and wipes – mostly from our immediate network of friends, colleagues, and neighborhood list servs. We set up shop, invested a little money and a whole lot of sweat equity. We recruited a handful of friends in other cities to take part in our little experiment. Everything on the fly, everything not by the book, all in between life.  At the end of the month, together with our enlisted friends, we collected 15,000 diapers. I originally bought the donation bins and planned to re-appropriate them as rain barrels once the drive was over. I still don’t have rain barrels.

We joked about getting on Twitter.

We called in A LOT of favors.

We discovered diaper banks existed. We found out the Bay Area’s only diaper bank closed it’s doorsright before Mother’s Day (HAMO alumni, Sarah, is currently working to revive it – stay tuned!)

A world of family homelessness and poverty in our own backyards revealed itself.

We met some amazing new friends and advocates who pushed us to think beyond our immediate lives in order to connect the dots.

We called in MORE favors.

As of this writing, HAMO has collected a little over 135,000 diapers, plus countless wipes and other basic supplies. It’s an awesome number to look at isn’t it?

That number doesn’t just represent the number of times a baby gets changed into a clean diaper. It doesn’t represent the actions of one individual, or even a handful of individuals. The thing is, this number is just a small part of the story.

Lives have been made easier by that number. Families were able to pay their utility bill. Women fleeing domestic violence did not have to take a bus across town just to get emergency diapers. Their shelter had diapers to give them. Social workers brought diapers to isolated single mothers with limited resources and no family support. Families facing dire situations and crisis were able to concentrate on more pressing matters, instead of worrying whether or not they would run out of clean diapers for their baby before payday. Mothers could stay in school or go to work. Food was put on tables. Babies went to bed at night with a clean diaper. They didn’t get painful diaper rash. Their parents could afford medicine. We created a little safety net in our immediate communities. Our babies were kept safe and healthy.

But that isn’t the whole story.

We are all part of the story too. To our immediate friends and family – thank you. To all who collected and donated diapers, to all who came forward and asked how you could help by lending your expertise, spreading the word, writing about us, telling your friends and colleagues, tweeting, retweeting and facebooking us, to the women (and men!) who donated their valuable time – thank you. To the COUNTLESS friends, new and old, who gave a little (or a lot) of their time, to making this number a reality – thank you. To our diaper bank friends from around the country – thank you for sharing your knowledge and vision. To the moms who donated their open packs of diapers your baby outgrew – thank you. To our friends at our favorite mom run businesses, who agreed to be a donation location and spread the word to your network – thank you. To all the companies and individuals who donated diapers, money, and supplies for our special events – thank you. To all the mommy bloggers and non-mom bloggers who took the time to click, listen and helped spread the word (in some cases – host diaper drives!)- thank you. To the handful of journalists who discovered our blog or took the time to read our scrappy excuse for a press release – thank you. To our partners, who work quietly everyday to help struggling families – thank you for your inspiration and for doing the important work you do. You are all part of this story.

All of us at HAMO wish you a happy and safe new year. We are working hard to continue the campaign next year. We are going to need a lot more help. Thank you for being part of this experiment.

Carolyn’s Thoughts on a Monday, Cook for the WDDC

We wanted to share a little glimmer of hope that many of you have had a big part of. This is a guest post from WDDC’s Monday cook, Carolyn.

***

Photo credit: www.sistersproject.org

I often wish news agencies would publish more hopeful, positive articles in this era of, more often than not, bad news. So I thought I’d give a shout out to those folk who quietly make the world a better place. I cook lunch every week at a women’s shelter (Women’s Day-time Drop in Center in Berkeley). This center is located in a small house next door to a playground and staff by some of the kindest and dedicated folks.

Here’s a snapshot of my Mondays.

As I peel carrots or slice bread in preparation for lunch I’m in awe of all the folks who make that possible. My kitchen partner, Sandy, who’s showed me the ropes with her 15 years of weekly volunteer experience at the shelter, Then there’s the 91 year-old gent who picks up leftover bread from local bakeries and drops it off. We smile when we see him as he’s spry and in his vision of a perfect society he’d like to “put us out of business” as he hopes there would be no need for homeless shelters. Amy stops by each week with produce from her garden so I can put fresh chard in a frittata and than there’s Victor who bring us extras—pasta from Chez Panisse or tomatoes from the Farmer’s market. David, a general contractor showed up yesterday to rebuild the bookcases and put shelves in the storage shed and Wendy leads a craft session each week with the ladies. I love the smiles on the client’s faces as they show off a necklace or earrings they just made. Lisa and Rachel show up with diapers, toiletries and school supplies as they are running a back-to-school drive through a website they have created (helpamotherout.org) So when the world news gets me I look forward to my Mondays.

– Carolyn Weil, Monday cook for the WDDC

By donating diapers to our campaign you are directly supporting our partners like WDDC. Together we’ve made a difference Bay Area and beyond. Thank you for being a part of this.

Happy Holidays to you and yours.

NPR Reports: Homeless Families on the Rise

NPR’s Weekend Edition today reports on the rising population of homeless families. Listen to the story here.

Between rising rates in unemployment and foreclosures, it’s no wonder that families are now the country’s fastest growing homeless population. In Arizona, the number of families experiencing first-time homelessness jumped by more than 10 percent last year. That’s created a big challenge for homeless children, trying to balance both school and survival.

While the holidays are a wonderful time to be generous, it is important to note struggling families need our help year round. Churches and non profit agencies can only do so much with the growing number of families experiencing homelessness, many for the first time in their lives. Everyone has something to contribute – time, money, or expertise. Please consider helping out in your own community in 2010.

Shout out to Mark Horvath of Invisible People for forwarding this news story.

Meet One of Our Angels: Martha Ryan, Founder of Homeless Prenatal Program

Check out this speech by Homeless Prenatal Program‘s Founder, Martha Ryan.

2009 Tipping Point Award Honoree: Homeless Prenatal Program, Martha Ryan from Tipping Point Community on Vimeo.

Rachel F. and I had the opportunity to meet Martha right after our Mother’s Day diaper drive campaign. As busy as Martha is, she took the time out of her busy schedule to give HAMO founders, and our friend and collaborator Julie Michelle, a personal tour of HPP and talked to us about how she started HPP. She is a living angel, so inspiring to HAMO and others in the community.

Photo credit: Julie Michelle (http://femmefotographie.com/)

HPP does AMAZING work for the families of San Francisco. We are so inspired by Martha and all of her staff (half of whom are formerly homeless mothers!) and the work they do EVERYDAY to help women raise healthy families and become self sufficient.

My not-so-secret wish is that every single city in America has a non profit modeled after HPP. This is a non profit organization that WORKS in elevating families out of poverty. It has been an honor for us to support the valuable work they do by providing diapers to HPP’s families.

Thank you to Martha and everyone at HPP, for inspiring all of us at HAMO to turning rhetoric into action.

Children’s Well Being and the Great Recession

Photo credit: Nina Naylor (http://www.ninanaylorphotography.com/)

Last week, a study out of Duke University’s Department of Sociology, funded by the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, found that California children’s well being improved by 16% between 1995 and 2006.

Researchers found that between 1995 and 2006, California’s children’s health and well-being improved in five key areas: educational attainment, emotional well-being, family economics, health, and behavioral concerns.

Good news, right?

Unfortunately, that is not the whole story.

We are in the Great Recession. 1995-2006 were roughly bubble years.

The study projects the following childhood poverty rates:

Given the likelihood that the current economic recession could have wide-ranging effects on child well-being, this study, in addition to examining trends from 1995 to 2006, also projects poverty rates through 2012 for the state, the Bay Area, and Los Angeles County.

In California in 2008, the most recent year for which data are available, 18.5% of children lived below the federal poverty level of roughly $22,000 for a family of four. Using the economic projection methods noted in the methodology, the poverty rate is estimated to rise to a high of 27% in 2010, before falling to 24% in 2012, meaning the impact of the current economic recession likely will be long-lasting for California’s children.

In Los Angeles County, the poverty rate was 21.9% in 2008 — and that rate is expected to climb to 35% in 2010, then decline to roughly 30-32% in 2012. This could mean that in the county that is home to more than 25% of California’s children, nearly one out of every three kids will be living below the federal poverty level.

More modest increases in child poverty are projected for the higher-income Bay Area, where poverty rates ranged from roughly 8% to 13% in 2008, depending on the county.In the Bay Area, rates are expected to rise to 15-16% in 2010, and then decline slightly, to roughly 13-14% in 2012.

I’m not a numbers person, but these numbers are pretty alarming. Especially when you take into account the broad definition of poverty ($22K for a family of four?!?!) and the high cost of living in California.

Understatement?

Taking it down to the basic level – a child’s well being is directly effected by  the parents’ ability to provide the basics – food, clothing, shelter (and diapers!).  If basic needs are not being met, a struggling family will be unable to focus on larger issues that can make or break their chances of raising a healthy child.

This is a perfect storm that is brewing. It isn’t a dramatic visual a la Hurricane Katrina, but it is coming none the less.

Will we be prepared?

The Diaper Genie in Chicago

This is a great news story out of Illinois about Father Jim, a priest from the Chicago suburbs, who saw a need and decided to fill it.

The Blessing Barn is among a handful of McHenry County agencies that distribute free diapers and disposable underwear from the state’s first diaper bank. It was started by the Rev. Jim Swarthout after he met an impoverished woman whose infant son needed a diaper change.

“I said I have some diapers in the back and she said Father Jim, I can only afford two diapers a day. I clean him out and put them right back on him,” Swarthout said.

At that moment, Swarthout learned what many people still don’t know, that government aid doesn’t cover paper products like disposable diapers.

In four months, with a lot of community help, Swarthout has collected over 45,000 disposable diapers and adult underwear through his Episcopal church.

“I had a woman come in and say I was able to stay in my apartment Father Jim cause of the diapers for my child you gave given to me,” he said.

Demand has been so intense that the church decided to convert its food pantry into all diapers. Last month, it distributed 20,000 of them and that’s twice the number it originally anticipated.

Can you imagine only having TWO DIAPERS a day for your baby?

Please, please, please if you are reading in the Chicago area, go meet Father Jim and bring him some diapers!

Baby, it’s cold outside: Share some warmth

This is a cross post from our friend Rebecca Freed of Becca’s Blog. Becca and her partner were the host of last spring’s Learn to knit party, where Rachel F. and I first learned about WDDC, which was pivotal in the evolution of HAMO. If you are an East Bay local, please see if you can help.

Photo credit: www.sistersproject.org

Right now, when we’re having the lowest temperatures of the year and wet weather to boot, the clients of the Women’s Daytime Drop-in Center could really use your help.

The Drop-in Center needs warm clothes for women and kids, including rain ponchos and coats, umbrellas, socks, hats and gloves.

The center, which has served Berkeley’s homeless and low-income women
and children for over 20 years, provides breakfast and lunch on weekdays, along with support groups, referrals to social services, and a children’s program. The center always needs toiletries to provide to clients, including toothpaste and deodorant.  Diapers, especially for toddlers, are also an ongoing need. An easy way to donate diapers is through the center’s Amazon wish list.

Photo credit: www.sistersproject.org

The center hosts a holiday party for clients as well. You can donate
gifts for women and kids, especially older kids, or even volunteer to
help put on the party. To arrange for a donation, contact the center
by phone (510-548-2884) or e-mail (staff@womensdropin.org).

New York Times: Across U.S., Food Stamp Use Soars and Stigma Fades

Thanksgiving weekend’s New York Times article on food stamp enrollment is a timely one. According to the article, the program is now helping to feed 1 in 8 Americans, 1 in 4 children.

Image from NYTimes.com

Over 36 million people are being helped by the food stamp program:

Virtually all have incomes near or below the federal poverty line, but their eclectic ranks testify to the range of people struggling with basic needs. They include single mothers and married couples, the newly jobless and the chronically poor, longtime recipients of welfare checks and workers whose reduced hours or slender wages leave pantries bare.

As of August, 2009 the number of Californians enrolled in SNAP reached 2.9 million. These numbers are up 39.4% from 2007. And how is this for irony:  families in our nation’s top agriculture producing region are struggling to put food on the table.

What the numbers miss: According to the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), the program misses 1 in 3 eligible households due to access to enrollment information, long application processes, finger imaging, language barriers, home searches, immigrant fears of change in legal status, and ongoing recertification requirements.

The stigma might be fading, the hunger crisis might be mounting to Great Depression levels, but there are still naysayers of the program, such as Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation:

“Some people like to camouflage this by calling it a nutrition program, but it’s really not different from cash welfare,” said Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation, whose views have a following among conservatives on Capitol Hill. “Food stamps is quasi money.”

Arguing that aid discourages work and marriage, Mr. Rector said food stamps should contain work requirements as strict as those placed on cash assistance. “The food stamp program is a fossil that repeats all the errors of the war on poverty,” he said.

Mr. Rector of the Heritage Foundation is the one who also argued that consistent poverty in the U.S. had no proven nutritional risks.

In a time when more Americans find themselves needing help, notably for the first time in their lives, this is an unfortunate perspective.

This is not the time to be refuting the legitimacy of our safety net programs. This is not the time to bury our head in the sand. This is a time to reach out and be that Good Samaritan to those less fortunate then ourselves. We can do this by helping out in our communities (year round, not just during the holiday season), as well as advocating for more efficient safety net programs.

This holiday season, what are your plans to help those in need? Tell us about them by posting a comment below.

Nearly 1 out of 5 California Children Live in Poverty

Yesterday the U.S. Census Bureau released their 2008 poverty estimates. Their report estimates 1.7 million children living in poverty, or 18.5% of all CA residents 18 years or younger.

The report also estimates there are 534,254 children under 4 years old living in poverty in California, or 20.2% of all CA residents 4 years or younger.

Here is how select counties faired with childhood poverty rates:

NamePoverty%Estimate #

 0-18 Years0-18 Years

United States18.213,240,870

California18.51,702,065

Alameda County12.944,060

Contra Costa County12.430,485

Fresno County31.383,435

Kern County26.662,540

Los Angeles County21.8548,487

Marin County8.43,958

Merced County28.821,790

Monterey County18.119,867

Orange County13.4101,146

Riverside County17.097,440

Sacramento County19.067,561

San Bernardino County20.6119,707

San Diego County16.6121,555

San Francisco County13.615,848

San Joaquin County22.041,994

San Mateo County8.012,584

Santa Barbara County15.714,733

Santa Clara County9.439,650

Santa Cruz County16.99,035

Solano County12.012,134

Sonoma County12.812,898

Stanislaus County19.628,010

Tulare County30.741,040

Ventura County11.623,649

For some reason, they do not breakdown the data for the 0-4 year old residents by county.

You can download the national report here.

Hungry Kids Are Perfectly Healthy, So Let Them Eat Cake

A couple of recent studies about hunger in America have put hunger issues in the spotlight.  Onestudy in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine shows that nearly half of all U.S. children, and 90% of black children, will receive Food Stamps at some point during their childhood.   A November 16, 2009 report from the USDA showed that the number of Americans experiencing hunger is at the highest rate in 14 years.

The most shocking thing that I read about hunger this week was not the statistics in these reports: it was this comment made by Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation in this USA Today article about childhood hunger.

“There’s no evidence that even consistent poverty in the U.S. produces a nutritional risk,” he says, noting that rich and poor children tend to have about the same intake of protein, vitamins and minerals.

It is shocking to know that there are people who believe that there is no link between poverty and nutrition.   Studies from the Food Research and Action Center, Zero to Three, the Tufts University Center on Hunger, Poverty and Nutrition Policy, and the Centers for Disease Control have shown that childhood hunger leads to health problems, school absenteeism, stunted growth, reduced ability to learn, cognitive deficits, and emotional problems.

Anti-hunger programs that promote nutrition — the School Breakfast and School Lunch programs, the WIC program, the Summer Food Service program, the After-school Snack and Meal Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program — must be strengthened.   Child nutrition programs are being reauthorized by congress.  The re-authorization process allows Congress to strengthen these programs so that they can help all hungry children in the U.S.

If you’d like to learn more about what’s at stake for Californians in the child nutrition re-authorization process, check out this fact sheet from California Food Policy Advocates. If you would like to contact President Obama, your Senator, or your Congressional Representative about child nutrition re-authorization, visit Feeding America’s Hunger Action Center.