http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/group_rss/RiverofLightEnterprise The River of Light Enterprise, Inc. (ROLE) is an emerging member-driven 501(c)3 community serving individuals, organizations and communities from all walks of life. ROLE is working with a growing coalition of small grass root nonprofits, membership organizations, and communities of faith to expand the level of services for the most vulnerable citizens throughout the Rocky Mountain Region. For more information about the River of Light Enterprise visit our website at www.riveroflight.org "Our Health Freedoms " Educational Seminar Oriental Theater (http://theorientaltheater. com) Denver, Colorado THURSDAY AUGUST 21, 2008 9a.m. to 6p.m. A unique opportunity for the public, interested parties, patients, and holistic professionals to gather and learn about a new program designed to help their client base, while assisting veterans, other social work cases, and the general public on the road to better health utilizing a wide variety of complimentary therapies. Our forefathers worked hard to see through the Freedoms of Democracy, and NOW is the opportunity for us to work hard at assuring, "Our Health Freedoms", instead of those being dictated by BIG PHARMA's multi-Billion dollar daily lobbying efforts diverting our government in unhealthy directions. Registration is ONLY $35., payable by CASH ONLY the day of the event, or by depositing via credit card payment through paypal account (paypal.com) deposit $35. to account name goldnkid@earthlink.net . Your conference payment includes continental breakfast, lunch (hamburgers and hot dogs), and Colorado made "HEMP I SCREAM" afternoon treat. Within walking distance remain several restaurants including Swing Thai, Mexican Jalapeno Grill, and others. It should, however, be noted that there will be a lunch time speaker that you might not want to miss. Warning, your conference fee does NOT automatically entitle you to concert entry for the 1st THC National Convention in the evening. Tickets may be purchased separately online through the box office at http://theorientaltheater.com Please Note: Due to the considerable excitement surrounding these unique events and due to the fact that thousands of individuals will be coming to Denver for the Democratic National Convention, ticket availability is going fast. Get yours today, and DON'T get left out in the cold!) SCHEDULE OF EVENTS • 8a.m. to 9 a.m. REGISTRATION & SET-UP ACTIVITIES "Meet & Greet" time. • 9a.m. to 10a.m. Continental Breakfast with Opening Speaker • 10a.m. to 11:15a.m. "Why a Collective or Cooperative?" • 11:15 a.m. to 1p.m. Lunch with speaker. • 1:00p.m. to 3p.m. Breakout Sessions including: 1. Growers(Balcony) 2. Caregivers & Patient Advocacy 3. "Holistic Practitioners -enhance your client base" 4. "The Business of Cannabis (medical) in Colorado" • 3:00p.m. to 3:30p.m. BREAK TIME (complimentary Colorado HEMP ICE SCREAM served). • 3:30p.m. to 5:30p.m. "FREE SPEECH DIALOGUE"-with numerous representatives of the politics of the day. Included will be a Recreate 68 representative (recreate68.org) and an Alliance for Real Democracy representative along with other speakers, and having moderation by the U.S. Department of Peace. A unique experience following the concept of "Community Mediation". • 5:30p.m to 6:30p.m. Networking and Cash Bar. THE FIRST HEMP AND CANNABIS NATIONAL CONVENTION http://thcnationalconvention.com http://www.myspace.com/thcnationalconvention Official Gear: http://www.cafepress.com/THCNC The HEMP CANNABIS NATIONAL CONVENTION Oriental Theater (http://theorientaltheater. com) Denver, Colorado THURSDAY AUGUST 21, 2008 6 p.m. to Midnight PUBLIC INVITED • 6:30p.m. to Midnight Continuous Live Entertainment including: BIG BUDS BLUES BAND ONE MANNA (Anna, the one woman band) APEX VIBE Comedians and More POLITICAL ACTIVISM, EDUCATION, COMMUNITY This will be a celebration of Our Freedoms following a daylong seminar for Medical Marijuana in Colorado HIGHLY PRIZED & extremely limited $10 tickets (now available Online at http://theorientaltheater. com or at the Oriental Theater Box Office) Complimentary VIP for ALL legal Colorado Medical Marijuana patients at the door with package including buffet, limited laminate, official THC National Convention t-shirt, "Green Cross" goodie bag and more!) Sorry, price of the Concert is NOT included in the educational conference fee. BE WARNED, this event and conference WILL sell out early) If interested, please obtain your $10. concert tickets separately online at http://www. theorientaltheater.com Very limited Sponsorship Opportunities and Vendor Booths remain available (Deadline for paid application: August 10, 2008) contact Bobby at 720-628-6291. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/timothytipton/CqPP http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/timothytipton/CqPP/commentary#comments Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:42:22 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/timothytipton/CqPP COmidnightrider46 COmidnightrider46 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CqPP/ The River of Light Enterprise, a local non-profit organization, invites you to celebrate Spring in the Rockies Bi-Annual Plant and Seed Exchange PROCEEDS BENEFIT FOOD, EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING PROGRAMS FOR VULNERABLE CITIZENS - HOMELESS VETERANS, DISABLED ADULTS, HIGH RISK YOUTH, FRAIL ELDERLY - IN THE METRO AREA Bring to Exchange with Fellow Gardeners Seeds - Starts - Shrubs - Bulbs -Tree Saplings - Vegetable seedlings Indoor and Outdoor Plants Welcome Bring as many plants as you wish and take home an equal amount from others' donations If you don't have plants or seeds to share from your yard, we suggest bringing vegetable sprouts All native plants are Welcome Please separate and label plants individually, ready to be taken home by fellow gardeners - We suggest placing individual plants in small wax paper cups Save $ toward your landscaping needs - Add a variety of new and interesting plants to your yard A $10 per family donation is requested at the gate Join us for this unique and fun family event FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT JULIE AT 303-667-6032 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/julieannmurphycross/CqS2 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/julieannmurphycross/CqS2/commentary#comments Thu, 10 May 2007 09:44:14 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/julieannmurphycross/CqS2 Jul Jul 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CqS2/ We had a little fun with 'Foxy' the fox today... NO, not That Kind of Fun! We heard that Frontier was doing a Campaign Interview style promo for the 'Foxy' Frontier's Favorite Animal at the Civic Center today across from the City Hall. So we thought this would be great test of our Concept of Instant Vigils. We flew downtown and did a 'one indian' to their 'circle the wagons' maneuver. The media types applauded my arrival but grumbled later when they had trouble getting a shot without our signs in the background. Our sign on one side said. Call Foxy and tell her to Stop the Iraq War and impeach Bush and on the other side Call Foxy and say Stop the War and impeach Bush. Amazing the amount of eyeballs these signs got. It was Fun... you all shoulda been there. Maybe next time, eh! Join Us. Impeachment can be fun. John WeeklyVigilsToImpeach.Us Link ProgressNowAction Member Link http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/kennedyjohn/C2vS http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/kennedyjohn/C2vS/commentary#comments Thu, 22 Feb 2007 14:14:58 MST http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/kennedyjohn/C2vS John H Kennedy http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/5e4c96e6db734362f3_l5hmv2v71.jpg John H Kennedy 2 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/C2vS/ Our group Link 1stProtestinTheStreet.org is having a MeetUp 7 pm TONIGHT at the Hooked On Colfax Coffee House (w/ Free Wifi ) at 3215 East Colfax Ave, Denver. Anyone interested in the possibility of holding Bush and Cheney accountable for their crimes is welcome to join us. We believe that we can put enough public pressure on our US Representatives we might be able to cause a Bill of impeachment. ( Yes..especially the Democrats we elected... the ones who dissed Bush/Cheney so, who now are Congressmen who have the power to Impeach). We are doing two weekly vigils so far, one on ">Link Wednesdays at Noon at the State Capital in Denver and on Link Thursdays at Noon at US Rep. DeGette's Denver Office at East 6th & Grant. The purpose of the Wednesday and Thursday Vigils is to attract the attention of our State Legislature. our two Daily Newspapers, and the public. We hope that someone in the Legislature will carry a bill to ask the US House to begin proceedings on Impeachment (as New Mexico's Democrats are doing). We hope the newpapers will consider that if Bill Clinton can be brought up on Impeachment for lying about sex... then perhaps the more serious offense of lying to Congress ( and Voters) just before a vote on War Resolution should require the same journalistic attention. We hope the public will begin to see that this ( lying to Congress) is a more serious matter even than the Iraq War itself (if that is possible). The previous 'do nothing' Republican Congress was not much of a check on Bush's Imperial ambitions and our current Democratic Congress' Leadership would like to ignore impeachment and 'move on 'as they say, and hope it just goes away. What they are trying to ignore is the fact that all of Bush's lies and Signing Statements add up to a huge expansion of Presidential Power. We need to protect our grandchildren from the future Imperial excesses of the next President RunAmuck, regardless of which party they come from. We need to put the Fear Of Impeachment into all future presidential candidates. Bush doesn't think the Congress will call his bluff and impeach him, so he will push his supposed 'powers' to the limit. Democratic leaders in the House and Senate are kidding themselves if they think he will back off. And even if he does, shouldn't he be held accountable for lying to Congress about a War resolution in the first place... to prevent this from recurring? And about the 700 plus Signing Statements. Saying he will ignore US Laws, after taking an Oath to Uphold them. I'll stop now.... See you tonight at Hooked On Colfax, and Wed. at the Capital, and Thursday at DeGette's Office PS... We've already started getting Push Back, from Democrats no less, about Vigiling in front of DeGette's Office. Why her they say... Well.. she is in a 'safe' seat, she now has powerful positions on very important Congressional Committees. She Can support this without endangering her re-election far more than other Democratic US Reps. As a lifelong Democrat, I've voted for DeGette in every election and carried signs for her and probably will do so in the future. I think she is Super. However, I think she and all the other Democratic Reps will duck Impeachment if we let them. We will Vigil at other Colorado US Representative's offices as soon as we have the volunteers (all of them). join us. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/kennedyjohn/C2tn http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/kennedyjohn/C2tn/commentary#comments Mon, 05 Feb 2007 16:22:34 MST http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/kennedyjohn/C2tn John H Kennedy http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/5e4c96e6db734362f3_l5hmv2v71.jpg John H Kennedy 1 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/C2tn/ This time of year it always gives me hope when I hear all the "good will" stories of people helping other people. This year's "giving season" was kicked off in a major way by Oprah, who gave the members of her studio audience $1,000 with the condition they must give it away in "random acts of kindness" to one or more strangers. They were to record their experience with a video camera on loan to return their results on tape. People across the Country are "buzzing" about it and here in Colorado and across the country it's been a springboard for "giving back" holiday food, clothing and gift drives. It reminds me though that Francis Moore Lappe, best selling author and founder of the Small Planet Institute said, "The problem with the phrase 'giving back' is that it denies our true nature. It presumes that we perceive ourselves as standing on the outside of community, feeling obligated to contribute because we are so privileged, instead of feeling connected and deeply entrenched in community as participants." As I listened this week to the stories of simple acts people did for another or someone did for them that made a huge difference, it warmed my heart. It also made me a little sad because as wonderful as the stories are, I know that to really address some of our most challenging social issues in health care, housing, education and economic security, it will take more than a few random acts - it will take people like: Chaplain Barbara McArthur with Blessing House Partners in Faith, who provides housing for 40 homeless women while working another job to pay her own bills. They may have to close the doors right after Thanksgiving because she can't continue to carry the costs for the women she's helping while they struggle to find full-time work. Or the Hernandez family, who runs the Senior High Rise Food Bank and feeds over 400 people each month from their garage, yet are struggling and may have to close just after Christmas because they can't continue to pay for utilities, and gas to pick up food that's been donated on their retirement incomes. Or the volunteers from the American GI Forum and Veterans for Peace who are personally struggling with their own battles with the Veterans Administration yet have come together to establish the Veterans Justice Alliance to provide support, care and comfort to the 800 homeless and disabled veterans living on the streets in the Denver area each night! And these are just three of more than thirty social entrepreneurs ROLE is currently working with, each are committing their hands, hearts and souls - and most of their own money - to fill the gaps in our broken social safety net. These are people who are fully entrenched in community and "walk the talk" each and every day. The River of Light Enterprise, Inc. (ROLE) - the nonprofit organization I am proud to lead - has established the Chamber of Compassion to "serve those who serve" by helping these unsung heroes get the support they need to keep many vital neighborhood-based programs alive. Right now the people we serve who help so many others are in dire straights themselves and many may have to close their doors if the community doesn't step in and donate the cash they need to keep going. Most people think that those who serve the poor get tax money, foundation grants, or lots of donated money from the general public to support the work they do -- but the truth is… · The Bush FY 2007 budget cuts 141 domestic programs, led by a $36-billion cut in Medicare spending for the elderly over the next five years and the complete elimination of the Commodity Supplemental Food Program that provides food assistance to low-income seniors, needy pregnant women and children. · According to the 1998 National Congregations Study, the first comprehensive study of churches and their spending showed that less than 3% of the average congregation's total budget was spent on social services. · According to the Independent Sector, the share of giving that goes to organizations known for helping the poor, hit a record low in 2004, accounting for less than 10% of the $248 billion donated by Americans and their philanthropic institutions. Eliminating poverty is not a "random act" - it takes consistency, commitment, and perseverance. And it takes CASH! Cash for things like phones to coordinate donations; for gas and oil to deliver necessities to those in need and for paying utility bills at emergency housing units. Right now, Blessing House needs $5,000, or all 10 women looking to start a new and prosperous life will be back out on the street right after Thanksgiving! Unless we can raise $5,000 to help Senior High Rise Food Bank pay their utilities and transportation costs, people will be hungry by Christmas! And if we don't raise another $5,000 to support the Veterans Justice Alliance through the end of the year, we will be unable to provide on-going care and support to over 20 Veterans who are struggling to keep food on their tables and a roof over their head while they are waiting for their claims to be processed. These are OUR neighborhood resources that have been selflessly helping quietly while we are living our lives. They start their days feeding people who are hungry, searching for shelter for those who are homeless, and challenging bureaucrats to respond to people who have "fallen through the cracks" of our broken safety net. And they do it with little or no recognition or sufficient support from the community they serve. Hubert Humphrey once said, "Government will never replace the helping hand of a neighbor". Unless we can all come together as a community and support not only the large organizations who can afford to advertise their programs on television and in large ads in the local newspapers but the small food bank or shelter right in our own neighborhoods - we may loose the only programs that are currently catching those who have already fallen through the cracks. My prayer is that we all take Oprah's challenge and practice random acts of kindness with more focus. Better yet, I challenge you to consider making "consistent acts of kindness", and perhaps becoming a sponsoring member of the RIVER OF LIGHT ENTERPRISE. Our pledge is to use ALL of the money raised to keep Blessing House, the Senior High Rise Food Bank and the Veterans Justice Projects open and serving the most vulnerable among us. If you'd like to discuss these issues or would like more facts, I welcome your call at 303-667-6032. Sincerely, Julieann Murphy-Cross Pres./CEO River of Light Enterprise http://www/rivereoflight.org 303-667-6032 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/julieannmurphycross/C2h8 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/julieannmurphycross/C2h8/commentary#comments Sat, 04 Nov 2006 09:47:12 MST http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/julieannmurphycross/C2h8 Jul Jul 2 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/C2h8/ I read a short story by Ivan Moreno (Rocky Mountain News, September 27, 2006 - Veterans' plight is focus of rally) on a recent rally to raise awareness to the plight of homeless Veterans in Colorado and had two responses - the first being "duh" - it's only something Veteran Service Advocates have been saying for more than a decade! My second response was "Thank God" that someone is starting to listen! Unfortunately, your article only touched the tip of the iceberg. Most people are unaware of the true deficit in services that exist for Veterans in our community. The general perception is that the Veterans' Administration is caring for the needs of vulnerable Veterans. Reality, however, is far from the truth. Consider the following:  Almost one-half of the 2.7 million disabled U.S. Veterans receive $337 or less a month in benefits, which comes from the VA's Veterans Benefits Administration. Less than one-10th of disabled Veterans are rated 100-per-cent disabled. To an outsider, the VA benefit formulas can seem like a riddle. If, for instance, a vet is diagnosed as 70 percent physically disabled and 30 percent disabled as a result of post-traumatic stress, the total disability does not necessarily add up to 100 percent; it could amount to 80 per cent. And that means a monthly check of $1,277; $1,500 for a family of four - poverty level!  The backlog of unprocessed claims has reached the astronomical count of 489,297, a number which is unfortunately increasing all of time. There are also currently 500,000 Compensation and Pension cases still pending. This means that close to a million Veterans and their families are at risk of financial ruin and homelessness, while the VA processes the paperwork!  More than 1 million American soldiers serve in Iraq and according to a recent study published by the New England Journal of Medicine found that 15 to 17 percent of Iraq vets meet "the screening criteria for major depression, generalized anxiety, or PTSD." Of those, only 23 to 40 percent are seeking help - in part because so many others fear the stigma of having a mental disorder. Those who do reach out often find long waiting lists for treatment within the Veterans' Service Network and a Civilian Service System that is ill-prepared to meet their needs.  Over 1.7 million Veterans do not have any health insurance nor do they have access to health care through the Veterans' Administration. Another 3.9 million Veteran households do not have health insurance nor do they have access to Veterans' health care due to ineligibility.  The Denver 2005 VA CHALENG Report acknowledges Colorado has 3,895 homeless veterans yet there are only 102 beds dedicated to meet their needs. The majority of these are operated by non-Veteran run organizations that may or may not have unique services for Veterans or even have Veterans on staff. In fact, while the growing body of research supports the fact that the most effective services for homeless Veterans are "Vet to Vet" - of the eight organizations listed by the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans to be providing services in Colorado, only three are Vet run organizations. .  According to the Denver Metro Homeless Initiative Point in Time Survey conducted on January 23, 2006, 813 homeless individuals indicated they had served in the US Military yet only 110 (or 1 in 7) were collecting Veterans' Benefits. The true picture of homelessness among Veterans in Colorado cannot fully be known as the only question asked was whether the individual served in the US Military. There was no exploration as to whether Veterans are over represented among the chronically homeless, although given 85% of those identified as chronically homeless are men.  The FY 2005 CHALENG Report (the VA equivalent to the Point in Time Survey) indicated that long-term permanent housing is among the top three unmet needs and has been consistently over the past five years. As the author of the very first CHALENG Report in 1997 in the Denver-metro area, I can tell you this has been true for the past 10 years! Contrary to the perceptions that our nation's Veterans are well-supported, the fact is that many go without the services they require and are eligible to receive. Neither the VA, State, or County Departments of Veteran Affairs, or community-based and faith-based service providers are adequately resourced to respond to these veterans' health, housing and supportive services needs. For example, the VA reports that its homeless treatment and community-based assistance network serves 100,000 Veterans annually. With an estimated 500,000 Veterans experiencing homelessness at some time during a year and the VA reaching only 20 percent of those in need, 400,000 Veterans remain without services from the department responsible for supporting them. Likewise, other federal, state, and local public agencies--notably housing and health departments--are not adequately responding to the housing, health care and supportive services needs of Veterans. Indeed, it appears that Veterans fail to register as a target group for these agencies. It is disconcerting and difficult to reconcile the Nation's call to "support our troops" with the systematic denial of benefits to Veterans and their families created by administrative barriers. These barriers are failing to fully fund the programs or even honoring the most basic assurances of Veterans preferences in hiring and contracting work. Even more disconcerting is the given the number of Veterans from WW II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War who are still fighting for recognition and benefits they earned. We are willing - as a Nation - to subject another generation of soldiers to the same fate. Already community-based organizations from across the Nation are seeing returning Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans in their shelters, soup kitchens and food banks. After spending months in a war zone, many of the 170,000 soldiers who've returned home are struggling with their transition to back-to-civilian life. They are dealing with everything from coping with a maze of red tape and contradictory messages on healthcare to finding affordable housing and jobs with adequate incomes to accessing disability payments. One of the biggest problems, according to advocates and a report by the Government Accountability Office, is a lack of resources to deal with battle fatigue, or posttraumatic stress disorder, as it's now called. Another is providing support for Reserve and National Guard troops, who make up 45 percent of the troops in Iraq. "The bottom line is that the VA [Department of Veterans Affairs] wasn't prepared for the 33,000 troops that have come back and gone to the VA needing care," says Paul Rieckhoff of Operation Truth, a nonprofit advocacy group for Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. "They're definitely not ready for the flood that's going to come back next year." Operation Truth and the Circle of Friends for American Veterans mentioned in your article are National efforts to bring justice to our Veterans. Locally, the River of Light Enterprise, Inc, Veterans Justice Alliance Project has joined in partnership with the American GI Forum, Veterans for Peace and Veterans Faith Based Village to raise the level of awareness and justice for Colorado Veterans. The project will kick-off on October 4th from 7-9 pm with a lecture and book signing by local author John DeVore at the Tennyson Gallery in northwest Denver (44th & Tennyson). John, a combat Vietnam Veteran, will share his story from a soldier of war to a warrior of peace, in his lecture the "Myth and Reality of War". While the event is free, proceeds from the sale of John's book "Sitting in the Flames: Unleashing Fearlessness to Serve Others", will support services to homeless and incarcerated Veterans living in the Denver-metro area. We encourage Veterans who are seeking their own journey back to a sense of peace as well as people who really want to both understand how to support Veterans in their lives to attend. To quote one Veteran I met recently: "If people really supported our troops they'd do more than throw a parade…they'd make sure Veterans received the benefits they were promised!" http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/julieannmurphycross/C25N http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/julieannmurphycross/C25N/commentary#comments Thu, 28 Sep 2006 14:15:44 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/julieannmurphycross/C25N Jul Jul 1 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/C25N/ Denver, Colorado - September, 1 2006 - The River of Light Enterprise, Veterans Justice Alliance Project, with the gracious support of local Gallery Director Trina Hoefling and her staff, will be hosting local author John DeVore. The free event will be held Wednesday, October 4th from 7:00 to 9:30 at the Tennyson Street Gallery at 44th and Tennyson . John DeVore, a decorated Viet Nam combat Veteran, will introduce his recently released work "Sitting in the Flames: Uncovering Fearlessness to Help Others" and will speak to the journey combat Veterans and the Nation must take to heal the wounds of war. For 40 years, John Edwin DeVore carried the weight of war before finally removing the burden and looking closely at what it signified. "Sitting in the Flames" is a fascinating and thought provoking study of human character blinded by corporate greed, by the passion to consume, by the myth of armed conflict and by cultural conditioning that fosters what one believes, as opposed to how one behaves. DeVore has written a critically important and timely perspective of war, and he offers a very compelling and priceless message. As reviewed by New York Times best selling author Ellen Tanner Marsh, "In clear, heartfelt prose, DeVore describes a brave and unflinching confrontation with his past, made necessary in order for him to have a more meaningful future. War, he realized, isn't just one man's experience-it's the sum total experience of an entire country. To stop wars, he argues, we must understand them and why we seem to need them. Beautifully told, DeVore's book is an important and unforgettable addition to the literature of Vietnam..." The event is the first in a series of events that will be held throughout the fall to bring public attention to the critical gaps in services to vulnerable Veterans living in the Denver-metro area. Currently research indicates that nearly 35% of all homeless people in America are Veterans of US Military Services yet nearly 1 million Veterans across the Country are awaiting the benefits that will keep them out of poverty because the Veterans Administration hasn't finished processing their claims! The River of Light Enterprise, Veterans Justice Alliance Project was established to raise funds and support "vet to vet" programs to address the long-term care needs of disabled Veterans. The River of Light Enterprise is working closely with Veterans for Peace, the American GI Forum, Veterans Faith Based Village and other Veterans Service Organizations to increase services to Veterans and their families throughout the Denver-metro area. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/julieannmurphycross/C2NF http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/julieannmurphycross/C2NF/commentary#comments Mon, 04 Sep 2006 21:47:53 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/julieannmurphycross/C2NF Jul Jul 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/C2NF/ Thank you to Frank over at the Pipefitters Local for sticking around on a Saturday so we could use the hall. Thanks to all the speakers and attendees. I always get out way more than I pu tinto these events and in this session I connected with a professional agitator , a progressive leader in the movement to house women, a Latino leader, and a net roots organizer. Who did you meet? here are some of the website's that represent the movers and shakers on the non profit world nonprofitlaw.com www.acu.edu www.growth-strategies.com Link /> MJ http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2B7 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2B7/commentary#comments Mon, 03 Jul 2006 12:16:45 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2B7 Melle Melle 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/C2B7/ ROLE, as a Denver based non-profit faces the challenges that many flyover state organizations do. Lack of visibility in electoral rich states. The Non Profit Town Hall will address this. Chamber of Compassion- ROLE is doing something special. I really appreciate that Julieann, the director of ROLE brings a compassion and a willingness to cultivate talent that is rough around the edges. ROLE is promoting a special event and the main promoter has some anger issues that have been revealed. I initially took a pragmatic view to kill the whole event but after the board meeting, I felt inspired by the compassion of ROLE's board directors and their focus on producing great projects with people who are underdogs or may not have all the obvious advantages many of us take for granted. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2Gp http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2Gp/commentary#comments Wed, 21 Jun 2006 08:48:19 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2Gp Melle Melle 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/C2Gp/ $80 billion more for the War, but Congress just keeps saying the check is in the mail to Veterans. It's hard to imagine, on any given night there are over 250,000 Veteran sleeping on the streets of America. They comprise nearly 30 per cent of all homeless people. It's inconceivable that over one million Veterans have still not received the benefits they are due, simply because they haven't been processed by the Veterans Administration, leaving them in financial ruin and struggling in poverty. It's also difficult to believe that our Country would turn its back on Veterans who need health care. Yet today, over 1.7 million Veteran households do not have access to health care because they are deemed ineligible. What's wrong with this picture? We can afford the war, but not the treatment of those who have served when they come home? Here in our own backyards, Colorado's Veterans makeup approximately 30 per cent of the state's 10,000 homeless, according to the last point-in-time survey. (foot note source Linda Murphy. Metro-Denver Homeless Initiative, 2006 Point in Time Survey) Not to be forgotten are the Women who have served and returned as Veterans with physical, emotional and mental disabilities. Like homeless women in the general population, women Veterans are victims of sexual assault and abuse, substance abuse, domestic violence, the economy of smaller paychecks and lack of affordable housing. "This population is at risk for homelessness," said Dr. Robert Rosenheck, professor in the departments of psychiatry and epidemiology and public health at the Yale School of Medicine and director of the VA Northeast Program Evaluation Center. Rosenheck found that female veterans are four times more likely to become homeless compared to non-Veterans, according to a study he conducted with two other authors and published in the July 2003 issue of the American Journal of Public Health. "There is no clear cut reason why they are more at risk, Rosenheck said. He believes that many of the women who joined the military at the end of the draft in 1973 did so to escape, and find themselves two decades later, homeless." We continue to take people into the military who have poor job prospects. Even if the economy rebounds, it's not going to produce high-paying jobs for low-skilled workers," he said. Outreach programs that educate female veterans about benefits and shifting attitude toward women in the military are contributing to the increase in homeless female Veterans seeking help, said Laurie Harkness, director of the Errera Community Care Center at the West Haven campus. Women are more likely today to think of themselves as Veterans. Images of women during the most recent wars taken prisoner or driving military vehicles helped to change their attitudes. In the past, women in the military served in catering roles as nurses and clerks. They had a hard time asking for help and would try to drink away their depression. The numbers of female Veterans, who file claims with the VA, attend the programs, and use of the health clinic has also increased in the last decade. Bob Walker, a benefits counselor with the federal Veterans Administration regional office in Hartford, said he expects the number of homeless female Veterans to increase with the war in Iraq. "A lot more women will come back home unable to hold a job," Walker said. "They'll need the services from the VA, whether it is for mental health, addiction or post traumatic stress disorder. Today, as war in Iraq rages on, soldiers are injured both physically and emotionally, many disabled for the rest of their lives. Then count the dead, 2,500 and climbing, at a price tag to taxpayers of $320 billion, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives. Perhaps they were the lucky ones; for now they've found peace…it cost them of their lives. What about the survivors? Who will cover the costs? Who will provide the health care they need? How will they find peace on earth? The River of Light Enterprise, Veteran Justice Alliance Program, a member-driven 501 (c)(3) Colorado organization, was established to help Veterans and their families gain the support they need to obtain the benefits they've earned to restore their health, and offer the on-going care and emotional support they need to fully reclaim their lives and place as honored heroes. Since the government currently does little or nothing to assist the Veteran's community, the task falls to those of us who function as social entrepreneurs to help with this growing, seemingly out of control, problem. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2GB http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2GB/commentary#comments Mon, 19 Jun 2006 08:57:50 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2GB Melle Melle 1 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/C2GB/ Internet gurus NNG recently studied the usefullness of email newsletters Findings: -it is recommended that your recipient be able to subscribe or unsubscribe in under a minute. -No one reads you're email Tolstoy. More like scanning the left side for an average of 51 seconds. -will trade a good newsletter for a better one. -is still the best way to keep in touch with your constituency online. MJ http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2Mt http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2Mt/commentary#comments Mon, 12 Jun 2006 11:55:00 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2Mt Melle Melle 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/C2Mt/ "Ours is not the first generation to be morally blinded by building a lifestyle based upon energy from foreign shores. Slavery was the importation of cheap energy without regard to its moral cost." I saw this quote on a blog by Matthew Sleeth, author of "Serve God, Save the Planet" . Sometimes it is more important to be right than to win and I am at that point when it comes to supporting (or not supporting) centrist Democrats who are not talking about peace with honor and getting out of Iraq. Winning back Congress only counts if it quickly leads to stopping our attacking of another country. If Harry Reid is worried that I am pushing the Democratic party too much to the left, than I guess I am currently to the left of the Democratic party. A little story. I went to the 2004 caucus intending to fully support Ken Salazar for Senator. I even had a little speech ready in case a voice of reason was necessary among the passionate supporters of Mike Miles. There were only three people from our precinct and one, Deborah had a Kucinich T-shirt on with a Mike Miles button fastened to the front. Oh brother. To make a long story short, Deborah was so passionate about Miles that I didn't have the heart to make that strong argument and our precinct went for Miles. Looking back, I am glad I supported Mike Miles and I know now he would be ten times the senator that Ken is. Secondly, it put me on the road to thinking that me a typical, middle of the road Democrat centrist was a out of touch with what life is like for the rest of the world and is a out of touch on how I get to and from work everyday. Externalities such as 300 billion dollars, thousands of dead Iraqi women and children and a whole generation of American boys sacrificed to depleted uranium ammunition and PTSD is too much to support an electable candidate. And that American dream is a lifestyle that fewer and fewer people actually enjoy anyways. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2MR http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2MR/commentary#comments Sun, 11 Jun 2006 16:56:38 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2MR Melle Melle 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/C2MR/ Latest speech to the employees of a little company called Google. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2MG http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2MG/commentary#comments Fri, 09 Jun 2006 12:18:26 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2MG Melle Melle 1 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/C2MG/ That is an acronym for Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability . Roughly 18% of the US consumer market and likely a bit higher on the Front Range. Largely apolitical and most likely non union. I'd like to see a candidate craft a message to these voters. Hint: You got to start with spirit... http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2j3 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2j3/commentary#comments Thu, 08 Jun 2006 08:37:27 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2j3 Melle Melle 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/C2j3/ Matter: Locating my Dream Job. Hope you are great and enjoying every minute of your day. That was a challenge for me until I realized that life is short so you might as well feel the joy in as many moments as you can. I wish you the same. Please consider the following story and request. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2jv http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2jv/commentary#comments Wed, 07 Jun 2006 09:15:20 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2jv Melle Melle 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/C2jv/ I came up with access to food, shelter, education and mental & physical health services as the core activities of what we are all doing in the non profit world. I decided with the help of my InLife sponsor to carry education and mental health because of my recent work in empowerment and training in self reliance. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2jc http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2jc/commentary#comments Wed, 07 Jun 2006 08:59:23 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2jc Melle Melle 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/C2jc/ This is a cornerstone of Jul's philosophy behind ROLE. That every life is worthwhile. That may seem obvious and it may even be written in the constitutionbut think about. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2Gm http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2Gm/commentary#comments Fri, 02 Jun 2006 14:37:37 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2Gm Melle Melle 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/C2Gm/ It is a pleasure for me to be an Inlife member of ROLE because of the great community building. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2GT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2GT/commentary#comments Fri, 02 Jun 2006 14:14:31 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/C2GT Melle Melle 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/C2GT/ I've been a fundraiser since the day I could reach the doorbell. It started with selling Girl Scout cookies door to door so I could earn my way to camp each summer. By the time I graduated from High School I was a pro - cookies for camp, candy bars for band, magazines for sports, and flower sales for prom. Then just when I thought my fundraising days were over my "professional" life took over. Just like high school football is nothing like the "Pro's" - the "professional fundraising biz" is a whole different game than selling a few trinkets. Over the last 29 years I have raised millions of dollars for charities throughout the Country through benefits, grants and government contracts and I can tell you it takes a lot more than a good cause to raise real money these days. Today in my role as President of the River of Light Enterprise, one of my charges is to support our Partner Members (an emerging network of community and faith based entities) gain the resources they need to operate their programs. Needless to say - fundraising still takes up a good portion of my day! Yet in today's environment it's not just that "getting money" is tough - it's what the money could cost you that is the real threat to the Independent Sector (nonprofits). Money's Tight In the fall of 2005, while the Country watched the unfolding horror of the Hurricane Katrina States on the evening news, the US Census Bureau quietly released its annual report entitled "Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States." Not surprisingly, the report revealed that poverty increased last year. There were 37 million (12.7 percent) people living in poverty, an increase of 1.1 million people since 2003. This was the fourth consecutive year in which poverty has increased. Since President Bush took office, 5.4 million more people, including 1.4 million children, have found themselves living in poverty. Link Yet as the US Census was reporting that more people needed help, America's legislative bodies were at the same time passing a budget resolution that will slash nearly $35 billion dollars from programs like Medicaid, Food Stamps, Head Start, Housing, and even Veterans Benefits. http://www.ombwatch.org. Unfortunately, those Americans who find themselves "cut-off" from public programs will most likely seek services from community and faith-based organizations only to find what the "trickle down" economic theory really means. Given it is estimated that the majority of non-health related charitable programs report 20% or more of their budgets are derived from government funds, and the figure for direct human service providers closer to 33%, without some "hardcore fundraising" a lot of programs serving America's most vulnerable will be radically reduced if not closed altogether Link When money is tight, very few nonprofit Board's charged with ensuring their nonprofit has the resources to serve people will risk a major portion of the resources they have left by taking a strong vocal voice against an Administration that has demonstrated itself to be swiftly vindictive when opposed. http://www.theocracywatch.org Golden Handcuffs The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition 2000 defines "golden handcuffs" as "a lucrative incentive to an executive intended to discourage resignation or ensure long-term cooperation after departure." The phrase however has been used to describe a variety of situations where the "cost of comfort or benefit" is paid through the loss of freedom and control over one's own life. It's a phrase that could be used in conjunction with women who are economically bound in abusive relationships, or a small company that must constantly appease their largest customer, or in this case to describe the situation many community and faith based organizations are increasingly finding themselves in with funding sources - whether they are public, private or corporate in nature. The Independent Sector has historically provided the voice for the forgotten and abused in our communities. And throughout this history, there has been a continuing tension between advocacy and service. Often a "movement" is born out of a passion to "right a wrong" through a change in laws and/or a redirection of resources to solve a specific social need. And the expected outcome of these Movements, have most often been an outpouring of public resources to establish programs to make amends. Over the last 30 years I have had the privilege and opportunity to have been involved either directly in the legislative action or by operating services that were a result of the Women's Movement, the Peace Movement, the Gay Rights Movement, the Civil Rights Movement, the United Farm Worker Movement, the Labor Movement, the Homeless Movement, the American Indian Movement, the Immigration Amnesty Movement, and the Veterans Movement. I would stand shouting on the steps of the capital to gain attention to an abuse of the "system" in the morning and sit submissively in the offices of public funding bureaucrats in the afternoon trying to eek out a few more dollars in the latest service contract to keep my little agency alive. When I was in college, I remember some professor saying that Saul Alinsky - the noted "father of community organizing" - was quoted as saying "the quickest way to kill a movement is to throw money at it". At the time, I remember thinking "yea, easy for you to say, I've got 150 people waiting at the office looking for food, I'll take a little less Movement and a lot more money right now myself." But age brings wisdom and I hate to admit it - but Saul was right! In retrospect, the more successful the "movement" (no matter which one it was) has become at raising the level of public funding for programs, the less time we spend on the steps of capitals and the more time we spend in the offices of a myriad of bureaucrats. Our time now is spent almost exclusively on appeasing "our biggest funder" to retain the limited dollars we've gained as opposed to standing on the "steps" calling for the civil and basic human rights of our constituents - regardless of "which movement" we are. Our argument is generally "better to keep what we have and serve than risk being without funds or services". Or "we can't push to hard - or they'll cut our funding and then what?" We've determined we needed to be more "business-like" - more like them - and now the "golden handcuffs" account for increasing portions of our budgets and we've almost forgotten who we really work for - the community! Getting Real Robert Egger, founder of the DC Central Kitchen one of the most successful 21st Century nonprofits in the Country, is noted as saying "Whether it's employing felons, paying a living wage, being eco-friendly or giving ownership to staff, if we can show that it's possible to do the above and STILL make a profit, then we will be leading by example which is the best form of advocacy. More importantly, we'll be demonstrating that, in the future, philanthropy will be linked with how you spend your money everyday, not how much you give away at the end of the year." Egger has just written Begging for Change (with Howard Yoon) (Harper Business, 240 pages), which delivers this basic message: Non-profits must stop chasing money and start focusing on the true work at hand and is deeply critical of those in the non-profit sector who are more interested in the status quo than in "tearing down walls, break(ing) routines and look(ing) for more efficient ways of running service organizations." But "tearing down walls" is not easy work and the first step - like they say in 12-step programs - is to admit we are powerless over "self serving" funding we've become "addicted" to! Continuing in that theme, I propose a NPO 12-Step Program for "breaking the golden handcuffs" - Step 1 We admitted our silence has been purchased with "self-serving funding" that has weakened our ability to realize justice, equality, and opportunity for all Americans Step 2 We have come to believe that breaking the "golden handcuffs" of public and self-serving philanthropic funding sources can restore our independence and return us to our place as the "authentic" voice for the most vulnerable in our Nation Step 3 We have made a conscious pledge to "stop chasing" the money and focus our attention on strategies that addresses the core systemic barriers to meeting the vital mission we were established to address Step 4 We have made a searching and fearless moral inventory of our programs, policies and budgets to find areas of inefficiency, ineffectiveness and compromise that prevent us from realizing our vital missions Step 5 We pledged to our Boards, Staff, Volunteers, Consumers and Communities that we will work to "be the change" by standing as an authentic, independent and accountable advocate for those we serve Step 6 We are entirely ready to take affirmative steps to eliminate our dependence on "self-serving" funding sources that diminish our capacity to speak for the voiceless or protect the most vulnerable among us Step 7 We humbly ask the community and those we serve to support us in this effort and will prove ourselves worthy of this support by operating with the highest level of integrity to assure the public trust Step 8 We have established and will adhere to a clear statement of ethics and developed policies to ensure our fundraising never compromises our ability to stand as an independent, authentic voice for those we serve Step 9 We have taken active steps to create programs that promotes personal responsibility, shared accountability and self-determination by offering opportunities to serve, build wealth, and work cooperatively for a better community without sacrificing our collective future Step 10 We will serve as stewards of the community and assure the public of the integrity of our efforts through transparent management and accountability Step 11 Seek to improve our conscious contract with those who entrust us with the resources to use them as they were intended as efficiently and effectively as possible Step 12 Having regained our Independent Voice as the result of these steps we tried to carry this message to other like-minded organizations to practice As a "recovering public fund junkie" I can tell you - hitting the "delete" button on the continuous flow of public RFP's that hit my e-mail daily is not an easy thing. I am operating a fledging nonprofit and its not that I don't know "how" to play the game and pick up a few government grants but that the cost of that money in an era when those I've pledged to devote my life in service to need a independent voice more than ever. And it's true we all are still pulling dollars out of our pockets each month to pay the bills instead of collecting paychecks - but our hands are clean and "business" is picking up. And each time someone tells me the solution to all our problems is to go get a "government grant" I just smile and tell them "No thanks - I'm in recovery so can you just write me a check?" http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/julieannmurphycross/CL4r http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/julieannmurphycross/CL4r/commentary#comments Wed, 17 May 2006 00:03:50 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/julieannmurphycross/CL4r Jul Jul 1 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CL4r/ This song, called Wounds I wrote as a tribute to veterans of all wars and was inspired by my work with Chaplain Mary Murphy of the Veterans Village. If the link doesn't work above here are the lyrics. Wounds Melle Johnson Support your soldiers far from home Support your soldiers after they're home. Remember those among us And those that watch over us. Keep the promise Sacrifice for what they gave Yesterday and today. I. wish to dig a grave for your enemy Purchase another plot for yourself. Cos the snakebite doesn't really kill you But the venom that pulses in your veins. Let go of all the wounds Celebrate the sacrifices that are made. Remember to keep the promise to those among us For the sake of those who now watch over us From above. II And you wish your time Could somehow be discovered And for certain know the bullet was meant for you In the Lord's eyes suffering just a part of growing. And his kiss upon your head spreads endless love. III And refrain from cursing on your enemy He's just the other side of the coin. It was never about you and him anyway But a test of your love for the world. Coda Love your boys (after they've come home) Love your gals (after they've come home) Love your sons, Love your girls Love your enemies In another place we're together as one. Wounds are made to heal http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/CL4c http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/CL4c/commentary#comments Tue, 16 May 2006 10:12:58 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/matthewjohnson/CL4c Melle Melle 1 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CL4c/