pray@altoonamirror.com
A Blair County agency that has been planning a new homeless shelter is hoping for state approval of tax credits that will complete the finances necessary to move ahead with the project.
Lisa Hann, executive director of Family Services Inc., approached the Blair County commissioners Tuesday asking them to provide a “Letter of Support” for the agency’s bid to obtain $250,000 in tax credits through the state Department of Community and Economic Development. The credits, Hann stated, would be awarded through the Neighborhood Assistance Special Priorities Tax Credit Program.
Hann and others have been planning for several years to open a new homeless shelter because its former shelter had only 16 beds, well short of meeting the present-day need.
For The Maui News
Are you stuck in a pandemic drinking habit? Here are some tips to cut back or to get help on Maui.
The pandemic has had a large effect on our lives over the past year, potentially including our drinking habits. Many of us have felt lonely, uncertain and fearful over recent events, and stress levels have skyrocketed. While many people were able to work from home, many were required to go into workplaces. Some lost their jobs or closed their businesses. Losing our daily routine, a sense of normalcy or even the means to provide for our families took a toll on our mental health.
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SPRINGFIELD The Children’s Study Home will host a virtual panel discussion, “The COVID Vaccine: Personal & Professional Perspectives within African-American and Latino Communities,” on Friday, March 5 from noon to 1 p.m. in partnership with the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts. Click here to register for the event.
Panelists include Ronn Johnson, president and CEO of Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services Inc.; Dr. Sarah Perez McAdoo, Population Health Capstone director at UMass Medical School – Baystate; Dr. Miguel Rodriguez, pulmonologist at Holyoke Medical Center; and Frank Robinson, vice president of Public Health for Baystate Health.
Jessica Collins, executive director of the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts, will moderate the panel discussion. William Dávila, executive director of the Children’s Study Home, will host the event.
Human trafficking is everywhere, including in Blair County.
It was the topic of a recent presentation at the Blair County Chamber of Commerce’s Committee on NonProfit Businesses, Best Practices Forum.
Guest speaker Ashley Owens, Children’s Advocacy Center director at Family Services Inc., said it is hard to tell how big the problem is here.
“We have heard from survivors that the Altoona area is a place there has been trafficking because we were not looking for it. Now we are working to spread education and trying to notice red flags to notice situations as trafficking. Blair County, since 2014, has had four arrests for human trafficking including the (Stephen) Apostolu case,” Owens said. “We have been able to identify children who are victims of human trafficking that didn’t reach the court system. We know it is there but are not sure how prevalent it is. No one has come forward saying they are a victim of human trafficking. Human trafficking is not what you see in Ho
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SPRINGFIELD Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services Inc. (MLKFS) announced the addition of three new members to its board of directors.
“Our mission and services have expanded to meet in part the incredible needs of the community during this time of hardship,” said Calvin Hill, MLKFS board chair and vice president of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement for Springfield College. “Therefore, adding additional and talented hands to our leadership will assist us in fulfilling the words of Dr. King as we attempt to do more for others.”
The MLKFS Emergency Food Pantry now helps more than 500 people, and after-school and night-spot programs support literacy and academic achievement essential for the life success that disrupts the cycle of poverty. MLKFS also runs a historically black college-tour program. Funding for such socially focused programming continues to become increasingly limited at a time when needs are especially pressing.