Diaster Relief

I know this is not directly linked to AmeriCorps but it is service related, nonprofit related, and definitely important.

I don't know about you but I have been in shock over what is happening in Haiti.  The Earthquake is estimated to affect millions of people and has killed thousands. We have rushed in with numerous nonprofits to try our best but so much still needs to be done. I am keeping them in my thoughts and in my heart.  I keep wanting to cry when I read yet another story about what is happening but then Bob Dylan comes into my head and sings "...now is not the time for your tears..." and I know he is right. Now is the time for immediate and swift action on the part of the rest of the world.

So if you are interested in being updated on what is going on and what you can do to help, here is a link that is constantly being updated with more information:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/12/haiti-earthquake-relief-h_n_421014.html

Also, you can text "Haiti" to 90999 right now to donate 10 dollars to the Red Cross if you wish. At times like these, I know without a doubt why I chose to live a life dedicated to service. Thank you for the work you do and please keep Haiti in your thoughts, prayers, hearts.

-Dominique

From the American Indian Report

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Native People More Likely to Die from Swine Flu

American Indians and Alaska Natives have an H1N1 mortality rate four times higher than persons in all other racial/ethnic populations combined, according to a report published last month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The report, based on data collected between April 15 and Nov. 13 in 12 states, did not pinpoint the reasons for the disparity in death rates. It suggests, however, that it may be related to a high prevalence of chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and asthma, among Native people, which predisposes them to influenza complications; poverty/poor living conditions; and delayed access to care.

http://falmouth-air.blogspot.com/2010/01/native-people-more-likely-to-die-from.html

Happy Snowy, Snowy Day!

A VISTA friend of mine sent me this link of photos taken on Pine Ridge near Rosebud. He is a wonderful artist and they are quite good. Please take a look if you are interested or bored from being snowed in:)

http://www.aaronhuey.com

-Dominique

Food stamps - and that's it

I've been impressed with the New York Times' coverage of the recession's impact across a wide swath of the population. Last month, it was an article about food stamp usage jumping to record levels. The latest article highlights the growing number of food-stamp recipients reporting zero cash income.

The choice to report from Lee County, Florida, was appropriate. Thanks to the run-up in home prices, Lee County, home to Fort Myers and Cape Coral, enjoyed the fruits of the accompanying economic boom. Homes couldn't be built fast enough. Between 2000 and 2008, the population jumped 34.5 percent, placing it among the 100 fastest-growing counties in the country. With the collapse of housing bubble, however, the county now consistently ranks among those with the highest foreclosure rates nationwide. The unemployment rate in November was 13.9 percent.

(On a personal note, my sister and her boyfriend lived in Fort Myers for about a year. She found a job; he was unemployed. They moved back to Delaware in 2008.)

What the Times' article does a good job portraying is affected families cannot simply be categorized in a one-size-fits-all manner. Just like poverty looks different on the Rosebud Indian Reservation compared to Detroit, folks qualify and enroll for food-stamp benefits for a myriad of reasons. Evidently, someone needs to get this message across to U.S. Representative John Linder of Georgia.

Now, I'm a compliant non-partisan VISTA just like the rest of us. However, Mr. Linder saying, "You don’t improve the economy by paying people to sit around and not work," is downright ignorant. Obviously (to me, at least) not all food-stamp recipients sit at home waiting for a government handout.

More to the point of this article, there are people now receiving food stamps who had until recently been working. That means, they were paying income taxes - taxes that go toward funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. So, they're now utilizing a benefit into which they have already paid, like unemployment insurance.

I'll jump off my soapbox now.

Year in review

I wrote a year in review for the Todd County Tribune. It encompasses the events of a busy 2009 for Sicangu Tikaga Okiciyapi. Check it out here.

Happy New Year!

Crow Creek

Check out some of the amazing ways online tools are being utilized for volunteering, community building, and community service.

Please check out what is happening in Crow Creek right now, in the heart of South Dakota. Please get involved if you feel moved to do so. Contact me if you would like to work together to do something.

http://www.can-do.org/virtualvolunteer/rideforlights/index.php

Take Care,

Dominique

VISTA Glacial Lakes Blog

Hey everyone,

I hope you had a wonderful holiday and are surviving the snow:)

I am Dominique, a new VISTA in Watertown SD.  Please take a moment to check out the blog I am creating for our glacial lakes volunteer program through Volunteers of America.  If you like it, please consider "following" it, becoming a fan on facebook, etc.  Thanks so much!




http://http://glacialakesvolunteer.blogspot.com/