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Pathway to Prosperity Since its launch in 2002, the Greater Miami Prosperity Campaign has helped thousands of individuals and families on their journey to financial independence. In this month's video, the second in our historical mini-series, we take a look at the evolution of the Prosperity Campaign. |
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Alison Austin inspires child advocates
At the July 1 graduation of the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI), Alison Austin had grads on their feet, dancing and singing,
"Good Job, Good Job," a musical standard at the Belafonte TACOLCY Center,
which Austin
leads. The longtime activist had spoken to the 2010 PLTI class previously, at one of
their weekly meetings. Energized and inspired by Austin's words and songs, the class
unanimously chose her to be the keynote speaker at graduation. Read more. |
Ben Burton: a voice for the homeless
Miami-Dade Community Action
Agency recently honored Ben Burton as the 2010 Florida Association for Community Action Volunteer of the Year. Burton,
Executive Director of the Miami Coalition for the Homeless (MCH), has been an advocate for the homeless since his first job after college, working in a shelter. Former MCH President Arthur Rosenberg said Burton "addresses homelessness from the perspective of people living in poverty." Burton has been the Co-chair of the Community Coalition for a Living Wage since 2001. He and MCH have partnered with HSC on several anti-poverty projects over the years, including the production of the Blueprint for Prosperity, and have been a sponsor of the Voice. HSC President Daniella Levine said, "He has always assured that the homeless have their own voice; he has
helped to build self-empowerment while also providing critical charity."
Burton is particularly proud of the work the Coalition has done recently in partnership with the ACLU to advocate for affordable housing for sex offenders. "Everyone," he said,"has the right to safe and decent
housing."
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Emergency housing assistance available
The Emergency Financial Assistance for Housing Program
(EFAHP) provides a one-time payment of up to $400 to families who are totally
without shelter or face the loss of shelter because of nonpayment of rent or
mortgage. It also helps those families who have had household disasters such as
fire, flood or other accidents. To
qualify, households must have at least one child or caretaker who is
a legal U.S. citizen or legal resident, and they must have proof of the
housing emergency, i.e. copies of the eviction notice, default letter
from the mortgage company, etc. Complete eligibility requirements can
be found here. Applications are available online in English, Spanish and
Creole here or by calling
1-877-891-6445. |
Public Allies Program Manager position open
HSC is looking for a Public Allies Program
Manager, whose primary responsibilities would include: supervision and life coaching of 25 young
adults placed in community-based agencies, facilitation of leadership
training curriculum and being liaison to national program office and local
work sites. Please submit resumes by August 6. Learn more. |
Penny Wise Campaign collecting signatures
Although we recently scored a partial victory when the Board of County Commissioners voted for the "rollback rate" - which will earn the county the same amount of
property tax revenue as last year - we are not resting yet. This was only one of three votes that will determine the county's
revenue for the upcoming fiscal year. Show your support for the campaign to protect jobs and services from budget cuts by signing our petition. |
Life after health care reform Small businesses eligible for insurance credit
Florida
is home to 307,100 small businesses, which are the main economic engine for our
community. Small businesses employ many Floridians, but with escalating
health care costs, many entrepreneurs are unable to provide quality, affordable
health care benefits to their employees. With the implementation of health care reform,
access to affordable coverage will no longer be out of reach for small business
owners and their employees. A recent Families USA and
Small Business Majority
report shows that 80% of small businesses in Florida with fewer than 25 workers and
average wages of less than $50,000 are eligible to receive a tax credit to
purchase health insurance. From now until 2013 small businesses can
receive a credit of up to 35%, and in 2014 when the state exchanges begin, the
maximum credit will be 50%. Small Business Majority has a tool to help small business owners estimate their health insurance tax credit. |
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