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SAVE THE DATE
FOR FPP EVENTS
November 13, 2012
Regional Meeting at Juvenile Welfare Board
Time: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Meeting Location: Juvenile Welfare Board, Clearwater
Learn More
or visit the FPP website
May 29-31, 2013
5th Annual FPP State Conference
Meeting Location: Portofino Bay Hotel Universal Orlando, Orlando, Florida
Learn More
or visit the FPP website
SAVE THE DATE
FOR MEMBER EVENTS
November 7, 2012
Joint meeting in Tallahassee for Disability Organizations Meeting
Time: 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM Meeting Location: Agency for Persons with Disabilities Central Office located at 4030 Esplanade Way, Conference Room 301, Tallahassee, FL 32399
RSVP to Michael Roush at mroush@ndi-inc.org
or 727-278-1352
February 19-21, 2013
Circles Conference
Location: Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front, Pensacola, Florida
Register Early
More information, contact Dee Baker at dee@thinktank-inc.org or (937) 322-4970
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THE FLORIDA PROSPERITY PARTNERSHIP (FPP)
| The Florida Prosperity Partnership (FPP), was formally established in March 2009, evolving from a number of parallel and earlier efforts to create a statewide coalition dedicated to improving the financial stability and capability for low-to-moderate income Floridians.
FPP PURPOSE: To convene individuals and organizations with the desire to leverage their talent, resources, and passion to improve the prosperity of Florida's families.
FPP VISION: All Floridians have equal opportunities to attain financial stability.
FPP MISSION: Establish a statewide collaboration holistically focused on providing life-enhancing services to Floridians.
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FPP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Janet Hamer, Chair
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Daniella Levine, Vice-Chair
Catalyst Miami
Sandra Bernard-Bastien,
Children's Services Council of Broward
Ted Granger, Treasurer
United Way of Florida
Evan Goldman
CSC of Broward County
George Owen
Regions Bank
Maureen Quinlan
United Way of Marion County
Mike Smith
TD Bank
FPP BOARD MEMBERS
Ron Albert
IRS
Anika Coney
Hillsborough County Dept. of FAS
Dr. Michael Gutter
University of Florida, IFAS
Dorothy Inman-Johnson
Capital Area Community Action Agency
Valerie Hendriex-Jenkins
Wells Fargo
Iris Jones
BB&T Bank
Mike Kennedy
Suncoast Community Capital
Roger Mercado
United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades Co.
Katie Metz
National Disability Institute
Rosa Morgan
Community Assets Inc.
Joan Nelson
Heart of Florida United Way
Kasha Owers
United Way of Palm Beach County
Felipe Pinzon
Hispanic Unity of Florida
Ron Sharpe
United Way of Northwest Florida
Ellen Stoffer
United Way Suncoast
Barbara Travis
Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas
Jeff Winkler
Real$ense Prosperity Campaign
FPP STAFF
Kaye Schmitz
President and CEO
Bill Mills
Director of Strategic Initiatives
Pat Nelms
Community Education/Program Manager Penny Zaphel
Coordinator of Special Projects Emilie Pennington Graphics Designer Lynn Gill Bookkeeper THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDERS 
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PRESIDENT'S REPORT
By Kaye Schmitz
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Greetings!
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KAYE SCHMITZ
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October was crammed full of FPP meetings all over the state with--in some cases--people from all over the world. Or at least from South Korea. 
DR JANG VISITS FROM SOUTH KOREA
I told you last month that Dr. Dong-Ho Jang, a Professor of Social Work from Namseoul University in Chonan Chungnam, South Korea, and a delegation of an additional eight social workers was making a visit to Florida to meet with several FPP partners. I am happy to report that the meetings took place and they were some of the highlights of my life. Dr. Jang and his group were among the warmest, most caring people I have ever met (in addition to all of you, of course) and they assured us that they would be taking back what they learned to make a difference in South Korea. They were so appreciative of the programs to which we introduced them and they loved the fact that we collaborate  | |
KAYE SCHMITZ RECEIVES CRYSTAL AWARD FROM DR. JANG
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on so many things rather than sticking to our silo processes. They also loved the concepts of the Florida Master Money Mentors that they learned from Dr. Michael Gutter, Bridges to Circles and Habitat for Humanity that they learned from Un ited Way of Northwest Florida organizations, thanks to Ron Sharpe, and Ways to Work and other programs that they learned from the folks at United Way of Miami-Dade and their partners. The FDIC, at the request of the FPP, presented our South Korean friends with copies of the Money Smart series in Korean.
 SOUTH KOREAN DELEGATION LEARNED FROM FPP AND OUR PARTNERS |
They really liked that, too. Their favorite thing, however, appeared to be seeing themselves in the newspaper and on the news, thanks to the efforts of FPP Board Member Ron Sharpe, from United Way of Northwest Florida.
We have invited Dr. Jang to come back and attend our conference in May and report on how the program ideas he took back to South Korea with him are working. He has said he will try to join us. We have definitely made life-long friends halfway around the world.
NEW FPP FUNDER We are thrilled to announce a new funder for the FPP. PNC Bank has agreed to fund the FPP through a grant that will support our financial education efforts and some of our other initiatives. We would like to extend a huge thank you to Aileen Pruitt, Lucy Carr, and Michele Hartburg of PNC for their help in making this funding happen.
FPP REGIONAL MEETINGS Six of the seven FPP Regional Meetings have been completed, with the seventh one scheduled for November 13 in Clearwater. The meetings have been very well attended and the participants shared what they are working on for the remainder of 2012 and going into 2013. Please join us for the final Regional Meeting in Clearwater if you haven't been able to get to one anywhere else in the state. A huge thanks goes out to all of the hosts, including Jeff Winkler (Real$ense Prosperity Campaign, an initiative of United Way of Northeast Florida), Joan Nelson and Mark Batchelor (Heart of Florida United Way), Roger Mercado (Coordinated Community Ministries, Inc.) and the folks at IBERIABANK (who also sponsored lunch at the Ft. Myers meeting), R. Jai Gillum and Heather Mitchell (the BEST Project and United Way of the Big Bend), Ron Sharpe and Brian Taylor (the Dollar $mart Coalition, an initiative of United Way of Northwest Florida), and Courtnee Biscardi (Urban League of Broward County), along with the folks from Catalyst Miami, Children's Services Council, and United Way of Palm Beach County. Next month's meeting will be hosted by Eddie Burch (Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County) and Ellen Stoffer and Kara Moore (United Way Suncoast). Another huge thank you goes to Dr. Michael Gutter and the University of Florida IFAS team for sponsoring lunch at all of the meetings except Ft. Myers, which was sponsored by IBERIABANK. You will get to see pictures and hear updates from all of these meetings at the FPP 5th Annual State Conference.
5TH ANNUAL FPP CONFERENCE  Speaking of the 5th Annual FPP Conference, please go to the homepage of the FPP website to fill out the request for workshop proposals at the upcoming conference. Proposals are due earlier than ever this year--January 15, 2013. We will have slightly fewer workshop slots in next years' conference and are seeking proposals for workshops that haven't been done before. We already have one proposal in the works for a workshop on behavioral economics from Ideas42. Please get yours in early.
And don't forget, we're also ready for conference sponsorships at this point. Think how great it would be for your organization to be the first sponsor that conference registrants see when they sign in. Sponsorship packages can be accessed by clicking here, or visit our website at www.floridaprosperitypartnership.org.
CFEDCFED has opened up applications for new Lead Local Organizations throughout the country and the applications are due on November 9. Applications can be found on the CFED website. I strongly encourage you to apply for your organization if you're in a metropolitan area that doesn't already have a Lead Local
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BACK ROW: Darren Liddell, South Florida Urban Ministries; Rob Sansome, TrueWealth Ventures; Dick Valentine, board member for Family Foundations; Dawn Lockhart, Family Foundations; Jeff Winkler, Real$ense Prosperity Campaign, an initiative of United Way of Northeast Florida.
FRONT ROW: Kamalah Fletcher, Catalyst Miami; Daniella Levine, Catalyst Miami; Kaye Schmitz, FPP; Vanessa Benavides, United Way of Miami-Dade; and Maureen Quinlan, United Way of Marion County.
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Organization. There are many benefits to being a part of a national network that focuses on the well being of our vulnerable citizens and offers state-by-state suggestions--including policy briefs that are ready to take to elected officials--of how we can help. One of the most sought after benefits is a scholarship to the CFED conference in Washington, DC. Ask any of the 15 people who attended from Florida last month and they will tell you that the speakers and workshops were absolutely top notch and that the ideas and knowledge they brought back was definitely worth the trip. Ten of those folks are pictured here. Not pictured are Janet Hamer (Federal Reserve Bank), Evan Goldman (Children's Services Council of Broward), Felipe Pinzon (Hispanic Unity of Florida), Debbie Pierson (Bank of America), and Karen Landry (War on Poverty).
Please keep reading - you won't want to miss the article about Chris Oakley's appointment to the United States Business Leaders Network or how your organization can get extra credit for completing tax returns in the article about FSA or what's happening in the world of people with disabilities and the National Disability Institute. Also, early registration is open for the Bridges to Circles Training Conference to be held in Pensacola February 19-21, 2013.
Have a great November and thank you all for doing what you do. |
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BANK ON FLORIDA
By Bill Mills, Bank On Florida Director
Bank On Greater Orlando and Volusia/Flagler Deadlines
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BILL MILLS
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Both Bank On Greater Orlando and Bank On Volusia/Flagler initiatives have an important deadline coming up. If you work for a community organization or financial institution and you would like to be involved with either one of the programs for the initial roll out in January (in conjunction with VITA), you must notify me by November 30. This will be the deadline to be included in the initial marketing materials and on the website for the launch! Neither program has a cost to join. But, you will need to attend a training program that will be held in January (at a yet to be determined date). I also want to say an extra special thanks to PNC Bank for sponsoring these marketing materials, as well as those for Bank On Tampa Bay!
Speaking of Bank On Tampa Bay, we had a great meeting at Hillsborough Community College! If you are interested in participating in the program, please contact Eddie Burch at eburch@jwbpinellas.org.
Here is a pdf of the presentation.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions! Bill.Mills@BankOnFL.org
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FPP ADVOCACY
By Evan Goldman and Ted Granger
November 6: A Big Day for FPP and Florida
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TED GRANGER AND
EVAN GOLDMAN
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November 6 will be a pivotal day for our nation and our state. Our next President will likely choose two or three U.S. Supreme Court Justices, transforming the court yet again and potentially rewriting decades of judicial precedence. The Affordable Health Care Act and other issues that will significantly impact our everyday lives will be decided at the ballot box.
In Florida, 11 proposed constitutional amendments could restructure our tax system, change the relationships between the Legislature and the courts and between church and state. If Democrats gain two seats in the House of Representatives, Republicans will lose the super-majority that has allowed them free reign of the House.
Please make sure and vote!
The elections will result in changes of fiscal policy at the federal and state levels that will significantly impact the ability of many Americans to attain and maintain self-sufficiency. From tax policy to funding education and human services, the people who FPP members work with on a daily basis could see many of their supports and opportunities enhanced or diminished, based on election outcomes.
While the FPP considers issues it may ask the 2013 Florida Legislature to consider, we recognize that anything we might propose will be influenced by the election outcomes. The Legislature's Organizational Session will take place on November 20 in Tallahassee. At that point, we will know which legislators sit on the committees that will be considering the issues of greatest interest to us. As always, we will keep you updated ... and ... don't forget to vote!
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DISABILITY NEWS
By Michael Rousch MS, National Program Director of the National Disability Institute & Katie Metz, Regional Specialist
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MICHAEL ROUSCH AND
KATIE METZ
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The Changing Face of Benefits
Did you know that some people with disabilities work and keep some or all of their benefits? Receiving public benefits should not discourage employment. Yet many Americans with disabilities who receive public benefits feel trapped by the maze of rules and requirements. They shy away from work for fear of losing benefits. With good information, individuals can make informed choices about work and savings to pursue greater financial stability.
National Disability Institute, the first national non-profit dedicated exclusively to building a better economic future for all people with disabilities, aims to make things a little easier. For more than 10 years, National Disability Institute team members have hosted dozens of in-person state benefits trainings across the country to help people with disabilities and their advocates and families navigate the local benefits maze. And now, for the first time, that important information is available to all Florida residents. With support from the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, National Disability Institute created The Changing Face of Benefits, available as both a downloadable workbook and as an e-learning course to help make sense of Florida's benefits, rules, and resources.
The Changing Face of Benefits was created for:
- Families and Caregivers of Persons with Disabilities
- Disability Service Providers
- Self-Advocates
What you'll learn about in The Changing Face of Benefits:
- the impact of earnings on public benefits and incentives to work
- the opportunities available in Florida to increase income and assets through financial stability programs
- how to make informed decisions about employment, earnings and investments
For your convenience, The Changing Face of Benefits is divided into eight Modules, and also includes a Glossary of Terms.
- Module 1: Meet the Players
- Module 2: Being an Advocate
- Module 3: Developing an Initial Application
- Module 4: SSDI and Medicare
- Module 5: Earning Wages and SSDI: More Incentives to Work
- Module 6: SSI and Medicaid
- Module 7: Earning Wages While Receiving SSI and Medicaid
- Module 8: Pathways to Advance Economic Self-Sufficiency for Persons with Disabilities in Florida
The Changing Face of Benefits curriculum is available in two formats for your convenience. Download the curriculum as a workbook (PDF) by visiting www.realeconomicimpact.org/FL-benefits. National Disability Institute has also developed an e-learning version of The Changing Face of Benefits, and this online curriculum may be accessed by visiting www.floridabenefits.org .
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Tools & Resources
Although we all probably have a family member or know someone with a disability, it is still very common for our community to have questions surrounding working with and interactions related to persons with disabilities. Ever wondered is my facility or agency accessible to persons with disabilities? How would I go about selecting a sign language interpreter if requested? How do I word an accommodation statement? At the National Disability Institute we strive to educate our community partners by providing valuable tools and resources to assist in answering these questions and many more. We encourage you to visit our website, specifically our virtual toolkit at: http://www.realeconomicimpact.org/Resources/Virtual-Toolkit.aspx
If for some reason, you don't find the answers you are looking for on our website I also encourage you to reach out to myself or one of my colleagues personally and it would be our pleasure to assist you.
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MEMBER NEWS
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CHRIS OAKLEY
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Congratulations to Chris Oakley
Chris Oakley, Vice President and Regional Executive, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Jacksonville Branch--and long-time friend and supporter of FPP--was elected Affiliate Liaison for the United States Business Leadership Network (USBLN) at their annual conference. Business Leadership Networks are composed of businesses that come together to form employer-to-employer networks in support of the employment of qualified and talented people who happen to have a disability. In addition to his new role, Chris currently serves as the President of the First Coast Business Leadership Network.
In his role as USBLN Affiliate Liaison, Chris will serve in a non-voting board member capacity. His appointment will begin January 1, 2013. Lynn Kirkbride, USBLN Director of Affiliate Relations, will be working directly with Chris on affiliate matters and programming for local BLNs throughout the country. The FPP congratulates Chris on his appointment and wishes him great success in this role.
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The FPP, United Way of Florida and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are launching the new Facilitated Self-Assistance (FSA) method of preparing Income Tax returns. By Ronald W. Albert - IRS - Territory Manager FSA isa method of completing tax returns for taxpayers making $57,000 or less per year. Taxpayers prepare their own returns with a little help from trained volunteers located elsewhere. Taxpayers can log in remotely to your website or you can share the link so they can access the tax software. As a VITA partner, the benefits of participating include assisting more taxpayers by crediting FSA returns to your count as well as educating and empowering taxpayers to complete their own returns. FPP and participating organizations will provide backup tax law support. Please join FPP and other participating partners on a call to hear more details regarding FSA, Wednesday, November 7, at 2:00 PM. The call in number is 760-569-2121. The passcode is 647378. Ron Albert and Elaine Beck from the Internal Revenue Service will host the call. Call Ron Albert at 954-423-7770 or email him at Ronald.W.Albert@irs.gov to learn more. _________________
2013 Circles Conference: Early Bird Registration! 
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