Feeding the belly ... and the spirit

A number of mid-Michigan shelters offer a place for homeless people to sleep at night. That's great. That's necessary. But what do those people do during the day?

Or what about the working poor who need a support system during the day as they move toward what many of us think of as normal life? Where can they go to just "be"?

The Open Door Ministry in downtown Lansing's Central United Methodist Church is a day shelter for the homeless and working poor, but it feels more like a community center. The large dining hall in the church's basement is full of activity from the moment the doors open at 8:30 a.m. each weekday. Coffee, juice, pastries and listening ears are ready and waiting for anyone in need. There's no sign-in sheet. No one's required to show ID or proof of need. Just come in, have a seat, take a nap in one of the recliners or catch up with friends.

Turning $6,400 into $772,702.06

Who wouldn't kill for that ability, right?

Meet Veronica Almaguer, case manager at Cristo Rey Community Center in Lansing, Mich.

Cristo Rey is the only organization in mid-Michigan with one staff member entirely devoted to assisting uninsured, low-income residents with access to free medication. Almaguer is an angel to hundreds of tri-county residents who otherwise would never be able to navigate the intricacies of all of the forms drug companies require to qualify for such assistance.

"If you're not familiar with the system, you're lost," she said. "It can be overwhelming, especially for seniors, especially for those who speak only Spanish."

Veronica evaluates all clients personally and pairs them with the programs they will qualify for.

As a result of the Capital Region Community Foundation's $6,400 grant in 2009 as well as money from other funding sources, the prescription assistance program was able to secure $772,702.06 worth of prescription medication for 1,365 people.

Changing the blogging course

When I began this blog, I had no idea what I wanted to write about, I just knew I wanted to play around with the technology and I figured the blog would create itself.

I tried a couple of approaches, including one I was pretty excited about: The Socially-Conscious Critic. My plan was to write a new kind of movie and television review, focusing on socially relevant -- or harmful -- messages in the media.

When I left my 18-year career in newspapers for a job in the nonprofit world, I assumed I'd have an even greater desire to find an outlet for my pop-culture-fueled interests and writing. Instead, I discovered that was the last thing I wanted to write about. I was very interested in becoming a private consumer of pop culture and media.

Powerful performances make 'Precious' a must-see

Practically before it screened at any film festival - much less reached any theater where regular people could buy a ticket to see it - critics and awards pundits were declaring "Precious" a lock for all sorts of nominations and awards.

Believe the hype.

"Precious" features two of the most raw, heartbreaking performances you'll see all year.

From the opening, misspelled credits (a reflection of the title character's struggle with illiteracy) to the heartbreaking final speech, "Precious," based on the novel "Push" by the mono-named writer Sapphire, is mesmerizing.

Surviving "Survivor"

The show:

"Survivor: Samoa"

The issue:

The reality of reality

The set-up:

After 18 other seasons, you know the drill: A group of strangers is sent to live in a challenging environment, divide into teams and face off in challenges in which the losing team votes someone off the tribe. In this 19th incarnation, the living conditions on Samoa are unusually brutal.

A "Three Rivers" stumble

Since CBS sent the pilot of "Three Rivers" to media outlets earlier in the summer, things have changed.

First, there was the recasting of one character (the role played by Juliette Binoche is now played by Alfre Woodard) -- a fine, harmless change.

But the problem the show faces now is the switch-up of episodes. The one you'll see premiering at 9 p.m. today on CBS is completely new. That in itself is not a problem. The problem lies in the lack of backstory audiences will have about a key character: Ryan Abbott (Christopher J. Hanke) is a newbie to the organ donation team. In fact, as the assistant to the transplant coordinator, he's had zero experience in medicine. Mostly, he's been a radio DJ and reporter. He's clearly out of his element.

"Three Rivers": Making a great case for organ donation

The show:

"Three Rivers," debuting Oct. 4 on CBS

The social issue:

Organ donation

The set-up:

"Three Rivers" follows a Pittsburgh organ transplant team as they work to save lives by finding organ donors to match their patients' needs. The title refers to the city's three rivers as well as the three converging storylines in each episode (transplant docs, donor recipients and donor families).