Helping kids find their voices through photography

“I wish my mother would write to me saying, ‘I love you, Joslin. I miss you.When you come see me again, I’m going to give you the largest kiss in the world.’ I wish she would write, ‘I miss you’ as many times as you can fit into a letter because we are not a happy family right now.”

Joslin was just 9 years old when she wrote that letter to her incarcerated mother.

On any given day, more than 1.5 million children in the U.S. have a parent serving a sentence in a state or federal prison, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

To help a portion of those kids, Lansing’s NorthWest Initiative runs the Children with Incarcerated Parents or Relatives Program, with help from a grant from the Capital Region Community Foundation.

More than just 'Grandma'

Who couldn't use an extra grandma?

The Foster Grandparent program was developed in the 1960s by Sargent Shriver and was designed to attract low-income seniors to volunteer work. Qualifying "grandparents" are given a small stipend to offset the cost of volunteering -- transportation, food, perhaps a new outfit -- and in return they give their time to local classrooms and students.

But the program means far more than that.

A quick, happy note about self-esteem

I love it when something like this crosses my desk:

I wanted to send you a huge "THANK YOU" for allowing my son the opportunity to attend the YMCA. Brad can walk to the DeWitt Y and goes to "work out" every single day. He has lost 20 lbs and feels so much better about himself.

You have no idea how grateful we are that Brad has this opportunity. His attitude has changed drastically.

Brad was able to take advantate of a 3 mo. membership thanks to you. We appreciate this so much.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Brad was one of the many kids who benefitted from the Capital Region Community Foundation's "Invest in Youth" grant to the local YMCA. I love that Brad is having great success and I love that his mom took the time to thank us for it and share a little of her son's story. Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside on a bright, sunny day.

Go Brad!

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.