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| ʺThe 99%ʺ ‐‐ Crafting Solutions to Build Stronger Communities |
| December 21, 2011 |
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| One of the signal developments of 2011 has been talk of ʺthe 99 percent,ʺ who face staggering loans, stalled social mobility and dimming confidence in the ability of our political institutions to break gridlock and solve problems. The question for advocacy organizations like Appleseed is how we solve these issues. How does Appleseed use our power and resources to ensure that everyone can get a great education that prepares them for employment? How are we making sure that people are secure in their homes and can build assets for the future? How are we reinforcing a social compact to knit our society together? |
| Fixing Broken Promises to Micronesians |
| December 15, 2011 |
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| Last week, the U.S. marked 70 years since the bombing of Pearl Harbor in Hawaiʹi that launched our entry into WWII. Last month, I visited Pearl Harbor and the Punchbowl‐‐the official military cemetery for Americans killed in Pacific wars. I went to celebrate the opening of our most recent Appleseed Center and to help integrate it into our network. I learned about a Hawaiʹi Appleseed project that concerns a little‐known aspect of U.S. involvement in the Pacific: fulfilling our promises under the Compacts of Free Association (COFA), a series of treaties between the U.S. and the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau. |
| Happy Holidays from Appleseed |
| December 9, 2011 |
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| Appleseed works to improve the lives of the underserved by making structural change in our world for the long-term. December is a time for reflection--a glance back to celebrate our successes and a look forward to what we still must accomplish. |
| Harnessing Technology to Help Foster Care Kids |
| December 2, 2011 |
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| They are our children. Coming from such dysfunctional, neglectful, absent or dangerous families that the state must assume responsibility for them, kids in foster care are legally wards of the state‐‐and are therefore ours. Young adults who were in foster care suffer from disproportionately high rates of dropping out, low college graduation rates, suicide and homelessness. |
| Thanksgiving Greetings and Recognition |
| November 23, 2011 |
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| This Thanksgiving, I send my thanks to all staffers, former staffers, board members past and present, volunteers, donors, Appleseed Centers and their supporters, and other Appleseed friends. What a terrific network we have, and itʹs being recognized. Here are some of the tributes the network and its personnel have won so far this year. |
| Staying on Task in Louisiana |
| November 18, 2011 |
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| Appleseed just does not give up. Projects launched after hurricanes Katrina and Rita are still tackling the hard task of providing security for people living on family property lacking clear title‐‐ʺheir property.ʺ The 2005 hurricanes revealed that approximately 20,000 people throughout Louisiana had trouble qualifying for federal disaster relief funds because their family homes lacked clear title. In Texas, Louisiana and Alabama, Appleseed Centers helped those families qualify for disaster relief funds, and weʹre making sure they have the same rights and opportunities as other homeowners. |
| Help Us Make Change |
| November 15, 2011 |
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| Appleseed needs your help to continue doing what we do best . . . helping those most in need to have a genuine opportunity to lead full and productive lives. As our projects grow in size, sophistication and success, our need for financial support expands correspondingly. |
| New Jersey Appleseed Helps Defend Democracy |
| November 11, 2011 |
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| On Tuesday, November 8, an election drama unfolded in New Jersey with plot lines worthy of a John Grisham novel. Citizens of Hoboken, a city in New Jersey, voted on whether to accept or reject recent changes made to a rent control law, thanks to efforts by New Jersey Appleseed to get the referendum on the ballot. Landlords, tenants, economists and social justice advocates may disagree about rent control, but everyone should agree on maintaining the rule of law and democratic processes. The right of referendum is particularly robust in New Jersey, and New Jersey Appleseed has carved out a role for itself as upholding referendum processes. Although its client lost the referendum, New Jersey Appleseedʹs efforts helped to uphold established legal processes and principles of transparency, accountability and democracy. |
| South Carolina Appleseed Sues to Enjoin SCʹs Anti‐Immigration Law |
| October 31, 2011 |
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| Unconstitutional, destructive, Draconian, unfair, demonizing‐‐all words that describe South Carolinaʹs new anti‐immigration law, S.B. 20. Starting on Jan. 1, 2012, police officers will demand proof of immigration status or citizenship if they have ʺreasonable suspicionʺ that the person in question could be undocumented. The law even criminalizes South Carolinians for everyday interactions with undocumented individuals. Thatʹs why South Carolina Appleseed, along with a coalition of civil rights groups, filed a class‐action lawsuit against the anti‐immigration law on Oct. 12. They charged that S.B. 20 is unconstitutional because it subjects U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents in South Carolina to unlawful search and seizure. The law interferes with federal power and authority because it hinders the federal governmentʹs ability to have a single rule of law for immigration. |
| Confronting and Preventing Bullying in Public Schools |
| October 20, 2011 |
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| About one in every five high school students is bullied, destabilizing young victims and endangering their lives. When schools fail to prevent bullying, the targets feel isolated, lonely and depressed. Many cannot focus on their studies because they are haunted by fear. Suicides and attempted suicides are all too frequently reported in the media. |
| How Weʹre Bringing Wishes to Reality |
| October 7, 2011 |
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| ʺIf I had a magic wand, Iʹd use it make sure that every child in Delaware would have at least one, preferably two, caring and loving parents whoʹd be their first educators and partners with their childrenʹs teachers to prepare their kids for happy, productive lives,ʺ said U.S. Senator Tom Carper. He was addressing more than 75 federal officials, Delaware education leaders, parent leaders, corporate representatives and members of the philanthropic community who gathered in Newark, Delaware, on Friday, Sept. 30 to begin carving out a singular vision of how parent engagement can lift the academic achievement of public school children, particularly those in poverty. |
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