In this blog, Omer describes what his experience was like sitting on the floor and receiving water and chicken broth that tasted like water. He shared his experience that 80% of the students were with him on the floor and wrote about how it must really be like for those that are without food in the real world. His point in making a recommendation that the university should be there to share a day of huger with the general population was a very good idea and I believe should be commended. I like to read and hear about how others share an experience and hopefully learn from it so that they may one day go out and spread good will amoung the population that need their help.
These two blogs were two different extremes and I just felt that these were the ones to share, one who had it all and didn't want to eat because of her feelings for the others and the other describing to us what he was given to eat and described it only as water the substinance of life. Behold the truth of the hungry and those that really care, I was very touched...
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Blog Assignment #3 - Post 2A, Critique of 2 students
In sharing the reading of classmates blogs, I read the blog of Ms. Crystal G. and found the argument of the Hunger Banquet quite touching and could understand the sentimental direction involved in receiving a table beautifully decorated and the option of eating as you like while the others sat and watch. This paradigm of hunger unfortunately is exactly how it really is in the real world and having to sit in the sidelines and watch as those who and those who do not have, fight for the right to feed their families or their children. In my work with youth there are many who don't have to eat and either steal or have to hustle for a meal in order to eat. The jobs have been scarce and many of the youth are unemployable and have to suffer for the mistakes that they have made in life. Justice to me is a learning and caring behavior for everyone not just a collective few, I thank Ms. Crystal G. for her fine example of putting others first in her heart and wanting to share with others, Orale!
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Blog #3 - Post 5, Reflection Paper, Inequality in the Chicago Area
http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-muckrakers/2011/02/second-city-or-dead-last-income-apartheid-in-chicago/
, February 28, 2011 at 8:24 am
When I see news print or television reveiws like this particular article, it insults my intellegence and that of all of us, "Second City or Dead Last? Income Apartheid in Chicago" what really gets me is this article was written in the year 2011 and now the Apatheidsphere is beyond comprehension to those of us who are merely looking for employment to pick our selves up or feed our families, this particular article is only speaking about the African American Community mind you. Well guess what were all in this stratosphere of inequality in Chicago and everywhere else.
In Chicago as one of the largest cities in the world continues inequality at an alarming rate that people are going hungry, losing their homes, families getting seperated and no jobs to boot. All of the manufacturing jobs have disappeared and empty factory buildings now scatered all over the state and the city that it starts to look like a ghost town in many ways, foreclosed homes everywhere you look. People hustling against each other for a bigger slice of the pie and know one is getting ahead, but the politicians and the rich, inequality.
"According to data from the 2009 American Community Survey, the average white person in Chicago makes an income of $63,625 a year. Not rich, for sure, but doing pretty well. The average black person is pulling in $28,725 a year, about 45 percent of what the average white person makes. "
As I said, if this statistic is true from it's time, imagine where we are today and in a technical age not to many people can afford the perks that go along with this economy and yes inequality in Chicago is greater than.
, February 28, 2011 at 8:24 am
When I see news print or television reveiws like this particular article, it insults my intellegence and that of all of us, "Second City or Dead Last? Income Apartheid in Chicago" what really gets me is this article was written in the year 2011 and now the Apatheidsphere is beyond comprehension to those of us who are merely looking for employment to pick our selves up or feed our families, this particular article is only speaking about the African American Community mind you. Well guess what were all in this stratosphere of inequality in Chicago and everywhere else.
In Chicago as one of the largest cities in the world continues inequality at an alarming rate that people are going hungry, losing their homes, families getting seperated and no jobs to boot. All of the manufacturing jobs have disappeared and empty factory buildings now scatered all over the state and the city that it starts to look like a ghost town in many ways, foreclosed homes everywhere you look. People hustling against each other for a bigger slice of the pie and know one is getting ahead, but the politicians and the rich, inequality.
"According to data from the 2009 American Community Survey, the average white person in Chicago makes an income of $63,625 a year. Not rich, for sure, but doing pretty well. The average black person is pulling in $28,725 a year, about 45 percent of what the average white person makes. "
As I said, if this statistic is true from it's time, imagine where we are today and in a technical age not to many people can afford the perks that go along with this economy and yes inequality in Chicago is greater than.
Blog Assignment #3- Post 3, Service Project
My volunteer work for the Jose Rizal Center was to assist Phillipino Americans at this particular agency. The hours consisted of many opportunities of different levels of assistance, I danced with seniors, helped distribute food to those who came for it, office services work such as filing and answering the phones. There was always something to do; setting up for workshops and traing, assisting with the catering and ballroom parties. The center has alot of work and very few volunteers, right now they are going through a restructuring process and alot of help is needed and the demand for help is great. I enjoyed my time as being part of a family in this community based organization and was very much rewarded in helping this Phillipino Community, I felt very blessed and look forward to the future with them at the, FILIPINO AMERICAN COUNCIL OF GREATER CHICAGO, INC. Attached please find a letter from the gentleman who guided and assisted me in all that I did for this center.
FILIPINO AMERICAN COUNCIL OF GREATER CHICAGO, INC
RIZAL HERITAGE CENTER
1332 W. Irving Park Rd.
Chicago, II. 60613
November 19, 2012
To Whom It May Concern:
This is to certify that ROBERTO GONZALES has rendered volunteer work at the
RIZAL HERITAGE CENTER totaling twenty (20) hours as follows:
1.0 Maintenance engineering work (janitorialand maintenance work) - Six (6) Hrs.
2.0 Worked as coordinator for, waiter and beverageDistribution during social activities- Six (6) Hrs.
3.0 Clerical/administrative work - Five (5) Hrs.
4.0 Miscellaneous Jobs - Three (3) Hrs.
Should you have questions or need additional information, please feel free to
give the undersigned a call at 773-524-9798.
Thank you.
Very truly yours,
Bobby Luna
Administrator
Jose P. Rizal Heritage Center, there are groups who are presently utilizing its facilities, and there are individuals who come to the Center for some of the services it provides. However, this hasn't been enough reason for the Center to keep easily accessible hours. The current open hours are down to a third of what they used to be. After all, most organizations wouldn't meet during working hours, and from past experiences they don't often meet right after the weekend, either.
The true reason behind the hours cut is a common one – lack of money. Money is needed to keep the electricity on during those open hours, and to staff someone to overlook the facility. The whole building needs to be heated during the frigidly cold Chicago winters, while money needs to be raised to provide air conditioning to the second floor for the blistering hot Chicago summers. Thankfully, the Rizal Center is completely paid off and has no mortgage, while the non-profit status keeps it exempt from taxes.
These aren't enough breaks though. The building has a high monthly maintenance bill, partly due to the fact that the building itself is old. The pipe system is about fifty years old, and it incorporates none of the modern-day energy saving equipment or architecture. Center head Rene Abella has been working with local Pilipino handymen to get things upgraded, but that still requires cash.
The Center gets paid via various means. As mentioned before, room rentals and periodic pageants bring in money, as do the review classes the Center hosts. Probably the income channel hit hardest in recent times is membership dues. That number has dwindled over time for a variety of reasons.
First, differing ideologies and personalities have caused rifts and separations in the Pilipino community here. The Filipino American Council of Chicago (FACC), which runs the center, used to overlook over a hundred Chicago Pilipino organizations. Over time internal fighting and disagreements occurred, to the point where there are four (soon to be five) similar but separate Chicago Pilipino groups, each with their own agendas. This has split the community so much that each group insists on having their own Philippine Independence Day events.
Secondly, the center itself can't accommodate as many people as it should. The auditorium can hold only under 160 people, while the parking lot holds even fewer. Access via public transportation, while possible, is difficult.
Probably the most important factor in the decreased usage of the Center by the community are the geographic shifts. The Center is in a part of Chicago that used to be home to a very centralized Pilipino population. Immigrants used to live in this area when first arriving, then move out to the suburbs thirty miles away to raise a family. Now, these immigrants usually move to the suburbs straight away. Meanwhile, the generations of Pilipino Americans who were or are raised in the suburbs have no prior connection with the Center. Of that generation, those who do move to the city look for proximity to work and activity, and not for an exclusively Pilipino community (myself included).
While the Rizal Center does play an important role in the nearby community, year by year it loses its relevance with the up-and-coming Chicago Pilipino American generations. Abella recognizes this shift, and has a plan to save the Center. It surely won’t be a popular plan, but it may be the only one left available.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Blog 1 - Post 7: Entry 2, Illinois sees more people living in poverty.
September 20, 2012|By Antonio Olivo, Chicago Tribune reporter
This particular article " Illinois sees more people living in poverty" took me back a bit by these facts and statistics. there are so many Ann Gadon's today who is at the age of 51 and was employed as a sales representative for a sales distribution comapany. Ms. Gadon's pay was cut by 25% and now she was eventually let go from her sales position. She presently gets help from her parents to make ends meet, .
New census data indicatesa very rough road for tens of thousands of people in Illinois. We are all waiting to kick start the economy, an estimated 1.9 million people in the state are living below the federal poverty guideline rates, a 150,000 more than in 2010.
White collar jobs are taking lower paying work when they are able to get it. the median household income in Chicago was $43,628.00 less than in 2009 and part of a steady decline over the past three years. Chicago and all of the United States is out of control and the people who need jobs cannot get them because the one's who were in higher positions are now taking those jobs that the lower paying people had and are left without anything, but poverty. Trade jobs will always be needed, but the competition for the jobs becomes more competitive and only the strong survive and downsizing plat's a big part in this field
This particular article " Illinois sees more people living in poverty" took me back a bit by these facts and statistics. there are so many Ann Gadon's today who is at the age of 51 and was employed as a sales representative for a sales distribution comapany. Ms. Gadon's pay was cut by 25% and now she was eventually let go from her sales position. She presently gets help from her parents to make ends meet, .
New census data indicatesa very rough road for tens of thousands of people in Illinois. We are all waiting to kick start the economy, an estimated 1.9 million people in the state are living below the federal poverty guideline rates, a 150,000 more than in 2010.
White collar jobs are taking lower paying work when they are able to get it. the median household income in Chicago was $43,628.00 less than in 2009 and part of a steady decline over the past three years. Chicago and all of the United States is out of control and the people who need jobs cannot get them because the one's who were in higher positions are now taking those jobs that the lower paying people had and are left without anything, but poverty. Trade jobs will always be needed, but the competition for the jobs becomes more competitive and only the strong survive and downsizing plat's a big part in this field
Blog 1 Post 7: Entry 1- My Own Choosing Poverty in Chicago
By Pat Garofalo, Travis Waldron and Jeff Spross on Sep 11, 2012 at 2:30 pm
Poverty In Chicago Schools
I read an article " Going to School In Chicago: High Poverty, Short School Days, Crumbling Buildings" Chicago teacher's were on strike and continued a standoff with the Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel; 350, 000 children were missing class over the performace and condition of the school facilities for our children.It is critical that the teachers and the city are able to come to a mutual agreement for everyone involved, and keeping in mind that the children's future are at stake. "Enough is Enough" Let's get our teachers back to work so they can get on with teaching our children.
These are some of the issues in question:
1.) 31% of children were in poverty in 2010
2.) Chicago has shorter school terms than most of the national average.
3.) The lowest performing schools are crumbling.
4.) 42% of Chicago Elementary schools lack serious funding
Based upon these facts and the empiracal evidence that we experience in our daily lives and in our homes, both the parents and the children are suffering.
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