Summer 2009
Ah, summer! It's is most definitely here in our neck of the woods, grass is tall and green, flowers are blooming to a soft breeze. Nighttime thunderstorms bring a replenishing rain, it's like waking up in heaven every morning! Melinda is about to be a grandmother in a few days, so the nesting and preparing is almost finished. We are so thankful to all of you who bring so much into this world of ours. May the months ahead continue to bring renewed strength and hope and prosperity to all!!
The Solstice comes on June 21st bringing us longer days and lighter evenings allowing us more time to play in the glorious fullness and warmth of the season. Appreciate this summer!, plan a trip to the coast or the mountains, gather at a park for a picnic with friends, bring family in close to you. Many of us will be spending time in our gardens, sowing , watering, weeding and harvesting. Growing our own food or having access to healthy food becomes more and more important. If you find yourself with an over abundance, we encourage you to garden-give by donating your fresh veggies to a homeless shelter, local family or by bringing a basket to the office. Support your local organic growers and suppliers because the more people who buy organic the lower the prices. Find a way to be involved in a community garden, co-op and teach children the value of growing their own food.
Summer time and the livin is easy.... Lani and Melinda
The Journey Begins....
On September 15th 2009 Melinda (my business partner at Wise Women Ink) and myself will start our journey across the US to Chicago,where we will be traveling by mini van through California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and up through Arkansas, Missouri into Illinois where we will be delivering our three wisdom decks Wisdom of the Crone, Wonder of the Mother and The Journey to Oprah at Harpo Studios. But of far more importance, the main reason for this trip...to bring awareness of the thousands of women of all ages that are living in the streets and in shelters, due to domestic violence and the economic crisis! The statistics are staggering! We will be visiting and volunteering our time at shelters across the country as we travel. Our goal is to open the eyes of America and work with organizations whose goals are to end the plight of the homeless woman. We will be working with our ABC affiliate in Redding California with a webcam documenting our trip. We will be donating our decks to the shelters we visit, interviewing women across America helping to raise awareness and have their stories heard! Homelessness is effecting women of all ages at this present time in history, young women, mothers and grandmothers. It knows no boundaries. This was taken from Wikipedia, a lot said with a few words;
"The fastest-growing group of homeless people in the United States is composed of single women with two and three children[citation needed]. Before the 1980s the homeless population was mostly composed of men[citation needed]. Within the last two decades, US society has begun to acknowledge the growing numbers of homeless women and children. Homeless women are rarely seen because they often find shelter with relatives, friends, or other homeless women. The majority of homeless women are on the streets because of divorce or escaping domestic abuse. Abandonment is also a key contributor to homelessness in women. After the Great Depression, divorce rates dropped but abandonment rates rose suggesting that couples simply split rather than pursue a costly divorce. Decline of the welfare state, and lack of affordable housing have also led to the increase of homelessness in women."
It goes on: Decline of the welfare state
Participation in the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and food stamp programs began to decline dramatically after the enactment of the Federal Welfare Law enacted in 1996. In 1996 President Clinton endorsed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act which was basically stating that a person had to work in order to receive government assistance and support. The bill converted AFDC to a block grant- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)-with fixed funding. This is where the federal government gives the states “blocks” of money to distribute for income support and work programs based on what they spent in 1994. According to the Congressional Budget Office, that bill included nearly $55 billion in cuts in low-income programs in a six year time period. Other provisions made it possible for states to withdraw a substantial amount of state resources from basic income support and work programs for poor families with children to divert federal TANF block grant funds to other uses. The legislation allowed states to deny aid to any poor family or category of poor family. Also, the legislation prohibited states from using block grant funding to provide aid to families that have received assistance for at least five years, but the state could also cut that time limit shorter - including availability to cash aide and work slots. The bill cut out $28 billion in food stamps, cutting the benefits by almost twenty percent. These reductions affected the working poor, the disabled and the elderly. In the legislation the food stamp provision affected the poor between the ages of 18-50 who had no children. The bill reported that these individuals were limited to three months of food stamps while unemployed in any three year period. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that all of these provisions would deny food stamp benefits to an average of 1 million people a month who are willing to work but can’t find a job and are not offered a workfare. The lack of food eats into the housing budget.
Lack of affordable housing
Many people believe that affordable housing is an urban or welfare problem, but it is a problem for people with and without jobs, and it happens in every ethnic background. People in poverty have been increasing due partly to declining minimum wages, and government assistance such as welfare cash assistance and HUD. In the 1970s, the United States Congress increased funding for housing assistance due to the dramatic increase of homelessness. But after the 1980s, HUD assistance fell at an alarming rate. In 1996 through 1997, Congress allowed zero funding in budgets for new Section 8 certificates. Section 8 is a housing program that allows low-income renters to pay 30 percent of their income to rent in unsubsidized units on the private market. Because the “one-for-one” rule had been abolished, the federal government doesn’t have to provide new or additional Section 8 certificates for every unit demolished. The private market is to the point where they are unwilling to create and keep affordable housing through the government. Reports show that 30 percent of low income people receive housing subsidies. This condemns most people to live one paycheck away from living on the streets. Furthermore, as the number of people in or near poverty increases, affordable housing has declined, due to the decrease in government housing assistance, the rising cost of rent, high-end new construction, condominium conversion, and old projects being torn down.
Most homeless people rely on shelters until they can find a permanent home, but due to the increase of homeless people, shelters have had to deny people and families a place to stay because they are over the limit and don’t have room for them.
We are in the process right now of working with several different organizations who will help us to spread information and guide us properly on our quest to empower homeless women and spark national attention. We believe it is time to drop our self-centeredness at the door, reach out and really really help homeless women in need. We will be looking for places to stay along the way and donations for gas and food. We hope we can play a small part in awakening the American consciousness! If you would like to join us on our journey please call us @ 1-866-641-1451 or email us at info@wisewomenink.com http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/domestic.pdf
We hope that you will copy and paste this note and send it off to your friends and family!
UPDATE
Both Melinda and I feel getting to Oprah would be all great and wonderful, but it casts a shadow on the awareness we want to create around our deepest concerns for thousands of women who are on the streets right now. Whether it be alone or with their children, this country isn't like it was back in the 30s or 40s or 50s , we don't open our homes to those in need we barricade ourselves from them. I sat and watched Kit Kittredge: An American Girl the other night with my daughter, I highly recommend watching it with your kids, it takes place during the depression, a little sappy but the true message is there. So yes the journey is still on, but the "soul" goal is to create awareness and start the "opening of our hearts process". I also will be photographically documenting the whole trip.
Almost 20 years ago I ventured into Berkeley on a Wednesday morning around 7am my goal was to find a homeless guide who would show me how the homeless survived in Berkeley. As I got off the BART train I headed up Shattuck, sitting quietly outside a cafe was a African American man dressed in white painter pants and a white shirt with a big duffel bag at his feet and a clarinet in hand. I approached him and told him I was looking for a guide to show me how the homeless lived in Berkeley and I would pay him $100 for the day if he would be interested. He said he would be honored and thus my friendship with Bill or as everyone called him BJ began. I will come back to this story tomorrow morning, it's worth hearing. I have posted the picture of a young woman probably under 16 at the time that was living on the streets, the only way she would let me photograph her was if I paid her.
Berkeley 1993 Street Flower and her pet rat
I completely understood. And the story will continue next week...
One of our greatest teachers...
"My approach to artmaking is experimental using combinations of materials which create an ultimate textured surface."
If you would love one our cards on a tee-shirt or a mug let us know and we will create it for you at:
http://www.zazzle.com/Cronesrock
Summer Links To The World
Want to give back? We suggest visiting:
http://www.nonprofitshoppingmall.com
Want to learn more about cronehood?
http://www.cronescounsel.org
http://www.grandmotherconnections.com
Want to give the beauty of another’s art?
visit www.etsy.com for incrediable hand made gifts!
Ah, summer! It's is most definitely here in our neck of the woods, grass is tall and green, flowers are blooming to a soft breeze. Nighttime thunderstorms bring a replenishing rain, it's like waking up in heaven every morning! Melinda is about to be a grandmother in a few days, so the nesting and preparing is almost finished. We are so thankful to all of you who bring so much into this world of ours. May the months ahead continue to bring renewed strength and hope and prosperity to all!!
The Solstice comes on June 21st bringing us longer days and lighter evenings allowing us more time to play in the glorious fullness and warmth of the season. Appreciate this summer!, plan a trip to the coast or the mountains, gather at a park for a picnic with friends, bring family in close to you. Many of us will be spending time in our gardens, sowing , watering, weeding and harvesting. Growing our own food or having access to healthy food becomes more and more important. If you find yourself with an over abundance, we encourage you to garden-give by donating your fresh veggies to a homeless shelter, local family or by bringing a basket to the office. Support your local organic growers and suppliers because the more people who buy organic the lower the prices. Find a way to be involved in a community garden, co-op and teach children the value of growing their own food.
Summer time and the livin is easy.... Lani and Melinda
The Journey Begins....
On September 15th 2009 Melinda (my business partner at Wise Women Ink) and myself will start our journey across the US to Chicago,where we will be traveling by mini van through California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and up through Arkansas, Missouri into Illinois where we will be delivering our three wisdom decks Wisdom of the Crone, Wonder of the Mother and The Journey to Oprah at Harpo Studios. But of far more importance, the main reason for this trip...to bring awareness of the thousands of women of all ages that are living in the streets and in shelters, due to domestic violence and the economic crisis! The statistics are staggering! We will be visiting and volunteering our time at shelters across the country as we travel. Our goal is to open the eyes of America and work with organizations whose goals are to end the plight of the homeless woman. We will be working with our ABC affiliate in Redding California with a webcam documenting our trip. We will be donating our decks to the shelters we visit, interviewing women across America helping to raise awareness and have their stories heard! Homelessness is effecting women of all ages at this present time in history, young women, mothers and grandmothers. It knows no boundaries. This was taken from Wikipedia, a lot said with a few words;
"The fastest-growing group of homeless people in the United States is composed of single women with two and three children[citation needed]. Before the 1980s the homeless population was mostly composed of men[citation needed]. Within the last two decades, US society has begun to acknowledge the growing numbers of homeless women and children. Homeless women are rarely seen because they often find shelter with relatives, friends, or other homeless women. The majority of homeless women are on the streets because of divorce or escaping domestic abuse. Abandonment is also a key contributor to homelessness in women. After the Great Depression, divorce rates dropped but abandonment rates rose suggesting that couples simply split rather than pursue a costly divorce. Decline of the welfare state, and lack of affordable housing have also led to the increase of homelessness in women."
It goes on: Decline of the welfare state
Participation in the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and food stamp programs began to decline dramatically after the enactment of the Federal Welfare Law enacted in 1996. In 1996 President Clinton endorsed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act which was basically stating that a person had to work in order to receive government assistance and support. The bill converted AFDC to a block grant- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)-with fixed funding. This is where the federal government gives the states “blocks” of money to distribute for income support and work programs based on what they spent in 1994. According to the Congressional Budget Office, that bill included nearly $55 billion in cuts in low-income programs in a six year time period. Other provisions made it possible for states to withdraw a substantial amount of state resources from basic income support and work programs for poor families with children to divert federal TANF block grant funds to other uses. The legislation allowed states to deny aid to any poor family or category of poor family. Also, the legislation prohibited states from using block grant funding to provide aid to families that have received assistance for at least five years, but the state could also cut that time limit shorter - including availability to cash aide and work slots. The bill cut out $28 billion in food stamps, cutting the benefits by almost twenty percent. These reductions affected the working poor, the disabled and the elderly. In the legislation the food stamp provision affected the poor between the ages of 18-50 who had no children. The bill reported that these individuals were limited to three months of food stamps while unemployed in any three year period. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that all of these provisions would deny food stamp benefits to an average of 1 million people a month who are willing to work but can’t find a job and are not offered a workfare. The lack of food eats into the housing budget.
Lack of affordable housing
Many people believe that affordable housing is an urban or welfare problem, but it is a problem for people with and without jobs, and it happens in every ethnic background. People in poverty have been increasing due partly to declining minimum wages, and government assistance such as welfare cash assistance and HUD. In the 1970s, the United States Congress increased funding for housing assistance due to the dramatic increase of homelessness. But after the 1980s, HUD assistance fell at an alarming rate. In 1996 through 1997, Congress allowed zero funding in budgets for new Section 8 certificates. Section 8 is a housing program that allows low-income renters to pay 30 percent of their income to rent in unsubsidized units on the private market. Because the “one-for-one” rule had been abolished, the federal government doesn’t have to provide new or additional Section 8 certificates for every unit demolished. The private market is to the point where they are unwilling to create and keep affordable housing through the government. Reports show that 30 percent of low income people receive housing subsidies. This condemns most people to live one paycheck away from living on the streets. Furthermore, as the number of people in or near poverty increases, affordable housing has declined, due to the decrease in government housing assistance, the rising cost of rent, high-end new construction, condominium conversion, and old projects being torn down.
Most homeless people rely on shelters until they can find a permanent home, but due to the increase of homeless people, shelters have had to deny people and families a place to stay because they are over the limit and don’t have room for them.
We are in the process right now of working with several different organizations who will help us to spread information and guide us properly on our quest to empower homeless women and spark national attention. We believe it is time to drop our self-centeredness at the door, reach out and really really help homeless women in need. We will be looking for places to stay along the way and donations for gas and food. We hope we can play a small part in awakening the American consciousness! If you would like to join us on our journey please call us @ 1-866-641-1451 or email us at info@wisewomenink.com http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/domestic.pdf
We hope that you will copy and paste this note and send it off to your friends and family!
UPDATE
Both Melinda and I feel getting to Oprah would be all great and wonderful, but it casts a shadow on the awareness we want to create around our deepest concerns for thousands of women who are on the streets right now. Whether it be alone or with their children, this country isn't like it was back in the 30s or 40s or 50s , we don't open our homes to those in need we barricade ourselves from them. I sat and watched Kit Kittredge: An American Girl the other night with my daughter, I highly recommend watching it with your kids, it takes place during the depression, a little sappy but the true message is there. So yes the journey is still on, but the "soul" goal is to create awareness and start the "opening of our hearts process". I also will be photographically documenting the whole trip.
Almost 20 years ago I ventured into Berkeley on a Wednesday morning around 7am my goal was to find a homeless guide who would show me how the homeless survived in Berkeley. As I got off the BART train I headed up Shattuck, sitting quietly outside a cafe was a African American man dressed in white painter pants and a white shirt with a big duffel bag at his feet and a clarinet in hand. I approached him and told him I was looking for a guide to show me how the homeless lived in Berkeley and I would pay him $100 for the day if he would be interested. He said he would be honored and thus my friendship with Bill or as everyone called him BJ began. I will come back to this story tomorrow morning, it's worth hearing. I have posted the picture of a young woman probably under 16 at the time that was living on the streets, the only way she would let me photograph her was if I paid her.
Berkeley 1993 Street Flower and her pet rat
I completely understood. And the story will continue next week...
One of our greatest teachers...
I have a true love for the teachers in our lives that inspire us, empower us and change our way of thinking and feeling. Years ago I was blessed with the chance to become friends with Anne Kinkade a local artist in Siskiyou county. Anne was constantly creating outside the box, whether it be encaustic pieces beyond one's imagination or basket weaving so beautiful and aluring one could not begin to to guess where these creations originated. Her incrediable insight has always been our joy, whether with the colors she chooses or the textures, all so rich and inviting. I photographed Anne and she was in two of our Wisdom of the Crone cards, Breakthough and Community. I strongly urge all of you to visit her website and immerse yourselves in her artistic gift!
"My approach to artmaking is experimental using combinations of materials which create an ultimate textured surface."
Over the past 25 years, Anne has worked with clay paper, plaster, fabrics such as quilts, sticks and stitching to create unusual and rocky exteriors on her canvases. Anne's intent in painting is to begin with a fabric that inspires her nature to explore its possibilities as an interesting texture. She starts with an empty canvas, board or paper, then apply an initial layer of
a silk sari from Pakistan or an old quilt fragment from a friend or perhaps plaster that has sand added or sticks embedded then sanded down to reveal a different layer underneath.
In the 60's Anne lived in Lahore, Pakistan with her husband and 3 young sons, an experience which enriched her life, gave her pause to become enchanted with a very different culture, its music, color, patterns, the poverty even. A friend there gave Anne her old saris, finely woven and embroidered silk or cotton. After a time Anne was able to cut them up and use them with her art, if only to give them a new life, a new meaning with the inspiration for a painting.
"Most of the work, my attitude of the moment, joy, love, anger or surrender becomes a history of the unseen, hidden beneath the layers."One hot, summer day after settling in Shasta Valley with her family Anne happened to collect a bundle of rabbit brush and St. John's Wart bringing them home to cook and extract the color for dyeing wool which she was spinning. Thus began her search for color and experiments with mordents and color layering, and knowledge of roadside plant materials for use in dyeing. Her ensuing work in weaving and basket making cultivated her desire for texture and attention to a surface interest in her current work in oil painting. Thus,she believes in the importance of layers as part of her process in painting, as it is in geologic time, a working with upheavals and tearing down again, then building up to create a historical formation.
Please visit Anne’s website @ http://www.annekinkade.comIf you would love one our cards on a tee-shirt or a mug let us know and we will create it for you at:
http://www.zazzle.com/Cronesrock
Summer Links To The World
Want to give back? We suggest visiting:
http://www.nonprofitshoppingmall.com
Want to learn more about cronehood?
http://www.cronescounsel.org
http://www.grandmotherconnections.com
Want to give the beauty of another’s art?
visit www.etsy.com for incrediable hand made gifts!