by K. Frank I line up with about twenty others in the waiting room. Each one of us is holding a white envelope containing information and forms to fill out to apply for food stamps. We’re escorted by a uniformed police officer through the…

by J.D. Berman Now that we're officially in the 2012 election cycle, candidates for office may want to take note of a new poll on voter attitudes toward poverty and opportunity. According to a survey commissioned by Spotlight on Poverty,…

by Erika K. “To be shelterless and alone in the open country, hearing the wind moan and watching for day through the whole long weary night; to listen to the falling rain, and crouch for warmth beneath the lee of some old barn or rick, or…

by Erika McNamara Sometimes I wonder if needy people in Africa get more of our attention then people right here in our own state and town. Almost a month ago a judge put a halt to the state of Michigan’s new cap on cash assistance for…

by P.D. Lesko In July, all of Michigan's Republican Senators voted to put a 48-month time limit on public assistance. The same Bill passed the Michigan House on August 24, 2011. If Governor Rick Snyder signs it, on October 1, 2011, an…

by Erika McNamara A quick review of the menu for Memorial Day grill extravaganza left me wondering if hotdogs, short ribs, steak, and all of the side dishes that accompanied the main meat feast this year would all be enough. Well if it…

There is a lot of advice in recent articles about the right and wrong way to help panhandlers. Many times this advice conflicts with the on-the-spot feelings of individuals who want to give to panhandlers. Some are adamantly against…

A2PNotes: In 2010, John Hieftje and First Ward Council member Sandi Smith both ran for re-election and patted themselves on the back for "doubling beds at the homeless shelter." If you count a chair as a bed, Hieftje and Smith were telling…