We have gone through some annual cycles of Economic Empowerment Expos where we exhibited products and services at E3. This year as we started preparing for E3 we had a divine interruption. In the past our strategy was to seek exhibitors from the public to patronize the event. This year however, the Lord had us revise our strategy which was counterproductive. The original purpose of E3 was to give exposure to Christian owned businesses but then the reality is that there very few Christian owned businesses. Most Christians have either not started pursuit of their dream venture or are at an infant stage struggling with teething issues. It is obvious that most Christians need help with their dream ventures. For this reason, we are convening a retreat this year to take a new and dynamic approach to incubate and boost Christian ventures. Christians who have a dream venture or already in operation require a support system. Favor Alliance would host ‘Monthly Online Networking Mixers on the Cibunet Platform to provide a support forum for the development of enterprises. The Mixer would be approximately two hours in duration. It would feature Coaching , Planning, Networking, Funding as well as Prayer Sessions. This would afford Christians an opportunity to Learn kingdom practices for the marketplace, Share testimonies and Connect with resources and referrals to advance our dreams to realization. The first ‘Monthly Online Networking Mixer’ is scheduled for Saturday July 21st, 2018. Time is 10am – 12noon. Platform – favoralliance.cibunet.com Coordinators – Evelyn Lambert: evelyn.lambert5775@yahoo.com – Carol Cameron: carol443322@gmail.com

It is hard for a young mother with a disability to function effectively when they are challenged with so many disadvantages. In NYC there are many mothers who are struggling to stay ahead of the rising stigma of having being labelled as having a disability? What is a disability, by whose definition are we in this time is labelled with the term having a disability. With so many new diagnosis it is often disheartening to hear someone who you know is labelled with a diagnosis. And with this labelling comes stigmas, in qualification for certain benefits that would be deemed appropriate by some standards. With so many labelling how CDO we help our mothers to climb out of the hole they sometimes find themselves in. Do we help to carry on the labelling, or do we work with the individuals on a one to one case, in overcoming the barriers set up by others whose role is to label. We as a society states that we want our young mothers to be more independent, but with the rate of so many young mothers growing, how do we separate the need and the want of society to change their focus on family dynamics. Each of us play a part in how we look at our young mothers, do we judge or do we help, do we have solutions, or criticism. As the covering circle seek to address the growing number of mothers who are now in the system with the labelling of having a disability. We focus on the individual, and not one who society deem as having a disability which prevents them from functioning. There are many people with disability who are able to work a job, have children, function effectively with the limitation of a disability. Many do not back down from a challenge, they dare to be different. The covering circle DARES to be different, we challenge those who say you cannot, and we say you can, with support, faith with action a young mother can achieve her dreams of taking care of her family, by holding a full time job. As part of the covering circle mission to assist young mothers who have been disenfranchised from their family, or society; learn to achieve their goal of working, having their own space and learning new skills so that they will be able to function effectively as a mother, and also to share with others who are in a similar position. Paying it forward to someone else, can help to foster the dream of another. Dare to be different, challenging the status quo, looking inward and making a change that will benefit another without looking for a reward. This can also show your child or children that doing for others that you can care for others even if others have not always shown it to them. The covering circle will not discriminate anyone who comes into our facility with a disability either to work or learn... The Covering Circle/ Mandee Bread Basket will assist any employee or mother who require the services of The Center for Disability Rights, Inc. offers a vast array of services and supports for individuals with all types of disabilities, regardless of age or income. The Covering Circle Mandee Bread Basket is a facility where everyone is treated with respect and kindness regardless of age or gender.

Homelessness in New York City has reached the highest level since the great depression of 1930. New York coalition for Homeless released data that show how alarming the homeless situation is in the City. Each night more than 60,000 people including more than 22,000 children experience homelessness. Currently 53,615 homeless men, women and children utilize a New York City municipal shelter bed. In addition, another 5000 adults and children sleep in other public and private shelters and thousands more sleep on the streets or in other public spaces. The alarming number of homeless people in New York City has risen by 73%. This is an epidemic. Many factors come into play, which contributes to being homeless. The factors range from domestic violence, unsafe buildings, financial instability of both the unemployed, underemployed and evictions. Affordable housing is scarce and rents are very high so eviction is the main cause that leads to homelessness. Mostly because low income family who are renting use more than 75% of their income to cover rent and utilities and are struggling to maintain. The minimum wage is low and rent is averaging over $1100 per one bedroom apartment. There are a few programs in place that are in the preventive stages. These programs are geared towards helping families from losing their homes. ‘Homebase’ is one such program. As the name suggests, this is a preventive service, which assist individuals and families to overcome immediate housing issues that would have resulted in homelessness while also helping them develop plans for long term stability. This service also offers financial counseling and how to create a budget. New York City Department of Homeless partner with many Non-profit organizations. While some of these organizations are for temporary solutions, there are other whose aim is to help alleviate the homeless crisis and transition families to permanent housing solutions. Organizations like: WIN focus on breaking the cycle of homelessness for women and children, Housing Bridge Project Renewal and Palladia Homes for the Homeless and The Bowery Mission. The solution to this epidemic of homelessness is for more affordable housing and better wages. The current Mayor Bill de Blasio has recently signed a contract for over 200,000 affordable housing over the next 10 years. Affordable housing median income guidelines should be revised to accommodate and set in perspective to the current minimum wage level. Rents continue to increase in New York City while wages seem to be stagnant. There must be a balance in the equation for the Homeless to rise above homelessness and gain back their basic human rights and dignity as well as a place to call home.

I met a young mother some days ago who said to me, “every time I make a step forward, there is always another issue with my children receiving the right services and then also I am about to be homeless again.” She has a young child under the age of 8 years old and an income of $775.00 from SSI; $100.00 from HRA. She receives Food stamps of $47.00, is currently being sanctioned because the older child did not meet certain criteria and so she is struggling to pay her bills. There are solutions to her crisis; however there are certain steps that has to come into play before this mother and others can be helped. The current system has some solutions but with so many constraints, that young mothers often will forgo going into the system, and struggle with low paying jobs. The 'Administration for Children and Families'(ACF), within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), provides national leadership and creates opportunities for families to lead economically and socially productive lives. ACF's programs are designed to help children to develop into healthy adults and communities to become more prosperous and supportive of their members." Looking at the homeless population now, it is a yawing mouth waiting to trap and dislocate families. The statistics give us some numbers but still no solution. An apartment in NYC ranges from $1200 to 1700 for a one bedroom, and it all depends on the location. The average income per year for an apartment that is subsidized in $32.000; a person on SSI only makes $7500 per year they cannot afford these apartments; but they are being told to apply. This is mis-information and fraud.   In New York, where the shelter population has reached levels not seen since the Depression era, the count in January estimated 64,060 homeless people in shelters and on the street in January 2013, or 13 percent more than in January 2012. Among large cities, only Los Angeles had a larger percentage increase. Its homeless population rose by 27 percent, although its total of 53,798 was lower than New York’s. Homelessness, especially among families, has been growing in the city even as the local economy has recovered, and the new data underscores the challenges facing the mayor-elect, Bill de Blasio, who made affordable housing a centerpiece of his campaign. The population of New York City homelessness reaches a all time high, more people are homeless now than before. Families are residing temporarily in shelter apartments that are too small to accommodate a family of four, one bedroom to house all these people There is a demand for this mission, in Westchester County there are two other agencies that services young mothers, qualification is that they have to be at a certain age, and fit into their criteria; issues with such facilities is that these young women are not always housed after their child is born, they are either sent back into the same situation; what the covering circle does is to assist these young mothers with tools to move towards greater independence. They are given tools to enhance their future and that of their child. The children are protected in that the workers are bonded and licensed to work with the child (ren). The child is taught basic skills so that when they leave the covering circle they will be enrolled in head start or kindergarten. The mothers will be able to enroll in a market job, with advancement to higher education.   The statistics states that in NYC there are over 2.0000 or more young mothers in shelters waiting for apartments. National unemployment averaged 9.3 percent in 2009, up from 4.6 percent in 2006. Real (inflation-adjusted) average household income fell from $60,533 in 2006 to $59,067 in 2009 (in 2006 dollars). In addition, food prices increased substantially during the early part of the recession Food security is the ability to consistently provide adequate food for active, healthy living for all household members. A 2011 ERS study found that food security among low-income households increased by 2.2 percentage points from late 2008 to late 2009, while it remained unchanged among households with incomes somewhat above eligibility cutoffs for SNAP.   Increased 0.8 percent in 2010 and is forecast to increase 3 to 4 percent in 2011•since the inception of CDIP in 2005, investments in the program have enabled the collection of data indicating how consumer behavior and market dynamics shape diet quality and health outcomes. Under the CDIP initiative, ERS has partnered with the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) to gather and track information on changing food habits, attitudes, and dietary behaviors of U.S. consumers through a consumer behavior module in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Over the years while working with these young mothers who were struggling, I realized that the system was not fully assisting them with so many roadblocks and challenges. Over the years the human service field has changed, some for the better, but in some cases it has become stagnant. Most of the new rules put in place by the authorities only leaves young mothers and their assigned Social Workers more handicapped. I believe that these young mothers are either homeless or dislocated from family through conditions that are way beyond their ability to comprehend. They are ill equipped to handle the responsibilities of being mothers. They require skills of learning how to maintain themselves in the community. They require the to be taught skills they will need to survive in the work environment. All these needs have to be met through comprehensively packaged solutions that can be facilitated through a partnership of Government and Charities that focus on this challenged sector of the population. Article Is By Winsome Daley - President of 'The Covering Circle Bread Basket' in NY