ALLIED PARTNERS - March 14, 2007 Present: Mary Jean Bartholomew, Jeni Bingen, Mike Bodden, Susan Corrado, Marge Lyford, Barbara Park, Shirley Robbins, Sue Sawyer, Jack Tiffany. Note - Except for Susan C. and Jeni, these were all our faithful church representatives. Mike expressed some thoughts on the world situation. No Facilitator having been assigned last month, Mike presided. Most printed reports were given out before the meeting began. Minutes of the February meeting were approved as presented. ATTENTION: SUSAN CORRADO, DIANNE STEVENS, MIKE BODDEN (see next paragraph) Financial Report (Jack): Special Projects is out of money, and there will be needs to be met from this fund. Mike suggested putting undesignated donations here. It was moved by Jack and seconded by Sue S. to ask member churches to increase their giving to Special Projects. Motion carried. Discussion of ways to do this: Encourage special offerings. Send an eye-catching letter to each church -- Sue S. will compose this, with input from each project leader. Mike moved that project leaders send their information to Sue (her e-mail address is <swsawyer@hotmail.com>). Motion seconded by Mary Jean and carried. It was decided to propose at our next meeting that Allied Partners accept Bob Park's offer to create a website for AP, and to give him the information he will need. We will discuss then, what information we want on the website. Eviction Prevention: Written report accepted. Five families helped this month, at $945. Wellness Center: Work was heavy on programs in February. Susan noted that it is always a struggle to get people to come, as it is for all agency programs in the neighborhood. A possible new site is being considered -- the landlord of an empty apartment near the Learning Center may be willing to rent to the Wellness Center. There would be an arrangement to share the space with JFF and ECI. Susan also noted that there are families who need "Circles of Support" with regard to resources, transportation, and encouragement. Katrina Fund: The Committee reported on issues discussed and will meet again Friday, March 23, at MUM. All are encouraged to attend. Some difficult issues: will the city support human services in the neighborhood? Who will live in Allied - does the city aim to see no low-income persons living there? Food Pantry: Mike submitted financial reports. He will assemble a Board of Directors one way or another, maybe requiring each church to provide a members. He encourages everyone to shop at the nearby CUB Foods, which has been extremely generous is support of the Food Pantry. Mike also has provided an activities calendar, on which he requests all the churches to place their Allied Drive-related plans for the whole year, so that what they need can be provided. There is also an "AP Activity Support Request", which can be used by a church to recruit its own volunteers, money, and other needs for such an activity, as well as to let Mike know what is needed. As one of these activities, Marge described the "Allied Partners Day" planned at Bethany United Methodist Church for June 10. Alice Howard will preach, project leaders will be there to tell about their projects, there will be a brunch. All of us are invited.
Other Business:
NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, April 11, 10 to 12. |