Allied Partners - February 28, 2012

PRESENT: Susan Corrado, Jack Tiffany, Shirley Robbins, Linda Ketcham, Alice Howard, Ruth Hoffman Hein, Sue Bridson, Sina Davis, Connie Weisse, Eileen Dresser, Ryan Estrella, Gloria Mendier-Farr, Selena Pettigrew, Barry Hayes, Marge Lyford

MEETING CALLED TO ORDER by Eileen Dresser, convener. She opened the meeting with a reading of "Plant a Garden for Daily Living".

MINUTES OF JANUARY MEETING: Corrections made to the spelling of Sue Bridson’s last name and in the food pantry report, to reflect the fact that Minnie has been able to attend meetings of the Food Pantry Committee.

TREASURER’S REPORT by Jack Tiffany. Jack distributed reports for the year 2011 and January of this year. He expressed a concern that funds from the sale of greeting cards are being credited to Good Shepherd Church. Also congregations who give funds to the Neighborhood Association aren’t being given credit on Jack’s financial reports. Linda volunteered to ask the MUM treasurer to check into the problem with the greeting card sales and to send on information about donations to the Neighborhood Association to Jack.

Jack expressed the need to promote more financial support for the Neighborhood Association. Also that we need to follow up on congregations to which we sent mailings in January of 2011 by visiting the church. Barry, Ryan, Susan, Gloria and Mary volunteered to be part of a sub-committee to identify a message to take to the churches.

ALLIED WELLNESS CENTER by Gloria Mendier-Farr: Some comments - Low turn out for events in January. Welcomers are encouraged to learn about the Wellness Center and the Community Coop by volunteering their time and working with the staff. Efforts are being made to reach out to the Spanish speaking population. Plans for sponsoring a blood drive to be held in the Allied Neighborhood needed to be canceled. There is a need for more bus tickets for neighborhood residents. Suggested church members might want to donate bus tickets. Also, still needed are volunteers to deliver food to homes on food pantry day. Volunteers from Allied Partners congregations would be appreciated. The time bank might be another source of volunteers.

ALLIED/DUNNS MARSH NEIGHBORHOOD by Selena Pettigrew. The Neighborhood Association, along with the Allied Community Coop, has published a community newsletter. They would like to sell advertising space to help with publishing expenses. Selena requested that churches consider putting ads in the newsletter. The "Voter’s One Shop Stop" is continuing Thursdays. 1 - 3 PM on Thursdays in the JFF office. The Association is sponsoring a youth forum to learn about their needs. They’re also recruiting youth to sit on the County Board. Recently had a "awesome" community meal with two school board members present. 232 people came to a recent mobile food pantry.

ALLIED COMMUNITY COOP by Sina Davis. The cooperative meets every second Wednesday at 4 PM. Members expressed interest in leading a rag rug weaving class, a story telling project, a community recycling project, and a parents-encouraging -parents group. The coop is working with the Neighborhood Association to produce a neighborhood newsletter. Churches are encouraged to purchase advertisements. Contact Selena or Susan. There will be a Coop Kick-Off Your Shoes dance on March 23, 7 - 9 PM. The food cart coop group has been meeting and have started training on starting a small business.

BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB GED classes are being held. Funds were raised to pay for a headstone for the grave site of the neighborhood mother who died last fall. The family helped choose the stone.

FOOD PANTRY by Eileen Dresser Attendance has declined recently. Members of the food committee would like to know when complaints are made about the food or the pantry. It was suggested that a person hearing a complaint write it down and deposit it in a suggestion box. The pantry had an inspection by Second Harvestand received a good report. In response to complaints of freezer burn on meats...the pantry receives some meat from a food bank in Milwaukee...not alway in good condition. Currently the pantry is giving out whole chickens.

MUM Linda Ketcham reported that MUM is having a fund raiser on March 1. The Family Connection group will be making monthly visits to Taycheedah Correctional Institution so that children can visit their mothers.

MEETING ADJOURNED at 5:30 PM

Minutes by Marge Lyford

NEXT MEETING March 27 at 4:00 PM