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Johnson County News
Poverty Simulation
On February 3, 2010, several members of the Johnson County VISTA Corridor Recovery team participated in a poverty simulation at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, presented by Phyllis Zalenski, Family Resource Management Program Specialist for Iowa State University Extension. While many VISTAs feel like their daily lives are already an accurate simulation of life in poverty, in this case our team members were at the other end of the looking glass, role-playing as pawn brokers, social workers, police officers, landlords, and bankers so that University of Iowa students could get a sense of what a day in poverty is like.
The participating students have academic backgrounds in the health sciences, with the majority of them coming from programs in nursing, physical therapy, public health, and health administration. The event was an attempt to generate empathy and allow health care professionals of tomorrow to better understand the ways in which economic hardship can make it difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
As part of the exercise, participants were assigned to families, each with individual and collective needs and a limited budget. As the students waited in line to sell their possessions at the pawnshop or rushed to get their children to school, they became acutely aware of the constant pressure that accompanies living in poverty. Upon reflection, one student remarked “I wasn’t prepared for the time crunch; I had to take my children to school, go purchase groceries, which I didn’t have enough money for, so I went to the welfare agency, but they were closed; I went to the pawn shop, stood in line to sell my son’s guitar for extra cash, only to get a call saying one of my children had been picked up by the police while skipping school. I never got groceries and, needless to say, I had no chance of making it to the employment office to see if there were any job openings.”
This was a story that was greeted by nodding heads and echoed by many in the group. Participants generally agreed that they were unprepared for how difficult the simulation would prove to be. Many indicated that even this “simulation” had left them intensely frustrated and that the stress involved in the daily grind left many ready to turn to illicit activities to make ends meet. One student relayed her experience, saying that when her heat and water were turned off, she and her children moved in with a neighbor and split rent; she encouraged her children to steal bus passes from the transportation office and cash from the grocery—she even turned a blind eye when one of her sons began dealing drugs. “Ultimately, we needed the money,” she said.
The inherent flexibility in the activity—the participant’s ability to break the law, to explore unconventional solutions, and their willingness to do whatever they had to in order to make ends meet—were valuable experieances for the students. They began to realize that when the situation gets desperate, it may be difficult to find the time or money for physical therapy or another medication. While leading a reflection at the end of the activity, VISTA Elliot Weiss made sure the students took home some practical lessons: “I wanted them to understand that proper health care is a basic right, but that it isn’t a reality for everyone. They need to understand that to be truly effective in their professional lives, they need to have a working knowledge of resources in the community that can arm their patients—regardless of their socioeconomic background—with the information and resources they need to live healthy lives.”
For the VISTA team, therein lay the true value of the activity. “We are capacity builders,” remarked Weiss. “While we spend most of our time with our respective programs, it is extremely fulfilling to know that we can extend the reach of our experiences to other branches of society, conveying to them the knowledge and desire to do their part to alleviate poverty—that’s what building capacity is all about.”
By: Elliot Weiss
Restorative Justice Mentoring Programs
The transition from incarceration or court-ordered probation to community life can be difficult for offenders as well as their families. The Sixth Judicial District Department of Corrections recommends participation in mentoring programs as a resource for successful re-entry and adjustment for offenders. It is known that having a parent who is incarcerated or on parole or probation can be hard on the children of offenders. Mentoring programs provide needed support for children, too. The Community Corrections Improvement Association offers several mentoring programs in both Linn and Johnson Counties.
The adult mentoring programs offered are “1:1 Mentoring” and “Circles of Support and Accountability.” They help to guide offenders who are coming back to our communities. The main role of
the mentoring relationship is to provide the offender with a good example of positive pro-social and legal behavior. The programs generate healthy relationships between the offender and the community, and work in cooperation with probation officers, police, social services, employers, and housing officials.
In the mentoring relationship it is most important that the offender is introduced to appropriate leisure activities, for instance bowling, going to eat at a new restaurant, horseback riding, or anything else that will introduce the offender to something different than they are used to. The mentor can have a great influence on the transition from a subversive lifestyle to a life enriched by good social connections. The relationship is different than any other because the offender knows the mentor is volunteering their time and commitment. A mentor of five years said this, “Success in mentoring is a challenge. If nothing else is accomplished, healthy seeds can be planted. Compassion and listening skills go a long way in creating a good relationship between the mentor and mentee.”
The children’s mentoring program, “Children of Promise (COP),” is certified by Iowa Mentoring Partnership. It began in Linn County, in 2004, and expanded to Johnson County in 2008. COP connects children, ranging in ages from 6-17, who have a parent incarcerated or on parole/probation with a well trained, caring adult mentor. The mentor has the opportunity to enhance a child’s life by showing them a different way of living. A COP mentor of about a year said “I wanted to try and make a positive influence on someone who may not see much positive in their life”.
COP strives to connect marginalized youth with resources, safe places, and structured activities outside of school time. The mentor is required to meet with the child once a week for an hour, for a minimum of one year. The mentor can also get involved in the child’s education. The program works closely with the child’s school to increase the likelihood of regular attendance and academic achievement.
VISTA Ashlee Davis recruits mentors and supporters for CCIA Restorative Justice Mentoring Programs in Linn County. In other efforts for the programs, she has created a database of community partners, presented information to several community groups in Linn and Johnson County, and is working on creating a website for the programs. For more information on how you and your organization can help, please contact her at ashlee.vistajc@gmail.com or by phone at (319) 730-1164. In Johnson County, contact VISTA Dana Johnson at dana.vistajc@gmail.com.
MLK Day of Service in Johnson County
The Broadway Community MLK Day Celebration hosted by CCIA, AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps VISTA, and Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County was a wonderful success. We held the celebration at an outreach center located in the heart of the Broadway neighborhood, a community on the Southeast side of Iowa City that has a relatively high African American and low-income population. Our event started a half hour later than advertised, but it started with a bang. The Iowa City Salvation Army youth choir began our program with some old favorites, including "Oh Happy Day" and were very impressive, especially considering the young age of the members. The choir was followed by a short speech by AmeriCorps Ryan Thomas on what the message of Dr. King meant to him, a young African American man born and raised in Iowa, and what the message of Dr. King implied for the community as a whole. Following Ryan's speech, a fourth grader who is very active at the Broadway Neighborhood Center, read an excerpt from MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech. The Salvation Army's youth dance troupe then performed two numbers to end the program.
Participants were then directed to another area where they could take part in four different service projects, including: making pet toys for the animal shelter, decorating cookies for the Shelter House, making cards containing quotes from Dr. King to send to children in the Children's Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House, and finally, writing "Dear Iowa City" letters about their personal dreams or dreams for their community and also drawing ideas for a mural that is to be painted in the Broadway Neighborhood Center basement. Inspirational quotes from Dr. King and pictures of Dr. King and of crucial moments in the Civil Rights Movement were displayed on the walls and on tables as a way of encouraging participants to ruminate on the message of Dr. King and the meaning of the Civil Rights Movement.
Participants were allowed an hour to complete the service project(s) of their choice before lunch was served. Members of the community 
and a crew of volunteers came together to make and serve the MLK Day Celebration participants a menu of jambalaya, corn bread, greens, salad, black eyed peas, macaroni & cheese, and baked goods for dessert. In all 107 community members attended the event and participated in the service projects we made available. This demographic was largely youth in their teens and younger with many families attending as well. We also had an additional 26 volunteers affiliated with CCIA, AmeriCorps, the Broadway Center, and others, who helped set up and clean up, prepare and serve food, greet community members as they arrived, and facilitate the service projects.
By Bethany Bender
Meet Summer '09 Associate Bill
Final Year of Shelter House Overflow Program to Begin Soon
For my year of AmeriCorps VISTA service, I have been asked to take on the task of coordinating the Overflow program in Johnson County. Iowa City's homeless shelter, Shelter House, will begin the final year of the Overflow Program on Sunday, November 15th. Overflow was created in 2004 to provide a warm, safe place for people to sleep during the winter months when the shelter was overcapacity.
Local area churches host the Overflow Program at their congregation for a couple of weeks during winter and provide volunteers to ensure that the program runs smoothly. An evening typically begins at 9:00PM and runs until 6:30AM. The number of clients housed each evening varies, but rarely rises above 20 people. With cold weather already rearing its head this October, winter can be expected to be fairly harsh this year.
Although most volunteers are provided by churches, students from the University Of Iowa School Of Social Work also have helped with the Overflow Program as part of a service component for their classes. Students have the opportunity to work hands-on with clients in the Overflow Program while providing them with real world experience.
The flooding of 2008 saw a loss in many low-income housing units around Johnson County, and homelessness has continued to be an issue as the community works to rebuild itself. I feel fortunate to live in an area that is progressively working to alleviate and end the issues surrounding poverty, social stigmas, and homelessness. Although my role in Overflow is limited to the last year of its existence, I am lucky to be working with so many great people who want to make a difference in people's lives. This is inspiring to me because it keeps my hopes up that issues such as homelessness will decrease in the future.
Shelter House broke ground on July 1st for a new shelter that is currently being built and is slated for completion in Fall 2010. The current shelter is only able to house 29 clients, while the new facility will accommodate more than twice as many. We are looking forward to having another successful year as the Overflow Program winds down!
The Economics of Flood-Impacted Housing in Iowa City
Though not as adversely effected by 2008 Flooding as Cedar Rapids, which vistacorridorrecovery.org reports 5390 suffered flood damage and a total flood-inflicted cost of $231 million, Iowa City faces flood recovery challenges unique to Cedar Rapids. With exceptionally high housing costs in the Iowa City metro area, the loss of housing to flood damage has intensified the already precarious housing situation there.
A number of factors make Iowa City an attractive location in which to live. In most recent news, an Iowa City Press Citizen article published 19 June 2009 highlighted a federal report earlier that month, showing Iowa City had the lowest April unemployment rate in the nation. Additional accolades for the city include a 5th place ranking in Sterling’s Best Places to Live, Money Magazines’ 3rd best place in the nation to retire, Expansion Management Magazine’s 4th best public schools in the nation, a high quality of life remark from American City Business Journal, among others. A 2007 Iowa City Metro Area Affordable Housing Market Analysis suggests a combination of the livability of Iowa City along with the quality of higher education at The University of Iowa, roughly 30,000 students and about 18,000 employees, has successfully attracted people to the area since its founding in 1847. A report on housing market in Iowa City, from the website, www.iowacity.com, remarks, “…Iowa City is a regional center for the provision of many social and supportive services.”
Statistics support the city’s magnetic force in the region. The US Census Bureau reported on the site, quickfacts.census.gov, Johnson County, Iowa posted the second highest increase in population among the 99 Iowa counties, with 15.4% between 1 April 2000 and 1 July 2008. In contrast, the state posted a 2.6% increase over the same time period. (Read the Full Article)
Fry Fest
When I moved to Iowa City in the beginning of June, I was unfamiliar with this area of Iowa. As I was settling in, I couldn’t help but notice gold “It’s Great to be a Hawkeye” bumper stickers on many of the cars that I saw around town. This town is dedicated to its university, I thought.
One of my first VISTA assignments was to help Patti Fields, Director of Community Impact at United Way of Johnson County, with volunteer recruitment for the inaugural Fry Fest celebration that was to take place on September 4th, before the first University of Iowa home football game. I was hoping this “Fry Fest” would be a celebration of all that is deep fat fried. But I was quickly given a Hawkeye football history lesson: Fry Fest was in honor of Hayden Fry, the former Iowa head football coach and a legend in Hawkeye history.
The location of Fry Fest is important because it is at Iowa River Landing and around the grounds of the Coralville Marriott, which was a part of town that was heavily hit by flooding in 2008. Fry Fest was a great way to get the community down to that part of town to see what it has to offer now. I was humbled when I learned about all of the planning that had started a year before I even joined on. It was a lot of effort from many different people in the community.
Fry Fest offered activities for everyone; it was truly a celebration of all things Hawkeye. The day kicked off with a dedication ceremony to change the name of Coralville’s First Avenue to Hayden Fry Way. A classic car show lined the entrance to all the festivities. There were the World’s Largest Hawkeye Tradeshow and Tailgate party and appearances by Hayden Fry and other historical Hawkeyes. The Flying Hayden skydivers parachuted in just in time to see Jake Owens and The Charlie Daniels Band end the day with a concert before thousands of Hawkeyes from around the state.
These wonderful events wouldn’t have been possible without all of the 143 volunteers recruited from the community, along with volunteers from Dance Marathon, the U of I Entrepreneurship Club, and the U of I athletics, who spent their day working in the parking lots, guiding traffic, removing trash, and helping with crowd control for the dedication ceremony and pep rally. Many patient volunteers worked at the entrance of the Charlie Daniels Band concert and helped clean up afterwards.
Fry Fest was a great way for me to learn more about this community. I have learned that it is really “Great to be a Hawkeye.”
By Dana Johnson