Spare Change News Online

Some Zimbabweans See Only More Pain as Prices Fall

2009-04-14T16:27:00.002-04:00

By: MacDonald Dzirutwe

After the government of Zimbabwe decided to get rid of the local dollar whose value had been destroyed by inflation, goods have finally begun to reappear in stores and prices are falling. But some Zimbabweans are finding it even harder to make a living because they now have to survive solely off their allowance. People can no longer sell on the black market either, but some are being resourceful and selling the old, worthless Zimbabwe dollars to tourists for as much as $20. The government is seeking $5 billion for long-term recovery, which relies on the satisfaction of Western donors that Zimbabwe is on the road to stability. Unemployment in Zimbabwe is over 90 percent, and three million people have already left the country in search of other jobs.

No Stimulus for the Homeless

2009-04-14T16:18:00.002-04:00

By: James Shearer

The new regulations for homeless families being put into affect by the Patrick Administration are going to cut the budget for families by $4 million this year and $10 million next year. Meanwhile, the federal government is providing $17 million this year and $24 million next year for families with dependent children, but the state had decided not to use this money for the homeless. One beneficial revision to the regulations is that they now allow families to be considered for public housing who had previously left their housing if the families provide a plausible reason. The regulations have also been revised to allow minors to stay in shelters with their families, whereas before they could not.

Shanty Town USA

2009-04-14T16:11:00.006-04:00

By: Adam Forrest

As the financial crisis worsens and people continue losing their homes, shanty towns are springing up across the country. One of the largest tent communities, currently housing 1,200 homeless individuals, is located a few miles from California's state capitol building, on a piece of Sacramento wasteland. Although sleeping here is prohibited, people who have lost jobs and homes have nowhere else to go. Mayor Kevin Johnson is determined to shut down the tent city within the next couple weeks and move the residents into shelters. Another possibility is to set up a legal encampment that would include clean water, and sanitation services.

A Way Out of Rock Bottom: Pat Fina recounts years on the streets and finally leaving them

2009-04-14T15:54:00.002-04:00

By: Adam Sennott

Pat Fina, who has worked at the Community Learning Center in Cambridge for the past 11 years, recounts the seven years she spent in shelters while battling illness. She spent most of her homeless years in St. Patrick's Shelter because it doesn't allow any drugs of alcohol. Although she wasn't guaranteed a bed every night and Pat sometimes had trouble finding a place to stay, once a year she would treat herself to a dinner at Legal Seafoods for her birthday. Fina grew up in Ohio and eventually went to graduate school at Tufts, but after being raped at a theater party, she left school without a degree and with 10,000 dollars in debt. Fina worked off her debt by doing administrative work for schools and hospitals around Boston, but she soon became too sick to work. She was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and it took two years before she fully recovered. Once she regained her health, Fina was hired by the shelter as a janitor, and soon after she discovered the want ads for a tutor at the CLCC.

America's Youngest Outcasts: Homeless Children of America

2009-04-14T15:44:00.002-04:00

By: Amanda Fakhreddine

The "State Report Card on Child Homelessness" was recently released by the National Center for Family Homelessness and describes the conditions of the 17,505 homeless children in Massachusetts. The Report Card focuses on four areas: extent of homelessness, child well-being, structural risk factors, and state-by-state policy and planning efforts. The report only includes children who are a part of families or with a parent, not the unaccompanied youth. Most homeless students around the country score about 16 percent lower on math and reading tests, but homeless children in Massachusetts scored about 20 percent higher than their peers in both areas. Most homeless students are in grades K-8, and those in high school often don't finish, putting them at a huge disadvantage.

2009-03-31T16:37:00.004-04:00

Protesters marched from the Common to Copley Square in response to corporations laying off low-wage workers to cut costs.

Union members protest layoffs of janitors and service workers in Greater Boston.

Photos by Alexis Hauk

Minutemen: Neighborhood-Watch Over Our Border?

2009-03-31T16:00:00.009-04:00

By: Amanda Fakhreddine

The Minutemen are a military-like group formed in 2005 that help patrol the U.S.-Mexican border. The Minutemen outfit themselves in camouflage and night vision goggles and patrol the desert around the fence that divides the two countries. The Minutemen practice on shooting ranges and force themselves to learn to endure various harsh climates. They meet at a certain spot each night and then split up to look for anyone sneaking across the border. Lieutenant Anthony Salazar of the San Diego County Sheriffs Department of Alpine Station emphasized that the Minutemen are not part of the military, they are civilians who simply draw on military tactics. Former President George W. Bush tried to discourage the "vigilantes" but they truly believe they are protecting America and can't be dissuaded. Groups have been formed in opposition to the Minutemen, saying they are trying to prevent the unnecessary deaths of those who attempt to cross the border.

DSS: Helping Children Lost in the System

2009-03-31T15:50:00.002-04:00

By: Kore Van Baldwin

The Department of Social Services does it's best to place kids who have been pulled out of violent or unstable living situations into foster or adoptive families. However there are so many kids in the system that many continue down an unhealthy path and end up on the streets or abusing drugs anyway. The DSS is well meaning but not as helpful as they could be. What kids need is to be re-taught how to be social, how to fit in, how to move forward and how to motivate yourself. Many of the kids are psychologically and socially scarred, and above all they need to be taught to hope again, that they do have a future ahead of them.

Downturn, Debt Dulls Diamond Sector Sparkle

2009-03-31T15:39:00.002-04:00

By: Philip Blenkinsop

The diamond industry is experiencing a recession due to less demand, falling prices and lender reticence. Since a few diamonds are worth an large amount of money, the industry operates on debt, and the debt is crucial to funding $50-60 billion of trade in the stones. But the debt is becoming more than the industry can bear as trade levels are at one-tenth of their usual levels. Diamond industry leaders are discussing possible joint marketing efforts to ease the problem. The market of the super-rich has completely dried out, while jewelry sales in the U.S., which accounts for 45 percent of the market, have fallen by 20 percent.

Food Contamination, part II: How You Can Shop Locally and Rest Peacefully

2009-03-31T15:30:00.002-04:00

By: Robert Sandak

It is important to buy locally grown food to get the best quality, put money back into the regional economy and support farmers. All Whole Foods stores carry locally grown food; they even have signs that inform the consumer as to where it's from and if it's commercial or organic. Whole Foods also invites local farmers to their stores to do demonstrations. The Harvest Cooperative Market (in Cambridge and Jamaica Plain) also carries local produce. The Porter Square and Sidney Street Star Supermarkets have the largest selection of local produce. From June through October, local produce and fruit is also available at the 30 Middlesex Farmer's Markets across the state.

Thai Community Organizer Kovit Boonjear on Squatter Communities, Housing Rights and Community Empowerment.

2009-03-31T15:18:00.002-04:00

By: Katherine Foo

Kovit Boonjear is a native of Thailand who works to organize squatter and scavenger communities that deal with housing rights and self-sustainable income. He works to help the poor by emphasizing participatory education. Boonjear said that homelessness in Thailand is caused by the fact that the government solely supports the industrial sector, completely ignoring the agricultural sector. So people are selling their land and moving into the city to find jobs. Once in the city people find that land is extremely expensive, so they squat on the public land owned by the Railroad Authority of Thailand (RAT). Since the land is government owned, it is only available for rent, which is expensive. It is helpful for the people to come together and form groups, but there are no shelters available for the squatters who can't afford rent. The Assembly of the Poor helps to organize the squatters into groups. Boonjear is currently on a trip in North America to talk about his experiences and share them with others.

Cambridge Census Reveals Sharp Increase in Homeless Families, Individuals

2009-03-31T15:11:00.002-04:00

By: Julia Waterhous

The recently released tenth annual 2009 Cambridge Homeless Census Report, a joint report between Cambridge and Somerville, showed a 33 percent increase in the number of homeless in Cambridge since a year ago last January. The number of homeless families increased significantly while the number of homeless individuals dropped 7 percent. In January, seven teams led by CASPAR's First Step program went throughout Cambridge and Somerville in the early morning to find as many unsheltered homeless as they could. Fred Berman, planner with the Cambridge Department of Human Service Programs acknowledged that the numbers were unsettling but said they could be misleading too. The number of homeless families in Cambridge may have appeared to increase because the state has been housing homeless families at the Cambridge Gateway Inn; so there are more homeless families in Cambridge.

Food Contamination: Everything You Should Know

2009-03-17T15:30:00.005-04:00

By: Robert Sondak

In the three years from 2006 to 2009 there have been three major food- borne illnesses that have taken a toll on the U.S. food system. In 2006, California bagged spinach tested positive for E-Coli; in 2008, the United States Department of Agriculture issued a food advisory on salmonella contamination in tomatoes; in March 2009 the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Nutrition and Food Safety issued a recall of all Peanut Butter Corporation of America peanut butter products due to salmonella. E-Coli, as found in the California spinach in 2006, is a highly toxic bacteria strain that can cause severe food poisoning or death. The E-Coli was found to be a result of growing the spinach in the same region where cattle was farmed. The 2008 finding of salmonella in tomatoes was found to be the result of cross contamination with peppers from Mexico. The FDA website and Whole Foods website have more information on the peanut butter recall and past recalls.

Mauritians Also Competing for Land in Africa

2009-03-17T15:23:00.002-04:00

By: Inter Press Service

Mauritius, a net food importing country, has had to start growing its crops in other African states where there is more land and labor. Some are turning to Mozambique where it is easier to find people for hire. Mauritius traditionally grows vegetables, its top products being potato, onion and garlic. Mozambique also provides a climate where food can be grown year-round. What stands in the way of Mozambique accepting the Mauritians are political instability and poor sanitary conditions, but the two countries have ancestral relations that make them more open to each other.

China's Jobless Migrants Loath to Return to Countryside

2009-03-17T15:15:00.002-04:00

By: Simon Rabinovitch

The economic downturn has affected the number of jobs available in China, and those that flock to the cities in hopes of finding riches are being disappointed. The government is offering funds and training to the unemployed migrants in the country to start their own businesses in the hopes of keeping throngs of jobless migrants from wandering about the cities. Around 20 million rural migrants have lost work and don't know where to turn. The provincial government has attempted to help by providing information on where jobs might be found while simultaneously encouraging migrants to start their own business. 80 percent opt to look for employment in the cities.

State Budget Cuts, National Stimulus Poorly Timed

2009-03-17T15:07:00.002-04:00

By: Abby Elizabeth Conway

The Patrick administration has proposed changes to the state's emergency shelter program as a result of a $3.4 million deficit in the budget due to an increase in families seeking shelter. The changes include more restrictions on the families that would have access to shelter's, imposing regulations and narrowing the eligibility of families. Two years ago the Patrick administration promised to end homelessness in Massachusetts, and now when more people than ever are seeking shelter, the administration is making cuts. President Obama's recently signed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will help the state and provide almost $46 million over the next two years to programs that help with homelessness.

A Question of First Amendment Rights

2009-03-17T14:59:00.002-04:00

By: Amanda Fakhreddine

On February 25th a court hearing was held regarding a motion for a protective order to keep Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner from speaking with the media about bribe accusations held against him. In various television interviews Turner had spoken openly about the accusations, a fact that prosecutor John McNeil argued made it difficult for jurors to remain unbiased and unexposed. McNeil argued that the motion was not for a gag order and that Turner could still speak independently of the case; the order would simply keep further information from Turner out of the public realm before trial. Barry Wilson, Turner's defense attorney argued that this went against Turner's First Amendment rights.

Homeless Man Recounts Unwarranted Brush with Harvard Police

2009-03-17T14:52:00.002-04:00

By: Julia Waterhous

On February 27th, around 9pm Kenneth Thomas had an encounter with the Harvard Police outside the Harvard Square shelter while waiting for a meal there. The policemen pulled up in front of the shelter and asked for Thomas by name. He identified himself, and the police told him they had a default warrant for his arrest. The police proceeded to wrestle Thomas to the ground and put him in the squad car to take down to the station where they discovered that there was no warrant for his arrest.

2009-02-24T17:20:00.004-05:00

Two Lovers Review

2009-02-24T17:11:00.003-05:00

By: Jenny Halper

I’d like to take a moment to thank James Gray for Two Lovers, a romance that features not one but two complex female characters and ends bravely with indecision. From the first shot when Joaquin Phoenix plunges into the waters of Brighton Beach to Gwyneth Paltrow’s portrayal of lover #2, a madly-in-love attorney’s assistant who admits she’s not one for reading and shouts across her fire escape like the irrepressible teenager she hasn’t quite grown out of, everything about this film is brave.
Gray’s previous films include Little Odessa and We Own the Night, the former a dark depiction of a history of crime. Although Lovers isn’t nearly as gritty, it has the same sense of authenticity; over the course of two hours you feel like you’re spending time with these people rather than watching a movie about them.
The movie opens with Phoenix’s Leonard moving back in with his parents after breaking up with his fiancé. Now he’s sleeping in the bed he’s had since high school while working at a Laundromat his father runs and he seems poised to inherit. When business associates come over for dinner, they bring their daughter Sandra (Vinessa Shaw), who is so beautiful and sweet one senses he’d fall for her immediately if both sets of parents weren’t so keen on the match. But they are, and date number two is a lunch with their fathers that he ditches to follow new next door neighbor Michelle (Paltrow) to her job in the city. Michelle gives him her cell number so that “we can text.”
As Leonard tentatively courts Sandra, he quickly becomes close friends with Michelle, but she’s involved in a poisonous affair with a lawyer at her firm. The lawyer, married with children, has stationed her in Brighton Beach – he’s paying for the apartment – because his mother lives nearby and he can visit her without alarming his wife. Completely oblivious to Leonard’s attraction to her (and to much else) Michelle asks him to tag along on dates and ascertain the older man’s intentions.
It’s a testament to Paltrow’s performance that Michelle – who should be very, very irritating – is sympathetic; watching her unknowingly invade Leonard’s heart and his fledgling relationship with Sandra is a bit like watching a toddler spill ink all over silk: she means well, she just doesn’t know any better. It’s also easy to see why Leonard, who Phoenix plays as a charmer who masks everything, is so taken with her – she’s honest and free-spirited, or at least seems that way, whereas Sandra’s overbearing family is part of the bargain.
I should mention that the supporting cast, which includes Isabella Rossellini as Leonard’s mother, is top notch, and that the Brighton Beach setting evokes an old fashioned community that is simultaneously oppressive and comforting. Ultimately, though, what makes Two Lovers so effective is that Gray refuses to choose sides, and asks the audience to instead, which is almost impossible: if Sandra’s an anchor, Michelle is a hot air balloon.

Babylon's Future Written in Its Ruins

2009-02-24T16:50:00.004-05:00

By: Khalid al-Ansary

After enduring harsh treatment at the hands of U.S. troops and Saddam Hussein among others, officials are hoping that the ancient Mesopotamian city of Babylon can be revived and made ready for tourism with the help from experts at the World Monuments Fund and the U.S. embassy. The Future of Babylon project are looking to restore the site, home of the Hanging Gardens, but the project has much to do after the damage done by looters and the 2003 U.S.-led invasion to overthrow Hussein. Officials say preservation is crucial as Babylon gave birth to much of current civilization's agriculture, writing, codified law and the wheel. Tourism may also help Iraq's economy. The U.S. embassy in Baghdad is contributing $700,000 the the sites restoration.

Project Care and Concern at Pilgrim Church

2009-02-24T16:45:00.002-05:00

By: Robert Sondak

From 10 am to 4 pm five days a week, Project Care and Concern at the Pilgrim Church on Columbia Road is open to residents and provides reasonably priced new and used clothing and household items. The PCC and Nutrition Education Outreach Project also collaborate to circulate recipe flyers to the bilingual Uphams Corner community. Dorchester residents referred by the Project Bread Hunger Hotline recieve the flyers every month. The recipes highlight good nutrition and are often centered around holiday themes.

Homeless Senior Banned from Cambridge Center Seeks Answers

2009-02-24T16:41:00.003-05:00

By: Julia Waterhous

Terrence Rothman was banned from the Cambridge Senior Center two years ago after attempting to circulate a petition to bring back a social worker who had recently been fired. He was initially asked to leave the center and later police were called and he was told that if he didn't leave he would be thrown in jail. Rothman has since been seeking answers as to why he was banned and action against the Senior Center as they renewed his ban multiple times and he has not been able to return to the Center for the past two years. Rothman has filed a complaint against the CSC and the City of Cambridge for discrimination based on his diagnosis of paranoia.

Joblessness Rises in Congo as Global Crisis Hits Mining

2009-02-24T16:32:00.002-05:00

By: Miriam Mannak

The global economic crisis has caused the collapse of the local mining industry in the Katanga province in the Democratic Republic of Congo in central Africa. The region relies heavily on mining and since September 2008 when global demand for natural resources plummeted and prices fell to all-time lows, 300,000 people have lost jobs and another 60,000 may soon lose their jobs too. The Congolese franc, the local currency, has also lost half its value, seeing an increasing number of children and beggars on the streets. MONUC, the local UN mission has been wary of security issues surrounding the crisis, and the region has recently seen an increase in violent crime. The mining crisis is beginning to affect other businesses in Katanga as well.

Networking the Nonprofit Industry in a Recession

2009-02-24T16:24:00.002-05:00

By: Amanda Fakhreddine

On February 11th, Rosie's Place sponsored an event hosted by the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network that featured five panelists from various local nonprofit organizations who spoke about the issues currently facing nonprofits. With the economic recession, nonprofits are facing cuts in programs and the services they are able to provide. Panelists highlighted the need for volunteers and anyone willing to help. The nonprofit organizations discussed all dealt with homelessness, and panelists also gave advice to those in attendance hoping to network, and to anyone wishing to get into the nonprofit industry. Entry- level positions are available but a certain personality allows some to be more successful than others.