Community Resource Directory

Agenda created the Community Resource Directory (CRD) to give Ann Arbor community organizations a forum in which to publicize their activities and available resources. The information in the CRD is written by the organizations, though it has been edited in order to fit the allotted space and format. If you would like to find out more about any of the groups described in the CRD, simply contact them at the names and addresses listed. They'll be happy to hear from you.

Note to Readers: You may recognize some familiar information in listings that have appeared in Agenda in previous months. Statement of Purpose, for instance may have remained the same for a particular group. This is pertinent information to new readers. Be careful not to dismiss the rest of the text out of hand. Each group updates its listing each month. If you know all the background on a group, skip to the Current News and July Events sections.

Note to Participants: several of the entries in this issue were edited more extensively than they have been in the past. This was necessary in order to more fairly distribute the allotted space among participating organizations. Great care was taken to distill the most essential information that each group submitted for publication. If you think we left out something important, be sure to let us know. In the future, if you can keep your entries to two typed, double-spaced pages or less, we will have to do only minimal stylistic editing. Thanks for your support, and we look forward to receiving your entry for the August issue by July 19th.

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Environment

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Big Mountain Support Group

2619 S. Main Street

Ann Arbor, Ml 48104

663-9119

Statement of Purpose

Approximately 10,000-15,000 Navajo people at Big Mountain are slated for removal from their land in Arizona by July 8 because of the perceived energy needs of the U.S. government, which is in the process of destroying the land, air and water of the Big Mountain area at the expense of current and future Navajo generations. Faced with the pollution of mines already stripping their lands and the psychological trauma and injustice of relocation, the Navajo people have united in resistance to the Relocation Act and ask our support. The local group is one of many others nationally and internationally responding to requests from Big Mountain, with the primary goals of publicizing facts about the relocation, writing letters to senators and representatives, and raising funds for the people at Big Mountain.

Meetings

Call BMSG for times and places. All are welcome and encouraged to attend; because of the urgent nature of this issue, BMSG would like to hold a general meeting as soon as possible.

July Events

Thursday, 10: Showing of the movie "Broken Rainbow," which documents events at Big Mountain. Although this film won an Academy Award, it has not been widely shown. Call for time and place.

The slide show, "Trouble on Big Mountain," and a video of a PBS documentary are also available for showing. Ongoing events include a button sale at the Wildflower Bakery to raise money for the people at Big Mountain.

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The Ecology Center of Ann Arbor

417 Detroit Street

Ann Arbor, Ml 48104

761-3186

Statement of Purpose

The mission of the Ecology Center is to channel community resources into meaningful action on environmental issues. The Center pursues its broad aims through education, advocacy, demonstration, and service, all the while maintaining a balance between involvement at the local level and involvement on a broader scale.

Meetings

Meetings of Ecology Center committees and task forces, including an issues steering committee, pesticides task force, environmental education committee and others, take place at 3 to 5 week intervals. New volunteers are invited. Informal orientation meetings with a staff person prior to involvement are usually scheduled.

Membership

The Ecology Center has over 2000 member households, mostly in the Ann Arbor area. Members include over 150 businesses and approximately 200 volunteers. Membership rates are $15 per household, $5 for seniors. Regular volunteers receive a free membership. Member benefits include a year's subscription to Ecology Reports, (the Centers monthly newsletter), environmental alerts on critical local issues, discounts on Center publications and merchandise, energy visits, voting rights to elect board members, and invitations to member activities. Sponsorships, bequests, and special contributions are welcomed.

Community Services

Environmental Information and Referrals: By phone, Mon.-Fri., 9:30am to 5:00pm, and Sat., 9:30am to 1:00pm. The Library and Resource Center is open Mon.-Fri., 1:00pm to 5:00pm and Sat., 9:30am to 1:00pm. Presentations and slide shows are also available upon request.

Recycle Ann Arbor: The Center provides set-scheduled monthly pick ups of recycleables on every city street. Trucks pick up newspapers, glass, tin cans, aluminum, used motor oil and batteries. Call the Ecology Center to determine your pickup day. Special pickups may be arranged for local businesses and institutions. Call the Ecology Center for further information. The Center also operates a drop-off station for nonresidents and those who just can't wait for their pickup day. The station is open Fri. and Sat., 9:30am to 4:30pm.

Home Energy Works: The Center's Energy Team offers weatherization, energy education, and comprehensive audits to renters, homeowners, and property managers, and is available for community development contracts. Services are often free to low-income households. Call the Ecology Center to see if you qualify for a free home visit.

Issues Programs: Issues programs involve research, policy analysis, and lobbying. These programs are primarily carried out by volunteer members. Current project areas include: Household Toxics, Pesticides and Herbicides, Community "Right to Know" About Toxics, and the Environmental Education Outreach Program.

Volunteer Opportunities: All program areas at the Ecology Center utilize the involvement of members and the local community. Individuals interested in any aspect ot the Ecology Centers work, or just simply with some extra time to lend a hand, should contact the Ecology Center.

Current News

The "Michigan Household Hazardous Substance Handbook," written by the Ecology Center in cooperation with the Michigan Environmental Health Association and the Cooperative Extension Service, will be available for $15 at the Ecology Center beginning this month. It is a new guide to precautions, alternatives, and safe practices in the home.

July Events

Tuesday, 15: Huron River Day, Gallup Park, organized by a coalition of several local groups, the day is a celebration of our local river and open to the public. There will be educational displays and activities, refreshments, entertainment, and FUN!!

The Pesticide Task Force will be meeting in July to examine alternatives to pesticides, pest management strategies, and the effects of commonly used pesticides. Call for meeting time and location.

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Greenpeace

400 W. Washington

Ann Arbor, MI 48103

761-1996

Statement of Purpose

Originally founded in Canada in 1971 to oppose U.S. nuclear testing at Amchitka Island in Alaska, Greenpeace is now a global network extending across 15 nations. We are ecologists actively working to protect a fragile world. Ecology teaches us that all forms of life are interconnected and interdependent and that we need to respect the diversity of life as we respect ourselves. For that reason we are involved in a variety of environmental campaigns: curbing the use of toxic chemicals, halting the dumping of nuclear and other toxic substances, stopping the whale and seal slaughters, challenging the nuclear powers to stop testing as a step to ending the arms race, supporting the people of the Pacific in their efforts to keep their lands nuclear free, seeding to make Antartica a world preserve.

While direct action is Greenpeace's best known tactic, it is but one approach we have. Greenpeace investigators also document scientific, financial and political roots of environmental problems. We prepare carefully researched briefs, which we present to the courts, the press, governments and the world, to support our cases for major changes in public and private policy. We see ourselves as educators whether the forum is a United Nations conference, townhall meeting or a schoolroom. We publish papers and articles, produce films, videotapes and slideshows in an effort to disseminate critical information to the public. Greenpeace also operates a citizen outreach program to educate and bring awareness to individuals in a more personal nature. Greenpeace is expanding this program nationwide which has led to the opening of a Greenpeace office here in Ann Arbor.

Current Events

We are looking forward to a successful summer Great Lakes Campaign working to stop the direct discharge of toxic waste and preserve the Great Lakes, which is the largest fresh water system in the world, as the great and beautiful natural resource that it has been for thousands of years. This area has become a high priority of Greenpeace and we are becoming more involved in the preservation of these Great Lakes and will continue to be until we eliminate the toxic dumping that is threatening the life of all species which inhabit the Great Lakes area.

NOTE: We have just arrived in Ann Arbor and are in the process of hiring and training new staff members. Please give us a call. We can always use more committed people.

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The Meeman Archive

1535 Dana Building

School of Natural Resources

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Ml 48109

763-5327

Statement of Purpose

Established by the School of Natural Resources and the Scripps-Howard Foundation in 1982, the Meeman Archive preserves and makes available to the public outstanding newspaper journalism concerning conservation, natural resources, and the environment. Its computerized data base, using over a hundred subject and geographical keywords covering a wide variety of topics and articles from many different newspapers, is available to anyone. It is of particular value to natural resource professionals, environmental groups, teachers, students, journalists, and the public at large.

The Archive receives articles from a variety of sources. The principal source is the national Meeman Awards sponsored by the Scripps-Howard Foundation, which honors outstanding coverage of environ-mental topics. Articles are selected from other sources as well. New articles on subjects such as hazardous waste, endangered species, energy conservation, water policy, soil erosion, Native Americans, occupational health, transportation, among others, are constantly being added to the Archive, thus expanding the available collection of environmental information.

Community Services

As a non-profit information service, the Archive responds to information inquiries from all across the country. To find out if the information you need may be found within the Archive, phone, write, or visit. The data base allows us to search for articles, abstracts, or copies of the articles in our files. The only charge for the service is for postage and reproduction costs.

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Gay Rights

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Gay Liberation

c/o 4117 Michigan Union

Ann Arbor, Ml 48109

Info: 763-4186

Hotline: 662-1977

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of Gay Liberation is to provide information, counseling, and related social services for people concerned about sexual orientation. We maintain a hotline for crisis intervention, and offer peer counseling and referral. Our emphasis is on tactual information to offset the prejudice and misinformation and we work to obtain and protect human and civil rights for lesbians and gay men, consulting and cooperating with other community groups and agencies; and helping organize other lesbian and gay male groups. Call for information about meetings and membership.

Community Services

Hotline: Crisis intervention, peer counseling, referral.

Education: Workshops on lesbian and gay male concerns.

Speakers Bureau: Call for information.

Community Organization: Information and help on organizing groups, setting goals and objectives, and resolving interpersonal and group conflict.

Civil Rights Information and referral to help people who are being discriminated against because of their actual or presumed sexual orientation or gender characteristics, lobbying for human and civil rights.

Current News

The current anti-gay backlash, fueled by public anxiety about AIDS, necessitates forceful and ongoing efforts to protect the civil and human rights of lesbians and gay men and of persons presumed to be lesbian or gay. Since 1977, the Michigan Organization for Human Rights (MOHR) has worked to establish, support, and protect the basic rights of people whose actual or presumed sexual or affectional orientation subjects them to discrimination.

At the state level, MOHR has succeeded in adding Congressperson Sandor Levin as a cosponsor of HR2361, which would among other things, eliminate anti-gay provisions of the Immigration and Naturalization statutes. At local levels, MOHR is working with the East Lansing City Council to enact a domestic partner ordinance covering employees of the city. MOHR has also interceded in the public debate concerning homophobic actions within the prosecutorial and judicial systems throughout Michigan.

MOHR's Litigation Committee is watching the progress of efforts to amend the current AIDS policy of the Ann Arbor public schools. At present, a panel of doctors and non-medical professionals can decide who should be excluded from the public schools "to protect the health and safety of all students and employees." The Litigation Committee is handling the case of Keenan vs. WSU. The Wayne State University Alumni Association has refused to recognize the application by two lesbians as a "couple membership." The Association has agreed to allow one couple to so register, but has refused to change its membership policies to allow same-sex couple membership.

Persons interested in joining this statewide group to help improve the status of lesbians and gay men in Michigan are invited to contact MOHR, 940 West McNichols, Detroit, MI 48203, 863-7255. Locally, call the Lesbian-Gay Male Programs Office at U-M for information: 763-4186.

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Lesbian and Gay Youth Support Group

Ozone House

608 North Main Street

Ann Arbor, Ml 48104

662-2222

Statement of Purpose

The Lesbian and Gay Youth Support Group is a small group of young men and women who meet in Ozone House's General meeting Room to share with each other their experiences of being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or simply unsure about their sexual identities. Meetings include discussions of relevant topics, and recreational events such as canoeing, guest speakers, a walk, or whatever else can be arranged.

This group, the only one in southeast Michigan devoted to teenage gays, offers young people a supportive and confidential environment which schools and adult gay organizations have a difficult time providing. Trained Ozone House counselors facilitate the group.

Meetings and Membership

The Lesbian and Gay Youth Support Group is open to youth through age 20. Meetings occur once per week and generally last for two hours. For further information and or to arrange an interview, call 662-2222 and ask for Jeff or Kim.

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Housing

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Ann Arbor Tenants Union (AATU)

4001 Michigan Union

Ann Arbor, Ml 48109

763-6876

Statement of Purpose

Most people in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area rent. The Tenants Union provides peer counseling to tenants and helps them deal with the problems of high rents, discrimination, poor service, and other landlord tactics that threaten the peace, privacy and security of their homes. AATU seeks to help tenants to deal with landlords, bureaucrats, and courts on their own.

Meetings and Membership

AATU memberships are available on a sliding scale to any tenants in the area. Membership s not mandatory to receive counseling but all contributions are needed and welcome. AATU is a member organization of the National Tenants Union (NTU), the Michigan Ad-Hoc Committee on Housing, the Freedom Charter Coalition, and Community Housing Coalition.

Community Services

Educational and counseling services are available to individuals and groups through the central service office located in the Michigan Union. Tenants who work with their neighbors towards a collective solution to shared problems have more strength than individuals. These tenants form Tenants Unions locals where they live in order to bargain collectively with the landlord. AATU provides back-up services for locals including research, organizational and negotiating assistance, graphic production, and networking with other tenants.

Phone counselors are available Mondays and Thursdays from noon to 5pm. In-person counseling is available Wednesdays at 1pm and 7pm (other time's by appointment please). Please bring photocopies of leases, letters, and anything that is applicable.

Published materials include "How to Evict Your Landlord," a manual of basic tenants rights, available for $3, and "Fight Back: how to defend yourself in court when you're being evicted," a handy guide to get you through the courtroom without an attorney.

Current News

Bureaucrats take a second look: In September the Housing Inspection Bureau certified a decrepit rooming house at 708 E. Kingsley as having ZERO violations. In February the city was forced to reinspect the building, and the results were made public in late May. The new report lists 118 violations, including many dangerous health and safety problems. If your landlord tells you the city certifies the place you live, remember 708 E. Kingsley and ask: did they miss a few at your place too? The Housing Inspection Bureau can be reached at 994-2678.

The Appleridge tenants rent strike continues as repairs are not done, and $50 and up rent increases were announced by landlord Jim Cote the day after he bought the place. Cote has made illegal threats to throw out the tenants and board the place up, and the Appleridge Tenants Union Local has filed an appeal with the Housing Board of Appeals to overturn improper actions by the supervisor of the Housing Inspection Bureau.

University Terrace tenants have organized and last month picketed University Hospital. University Terrace is a 193-unit, forty-year-old apartment complex which is owned by the University and sits between the new hospital and the Arb. Over the past few months the Hospital has issued proclamations depriving tenants of parking spaces which were already in too short of supply. The University Family Housing office appears powerless in the face of the Hospital. The Hospital has refused to deal directly with the tenants group or to take seriously the needs of these student tenants. Tenants picketed the inauguration ceremonies of the new hospital facility. A week later the hospital bulldozed the backyard of one building to make more parking space for hospital staff.

University Hospital documents reveal that the current "parking crisis" was planned by the Hospital Construction Administration several years ago. Documents also show an intent to bulldoze the 193 affordable University Terrace units and use the space for more profitable clinics for patients brought in from outside the county. None of the documents show any plans to replace the 193 housing units.

Coming Events

A Midwest regional housing conference will be held in Ann Arbor in October. Last year's conference attracted over 200 participants from the Great Lakes region. This year the themes of the conference will include tenant management and rent control. Conference volunteers should call Larry at 763-6876 or 763-9920.

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Intergenerational Issues

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Gray Panthers of Huron Valley

1209 Island Drive #103

Ann Arbor, MI 48105

663-0786

Statement of Purpose

To make the world a place in which the young can look forward to growing old in peace and security. To bring together all ages in working for a better life for everyone, that should include a national health service, jobs for all who can and want to work, justice, freedom and dignity for the powerless and the oppressed. These are some among many other goals.

The Gray Panthers are individuals of different ages, interests, and skills, whose active social consciences impel them to work for the elimination of widespread social ills still afflicting our country and the world.

Meetings

The Gray Panthers of Huron Valley meet on the second Saturday of each month, September through June (no July or August meetings) in the second floor conference room, Ann Arbor Fire Station, 107 North Fifth Avenue, 2 to 4pm. The public is invited.

Community Services

In coalition with other community groups, we pursue actions for peace, nuclear weapons elimination, decent housing, etc., as well as support petition drives for legislative change. We also work as individuals serving through other organizations offering social services to the general public.

Current News

Media publicity has addressed the need for support of the Social Security program, for nursing home monitoring, for establishing a National Health Service, and for boycotting consumer goods manufactured by nuclear weapons producing firms.

The Covenant for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons, a campaign initiated by the local Gray Panthers chapter, now has 19 co-sponsoring Michigan organizations. It is also receiving wider national recognition and engendering growing interest. The Covenant concept calls for a boycott of consumer goods produced by nuclear weapons manufacturers, along with divestiture of stock holdings in those firms. Which manufacturers and which products one wishes to boycott are individual decisions, but all cases also call for letters to those companies' presidents telling them of the action taken and why. A kit has been prepared for purchase (to help fund the campaign) which covers all ramifications of the effort and is available for $5.00. It includes, among other useful information, a Buyer's Guide listing of the 30 major nuclear firms, the consumer products they turn out, and alternative sources for those products.

(NOTE: Meetings are suspended during July and August and will resume in September.)

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Ozone House

608 North Main Street

Ann Arbor, Ml 48104

662-2222

Ozone House is a nonprofit, collectively run organization whose primary charters to advocate for youth. Ozone House believes in a young person's right to self-determination and therefore offers support, counseling, and information to help young people help themselves. In its commitment to youth advocacy, Ozone House recognizes the need to support families, parents and larger systems.

Ozone House believes that the family has the capacity to be the best and most natural system for youth to resolve problems. It also recognizes the importance and difficulty of parenting or of having a troubled brother or sister. Because of this, our goal is to support and advocate for all family members. Ozone House offers help to families by facilitating communication between family members as they work toward the resolution of conflicts.

We take a position with schools, local agencies, police, social service systems, and state and federal welfare decision-making bodies which is consistent with our advocacy philosophy. We recognize that these larger systems can have a vital impact on youth, parents and families.

Ozone House's confidentiality policy creates an environment in which clients can be comfortable seeking help and the support they need to help themselves.

Community Services

Ozone House offers the following services free of charge:

1. Crisis Counseling: 24 hour counseling by telephone for the community at large.

2. Walk-ln and Ongoing Counseling: For runaways, youth, families, and adults with family issues. Available 11am to 11pm.

3. Foster Care: Short-term emergency placements.

4. Independent Living Program: Helps homeless youth find jobs, housing and acquire skills for independent living.

5. Community Education: Offers presentations to schools and community at large about issues related to adolescence and families.

6. Support Groups: Currently offers a gay/lesbian youth support group and is planning a group for teens of divorced/separated parents.

7. Food: Emergency kitchen for youth.

8. Referrals: Information about other resources.

Announcements

Ozone House trains new workers three times annually. People of all ages and backgrounds are encouraged to call for more information.

Ozone House seeks temporary foster parents willing to offer emergency shelter to young people for 3 to 4 nights per month. Call for details.

Look for the Ozone House face-painters at the Art Fair! Visit our booth for brochures, balloons and information.

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Labor

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Ann Arbor FLOC Support Group (FLOC)

c/o Fran DuRivage

1440 Hubbard

Ann Arbor, Ml 48109

763-1675 or (419)243-3456

Statement of Purpose

The Ann Arbor FLOC exists to support, through education and fundraising, the efforts of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee which has its headquarters in Toledo, Ohio. FLOC is committed to justice for all workers and has supported the nonviolent efforts of farm workers to organize, the right to be recognized, and the principle of collective bargaining in good faith. The plight of the farm worker affects all of us because their labor sustains each of us.

Meetings

The Ann Arbor FLOC Support Group usually meets Wednesdays at 5:45pm in the Union, but during the summer, place and time are subject to change. Call the local number for more information.

Community Services

The Ann Arbor FLOC Support Group holds numerous benefits and bake sales, donating proceeds to the FLOC Headquarters in Toledo, Ohio. We also work to educate the public about the plight of the farm worker through literature, speakers, and slide shows. Please call for more information.

July Events

July 23-26: FLOC's biggest annual fundraiser at the Ann Arbor Summer Arts Festival. For the past six years FLOC has operated a food booth, selling burritos, tacos, and tostadas to raise money for organizing efforts. This year's food sale is a special one because FLOC finally won contracts with the Campbell Soup Co., its subsidiary Vlasic Foods, and their growers. FLOC celebrates the suspension of its seven year boycott of Campbell's products but is also stepping up efforts to secure contracts with other processors. The contracts are a major victory but they cover only 2% of all farm workers.

FLOC needs volunteers to help out with the food booth, located in the area between the Union and the LSA Building. If you can work an hour or more in the kitchen (cooking), or in the food booth (selling), or at the literature table (sitting), call Fran at the above number(s). For those who cannot volunteer their time, FLOC could also use donations to help underwrite the set-up costs of the food booth. Checks may be made payable to the Ann Arbor FLOC Support Group and sent c/o Fran DuRivage to the above address.

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Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

Southeastern Michigan General Membership Branch

42 S. Summit

Ypsilanti, Ml 48197

483-3478

Statement of Purpose

The IWW. Union advocates the ownership and control of all means of production and distribution by the working class. It promotes this purpose through workplace organizing and education. Tactically it differentiates itself from conventional unions through emphasis on direct action rather than reliance on the courts and government to achieve the ends of the working class.

In the short run, the IWW helps workers organize for increased decision-making power in the workplace as well as improved wages and benefits.

Meetings

General membership meetings are on the second Monday of every month, 5:45pm, Room 4304, Michigan Union, 530 S. State, Ann Arbor. Informal working meetings are every Monday, same time and place. Meetings are open to observers.

The IWW has approximately 110 members in this area. The initiation fee is $5. Dues are $5 per month for workers making more than $300 per month, $2 per month for anyone making less than $300 per month.

Community Services

Labor-organizing: Members of the IWW are available to advise and assist anyone engaged in organizing which will promote worker control, regardless of whether the organizers ultimately desire affiliation with the IWW.

Current News

Contract re-negotiations are underway at the People's Wherehouse and the University Cellar (in both places, a majority of the workers belong to the IWW).

At a recent meeting of the Cellar Branch, $100 contributions to the Hormel workers of Local P-9 in Minnesota, and to the local organization working on the General Electric boycott were approved.

IWW is beginning preparations for a labor history series of six to ten events to begin n the fall. The series will focus on the last 100 years of labor, primarily in the United States. For this event, IWW hopes to have films and speakers, including some participants of significant events which have occurred over the last 50 years.

IWW is promoting the following boycotts:

Hormel Meat Products: Hundreds of Hormel workers in Minnesota have been on strike for several months in opposition to a concessionary contract. Hormel refuses to negotiate, and the striking workers have faced attacks from the police and national guard, as well as being abandoned by their union, the United Food and Commercial Workers. The Hormel workers' only hope to bring Hormel back to the negotiating table is through economic pressure exerted by consumers.

Shell Oil: For corporate policies which abet apartheid in South Africa.

Coors beer: For the racist, sexist, homophobic, anti-civil liberties policies and attitudes of its owners. Widespread boycotts have had effect in the past in forcing corporations to cease blatant disregard for their social responsibility. Already Coors share of the California market has dropped from 50% to 15%, the Texas market has dropped from 40% to 14%, and in its home state of Colorado, the market has dropped from 62% to 21%. Coors has only managed to gain a 10% foothold on the Michigan beer market and the boycott is likely to succeed with continued support.

A few good reasons for not buying Coors beer:

1) Funding of right wing organizations: Consumer dollars spent on Coors beer aid Joseph Coors in promoting right wing organizations and causes such as the American Security Council (supporters of the white supremacist regime in S. Africa and the murderous generals of Guatemala); the Heritage Foundation (a major architect of many of Reagan's anti-people policies, including cuts in social programs during a period of severe economic recession); and the anti-Equal Rights Amendment activities of Phyllis Schafly.

2) Invasion of the privacy of its workers: As a condition of employment at Coors, workers have been required to take lie detector tests in which they were asked questions about such things as their sexual and religious preferences and political affiliations. Coors workers have also been subjected to random searches of their lockers, clothing, lunch pails, and vehicles by a private security force employed by the company.

3) Union busting activity: In 1977 Coors workers went on strike to protest the invasion of their privacy. Coors broke that strike by hiring scab workers who voted the Union out in an election in which Union workers were denied a vote.

4) Damage to the environment: Coors has been repeatedly cited by the EPA for pollution violations. In one instance the EPA estimates that Coors dumped more than five million gallons of toxic waste at a single landfill site in Colorado.

5) Racism: In 1984, William Coors, chairman of the company, told a group of minority business owners that blacks "lack the intellectual capacity to succeed..."

6) Social Theft: In 1984, Coors was listed by the Citizens for Tax Justice as one of 40 major American corporations which paid no taxes.

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Latin American Issues

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A2MISTAD

Construction Brigade

802 Monroe

Ann Arbor, Ml 48104

761-7960

Statement of Purpose

In keeping with the recently approved Peace with Central America Initiative creating cultural links between the people of Ann Arbor and Central America, the A2MISTAD (Ann Arbor-Managua Initiative for Soil Testing and Development) Construction Brigade will build a soil testing laboratory on the campus of the Autonomous University of Nicaragua in the fall of 1986. By working with Nicaraguans to help build a stronger, more independent agricultural economy, A2MISTAD hopes to create lasting ties between Nicaragua and Ann Arbor, showing solidarity with the Nicaraguan people as they attempt to implement the goals of their revolution.

A project of HAP-NICA (Humanitarian Aide Project for the Independent Agricultural Development of Nicaragua), A2MISTAD undertakes various projects based on requests form the Autonomous University of Nicaragua and the agricultural workers' union. A2MISTAD is unique in that, unlike the other North American construction brigades in Nicaragua, it is part of an international effort involving assistance from Italy and Canada, as well as the United States. With this brigade, A2MISTAD proposes a constructive contribution to the Nicaraguan people: to build rather than bomb, to befriend rather than subvert. Since A2MISTAD's most recent focuses include fundraising, recruitment, architectural design, and tools and materials, it welcomes donations of money, tools, and building supplies, such as concrete blocks.

Meetings

Open to all, Sundays, 7:30pm, Michigan Union. Ask for the room number at the information desk.

July Events

Sunday, 13: Fundraising auction, 3pm, place to be announced.

Saturday, 19: "Bash" to celebrate the 7th anniversary of the Nicaraguan Revolution, featuring music, food and entertainment. 11am to dusk, West Park.

July or August: A door-to-door canvas is being planned, as well as other benefits, including music events.

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Humanitarian Assistance Project for Independent Agricultural Development in Nicaragua

(HAP-NICA)

802 Monroe

Ann Arbor, Ml 48104

761-7960

Statement of Purpose

HAP-NICA is a non-profit organization conducting a national campaign of aid for Nicaraguan agriculture. The various chapters of HAP-NICA across North America are currently relatively autonomous. As the founding chapter, Ann Arbor HAP-NICA continues to act as a clearinghouse, both for information on projects from Nicaragua and for (tax-deductible) contributions from across North America.

We are affiliated with the Guild House Campus Ministry of Ann Arbor, an ecumenical ministry devoted to principles of human justice. HAP-NICA's aid to Nicaraguan agriculture takes three forms:

Material Aid: This includes raising money for farm machine spare parts, supplies such as seeds and fertilizer and educational materials.

Technical Assistance: We send professors to teach courses and consultants to offer advice and help design projects.

Research and Development: We cooperate with Nicaraguan scientists in developing sound agricultural practices.

Meetings

Meetings are held on alternate Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. at the Michigan Union. The first meeting for July will be Thursday, July 10, 5:30 pm, Michigan Union. Call us for the day and place of the meeting during Art Fair week.

Current News HAP-NICA activities in recent months have been in a number of different areas:

1) The ongoing work of publicity and fundraising, accomplished mostly through national mailings of our newsletter and mail-order sales of our T-shirts. We are now completing an introductory newsletter on HAP-NICA projects and the situation in Nicaragua that will be distributed to other chapters and to new people on our mailing list. In addition, our summer newsletter is also in the works. Our inventory of HAP-NICA continued NICA T-shirts has grown in anticipation of the Art Fair, where we'll have a literature table.

2) Gearing up to take our slideshow and speakers bureau "on the road" to get more communities around the country involved in HA-NICA. In coming weeks we hope to set up meetings in other towns and cities in the region to present speakers and our slideshow to people who haven't come in contact with us before and perhaps to spark interest in forming new HAP-NICA chapters. Copies of the slideshow have already gone out to California , Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

3) Improving our contacts in Nicaragua through the help of Miguel, our coordinator in Managua who arrived in January and has since been working busily to get through the usual red tape and complications. Miguel been indispensable in moving the soil laboratory project forward (see AMISTAD) and making contacts for new project proposals that we are now considering for funding and will discuss in future issues of Agenda.

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Latin American Solidarity Committee (LASC)

4120 Michigan Union

Ann Arbor MI 48109

665-8438

Statement of Purpose

LASC is a nonprofit group dedicated to supporting the legitimate aspirations of Latin American peoples to self-determination. lts goals are to increase awareness here about contemporary realities in Latin America and the U.S. role in perpetuating these, and to pressure our government to change its military, political, and economic policies toward Latin America.

Meetings

Meetings are every Wednesday at 8pm in the Michigan Union. Stop at the information desk or call the LASC office. The office is normally staffed from 12 to 2pm on weekdays, and messages can be left on the answering machine at all other times.

Community Services

LASC sponsors educational events such as films and speakers. The outreach committee also sends people to University or high school classes or any place else they're invited to talk about the issues. The LASC newsletter La Palabra is sent to about 800 subscribers and contains a summary of local activity, upcoming events, and some national and international news.

Current News

Town Meeting On June 6, LASC together with the Interfaith Council for Peace and the Ann Arbor Sister City Task Force sponsored a town meeting on Central America. John Conyers, a representative in the U.S. Congress from the Detroit area, gave a very informative talk on U.S. intervention in the region (see article by Torn Lynn elsewhere in this issue). However, our own Representative Carl Pursell did not attend. His absence was noted by an empty chair with his name on it.

The day following the town meeting (June 7), Pursell was scheduled to speak at the centennial celebration of Ann Arbor's train station. LASC and A2MISTAD hastily organized a demonstration to greet him, and there were about 40 people with signs, some handing out leaflets about Pursell's votes to fund the contras and the repression in El Salvador, but once again Pursell never arrived.

Contra Aid Protest

Together with the National Pledge of Resistance, there was a protest in Ann Arbor following the passage of aid to the contras. About 200 demonstrators gathered at the Federal Building to share their grief and frustration as well as their hope. It was agreed that the vote is not going to make that much difference in the war (especially when you consider that half of it will never leave Miami.) The contras are being defeated militarily right now, but a lot more blood will be shed. The most important thing we can do is to continue to organize. By our continued opposition we can educate the public and turn what looks like an inevitable war around.

July Events

Saturday, 19: LASC is participating in the celebration of the 7th anniversary of the Nicaraguan Revolution, which is being organized by A2MISTAD (see A2MISTAD calendar in this issue, or call the LASC office for details).

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Nicaragua Medical Aid Project (NMAP)

2007 Washtenaw

Ann Arbor, MI 48104

764-7442 or 769-1442

Statement of Purpose

In January, 1984 a group of Ann Arbor people formed the Nicaragua Medical Aid Project to support the Nicaraguan government's efforts to improve the health of its people. NMAP collects medical supplies and money to meet specific requests by health care facilities in Nicaragua. We also believe that mobilizing public opinion against further funding of the contras, whether governmental or private, is as important as providing material aid. NMAP's membership is made up of public health and health care professionals, students, and concerned community people. Membership in NMAP ($20/year regular, $10 low income) includes a subscription to LINKS, a national journal on Central American health rights.

Meetings

Our meetings are small, informal, and held in homes. Work focuses on activities outside meetings, and we sometimes get help from other organizations on specific projects. Call NMAP for times and places.

Community Services

In Nicaragua: Delivering requested medical supplies to the Hospital Infantil in Managua and to rural health centers, repairing microscopes throughout Nicaragua and providing spare parts, buying pharmaceuticals at 3% of cost through the Medicines for Central America Fund, sending emergency medical kits for use in war zones and rural health posts, contributing to the purchase of generators for health care facilities needing electric power, and supplying repair parts for U.S. made medical equipment.

In the United States: Speaking and showing slides about healthcare in Nicaragua, working with the National Central America Health Rights Network (NCAHRN) to coordinate our efforts with those of more than 50 local medical aid groups across the United States. To host a speaker/slide presentation in your home, classroom, place of worship, club, etc., call Rev. Robert Hauert at 764-7442.

Current News

Productive summer travel: Andy Clark (now Doctor Clark) completed his U of M Medical School training working at the hospital in Esteli in northern Nicaragua. Andy, who speaks Spanish and lived with a Nicaraguan family, worked with Nicaraguan, U.S., and Cuban doctors. (U.S. citizens, contrary to our media implications, far outnumber other foreigners working in Nicaragua.) Andy says he learned a lot about improvising and "making do".

Sue Reinhart consulted with hospital personnel and people at the Ministry of Health during her stay in Nicaragua and brought back valuable information about the utility of the materials sent from Ann Arbor and current needs. The urgent list is too long and too expensive for us to purchase, so we need to hear from anyone with knowledge of equipment, supplies, or pharmaceuticals that could be donated. We're planning another large container shipment.

Dr. Andy Zweifler and Judy Lipshutz went to the National Central America Health Rights conference in San Francisco and will be reporting on issues and activities around the country. A number of others have hand delivered medical supplies for us on recent trips to Nicaragua.

Coming Events

NMAP will be discussing broadening our focus from exclusively Nicaraguan health needs to all of Central America. The problem of our limited resources will be weighed against the needs of the other countries and our desire to cooperate with other Central America health rights groups and the Ann Arbor Sister City Task Force. NMAP plans to work with the Central America Sister City Task Force in organizing health projects when our sister cities have been determined. Health workers and students who want to participate in this municipal international effort should cali us or the Sister City Task Force.

We will have an Art Fair booth to give information and raise money. Help is needed and working the booth is fun.

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Miscellaneous

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New Democratic Movement, Ann Arbor Chapter

P.O. Box 3527

Ann Arbor, Ml 48106

996-8408

Which way out?

Everyone sees that we are in a fix. The looming economic crisis, the decline in America's industries, the threat of nuclear war, the reality of ecological disaster, and a dozen other ongoing catastrophes have impressed upon everyone all across the political spectrum that we cannot go on this way any more. But the old solutions do not work. Liberalism is dead. Reaganism is a failure. What can we do?

We need to build a new democratic movement which has a coherent strategy for implementing the changes that the vast majority of Americans see we need. The New Democratic Movement, a national organization based in 30 cities from Burlington to Greensboro to Ann Arbor to Los Angeles, is articulating such a strategy. We are bringing together Americans of all colors and backgrounds into an organized, effective force that will bring the deep transformation we need and which will not settle for minor reforms or sterile, symbolic opposition. We are building the power to make a real difference.

To join NDM or find out more, contact us at our P. O. Box or at the phone number given above. NDM's national monthly magazine, The New Democrat brings you forward-looking, insightful political analysis and perspectives on people's movements from around the country. Subscriptions are $18 a year or free with membership in NDM. Write: Subscriptions, The New Democrat, P.O. Box 400240, Brooklyn, NY 11240. The Ann Arbor Chapter's bimonthly newsletter "Work in Progress" is available free from our local address.

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New Dimensions Study Group

P.O. Box 2664

Ann Arbor, Ml 48106

971-0881

Statement of Purpose

The New Dimensions Study Group is an informal body whose aim is to disseminate information to people seeking deeper meaning in their lives. Towards that end, it sponsors bi-weekly lectures, discussions, and mini-workshops on subjects as diverse as Vipassana meditation on the one hand and the relationship between quantum physics and consciousness on the other. The group organized in June of 1983 around a group of regular listeners to a San Francisco-based public radio program called New Dimensions that covers the same broad range of growth-oriented subjects. Today the group relies heavily for its program material on the wealth of local people active in these subject areas, and has even given rise to more tightly focused groups for people whose interests have become clearer to them.

Meetings

The group now meets at the Yoga Center of Ann Arbor on alternate Wednesdays at 8:00pm. It's meetings are open to all interested parties and are free, although small donations are welcome to help defray the nominal cost of the meeting space.

Wednesday, 9: "Choosing a Spiritual Path": Torn Lincoln, longtime student of metaphysics and religious movements, offers specific guidelines for discriminating between genuine religious and spiritual movements and those which are fraudulent or contain hidden agendas, and suggests ways in which one can choose the spiritual path most suited to one's own needs.

Wednesday, 23: "Opening the Eye of a New Awareness": Aura Glazer, owner of Ann Arbor's Crazy Wisdom Bookstore, outlines ways in which we can use everyday life as the basis of a spiritual discipline.

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Peace and Disarmament

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Ann Arbor War Tax Dissidents/U.S.Peace Tax Fund

c/o Mary Lou Kerwin

1427 Broadway

Ann Arbor, Ml 48105

662-2838

Statement of Purpose

Ann Arbor War Tax Dissidents (AAWTD) works for passage of the U.S. Peace Tax Fund bill (a law permitting people morally opposed to war to have the military portion of their taxes allocated to peacemaking), and provides counseling and information resources for persons conscientiously opposed to payment of war taxes.

AAWTD is affiliated with the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC) and with the National Campaign For a Peace Tax Fund (NCPTF). AAWTD is of an informal nature with a diverse membership and a volunteer coordinator.

Meetings

No regular meeting of AAWTD for July.

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Michigan Alliance for Disarmament (MAD)

410 W.Washington

Ann Arbor, MI 48103

995-0183

Who We Are

MAD is a membership organization based in Ann Arbor, which is committed to making the connection between nuclear war, U.S. intervention, and social oppression. Our membership of 350 townspeople and University people works to make connections among movements for disarmament, nonintervention, and social justice so that we can lay the foundations for a just and lasting peace. We welcome everyone who shares these goals to join MAD; membership is $10 a year; $5 for students, seniors, and low income, and waivable upon request.

What We Do

In addition to putting out The Connection (free to members)10 times a year, MAD organizes and educates around the issues. Current projects include: the boycott of General Electric (a major nuclear weapons contractor), sponsored nationally by InFact (see the article by Janis Michael in this issue); a computer networking campaign to promote debate around the arms race through use of new technologies (call the office for more information); a pamphlet series, including a totally revised and expanded, fully referenced pamphlet on "What About the Russians?" and a completely new pamphlet on Star Wars, "Weapons n Space: Peace on Earth?"

Meetings

The Steering Committee meets biweekly on Mondays (this month they will be the 7th and 21st) at the MAD office at 7:30pm.

The Connection committee meets every Wednesday at the MAD office at 7:30pm to plan and edit the journal.

The GE boycott group meets Tuesdays at the Michigan Union, also at 7:30pm.

Human Rights and Peace

The struggle for human rights is identical to the struggle for peace. Without respect for all human rights- physical security, political democracy, and economic sufficiency- there will be no peace. And today, the right to physical security includes the right to have peace. We can no more expect these rights to be granted us than could our forebearers. They must be earned the old-fashioned way, by struggle.

Soviet abuses of political rights have been the basic excuse for the arms buildup for 40 years, despite marked improvements as their economy has grown. Do we think that an impoverished, embattled U.S.S.R. will be more liberal? And now, when the U.S.S.R. has "incorporated into its agenda whatever the U.S. has proposed," as Alexander Yanov, a Soviet emigre and U-M political scientist observes- a test ban and nuclear and conventional cuts- we have to ask with him "why does the U.S. lose interest? What is the way the U.S. sees to achieve disarmament and peace?" Or, we might add, human rights?

U.S. policy towards the rest of the world provides a clue. In the name of "our vital interests," the U.S. has backed or installed "authoritarian" regimes worldwide, that torture and murder on a scale that would put Ghengis Khan to shame; it whitewashes its crimes as it trains and finances the armies that commit them; and it intervenes with mercenaries, as in Nicaragua, or with U.S. troops, as in Grenada or Vietnam, when the popular struggle for human rights gets out of hand.

Human rights and peace are apparently not among our government's "vital interests." We must use the rights that have been won for us to force our government to include them, or to get a government that does. The struggle for human rights can never stop.

(The above editorial was excerpted from The Connection.)

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Washtenaw County Women's Action for Nuclear Disarmament, Inc. (WAND)

P.O. Box 1815

Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1815

761-1718

Statement of Purpose

Washtenaw County WAND, formed in December 1984, currently has around 200 paid members (there are 20,000 members nationwide).

WAND's primary purpose s to empower women personally and politically, and to broaden the constituency working to eliminate nuclear weapons. It educates its members and the public about the dangers of continued weapons production and tries to influence our congressional representatives by informed lobbying.

Meetings

Meetings are open to the public on the second Sunday of the month at St. Aidan's Episcopal/Northside Presbyterian Church, 1679 Broadway, Ann Arbor. Doors open at 7pm for conversation and sales of WAND items, the meeting begins at 7:30 with the program or speaker at 8:30 and discussion follows at 9. The meeting concludes at 9:30; babysitting is provided.

Membership

Membership is open to anyone interested in stopping the arms race. Current paid membership is around 200, mostly women, but men are also encouraged to join. Membership fees are $25 per year with scholarships available for those unable to pay the entire amount. Member benefits include the local monthly newsletter and the national quarterly "WAND Bulletin," voting rights at the annual meeting, and phone alerts when key votes Congressional votes require immediate lobbying. Contact Rob Stone at 971-9249 for more details.

Community Services

Information Hotline: 761-1718 to hear a 3 minute message announcing important lobbying information, meeting times, and upcoming community events.

Speakers Bureau: WAND provides trained speakers who will address small informal groups, classes, public forums and rallies on a variety of issues. Contact Jean Carlson at 426-2232.

Current News

Ten members of the local chapter attended the annual national WAND meeting in Charlotte, NC, recently to meet with 250 other WAND members from around the country. Founders Helen and Bill Caldicott strongly advocated a massive and continuous presence of peace and justice groups in Washington.

Members of WAND and other peace groups recently met with Congressman Pursell after trying to set up a meeting for months. It was agreed that a similar meeting will take place twice a year. Meanwhile WAND lobbying efforts with him continue. (He is an important swing vote and should be lobbied vigorously on all peace and justice issues.)

WAND just helped sponsor the lecture by Dr. Benjamin Spock who, besides writing the book which raised several generations of Americans, has been a major peace activist since 1965. He spoke on "Parenting in the Nuclear Age." The same weekend WAND sponsored its second speaker training workshop with 25 participants from various groups.

July Events

Sunday, 13: This month's general meeting (see "Meetings"). Fran Eliot from Ann Arbor Tax Dissidents/U.S. Peace Tax Fund will be speaking about the activities of their group which was established so that people could find ways to withhold that percent of their federal income taxes which is being used for military spending. Alternative uses of that tax money will be suggested.

Ongoing: Members are appearing at the Farmer's Market every week to hand out lobbying materials and will be staffing a booth at the Art Fair in July.

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Poverty and Hunger

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World Hunger Education-Action Committee (WHE-AC)

4202 Michigan Union

Ann Arbor, MI 48109

663-3560

Statement of Purpose

WHE-AC focuses on the causes of and Solutions to world hunger. Its objectives include educating the community through reading groups, films, speakers, presentations, research, and group actions. WHEAC is dedicated to understanding the complex social, political, economic, and environmental forces that create and promote world hunger, and advocates self-determination and long-term development as viable solutions. The group supports and works closely with Oxfam America and the Institute for Food and Development Policy. The group has various resources available, including newsletters from Food First and Oxfam America.

Meetings

After a full spring schedule WHE-AC wit) slow down its activities in July and August. Instead of weekly meetings, informal study/discussion groups will meet on Mondays at 8pm at Dominick's, 812 Monroe. Everyone is welcome.

Current News

WHE-AC thanks all those who supported Oxfam America's Tools for Peace and Justice in Central America and the Eastern Caribbean campaign. Through the Tools for Peace campaign, Oxfam sponsored dozens of rural projects that renew and support food production and meet essential health survival needs in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

The U.S. trade embargo against Nicaragua, issued May 1, 1985, prohibits the export of goods from the U.S. to Nicaragua, "except donated articles such as food, clothing, and medicine intended to relieve human suffering' In order to send other goods, private voluntary organizations must apply for a license from the U.S. Department of Treasury (which then consults the State Department). Oxfam has been waiting since March 27th for its license to send $41,000 worth of construction material and agricultural tools. At the end of April, the State Department expedited n only four days a license for a U.S. private group to send a helicopter to the contras, justifying the action on "humanitarian" grounds. WHE-AC is circulating a petition urging the U.S. government to apply the same humanitarian standard to approve Oxfam's pending license, and is also recommending that the U.S. lift the trade embargo and restrictions of private voluntary agencies working in Nicaragua.

WHE-AC member Sandra Steingraber has recently returned f rom a 10week tour of the Sudan where she recorded oral histories of Oromo refugees who have fled Ethiopia. She went at the request of the Oromo Relief Association, a grassroots organization that assists Oromo's displaced inside their own country and those who seek refuge in other countries. The Oromo people, Ethiopia's largest ethnic group (estimated at 20 million), face severe government oppression: their language has been banned, their churches closed, and their land expropriated.

This oppression has produced several million refugees in bordering countries. Those who stay are subject to government resettlement programs, which have been widely criticized. Ms. Steingraber is currently finishing her report which will be published on its own and as part of a book about Ethiopia, called The Orchestration of famine. WHE-AC hopes this book will draw further attention to the government's repression of the Ethiopian people and its recent announcement to resume full-scale resettlement.

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Progressive Church

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Interfaith Council for Peace/CALC

604 E. Huron

Ann Arbor, Ml 48104

663-1870

Mon.-Fri.: 10am to 4pm

Statement of Purpose

Interfaith Council for Peace is an organization which serves as a resource center and program initiating body on the nature of peace, amelioration of the evils of war and hunger, and the development of responses to other moral and humanitarian programs serving the religious and wider community of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County.

The organization publishes a newsletter nine times per year; any interested person may request his/her name be added to our mailing list. The group's business and activities are planned and/or approved by a Board of Directors who are elected each year.

The major work of the ICP is carried out by three task forces. The Land, Food, and Justice Task Force is planning their third annual Farm Tour scheduled for August 16. The Hunger and Economic Justice Task Force is currently working on the annual CROP Hunger Walk carried out through the churches of the Ann Arbor area, and the Disarmament Task Force constantly monitors congressional action on military appropriations and frequently sponsors telephone and letter-writing campaigns to legislators. They will help plan activities for Hiroshima/Nagasaki days observed in August.

ICP will have a table at the Ann Arbor Street Fair (on "cause row" on S. University) and will be glad to talk with anyone who is interested in what we do.

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The Zen Lotus Society

Zen Buddhist Temple Ann Arbor

1214 Packard Road

Ann Arbor, Ml 48104

761-6520

If you determine your course

With force or speed

You miss the way of the law

Quietly consider

What is right and what is wrong

Receiving all opinions equally

Without haste, wisely

Observe the law

.theDhammapada

Zen Buddhist Temple Ann Arbor, is undergoing extensive renovations to become a center for lay Buddhist practitioners and their families, a residential Zen community for full-time Zen training and a retreat center for those wishing to undertake spiritual practice. Behind the wall, which was built to screen out some of the noise from Packard, most of the building is undergoing renovation, and a new meditation hall is being prepared.

The Zen Lotus Society is comprised of Zen Buddhist Temples in Ann Arbor and in Toronto with affiliate groups in London, Ontario and Mexico. Its goal is to make the Buddha's teachings of compassion and wisdom available, to encourage a spiritual culture, and to provide service. The Society offers instruction in Zen practice, meditation retreats, Zen community living and training for priests, Dharma teachers, lay Buddhists and Zen artists. The Society is under the guidance of Venerable Samu Sunim, a Zen Master from Korea who has been teaching in the United States and Canada for almost twenty years. Sunim is assisted at each temple by priests, Dharma teachers and senior students. The temple is a nonprofit religious organization which is supported by the earnings of residents, donations, classes, retreats, special events and projects. Visitors and inquires are welcome 8-5pm daily.

Programs

A Buddhist Service from 4:45pm to 6:30pm on Sundays is open to the public. Guidance is provided for newcomers. On Sunday morning there is a service for Korean members. There is also morning and evening meditation practice for members and visitors. The temple schedules regular introductory talks on Zen Buddhism, usually at 7pm on the first Saturday of each month. Beginners Weekends and a weekly beginner's course (six Thursdays) is offered to provide instruction in the basics of Zen Meditation and practice.

July Events

July's programs offer a fine opportunity to learn more about Zen Buddhism. It is also a good month to become involved as special efforts are being made at this particular time to prepare for the month's events, especially the historical conference on "Zen Buddhism in North America." Help is needed in all areas. We welcome anyone who can join in for awhile and help, no experience necessary.

Wednesday 2 to Monday 7:

Yongmaeng Chongjin - intensive meditation retreat for experienced students.

Monday 14 to Saturday 19:

Conference on "Zen Buddhism in North America" - daily practice, speakers, panel discussions, informal discussions.

Saturday 19 to August 3:

Zen Calligraphy Exhibition, noon to 6pm daily.

Sunday 20 to Sunday 27:

Evening lectures on Buddhism.

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Senior Issues

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Housing Bureau for Seniors, Inc.

1010 Wall Street

Ann Arbor, Ml 48109

763-0970

Statement of Purpose

The Housing Bureau for Seniors, located in the Turner Services clinic building, U-M, assists local seniors and their families in finding suitable housing. Bureau services include a guide listing available housing alternatives for seniors in this county; housing counselors to provide information about retirement centers, subsidized housing, apartments, mobile homes, adult foster care, home sharing, cooperatives and condominiums. Outreach counselors are also available to help seniors locate housing and act as advocates for senior housing in their communities.

Community Services

Counseling is available by phone at Turner Geriatric Clinic (763-0970) or by contacting outreach counselors at the following locations: Saline Senior Center; Ypsilanti Township Senior Center; Burns Park Senior Center; Parkridge Senior Center in Ypsilanti; Chelsea Family Practice Clinic; and Whitmore Lake Senior Center. For more information, call Carolyn Hastings, executive director, or Carole Lapidos, community liaison, at the Bureau.

July Events

Monday, 21: "Senior Housing: The Private Sector," 1:30-3:30pm, a panel discussion featuring representatives from a wide range of senior interests, such as developers, architects, bankers, governmental officials, and members of the senior community. Special guest at the forum is Mike Ketai, a developer and architect who is hoping to build senior housing in this area that will offer congregate services for its residents (housing that lets residents live in private apartment-like areas, yet share common services, such as central dining areas, laundry, housekeeping, and transportation).

The forum is free and open to the public. It will be held at the Oliphant-Marshall Auditorium of the Kellogg Eye Center, 990 Wall Street. Contact the Housing Bureau to register. 

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Women's Issues

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The Women's Crisis Center (WCC)

P.O. Box 7413

Ann Arbor, Ml 48107

Office: 306 N. Division

Business: 761-9475

Crisis Line: 994-9100

Statement of Purpose

The Women's Crisis Center offers peer counseling and crisis intervention for all women in Washtenaw and surrounding counties. It is not just for crisis: counselors at WCC are glad to talk with women about non-crisis problems. We are here to listen to all women, regardless of their life situation, when they feel the need to vent anger, sadness, or strength, to explore options, or even to talk about the kind of day they are having. We invite women to call for a supportive boost even when their life is not in crisis. WCC is a non-profit, grassroots, collectively-run organization made up of community women concerned with the needs of other women. There are 40 volunteers, all women, who are members of the Ann Arbor community.

Meetings

WCC holds meetings on the last Sunday of every month, noon to 2pm at St. Andrew's Church, 306 N. Division at Lawrence. The next scheduled meeting is July 27.

Community Services

The Crisis Line: 994-9100, operates every day, 10am to 10pm. Callers are guaranteed anonymity and can talk to a peer counsellor who is there to provide non-judgemental support.

Referrals: WCC offers over 500 referrals to agencies and individuals in and around Washtenaw County. Please call if you would like to comment on services you receive, or to be added to our referral listings. The group is especially interested in adding minority women professionals to its listings. WCC also sells low-cost, do-it-yourself divorce kits. Call our business line for more information.

July Events

Friday-Saturday, 25-26: WCC training for non-Center women. One weekend intensive training for women who want to learn WCC skills and take them to other organizations, or for personal growth. Space is limited. $20 fee includes all materials. Call 761-9475 to register.

Sunday, 27: WCC Potluck and In-Service. Veggie potluck 12-1pm; speakers from Columbus Women Against Rape (W.A.R.) 1-2pm. All welcome, Women's Crisis Center, 306 N. Division at Lawrence in St. Andrew's Church.

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Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)

619 East University, A-1

Ann Arbor, Ml 48104

Information: Lillian Zaret 971-4702

Statement of Purpose

Since its founding in 1915, WILPF has united countless women working for peace and freedom. Currently, there are approximately 120 members in the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti branch. As an international organization with official representation in the United Nations, WILPF is committed to the U.N. as a strong force for settling disputes among nations. WILPF has always affirmed that peace and freedom are inseparable, two sides of the same coin. The organization continues to be a multi-issue, multi-race group, emphasizing the connections between war and poverty, racism and economic exploitation, and sexism and violence. The group stands for the equality of all people in a world free of racism and sexism, the building of a constructive peace through world disarmament, and changing U.S. government priorities to meet human needs.

Meetings

WILPF holds monthly program and action meetings to plan events, discuss issues and determine what actions the Arin Arbor-Ypsilanti branch will take regarding those issues. Call for specific times and places.

Community Services

Since education for peace is a major part of WILPF's program, the group has a lot of literature available on the subject. Art work, T-shirts, posters, buttons and books are also available for moderate donations. Members will speak on current issues and special topics, such as U.S. policy in Central America, war tax resistance. Also available are children's books on peace, disarmament and social justice.

July Events

Wednesday-Saturday, 23-26: WILPF will have a display at the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, with literature and other peace-related items available. Starting n the f all, WILPF will be presenting public programs on topics which include United Nations Day, local hunger and housing issues, nuclear disarmament, and International Women's Day.