Community Resource Directory

ATTENTION READERS: It is the intention of the COMMUNITY RESOURCE DIRECTORY (CRD) to be a forum where community organizations can publicize their activities and resources. Each group submits its own copy: the views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the editors or publishers.

AGENDA   Ann Arbor's Alternative Newsmonthly     

AGENDA Publications P.O. Box 3624 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 (313)996-8018.   

CURRENT NEWS: This issue marks the inception of an alternative arts section. In the past we have published a Graffiti section, but want to open things up a little more and support the rich and diverse cultural arts in the area. We welcome people interested in reviewing theater, books, music, the work of individual artists, or wild and weird events in general! If you are interested in something specific, give us a call. MEETINGS: At the beginning of every month there will be a staff meeting to evaluate the previous month's paper and plan future editions (see 4 Thursday, CALENDAR). FINANCES: This month we sent out 200+ renewal letters to June through August 1986 subscribers and have been getting a good response. We are very grateful to everyone who has renewed or plans to and especially to our Ann Arbor subscribers whose support has been essential to our survival. We now have a fundraising committee that is meeting on a regular basis to write grant proposals, plan a benefit, and contact possible donors. We welcome all participation and advice; please call for meeting times and locations. COMMUNITY RESOURCE DIRECTORY (CRD) PARTICIPANTS: Please be careful in following listing guidelines. Remember there must be 75% fresh content each month with a major emphasis on current news. We will not repeat a listing that has not been updated. Press releases are not acceptable as listings. All calendar items are put into the Calendar, thus are not considered part of the CRD copy unless your group has information that is not applicable to the Calendar. Also, please send us your logo, as well as photographs and artwork. We are at your service if you have any questions. COMPUTER HINTS: We are now in possession of a 1200 Baud modem. For those of you who have access to MTS or another network, please contact us at 996-8018. It would probably be most efficient for us to get your account number and use it to access your AGENDA files. For those of you who have your own modems, let's set up a monthly date and time at which you can send us your copy over the phone. We will publish instructions on modem use if necessary in coming months. For those of you who have transportation problems, this should be a real blessing! FORMAT: When setting up a new file do not set up a left indent or a first line indent- just set one tab at  18. Also please use only one space after all punctuation. Our format specs are: 12 point bold letterheads, 4 point leading between topics, 9 point bold type for headings and 9 point plain type for copy. Calendar items should be listed at the bottom of your CRD as follows: Event: sponsor (in bold type), time and place, one to two sentence description, fee, phone number (in plain type). If this is not clear, look at any AGENDA Calendar and follow the order you see for each event. (2936)

ENVIRONMENT

Ecology Center 417 Detroit St. Ann Arbor, Ml 48104 761-3186

CURRENT ACTIVITIES: Thank you everybody who helped make our 16th Annual Bike-A-Thon a great hit. Despite the fact that we were rained out and had to use our rain date, we raised nearly $40,000, the most ever for an Ecology Center Bike-A-Thon. The only thing left to do is to collect those pledges. April was a record month for our curbside recycling pickup program. There were 4,765 pickups, 390 more than the old record that was set last April. If you've been thinking about recycling but don't quite know how to get started, call us at 665-6398.   The Recycle Week Waste Awareness Awards were recently announced. Partner's Press was selected as the "Most Waste Conscious Business of 1987." They won because they are willing to stock and use recycled paper. You could try recycled paper too. To borrow a phrase, "It costs a little more, but it's worth it."  Styrofoam won the award for most wasteful consumer product. Styrofoam is non-recyclable, non-biodegradable, and is suspected of releasing chlorofluorocarbon gases into the atmosphere, thereby destroying the earth's ozone layer. If you have a choice, don't use it. Look for paper cups and plates when you're having a picnic- show your preference for paper when you shop. The winners (losers?) in the "Most Wasteful Business" category were several local restaurants for their excessive use of styrofoam and other plastic throw-aways. Caffe Fiore (302 S. State St.), Donburi (215 S. State St.), and Zingerman's Delicatessen (422 Detroit St.) tied for most wasteful business. Let their management know that you would rather they used china or paper. PURPOSE: The Ecology Center of Ann Arbor is an environmental organization committed to environmental advocacy and education. We provide recycling services (curbside pickup and a recycling station) and free home weatherization visits to residents who qualify under low-income guidelines. We also have a library that is open to the public on weekday afternoons and on Saturdays trom 9:30-1 pm. (2086)

GAY RIGHTS

Gay Liberation c/o 4117 Michigan Union Ann Arbor, Ml 48109 INFO: 763-4186 HOTLINE: 662-1977

CURRENT NEWS: Members of the lesbian and gay male community discussed their concerns about the need to establish a supportíve atmosphere in the Ann Arbor public schools and about the Ann Arbor Board of Education"s intrusive and repressive AIDS policy during a recent forum attended by candidates for seats on the Ann Arbor Board. The forum was hosted by Integrity/Ann Arbor and was sponsored by the Washtenaw County Lesbian-Gay Political Caucus. Candidates in attendance were Ellen Offen, longtime teacher and community activist, and Lynn Rivers, a teacher and current Vice President of the School Board. Tanya Isreal, a former Board member, was not present but submitted a written response to the Caucus' questions. Ms. Offen and Ms. Rivers agreed that lesbian and gay male students are in need of a supportive school environment. Ms. Rivers noted that a positive identity and self image should be encouraged; Ms. Offen suggested that workshops on homosexuality for students, staff, and faculty, and "lesbian-gay awareness trainings" for faculty and staff are strongly needed. The candidates stated that under no circumstance can violence or harassment be tolerated and that individual values and diversity are to be honored. Both Ms. Offen and Ms. Rivers are opposed to the current AIDS policy adopted by the Board, noting that the policy breeds suspicion and that mandatory testing is a violation of the right to privacy. The candidates also suggested that a School Board member serve as liaison to the lesbian-gay male community. As a consequence of the awareness and support offered to lesbians and gay men by Ms. Rivers and Ms. Offen, the Caucus is pleased to endorse these candidates for election. In her written statements Ms. Isreal supported some of the Caucus' concerns but did not approve the concept of consciousness-raising workshops or trainings, nor did she seem to agree with changes in the School Board's AIDS policy that the Caucus advocates. Candidate Robert Gamble, in a telephone conversation with a Caucus member, noted that he believes in "fair play" for all individuals and groups and that he is aware of the Caucus' concerns. No response was received from candidate Philip Stetson. We urge all lesbians and gay men and their supporters to vote for candidates Offer and Rivers in the June 8 election. The next Forum, focusing on "self-defense",  will be held Monday, June 8th at 7:30 pm at Canterbury House. All members of the lesbian/gay male community are urged to attend. For more information call 665-0606 or 763-4186. Please note also the schedule of events for lesbian-Gay Pride Week, organized by the Gay/lesbian Organization for Human Rights in Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor (GLOHRYA2). See AGENDA calendar for details or call 994-5403 or 763-4186 for more information. (2903)

HEALTH ISSUES

Wellness Networks P.O. Box 3242 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 662-6134

CURRENT NEWS: The Ann Altor School Board elections on June 8th will provide residents of the city with an opportunity to support several candidates who have expressed informed attitudes about AIDS: Lyn Rivers, Ellen Offen, and Tanya Isreal. Such attitudes need to be represented on the school board not only because of its enormous importance to the city, but also because of its record on the AIDS issue. In April, 1986, the school board adopted an AIDS ("Communicable Disease") policy openly at variance with both federal (CDC) guidelines and Governor Blanchard's Public Health Advisory Council Report. (The governor's report was submitted in mid-March; though it was not publicly released until mid-April, the tenor of its findings were widely known in advance). The school board policy was apparently prompted by the case of an employee with ARC (AIDS-Related Complex). That case has long since been settled privately, in keeping with the demands of professionalism and privacy). But the unfortunate policy is still on the books. The school board policy provides that "a student or staff member reasonably suspected of having" AIDS or ARC "may be excluded from school or the workplace." This decisión is to be made by physicians and school district officials after a careful review of the evidence. But the superintendent has the final say if the review panel is not unanimous, and the "suspect" may be excluded during the review. The notion of "reasonable suspicion" is tself suspicious. Given that "it is the responsibility of all staff and students to implement" the policy, it is certainly possible for people to turn others in, and for the general atmosphere of the schools to be poisoned by that possibility. The policy is, at any rate, hardly calculated to promote education about AIDS prevention or to encourage compassion toward people with AIDS and ARC. Federal and state policies, in contrast to the school board's, are based on the presumption that AIDS, since it is not transmitted through social contact, should not be a basis for exclusión. The designation of the policy as a 'communicable disease" policy is a bureaucratie deception. The policy cites contagious diseases other than AIDS and ARC, but all of them are covered by existing laws. It therefore refers only to disease states related to HIV infection, and honesty would require that this fact be acknowledged. Sixteen months after the Ann Arbor policy was passed, it is no more defensible than it was in April, 1986. Lynn Rivers and Tanya Isreal voted against the policy then, and both Rivers and Ellen Otfen, of the current candidates, have indicated that they will oppose it in the future. Isreal has also said that she would welcome renewed scrutiny of the policy. There are a host of major issues facing the school board, but the befuddled thinking and the threat to civil liberties of the AIDS policy make its reversal imperative. PURPOSE: WNI-HV seeks to edúcate the public about AIDS and to provide support for people with AIDS and ARC, and the individuáis concerned about AIDS. We have a support group for people who have tested positive for the virus (HIV), and another for loved ones of PVVA's. MEETINGS: General meetings are held the second Sunday of every month and are open to all. The next meeting is June 14th, 3:30 to 5:30 pm at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Education Center (enter through the outpatient entrance). (3474)

HUMAN RIGHTS 

November 29th Committee for Palestine (N29) 4203 Michigan Union Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Hilary S. at 665-2028

PURPOSE: N29 is an American organization working to build U.S. solidarity with the Palestinian people by sponsoring educational and political programs. We believe that the United States government is a major obstruction to Middle East peace and therefore it is incumbent upon us to educate our fellow Americans about the Palestinian people and their history and aspirations. Only when Americans know the complete story of the Palestinian-Zionist conflict can we make educated and intelligent decisions regarding Middle East policy. MEMBERSHIP & MEETINGS: N29 is open to everyone who will agree with our bylaws. We do not in any way discrimínate on basis of race, ethnic identification, religión, sexual orientation, or anything else. During the summer we will meet bi-weekly for study sessions on Palestinian history, sociology, and current events. Anyone who is interested is welcome to attend. We meet altérnate Fridays at 7 pm at the Mug in the Michigan Union, beginning May 22. FROM PALESTINE: On April 13, Israeli soldiers shot and killed one Birzeit University student and wounded three others. The old and new campuses of Birzeit University in the Occupied West Bank have been shut down for four months by Israeli military authorities. These events and the murder of two other students in December, 1986, suggest that Birzeit University and its students have become military targets. (FYI: Birzeit has been shut down 11 times in 10 years.) Birzeit Vice-President Baramki writes, "in closing Birzeit University ... the military authorities are treating the process of education as callously as they have treated individual students ... the army has arbitrarily cancelled the rest of our academie year. We are barred from entering our classrooms ... we have not even received permission to enter the campuses briefly to retrieve vital records or to attempt to rescue ongoing research projects in our laboratories." Vice-President Baramki asks for international help to reopen Birzeit. You can help by writing to our elected officials and to Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Ministry of Defense, Tel Aviv, Israel, to protest the killing of student Musa Al Hanafi and to demand the immediate reopening of both campuses of Birzeit University. REPRESSION AT HOME: N29 is part of the "Committee for Justice" working on the case of the detainees in Los Angeles. The Reagan administration's FBI and Immigration and Naturalization Service are trying to deport seven Palestinians and one Kenyan, originally on charges that they "fostered Palestinian terrorism." The government's tactics in this case are quite sinuous. Originally the eight were accused of subversion by advocating world communism. The distribution of certain literature by the defendants is considered subversive under the Walter Immigration Act. However, the government dropped all subversion charges against the accused. Six of the eight are now charged with routine visa violations, while the other two are charged (under yet another McCarran-Walter provision) with affiliation with an organization advocating "the unlawful damage, injury or destruction of property." On May 11, Judge Ingrid Hrycenko dismissed the charges against the eight because the government did not produce an immigration official to testify. The government has refiled identical charges against the defendants. The government is determined to deport these individuals. Since it cannot prosecute them on criminal charges, it harrasses them with McCarthy-era laws and visa technicalities. Obviously it aims to stifle debate, political and educational action on the question of Palestine by making an example of the Los Angeles activists. What's the government afraid of? We urge you to support the Los Angeles 8 by writing letters protesting the INS's attack on democratic freedoms to: Alan Nelson, 425 "Eye" Street NW, Wash. DC, 20536; and William Webster, Dir. of FBI, 9th & Penn. Ave NW, Wash. DC 20535. Also, lawyers' fees are costing a bundie, so if you have the means to contribute please send a check made out to the "Committee for Justice" to us at the above address and we'll pass it on to the folks in Los Angeles. (4316)

LABOR

Graduate Employees Organization (GEO) American Federation of Teachers/Michigan Federation of Teachers Local #3550 802 Monroe #3 Ann Arbor, Ml 48104 (313) 995-0221

CURRENT NEWS: GEO is seeking interested people to be on the Research Committee. Some projects to be undertaken are: a Peer Institution TA salary comparison; monitoring departmental compliance with GEO contract terms; and comparing and contrasting employment responsibilities of TAs, RAs, and instructors. People interested contact the GEO office. Note: GEO spring and summer office hours are 1 pm to 4 pm MTW and F (closed Thurs.). PURPOSE: To represent all Graduate Student Assistants in collective bargaining with the University of Michigan, thus protecting Staff and Teaching Assistants against deterioration in economic compensation, real wages, working conditions; and to address graduate employees' common concerns, such as: excessive class size, teacher training, reallocation of University funds from administration overhead to actual teaching, and the ideals of non-discrimination and affirmative action. MEETINGS: There are no regularly scheduled membership meeting during the Spring and Summer Terms; time and location will be announced ten days in advance and posted on GEO bulletin boards and published in the University Record. (1314)

LATIN AMERICA

HAP-NICA 802 Monroe St. Ann Arbor, Ml 48104 769-1442

CURRENT NEWS: HAP-NICA and its daughter group, A2MISTAD are pleased to co-sponsor Charlie King at the Ark on Sunday, June 21st, 5 to 7 pm. This groovy event has been scheduled in part to help raise funds for the honey bee project, one of three current HAP-NICA projects listed below. We are now searching for organizations or individuals who can contribute money andor effort to assist in each of these projects: 1 . Honey bee cooperative: The Nicaraguan Farmworkers Union (ATC) operates a school of labor studies in the mountainous Matagalpa region where 65% of Nicaraguan coffee is grown. This school for coffee workers teaches the history, law, and politics of labor in Nicaragua. The ATC has requested HAP-NICA's help in establishing a honey production cooperative to allow the school to raise its own operating funds through the sale of honey and wax. 2. Oil Palm project:The small farmers association has requested funding to help finance two oil palm plantations on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua. At present Nicaragua must import almost all of its cooking oil and the Atlantic Coast region is badly in need of development. The plantations will raise african oil palm trees and eventually employ hundreds of families 3. HAP-NICA continues to watch the progress of the highly successful A2MISTAD construction brigade, which is building a soil testing facility in Nicaragua. The building is going up, but we need more volunteers. If you can spare a month of your life, think about helping the A2MISTAD workers that are still in Nicaragua, and think about helping the Nicaraguan people. MEETINGS: General meetings are held on alternate Thursdays, June 4 and 18 of this month, 7:30 pm, in the Michigan Union. Ask at the desk for the room. All are welcome. PURPOSE: The Humanitarian Assistance Project for Independent Agricultural Development in Nicaragua (HAP-NICA) is a nonprofit organization conducting a national campaign to aid Nicaraguan agriculture. Our goal is to help the Nicaraguan people achieve economic development and self-sufficiency. Toward that goal we work with the Nicaraguan Union of Small and Mid sized Farmers and Ranchers, the Farmworkers Union, and the Higher Institute of Agricultural Science. We review project proposals from each of these organizations Tasks carried out by HAP-NICA members in Ann Arbor are related to establishing and coordinating a network of support groups across the country to raise money for those projects that are accepted. We are a project of the Guild House Campus Ministry of Ann Arbor (an ecumenical ministry devoted to principles of human justice) and the New World Agriculture Group (NWAG). (2724)

MISCELLANEOUS

ACLU of Michigan Washtenaw County Branch 277 E Liberty Ann Arbor, Ml 48104

The concept of limiting the majority is part of the genius of the traditional American system, invented 200 years ago. While the rest of the United States Constitution authorizes the government to act, the Bill of Rights sets limits. It describes what the government may not do. Even a democratically elected government is not permitted to take away from the people their inherent rights to freedom of expression, belief and association, to procedural fairness, to equal treatment before the law, to privacy. To protect these rights, to enforce these limits on government, is the sole purpose of the American Civil Liberties Union. Without legal guarantees of individual liberty, even American Democracy can revert to acts of tyranny, to a despotism of the majority. The ACLU exists to make sure this doesn't happen, and to fight back when it does. CURRENT ACTIVITIES: On Monday, May 18, 1987, Reverend Donald A. Coleman, member of the executive board of the Washtenaw County Branch of the ACLU, testified before the Ann Arbor City Council in support of the proposed AIDS policy designed to protect the health of the public and the right to privacy of municipal employees. The ACLU was instrumental in the review and revision of the proposed policy. On March 9, 1987, a speaker for the Branch addressed the Ypsilanti School Board about the baccalaureate service, separate from graduation, which the board regularly sponsors at EMU for its high school graduates each year. The content of the baccalaureate is religious and the Branch took the position that sponsorship and financial support of this service by the Ypsilanti School Board is a conflict of church and state and a violation of the First Amendment. The Branch sent a speaker upon request of an ACLU member. In the last two months the Branch has undertaken representation of two women prisoners at Huron Valley Women's Prison, one who died in the yard in a severe asthma attack for which medical attention was provided slowly or not at all, and a second who is presently in the infirmary and may lose her leg because of what her family claims is failure to provide adequate medical attention. The claim of restriction of right to travel on the part of a U-M student was investigated by ACLU attorneys this month. Permission to pay in-state tuition was withdrawn from her because she took a Russian language course during the summer at the University of Washington. The Branch has in the past received many complaints about denial of instate tuition by the University and is willing to investígate any such complaint. On May 17, 1987, the Board passed a resolution condemning the U-M Board of Regents for denying emeritus status to Professor Daniel Fusfeld for his remarks about the Regents, made eight years ago at the time the Board failed to divest the University's South African investments. Professor Fusfeld is a former board member of the Branch. CONTACTS: Inquiries should be directed to Jean Ledwith King, 277 East Liberty Plaza, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104 (phone 313 662-1334). Inquiries for legal assistance should be made in writing to attorney Nancy Frands, ACLU Branch Lawyers' Committee, 201 East Huron, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104.(3505)

SPARK

3909 Michigan Union Ann Arbor, Ml 48109

PURPOSE: 45,000 human lives are lost to starvation every day, even though the United States produces sufficient wheat to provide everyone on earth two loaves of bread, or 3000 calories daily. One hundred acres of rainforest are destroyed every minute, threatening our oxygen supply, as well as the entire ecosystem and climatic balance of the planet. Sixty wars currently rage, $800 billion a year is being spent worldwide for military programs, and the megatonnage in the works stockpile of nuclear weapons is already enough to kill every person now living 12 times over. Everywhere racism and sexism smother the potential of millions of human beings. In sum, the unfathomable devastation of countless human lives and even the earth itself are in fact realities in the world today. We are communists and revolutionaries. We are fighting for a humane world that is not threatened by these monstrous problems: all of which are rooted in the capitalist economic system. This is a system based on profit, a system meeting the interests of a minority of individuals at the expense of the rest of the world. In order to rid ourselves of these problems, in order to build a society that meets the needs of all of humanity, we must rid ourselves of the capitalist system itself. Toward that goal, we must be organized-we must build a revolutionary organization. REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY SERIES: We must learn from history in order to change its course today. With this in mind, Spark holds the Revolutionary History Series every Tuesday at 7 pm in Room 2407 Mason Hall. These classes give people a chance to learn a history which has been kept from us: a history of the struggles of oppressed peoples to change their lives and their society. Anyone who is interested in ideas, in history, in changing things, is welcome. We also have a literature table on Mondays in the basement of the Michigan Union from 12 to 5 pm and on Wednesdays on the Diag, from 10 to 1 pm. Stop by and talk with us about how we can change our society and our world. (2100) 

PEACE AND DISARMAMENT

Washtenaw County Women's Action for Nuclear Disarmament, Inc. (WAND) P.O. Box 1815 Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1815 761-1718

PURPOSE: WAND's goals are to educate ourselves and the public about the dangers of continued nuclear arms buildup, to influence our congressional representatives by informed lobbying, and to empower people, especially women, personally and politically. MEETINGS AND MEMBERSHIP: Meetings are held the second Sunday night of the month at the First Baptist Church, 512 E. Huron. Call our Information Hotline at 761-1718 for a message announcing important lobbying information, meeting times, and upcoming events. Our Speaker's Bureau provides trained speakers who will address groups, classes, and public forums and rallies on a variety of issues. Contact Jean Carlson at 426-2232. CURRENT NEWS: WAND sponsored a major peace event on May 10: the third annual Mother's Day Festival of Peace was held in West Park. More than 2,000 people concerned about the nuclear arms race and other peace and justice issues were there. Sayre Sheldon, the former national president of WAND, addressed our group on "Trends n the Peace Movement Nationally." She has been in the forefront of the peace movement in this country for years, and gave us a very interesting perspective on the current situation. Annetta Miller, a member of the State Board of Education, will speak at the June general meeting. She will speak on what can be done locally in an effort to créate a peace curriculum in our state's schools. The meeting will be held on Sunday, June 14 at the First Baptist Church, 512 E. Huron. New members are always welcome. Doors open at 7 pm and the meeting begins at 7:30. (1692)

PROGRESSIVE RELIGION

New Jewish Agenda (NJA) 2208 Packard Ann Arbor, Ml 48109 662-9217

PURPOSE: NJA is comprised of Jews from a variety of backgrounds and affiliations who are interested in working for social and political justice within the framework of Jewish tradition. We are committed to building an inclusive Jewish community and therefore place particular importance on addressing issues which traditionally exclude many Jews. EVENTS: The next few months will be very exciting. We have a national convention in Los Angeles in July to which a number of local members will be going. It will not only inspire those who attend, but should provide a great deal of information that can be used here in the chapter. This month, we invite everyone to attend our June 6 program, "From Shards of Broken Dreams to Fragments of Hope." It will be an evening that deals with the tragedy of 20 years of Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, the initial hopes for co-existence of some early Zionist settlers and current dreams of peace shared by Israelis and Palestinians. Dramatic readings will be presented. It will be held at the Trueblood Theater in the Frieze Bldg. on the U-M campus, 105 S. State St., $3. The following list includes contacts for the different interest groups of NJA. We hope you will the call the relevant people if you share any of our interests. Committee and Interest Group Contacts: Call these people if you are interested in knowing more about the work of NJA's committees and interest groups: Middle East- Benjy Ben-Baruch, 662-921 7 Central America- Judy Lipshutz,995-5210 Feminist-Laurie White, 665-7371 Disarmament- -Amy Rosenberg, 662-8760 Economic and Social Justice (ad hoc)- Dan Steinmetz, 665-6735 Fundraising- Ruth Kraut, 769-5680 Newsletter- Rebecca Kanner, 994-571 7. (1820)

SENIOR CITIZENS

Housing Bureau for Seniors, Inc. 1010 Wall St. Ann Arbor, Ml 48109 763-0970

The Housing Bureau for Seniors is a housing-referral and information agency serving senior citizens and their families who have senior housing-related questions. Primarily staffed by volunteer counselors, the Housing Bureau is open weekdays from 9 to 5 pm. You may make an appointment to speak with a housing counselor by calling the Bureau at 763-0970. Though donations are accepted, Bureau services are free. CURRENT NEWS: The Housing Bureau for Seniors continues to be involved with housing issues in Washtenaw County. Housing stock (the number of available living units) is low in Ann Arbor; the vacancy rate is about one to two per cent. This translates into high rental costs and relatively few vacancies. We are taking every opportunity to lobby for appropriate, affordable housing for all citizens of Washtenaw County by attending committee meetings, hearings, letting those with influence in the housing market know what we want, based upon hearing from you what you want In the meantime, we are trying to make our community aware of our Homeshare Program, which we feel has great potential. Homesharing in not a new idea, but a relevant one for our times. Homesharing is exchanging something you have for something you need. Homesharing is a "partnership" whereby two unrelated persons share a dwelling, each having their own space and sharing common areas. Homesharing can mean companionship, friendship, and a working relationship whereby each participant shares in the daily chores associated with any living arrangement. Homesharing can provide the security of knowing that "someone is in the house at night" or that "someone else will be here on a regular basis to see that I am all right" Our agency facilitates introductions, checks references, and follows up on all of our Homeshare matches. Call us for further information. The Housing Bureau for Seniors is affiliated with the University of Michigan Medical Center and Turner Geriatrie Services. However, we must raise many of our own funds for operation, and to that end we are having our second annual Phone-a-Thon on May 31st. We are also planning our first annual Housing Fair, which will be held on August 14th. The Fair will feature input from concerned housing interests, including housing owners, product dealers, and service providers, whom we hope will present displays and products for examination. We will be telling you more about this as the summer progresses. Watch for information here, as well as our flyers, advertisements, and radio announcements. (2620)

WOMEN'S ISSUES

Women's Crisis Center-WCC P.O. Box 7413 Ann Arbor, Michigan 48107 CRISIS LINE : 994-9100 Business line: 761-9475

CURRENT NEWS: We finished another peer counseling training in mid-May. Thank you to all the women who are volunteering on the phones now. It's great to have you all at WCC! Another training will be held in September, so if you missed this one give us a call. We also hired two women to work part-time as peer counselors; through an Ann Arbor city grant, WCC receives funding to hire two women to work twenty hours a week during the summer when many counselors are out of town. Thank you to all the women who applied for the positions and to the women who accepted the positions! Also, thank you to all the women who volunteer at WCC in other ways. We couldn't keep helping women help themselves without you! We at WCC believe that sexuality is a personal and a political issue in our society. Heterosexuality is enforced both formally and informally. Further, women's sexuality in particular is not treated as something which is ours to personally define. Advertisements, movies, and men on the street all reflect this society's attitude that our bodies do not belong to us. WCC invites everyone-women and men who define themselves as straight, bi-sexual, lesbian or gay to gather in order to celebrate our sexualities on Sunday, June 28, Gay Pride Day. There will be a discussion led by two women from the UM Lesbian and Gay Male Programs Office from 1 to 3 pm. Bring a vegetarían dish or a beverage to share if you can. (If you can't, that's okay. This is a guilt-free potluck!) We're located at 306 N. Division in St. Andrew's Church. Use the Lawrence St. entrance. For further information, call 994-9100.   PURPOSE: The purpose of the Women's Crisis Center is to help women help themselves gain control and dignity in their lives by providing non-judgemental support, education, information and resources. WCC volunteers provide free peer counseling and crisis intervention for all women ín the Washtenaw County area. We also organize education and support groups, workshops, and activities. WCC is a non-profit, collectively run organization made up of community women concerned with the needs of all women. Our funding is primarily from private donations. We depend on community support to be able to continue providing the services we have been for the past 14 years. We strongly encourage all women who want to change society to get involved in active, empowering work with other women.  COMMUNITY SERVICES The Crisis Line: 994-9100 operates every day, 10 am to 10 pm. Callers are guaranteed anonymity and can talk with a peer counselor who is there to provide non-judgemental support. Referrals: WCC offers over 600 referrals to agencies and individuals in and around Washtenaw County. WCC also sells low cost, do-it-yourself divorce kits. (2869)