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  Warren City Council passed a historic resolution to accept the
Mahoning Valley Food Charter last night. The charter, which was
developed by the Mahoning Valley Food Policy Council (MVFPC), is
designed to create a commitment to work together to champion a local
food system that secures the right of all residents to adequate amounts
of safe, nutritious, culturally acceptable foods.  

  This resolution promotes bringing communities together. The
fellowship and camaraderie that develops through activities helps to
bring an awareness and appreciation of the skills and gifts we have in
one another. ”You never know who's out there in your world, who's able
to help you accomplish your goal, until you actually get out there and
accomplish something!” remarked Genevieve Germaniuk, a member of the
resident association NEED (North End Environmental Development) and a
Board Member of Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership (TNP). Germaniuk
stated that “The Resolution supporting the Mahoning Valley Food Charter
is a wonderful first step toward bringing attention to the many issues
centering around quality of life. The charter promotes an active life
style by encouraging people to get outside and take a look around their
very own homes and local community areas. It promotes getting
outside oneself and connecting with nature. As a Master Gardner I know
that the concept of composting and recycling materials such as kitchen
waste and yard debris will conserve our resources and prevent
pollution. This isn't a "pie in the sky" idea.  It's something that
could, and should be happening in every home. You don't have to drive to
a city or state park to enjoy nature. Although that is a nice thing to
do, one could also create a simple little green space right around your
own house using vegetables, perennials, annual flowers, fruit trees, or a
combination of these types of plants.” 

  Matt Martin, Program Director of TNP who serves as a member of MVFPC,
agrees that this is a step in the right direction. Warren Councilman
Colbert was instrumental in the Charter’s passing. The Charter states
that it “will promote regional economic development and food security
for our neighborhoods adding the additional benefits for locally grown
produce.  It is also intended to facilitate collaborations and
relationships that will support production and processing practices that
are at once environmentally and economically sustainable.” This is why
the MVFPC has worked so hard to pass it in Youngstown and Warren.

  The Mahoning Valley Food Policy Council was formed to provide a forum
that brings all sectors (governmental and non-governmental) involved
with local food together at one table. The Council places a high
priority on the health of individuals and believes that both our overall
physical and economic health can be aided by supporting opportunities
provided by a local food system. The goal of the council is to examine
the operation of a local food system and provide ideas and
recommendations for improvement through public policy. 

  The MVFPC represents a variety of sectors involved with our local
food system, which include but are not limited to, transportation,
education, restaurants, retailers, churches, growers, economic
development, health, and nutrition. Among the 25 seats are 6 residential
seats and 6 government seats.  For more information on MVFPC, go to
www.growyoungstown.org or www.mvorganzing.org.

You can download the application to submit for membership consideration. 

Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaboartive Executive Director, Kirk Noden, recently published an article about the Ohio election results that repealed Senate Bill 5 (SB5). SB5 took away collective bargaining rights from state employees. Noden is optimistic, but cautions that unless deeper changes are made in the union laws, that the 30-year-old laws currently on the books only preserve the status quo.

http://www.thenation.com/article/164555/ohio-win-unions-just-preserves-status-quo

The week of July 25 has been a busy one for MVOC Human Trafficking Core-Team members.

On Tuesday, Jean Waris and Isabel Seavey, members of the Policy and Action Committee, met with State Rep. Teresa Fedor, Ohio’s legislative leader on Human Trafficking. In 2010, the Northwest Ohio legislator sponsored and led the effort to pass Ohio’s new Human Trafficking bill which finally made the crime a felony.  The MVOC leaders and Rep. Fedor discussed her new bill, the Safe Harbor Act, which aims to serve victims of trafficking.  The group also discussed other potential legislative efforts and building a strong working relationship between MVOC’s efforts in the Valley, the newly formed Ohio Organizing Collaborative (OOC) State Faith-Based Table and Rep. Fedor’s office, with  Rep. Fedor offering to attend and help guide MVOC’s Human Trafficking Social Service Coalition Round Table in the fall.

"She is very passionate about putting an end to human trafficking in Ohio.  Education and public awareness must be a big part of our strategy, as we are still dealing with the "boys will be boys" mentality on all levels of government and in the general public as well,” said Seavey. “Human trafficking is slavery, and it's just wrong."

Members of the Human Trafficking Core Team met with State Rep. Teresa Fedor on Tuesday to discuss partnering in the fight against modern-day slavery. Pictured from left are: Isabel Seavey, Rep. Fedor and Jean Waris. 

Wednesday, Waris, who also serves as Core Team Co-Chair, was joined by fellow Core Team member Joan Sullivan to meet in Columbbus with a burgeoning state-wide coalition of regional Anti-Human Trafficking organizations.  The meeting was hosted by the Central Ohio Rescue and Restore Coalition, an Ohio leader in advocating for policy and providing services to Human Trafficking victims.  At the meeting, pending legislation was discussed as well as a new coalition database to track cases, and systems to help regional organizations to begin to provide uniform high levels of service.  The state coalition welcomed and praised the efforts that MVOC has already undertaken and will be assisting in the fall Social Service Round Table, as well.

Ohio Voters Want To Know Which Side He’s On: Nursing Homes for Grandmas OR Tax Loopholes for Billionaires?

Senior citizens, community residents and members of the faith-based community will gather this Friday to demand Congressman Johnson take notice of the devastating impact that cuts to Medicare and Medicaid will have on Ohio’s seniors.  

A delegation plans to challenge Congressman Bill Johnson at his planned townhall at 2pm this Friday, July 8th at the Boardman Public Library (7680 Glenwood Ave).   They plan to demand answers about why he voted to kick seniors out of nursing homes in order to preserve tax loopholes for billionaires and corporate CEOs.  

The group including seniors, parents, and clergy led by the Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative and the SEIU Fight for A Fair Economy Campaign will attend the recess event in search of Congressman Johnson in order to question their Representative about his support for cutting Medicaid as well as his future support for similar cuts proposed in current negotiations to raise the debt ceiling.

Earlier this month, Congressman Johnson voted for the Republican budget that would slash Medicaid spending by one third and would also end Medicare as we know it by replacing guaranteed benefits with vouchers for a fixed amount that seniors would use to buy private insurance.  The budget he supported would force seniors to pay $6,000 or more in out of pocket expenses each year.  These changes would also drastically increase prescription costs. Limiting these benefits will throw a large percentage of seniors and disabled into poverty who are already struggling to meet their basic needs.

“We cannot stand idly by and let Congress rob our retirement security,” said Gloria Hobbs a senior in Youngstown.  “We must demand that Representative Johnson and other legislators take notice of how these sweeping changes will impact our families now and as we age.”

In the 6th congressional district in Ohio, which Rep. Bill Johnson represents, these provisions could:

• Reduce coverage for 13,500 dual eligible seniors and individuals with disabilities who rely on Medicaid to supplement their Medicare coverage or pay their Medicare cost sharing.
• Jeopardize nursing home care for 3,300 whose expenses are paid by Medicaid.
• Impair the health care of 65,000 children, including 4,400 newborns who receive coverage under Medicaid.
• Cut payments to hospitals for 33,000 emergency room visits paid for by Medicaid each year.
• Cut payments to hospitals for 12,200 inpatient visits paid for by Medicaid each year.
• Reduce jobs and hurt economic growth by eliminating $1.6 billion in Medicaid spending.

“There are already so many families that are forced to make difficult decisions of whether to buy food or buy medicine. These changes will just rob dignity from a tremendous number of seniors –making this dilemma a more common place part of aging,” said Charlene Allen, former Director of Warren’s ACOP community center.  "We should be outraged that anyone could so misrepresent us this way in Congress.”

Media Coverage:

WKBN - Expert: No winners in national budget debate

Members of the MVOC Human Trafficking Core Team met with Attorney General Mike DeWine and officials from his office on May 25 to discuss the issue of human trafficking statewide as well as locally. The meeting was a result of a six month organizing campaign on human trafficking and massage parlors. 

Pastor David MacDonald of First United Methodist Church of Niles and co-chair of the core team said, “Mr. DeWine listened to our concerns and presented us with an opportunity to help direct the statewide fight against human trafficking. We’re looking forward to following up with him on our local work and working with his office through the Statewide Human Trafficking Commission.”

Mr. DeWine committed his office to continuing the Statewide Human Trafficking Commission and to placing a representative of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative’s faith-based table on it. He also appointed a representative of his office to work with MVOC directly on human trafficking issues.  

The core team will be following up with Mr. DeWine over the next few months to ensure that the statewide Commission is reformed and to continue to build its relationship to work together on local and statewide issues.

The Human Trafficking Core Team is holding another series of meetings this week in the ongoing battle against this issue of basic human rights.

Cleveland Plain Dealer
On Monday, May 23 Core Team members met with Cleveland Plain Dealer President Terrance Egger and Vice President of Display Advertising Andrea Hogben to express concern over the paper’s advertising policy. The team requested that ads for massage parlors in the City of Warren and Trumbull County, such as those pictured below, be pulled from the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Massage parlors affect quality of life by bringing down property values and affecting the image of the Valley. Furthermore, the businesses raise serious questions regarding basic human rights. According to the Polaris Project, an international nonprofit organization that aims to rid the world of modern-day slavery, “women found in brothels disguised as massage parlors typically live on-site where they are confined and coerced into providing commercial sex to 6 to 10 men a day, 7 days a week.”

MVOC leader and President of the Warren-Trumbull County AAUW Isabel Seavey said, “I was really impressed with their openness. They were quite shocked by what we told them about human trafficking in Northeastern Ohio. I am optimistic about the possibility of the Cleveland Plain Dealer pulling advertisements of massage parlors in our area from their paper.” 

Though they did not commit to removing advertisements for massage parlors, they agreed to look into the matter and committed to meet within 60 days with a decision.

Jean Waris, Human Trafficking Core Team co-chair said that she is “confident that they intend to sign our pledge. You could tell that they were concerned. As a family paper, they certainly do not want to continue to accept advertising from establishments that promote the sexual trade.” 

The core team also has requests with other publications with similar advertisements like the Akron Beacon Journal. Thus far, others have refused the opportunity to meet with leaders. 

Attorney General Mike DeWine
Leaders from the core team will meet with Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine on May 25 to continue to build a relationship with his office on human trafficking issues in the Mahoning Valley and in the state of Ohio.

The Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative (MVOC) Healthy Neighborhood Store Initiative will hold its next meeting on Thursday, April 28 at 6 p.m. at the Main Branch of the Youngstown Library.

The meeting will focus on expanding the work begun by the Health Equity Committee in 2010, which included the surveying of neighborhood stores within the City of Youngstown and obtaining Good Neighbor agreements with those stores to increase fresh food options and decrease adverse activity on the property. Initiative members will also discuss upcoming liquor license hearings for three stores within the city with a long-term history of reported nuisance.

For more information, please call MVOC's office at 330.743.1196.