tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313782987167858899.comments2013-09-05T05:15:19.606-05:00The Benevolent BlogMegan Kashner and the Benevolent Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04869605829751421584noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313782987167858899.post-71233241521046274852013-07-18T15:34:40.462-05:002013-07-18T15:34:40.462-05:00Heartfelt thanks to Megan Kashner for your beautif...Heartfelt thanks to Megan Kashner for your beautiful, moving and thoughtful blog "Prison Babies" on the occasion of "Brianna's" funded need to pay her traffic fine. I greatly appreciate the fact that you’re getting parents nationwide to think about the needs of babies born to incarcerated mothers, and to imagine the experience of mothers who are separated from their infants, usually after just 24 hours. <br />It was great to see the link to Women's Prison Association. Their well-researched report Mothers, Infants and Imprisonment: A National Look at Prison Nurseries and Community-Based Alternatives provides great insight into the need to keep women and babies together in community programs, not prisons, whenever possible. Their first recommendation is: <br />“Increase use of community corrections and reduce reliance on incarceration. Whenever possible, custodial parents and pregnant women under criminal justice supervision should be housed in community-based, non-incarcerative settings. Community corrections programs have been shown to protect public safety and reduce recidivism at a fraction of the human and economic costs of prison. … Community-based residential parenting programs can prevent mother-child separation while allowing mothers to address the issues that contributed to their criminal justice involvement in a real-world setting. These programs allow mother s to practice positive responses to the challenges of parenting and the challenges of everyday life. These programs also keep children out of foster care and provide children the stability of a consistent primary caregiver.” <br />Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers (CLAIM)’s long-standing policy is to promote community-based options keeping moms and babies together, rather than prison nurseries. Mother-infant bonding is critical to babies’ healthy development. However, prison nurseries in general are not the best practice to achieve it. Every mother who is eligible for the Decatur nursery also qualifies for the Women’s Treatment Center (TWTC) and similar programs. Community-based programs provide far better services, have much stronger parole success rates and better outcomes for the babies. CLAIM did a study of community-based sentencing programs several years ago and found recidivism rates ranging from zero to 17%, compared with 50% recidivism from Illinois prisons. As a matter of policy, we need to promote those opportunities whenever possible. <br />There has been so much positive media about prison nurseries, and especially Bedford Hills, which is unusually good but still has serious problems, that it’s easy to be taken in by that model. My own experiences, and those of clients and colleagues around the country, make me firmly committed to promoting reduced incarceration and the implementation of mother-child programs in the community.<br />Let’s all work toward a day when all mothers and babies have the opportunity to begin a healthy family life together in a nurturing, positive setting.<br />Gail T. Smith<br />Founder & Senior Policy Consultant<br />CLAIMAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05009599728111867319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313782987167858899.post-92101521577439989242013-06-05T11:34:32.491-05:002013-06-05T11:34:32.491-05:00That's too sweet. Your dad raised you well. Yo...That's too sweet. Your dad raised you well. You know that love is not just limited to you but also to other people around you that also needs love. Sure your dad is proud of you as you are proud of him. <a href="http://meowchie.snydle.com/fathers-day-messages.html" rel="nofollow">Happy Fathers Day to you daddy! </a> :DAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08511385311743784119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313782987167858899.post-18796634745198152872013-05-26T20:36:43.867-05:002013-05-26T20:36:43.867-05:00Yeah, expressing your love and care to your dad on...Yeah, expressing your love and care to your dad on father's day is one way to remind them that they are loved. Simple <a href="http://easyday.snydle.com/fathers-day-messages.html" rel="nofollow">fathers day messages</a> are enough to make them feel appreciated.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05280259064144708733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313782987167858899.post-20861546409824279112013-04-18T20:31:32.178-05:002013-04-18T20:31:32.178-05:00Anonymous, please feel free to contact us for a di...Anonymous, please feel free to contact us for a direct interchange at info@benevolent.net. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01909829657201854270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313782987167858899.post-72094489462916698962013-04-18T20:20:05.610-05:002013-04-18T20:20:05.610-05:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313782987167858899.post-20494120706007994522013-04-18T17:23:35.811-05:002013-04-18T17:23:35.811-05:00Thanks for your comment. We're pleased to know...Thanks for your comment. We're pleased to know that there are those who read our blog posts from as far back as October of 2011. Of course, many things change from pre-launch to launch to growth-stage in any start-up. Thanks for keeping your eyes open. The best way to know what our most current approach is is to stick to the www.benevolent.net website. Blog posts are more of a narrative snapshot in time.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01909829657201854270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313782987167858899.post-45961591484680737702013-04-18T16:14:49.184-05:002013-04-18T16:14:49.184-05:00"we’ll use about 6.75% to cover our own costs..."we’ll use about 6.75% to cover our own costs (including credit card processing – ouch!)" Not true. The 6.75% does not cover credit card processing. According to your own website: "Benevolent holds on to 3.5% of contributions to cover credit card, processing and banking fees and 6.75% for Benevolent’s operating costs." So the banking costs are OUTSIDE of that 6.75%. Just keeping it honest here. That's key.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313782987167858899.post-84609488232644152242013-03-05T20:09:46.376-06:002013-03-05T20:09:46.376-06:00Thanks, Dan!Thanks, Dan!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01909829657201854270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313782987167858899.post-61855706843311293682013-03-05T13:28:38.321-06:002013-03-05T13:28:38.321-06:00Awesome idea and execution of the idea. DanAwesome idea and execution of the idea. DanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313782987167858899.post-62983711680603281362013-01-21T01:00:47.269-06:002013-01-21T01:00:47.269-06:00Given the fact this comment was delivered at 1:35 ...Given the fact this comment was delivered at 1:35 am here, I will just have to forgive myself for creating two typos in my final review/edits. If it weren't for the kids, I probably would have a quite house earlier in the evening. But then life would be pretty boring without those little monkeys!<br /><br />JohnAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313782987167858899.post-17007682918810625312013-01-21T00:35:32.352-06:002013-01-21T00:35:32.352-06:00A favorite quote:
"Life's most persisten...A favorite quote:<br /><br />"Life's most persistent and urgent question is "What are you doing for others". Martin Luther King, Jr. - a theme for Benevolent this month+?<br /><br />Calling people names: I am not the average John and can prove it. The name John appears in some form in every modern language. There are actually 4 generations of John in my family, 4 my wife’s (i.e. A. John _ IV) and 3 cousins between us. Yes, generations of Johns. My wife was engaged once before we met - you got it, his name was John. Given this paradigm like others before me, I became Johnny for many years until after college. Then I did not become "Johnny the Loan Officer". That is bad marketing. I've never said this in writing, but my sisters and father call me "John Boy". I guess this from the "Walton’s" TV show. Either way I will not respond to it.<br /><br />So I am just another John an why does this matter to you or you blog today? Well, if fate should bring us together and sure hope it does, I would like to become your "John in Detroit". This is not cover letter, but you can call me anything you would like except for shy, introverted, or unknowledgeable about inner-city blight, low income and revitalization. Several hundred families might disagree with you. <br /><br />Many tectonic shifts would have to occur here, but they already started in 2012. I have a dream that I can bring 15 years in community development to Benevolent to Detroit where jobs & housing have always shown a black eye. I suppose through the HR process you may actually see my resume. I just wanted to give you fair warning and ask you to give it a look. I am a Taurus married to a Red Head for nearly 17 years. This makes me either brave/strong or just a little bit crazy - but isn't that something we all are in non profits? Either way I have nothing to lose or everything to gain. <br />This is a beginning ... I think Benevolent is very inspiring and more than a worthy cause. <br /><br />Thank you, <br /><br />J.W. Moorefield<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313782987167858899.post-91923181995657501282012-08-21T02:00:05.624-05:002012-08-21T02:00:05.624-05:00hmm.. its really a serious problem of furniture bu...hmm.. its really a serious problem of furniture bugs with used furniture. we shouldn't go for used furniture. in case if someone is on the budget then he should try to buy small sized, simple or less expensive furniture but never go for a used furniture..Chesterfield Sofa Manufacturerhttp://www.thechesterfieldcompany.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313782987167858899.post-2357094836751371772011-11-02T12:58:39.931-05:002011-11-02T12:58:39.931-05:00As we sat down to family dinner last night, my hig...As we sat down to family dinner last night, my high school freshman commented, "Did you know that 3% of students at ETHS are homeless? That's more than 100 kids!" While I was vaguely aware of the problem, I would not have guessed it was that high. Apparently they did a role play in Humanities class in which they discussed whether or not the cafeteria should offer fatty and sweet foods in addition to healthy meals. Four students, including mine, played homeless students --and argued in favor of offering the fatty and sweet options too. The role-playing students believed that they should be allowed to choose. Kudos to the teacher for raising awareness with our students and kudos to Benevolent for finding an even wider audience.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09126794594524006390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313782987167858899.post-44768579312470883812011-10-05T13:22:14.979-05:002011-10-05T13:22:14.979-05:00Megan, Thank you for sharing about your Aunt Pearl...Megan, Thank you for sharing about your Aunt Pearl and her willingness to give and contribute what she had even as she was in need of other's help. I am so excited about the opportunity that Benevolent will provide to help people in a personal way.<br /><br />AlitaAlita Tuckernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313782987167858899.post-53697881500183410822011-09-24T11:01:34.086-05:002011-09-24T11:01:34.086-05:00Megan,
This is a really lovely post. You are doi...Megan,<br /><br />This is a really lovely post. You are doing such extraordinary things and striving to make the world that much more livable. Thank you.<br /><br />RachelRachel E. Lauberhttp://www.reltranslations.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313782987167858899.post-79210806538893796422011-09-12T15:51:08.968-05:002011-09-12T15:51:08.968-05:00I'm looking forward to being a part of what gr...I'm looking forward to being a part of what great work lies ahead. Your vision and passion are inspiring, Megan! Congratulations on making a vision the reality that will change many lives! xoxodedee goldsmithnoreply@blogger.com