Blogging Black Miami

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES: YWCA

2010-02-08T01:19:55-05:00

Organizational Overview: The YWCA of Greater Miami-Dade is a community-based, not-for-profit service agency, dedicated to the delivery of a wide variety of services and assistance to women, girls and their families. The foundation of the YWCA of Greater Miami-Dade was built in 1919, when a historic group of women raised nearly $2,000 to fund the opening of the this chapter in Miami-Dade County. The YWCA has built a strong reputation as a pioneering women's membership movement and is readily recognizable in South Florida as an organization that focuses its collective power towards the elimination of injustice and prejudice wherever they exist in our community. The following employment opportunities are available at the present time:

FRONT OFFICE COORDINATOR

Responsible for greeting all visitors to headquarters facility, answering and operating telephone system, handing mail incoming and outgoing, photocopying, receives and sends documents via fax and routes to designated staff members, Issues, activates, tracks building entry and exit via access badges and keeps records for billing purposes, schedules use of agency vehicle/s and bills appropriately, tracks facilities maintenance calendar and work orders for all sites; maintains calendar of events and room usage schedule and processes room rental requests and bills appropriately; and administers all other related front office activities. High School required with a minimum of 2 yrs of front office, reception, or related customer/client service experience; good communication skills, bilingual skills in Spanish and/or Creole preferred; cash handling exp. helpful; good knowledge of word processing and spreadsheet software (Word, Excel). Must be willing to learn telephone, alarm, and other agency systems software. FDLE/FBI Background check and drug testing required to work in facility.

CONTRACT OUTREACH SPECIALIST-Family Wellness

***This is a short-term contracted position from February 2010 to June 2010

The YWCA's Family Wellness Program educates and provides access to quality health services to women and their families in Miami-Dade with a special focus on minority women. We have provided breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screenings, breast, cervical, colorectal, and all other chronic diseases prevention education, dependable case management and advocacy to underinsured and uninsured women in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Position Summary: Responsible to conduct outreach activities and health education sessions with women in designated communities on breast and cervical health and other chronic diseases in a culturally appropriate manner.

Primary Responsibilities: Coordinate and conduct outreach and health education activities in designated communities; Maintains record of educational activities through sign-in sheets and database; Complete pre- and post-test surveys; Prepare monthly health awareness bulletin boards

Qualifications: Degree in Public Health or related field preferred; Bilingual skills in Spanish and/or Creole a plus experience doing presentations and public speaking; Background and knowledge of women's health issues and other chronic diseases preferred; Able to work a flexible schedule and deliver presentations in different areas of Miami-Dade County

OOS Program Coordinator, Youth Division

The YWCA is currently seeking an Out of School Program Coordinator, the individual responsible for coordinating and overseeing the Out of School program offered by the Youth Department, whose duties involve:

Job Responsibilities: Coordinates and oversees the Out Of School Program at multiple sites to ensure grant compliance, data management and staff support. Oversees and monitors assigned After School site locations to assure grant compliance. Collects data from assigned site staff to ensure program efficiency and proper programming methodology. Coordinates multi-site staff meetings. Updates appropriate staff of grant requirements to assure compliance. Monitors program enhancement activities. Checks site staff/participant files. Supervises Program designated staff at various sites. Examines participant attendance sheets. Serves as a facilitator and/or negotiator as needed. Travels to various sites for site monitoring and program enhancements.

Qualifications: Associate's degree (A.A.) or equivalent from two-year college or technical school a must, Bachelor's preferred; two (2) to four (4) years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Experienced as a facilitator and negotiator with excellent interpersonal skills a must. Ability to write complex and thorough reports and correspondence. Excellent oral and communication skills necessary. Able to communicate program philosophy, goals and results to external sources. Bilingual translations [English/Spanish], both verbal and written highly desired. Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals. Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral or diagram form. Ability to assess and deal with problems involving people and concepts. To perform this job successfully, an individual should be computer proficient, including knowledge of basic computer software applications and databases.

Candidate will be required to pass FDLE/FBI fingerprinting background check.

Compensation: Grade level ranges currently from $31,300 to $34,400 depending on education/experience. This is a 100% grant funded position. Work hours would typically be Monday-Friday 10am-6pm, but may change as program needs dictate.

To apply send resume by e-mail to ywca-careers@ywca-miami.org or fax to 305-416-4618.

Judge Karen and the Anybody Can Serve Challenge

2010-02-07T21:52:21-05:00

Miami Judge Karen Mills-Francis of the new tv court show "Judge Karen's Court" premiering this fall is the Celebrity spokesperson for the" 30-60-90 Day Challenge". The "30-60-90 Day Challenge" will pit low-middle income families (families that make $50,000 or less a year) from all over the country against each other in a competition to see who can conserve the most energy.

From the website http://www.anybodycanserve.org/challenge.html

"Anybody Can Serve is about helping people become informed and engaged in the movement towards a more affordable, energy efficient, eco-friendly society; and Anybody Can Serve is putting the tools and resources in people's hands to do so without putting a strain on their pocketbooks.

Now more than ever, Americans are paying the costs associated with our inefficient use of energy services. Whether it's frustration over our ever-increasing utility bills or concern over depleting our natural energy resources, we appreciate the affects of inefficient energy consumptions in ways unrealized by previous generations. We all recognize the importance of energy efficiency, just as we realize that time is of the essence, but oftentimes we tend to overlook the simple things that we can do at home to impact our energy consumption.

This is why Anybody Can Serve—we each play a role in reshaping our environmental future no matter our socio-economic background; and we each have the power to minimize the costs of energy inefficiency. We can change the tide and alter history by making simple changes to our daily lifestyles that will help improve the environment with the added benefit of reducing our energy bills."

Judge Karen's role is to encourage people to participate with the winner of this challenge having their electric bills paid up to 3 months. Those eligible should sign up on the website before the April 1, 2010 deadline. Please spread the word!

Become a fan of Vanessa Woodard Byers for Miami-Dade County School Board, District 2 for change in public education!

“Never stand begging for that which you have the power to earn.” ~ Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Financial Tip of the Month by Lisa Rogers-Cherry

2010-02-07T20:37:12-05:00

Many people are preparing to file their income tax returns. I recommend that you do not opt for the rapid refund, because most of the time you leave too much money on the table. This year, if you are one of the individuals who will receive a refund, make your best effort to put away as much of that money as possible in some sort of account which will allow you to build a savings. Your ultimate goal should be to have atleast four to six months of your monthly salary in a savings account. Prepare now for your rainy day.

Lisa Rogers-Cherry is the author of Lifting the Burdens of Debt: A Helpful Guide to Getting Your Debts Paid and Your Life Back on Track (2005; $14.95). Lisa writes monthly financial tips for www.bloggingblackmiami.com and can be heard on www.wmbm.com on the Let's Talk Money Show. If you have a question or for more information go to www.redpenpress.com, e-mail her at Lisa@redpenpress.com, or write Lisa Rogers-Cherry, Red Pen Press, P. O. Box 1196, Dania Beach, FL 33004.

HAITI RELIEF DONATIONS QUALIFY FOR IMMEDIATE TAX RELIEF

2010-02-07T11:11:22-05:00

Thank you to Osun's Village Miami for this information:

Osun's Village Miami February 4 at 7:13pm Report

People who give to charities providing earthquake relief in Haiti can claim these donations on the tax return they are completing this season, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

Taxpayers who itemize deductions on their 2009 return qualify for this special tax relief provision, enacted January 22. Only cash contributions made to these charities after January 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010, are eligible. This includes contributions made by text message, check, credit card, or debit card.

"Americans have opened their hearts to help those affected by the Haiti earthquake," said IRS commissioner Doug Shulman. "This new law provides an immediate tax benefit for the many taxpayers who have made generous donations."

Taxpayers can benefit from their donations, almost immediately, by filing their 2009 returns early, filing electronically, and choosing direct deposit. Refunds take as few as 10 days and can be directly deposited into a savings, checking, or brokerage account, or used to purchase Series I U.S. savings bonds.

The new law only applies to cash (as opposed to property) contributions. The contributions must be made specifically for the relief of victims in areas affected by the January 12 earthquake in Haiti. Taxpayers have the option of deducting these contributions on either their 2009 or 2010 returns, but not both.

To get a tax benefit, taxpayers must itemize their deductions on Schedule A. Those who claim the standard deduction, including all short-form filers, are not eligible.

Taxpayers should be sure their contributions go to qualified charities. Most organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible donations are listed in a searchable online database available on IRS.gov under Search for Charities. [Editor's note: Donations made through GuideStar's online giving system also qualify for the deduction, as only eligible nonprofits have "Donate Now" buttons on GuideStar.] Some organizations, such as churches or governments, may be qualified even though they are not listed on IRS.gov. Donors can find out more about organizations helping Haitian earthquake victims from agencies such as USAID.

The IRS reminds donors that contributions to foreign organizations generally are not deductible. IRS Publication 526, Charitable Contributions, provides information on making contributions to charities.

Federal law requires that taxpayers keep a record of any deductible donations they make. For donations by text message, a telephone bill will meet the recordkeeping requirement if it shows the name of the donee organization, the date of the contribution, and the amount of the contribution. For cash contributions made by other means, be sure to keep a bank record, such as a cancelled check, or a receipt from the charity showing the name of the charity and the date and amount of the contribution. Publication 526 has further details on the recordkeeping rules for cash contributions.

This year's special Haiti relief provision is modeled on a 2005 law that, in the wake of the December 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami, allowed taxpayers to deduct donations they made during January 2005 as if they made the donations in 2004.

U.S. Internal Revenue Service
January 26, 2010

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Kem - Joe - Keith Sweat Valentine's Day Weekend

2010-02-06T21:16:49-05:00

Warren Sapp arrested for domestic violence

2010-02-06T20:38:00-05:00

It's definitely Super Bowl weekend, folks. Warren Sapp was arrested for a domestic violence incident that allegedly occurred at the Shore Club on Miami Beach.

Michael Irvin…Warren Sapp… Are these indeed cases of men behaving badly or what? For sure, either they or the women they've been involved with need to select better partners.

It's Super Bowl Eve; which current or former NFL player will be next? Oh yeah, unlike Irvin; Sapp has been removed from sports analyst duties until an investigation is completed.

Son of Reggae Legend Bob Marley, Ky-Mani Pens His Personal, Controversial Memoir, 'Dear Dad' The Story the Marley Family

2010-02-06T20:12:32-05:00

South Florida Caribbean News

DEERFIELD EACH - Son of the Legendary Bob Marley, Ky-Mani Pens His Personal, Controversial Memoir, Dear Dad: "Where's The Family In Our Family, Today?" The Story the Marley Family Apparently Doesn't Want You to Know. Available now on Amazon and in book stores to coincide with Bob Marley's 65th birthday February 6, 2010. According... Read More...

Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado Shares Latest Details For Miami Marine Stadium Restoration on WNYC & PRI's "The Takeaway"

2010-02-06T08:41:42-05:00

Miami Mayor Regalado took to the national stage earlier this week when he spoke on The Takeaway, public radio’s national morning drive program, which debuted in on WLRN in Miami just this past Monday.

Regalado spoke to hosts John Hockenberry and Celeste Headlee about the latest developments in his sunny city.

Referring back to a promise made during his campaign, Celeste asked the mayor about his progress on helping to restore the Miami Marine Stadium:

“We have the University of Miami Architecture School working on the plans and we're asking the state of Florida and the federal government for money to restore [it] ... We're proud of it, it's unique in the US, and we believe that with the help of the state and fundraising by the private sector we'll be able to restore it and have an extraordinary venue because this is the stadium that faces the [Biscane] Bay and it has a tremendous... an ambiance here in Miami.”

You can listen to the full interview, which includes other community updates, here: http://audio.wnyc.org/takeaway/takeaway020310_4d.mp3

The Takeaway is a national morning drive new program, co-produced by WNYC and PRI, in collaboration with the BBC, The New York Times and WGBH Boston. It airs on over 55 stations nationally. www.thetakeaway.org

Michael Irvin accused of rape

2010-02-06T03:46:27-05:00

Fort Lauderdale native and former NFL player Michael Irvin has been hit with a civil lawsuit by a woman who alleges he and another man raped her in July 2007 at the Seminole Hard Rock hotel. Irvin has fired back with a $100 million lawsuit against his accuser.

Irvin, an NFL Hall of Famer, was let go from his ESPN radio show on the same day the lawsuit was filed against him but ESPN producers say the lawsuit had nothing to do with that decision. Irvin will continue his commentating duties during the Super Bowl this weekend.

Either a rape occurred or it didn't. Whichever party is lying should be severely punished.

Coach Herman Boone

2010-01-31T18:01:27-05:00

I had the pleasure of meeting high school fooltball legend Coach Herman Boone and his wife Carol. He is the man on whom Denzel Washington's character was based in the film, Remember the Titans. I must say that the real Coach Herman Boone is even more interesting than his character in the movie.

Must read from the Miami Herald on City of Miami finances

2010-01-31T09:59:05-05:00

Posted on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010

Miami leaders fear a financial meltdown

By CHARLES RABIN AND MICHAEL SALLAH

Facing a widening financial crisis, Miami leaders are already projecting a $45 million budget shortfall this year that could force the city to deplete its reserves and sell key assets to stay afloat.

Rising costs, slumping property tax collections and ever-growing pension obligations are feeding a meltdown that's now forcing administrators to look for drastic new sources of income not needed since the state took over Miami's books 14 years ago.

``We understand the gravity of the situation,'' said Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado.

It's time for the UniverSoul Circus!

2010-01-30T23:41:37-05:00