Vol. X .1
Dr. . Boykin earns
na ional recognition
DETROIT - To be
teenager, pregnant, and possib­
ly a high school dropout, can be
frightening experience. More
than 6,000 Detroit public school
students, however, have had a
very special friend to tum to in
that situation - Dr. Nancy
Boykin.
In 1966, Dr. Boykin founded
the Detroit Public schools Con-
tinning Education for Girls
(CEG), a dropout prevention
program designed to meet the
special cademic, emotional
and health needs of pregnant .
teenagers.
Under her guidance, CEG -
the first program of its type in
Michigan - ha erved as a
model, and today, there are 81
C Ua 4
25
z
Decemb .. 27-Jan ry 2, 1988
Better housing in IBB?
DSS to inspect homes before vendoring ren
By Darla Estep
CapitDJ News SeTVice
A program aUo ing the
Department of Social Services
to stop paying rent to landlords
who have property bela local
codes will be implemented
at ide .1.
The program, an alteration to
DSS shelter-vendoring policy,
was imp mented in November
as a pilot project in Berrien
County. Similar programs are in
operation in Grand Rapids and
Muskegon Heights.
Shelter vendoring sends the
rent payments of welfare clients
directly to landlords.
Paul Henrikson, Muskegon
County DSS director, said the
new policy was developed be­
cause DSS officials wanted to be
sure they were paying for quality
housing.
In the Muskegon County
program, DSS officials in­
formed local inspectors which
houses in Muskegon Heights
re being paid for under the
shelter-vendoring progam.
Henrikson said the program
has worked well, but the new
statewide policy should work
better. Previously, the depart­
ment needed consent from their
clients before informing inspec-
Foun atio s fund loa
for nonpro i age cie
LANSING - Three of
Michigan's largest foundations
have joined together to fund a
$300,00 extension of a loan fund
program for nonprofit organiza­
tions in Michigan. .
The Michigan Emergency
Cash Flow Loan Fund, operated
by the Michigan League for
Human Services since 1983, is an
initiative that guarantees the
short-term loans that Comerica
Bank-Detroit or the National
Bank of Detroit write for non­
profit organizations.
The Michigan Emergency
Cash Flow Loan Fund i the only
one of its kind to utilize the com­
bination of existing commercial
banking institutions and loan
guarantees from foundations to
le�rage loans for nonp ofit or­
ganizations.
The W.K. Kellog Founda­
tion of B ttle Cree the Charles
Stewart Mott Foundation of
Flint, and the Skillman Founda­
tion of Detroit will each guaran­
tee up to $100,000 in loans for
the program.
In addition, the W.K. Kellogg
and Skillman Foundations have
granted a to a1 of $45,325 to the
Michigan League for Human
Services to operate the program.
For many nonprofit organiza­
tions, commercial loans are dif­
ficult to obtain because the
agencies lack the collateral or
assets which banks normally re­
quire to cover a loan.
Because of the loan guaran­
tee program, many agencies
receiving loans have avoided
foreclosures, payless paydays,
nd interruption of services.
Other agencies have used loans
to invest in fund-raising
programs and the development
of new services.
tors which houses were being
rented under the program, he
explained.
Under the revised policy,
department officials can iden­
tify those propertie unless a
client objects, Henrikson . d.
"The whole purpose of this
thing is not to eliminate housing.
but to upgrade it," he said.
In Grand Rapids, the Kent
County DSS has had an inspec­
tion contract with the city for
about two years, said Evert Ver­
meer, Kent County DSS direc­
tor.
Although the Kent County
Co tin edo P 2
pr
Since the program's incep­
tion in 1983, nearly $1 million
has been loaned to nonprofit
agencies across the State of
Michigan.
To be eligible for the loans,
organizations must have tax-ex­
emp status as defined in ection
501 (c) (3) of the Intern I
Revenue Service Code. Agen­
cies may request loans for up to
$30,000 for six months. inter­
ested rates are calculated at one
percent above the current prime
interest rate but may be less if
the organization cannot pay that
rate.
Agencies in crested in pply­
ina should contact the Michigan
League for Human Services at
300 N. Washington Squ re,
Suitre 401, Lansing, Michigan
48933 or ca1l517/487-5436.