S. Florida minister and rabbi join to help Haiti's AIDS orphans
I Trusted You Through My Journey
M
y name is Cynthia Lynne Phelps, age 42 years, Caucasian, educated, and mother of two: Derek, age 15 years, and Jessica, age 13 years. I have been married twice to men who hit me. In neither marriage did I receive a black eye or broken bone. My upbringing was conservative. I was born and raised in a Pensacola, FL farming family. I graduated in the top 25% of my graduating high school class (about 425 seniors), held offices from Secretary to President in about five sororities, was cheerleader my senior year, was a member of the track team holding the two-mile record, was a member of the volleyball and softball teams. I excelled at everything I attempted including, in retrospect, confirming the aforementioned statistics. My substance abuse consisted of snorting one line of cocaine when I was 18 years old and drinking myself into
Cathy’s Prayer List •
Jenna • Daysmiel • Sage • Tommy • Hollywood • Joseph • Julie • Roger’s Family • Killingsworth Family • Owens Family • New Destiny International Christian Center of Tamarac • Kerri Fitzpatrick • Nahimana To add a name to the list call 954 410--6275 954--410 No monetary donations needed Names will be listed in paper for 6 months
How’s My Vending? Call (954)
925-6466 X101
HOLLYWOOD
50% of homeless women and children in the U.S. are fleeing abuse
I
Only 10% of abused women repeat the abuse experience in a second relationship drunken, inexperienced stoopers in my teens and early 20’s sometimes to the point of throwing up and maturing to a social drinker of one to two glasses of wine with my gourmet meals. I met my first husband, John, at a New Year’s Eve party my eleventh grade year, 1981. He was my first sexual experience. He enlisted in the United States Air Force and then proposed whereby I accepted ignoring he had slapped me across the face during an argument while we were dating. Afterward, he said, “I am so sorry. I love you so much. I’ll never do it again.” My first sexual relationship was stressful. Sexual intercourse is the closest a man and woman can get. I had gotten the closest I could to this man and to imagine him with someone else in
Cynthia Lynne Phelps the same capacity was unbearable at age 18. After the wedding, we moved to North Carolina where the physical abuse began and Alaska where it continued and ended. We were married about four years. I have been slapped, had my earrings yanked out of my ears, had the top
I
(Continued on page 10)
(Continued on page 7)
Minimum Wage and the Working Poor magine coming home from a 40 hour work week only to realize your paycheck is barely enough for the bills and not nearly enough to begin to save. This cycle is what leads to so many individuals living paycheck to paycheck. Unfortunately, many of us don’t have to imagine this scenario; it has become part of our reality. With an estimated 14.9 million living on minimum wage, many have fallen into the poor working class. Florida’s minimum wage was raised 27 cents, from $6.40 to $6.67 an hour in January 2007. Although this increase is long awaited, a full –time worker working 40 hours a week (2,080 hours a year) earning minimum wage is still considered to be making well below what the Federal guidelines consider to be the poverty level. For a family size of between 1 and 3 per-
nspired by a Hollywood man single -handedly supporting Haitian orphans, a minister and a rabbi are leading a Christian-Jewish delegation to Haiti next month to see how they can rescue children left homeless by HIV/ AIDS. The Rev. Kennedy McGowan, of First Presbyterian Church, and Rabbi Allan C. Tuffs, of Temple Beth El, hope their four-day mission will result in the sponsorship of one or more orphanages in Haiti, which has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the world. Both became aware of the situation in Haiti after reading the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's four-part series, "AIDS Orphans," which was published in November and December. Among other efforts, the project profiled the work of Aaron Jackson, 24, an activist with the Homeless Voice organization in Hollywood who has established two small orphanages in Haiti. Two members of
sons, the annual income of $17,170.00 is poverty level. Which brings me to my question, “How is it possible that our Political leaders can classify a person making minimum wage to be in poverty when they are responsible for setting the hourly rate based upon their calculations for a family to live?” It would be interesting to see how well these leaders would manage living on $17,000 or less a year. That’s a big difference from their $100,000 or more income. Nonetheless, children make up the largest poor population in the United States while nearly half of adults needing food are employed. It amazes me how a decent fulltime working person can still go hungry. Low income households spend up to 45% of their income on housing. Nationally, (Continued on page 9)
2 men charged in slayings of 2 homeless men in St. Pete Associated Press
T
wo men were arrested on charges they fatally shot two homeless men in alleys, authorities said. Cordaro Antwan Hardin, 18, and Dorion Deshawn Dillard, 20, were arrested Tuesday on charges of first-degree murder, St. Petersburg police spokesman George Kajtsa said. It was not clear Wednesday if the men had lawyers. “That's great news,” said Richard Hartz, 65, stepfather of 43year-old Jeffery Shultz, one of the men shot to death on Jan. 17. The other victim was David Heath, 53. The suspects told detectives robbery was the motive for the shootings, police spokesman Bill Proffitt said. Proffitt said the men were “easy targets” and that drugs also may have played a role in the shootings. Both victims were drug users. The slayings intensified a clash between the city and its homeless residents, who gathered after the shootings in tent encampments in defiance of city codes. City officials are now allowing two tent cities near downtown St. Petersburg. Heath had an alcohol problem and spent time recently in a detoxification facility. His ex-wife, Lynn-Marie Carty, said he had three children and was once a bat boy for the New York Mets. Shultz suffered a serious brain injury years ago and was in and out of drug rehabilitation, relatives said. He had just returned to the city after visiting his family in Fort Myers during Christmas.