ABOUT GUESTS:
Joye Clute
5 yrs with FID: Joye serves as the Director of Program Services, overseeing our Helpline, Transportation, and Furniture service programs. With experience as both Director of Programs and a case manager aiding community members through crises, Joye brings invaluable insight and understanding to address ongoing community needs. As a long-time resident of Ypsi with a rich history in human services, her perspective is uniquely attuned to the challenges our community faces. With over a decade of case management experience.
Elisa Guyton
1 yr with FID: With over a decade of experience in nonprofit leadership, communications and fundraising, Elisa has developed and executed impactful strategies for various organizations dedicated to community service and sustainability. Their career has centered on building relationships, fostering creativity, and driving missions forward. Elisa is dedicated to community-centered work.
RESOURCES:
Friends In Deed on X (Twitter)
TRANSCRIPTION:
David Fair: The amount of spending taking place this holiday season is on high. But as we plan celebrations with family and friends, we should note there is a level of poverty in our community that's going to hamper those kinds of plans for all too many. Indeed, these are neighbors who could use some friendly assistance. I'm David Fair, and welcome to this edition of Washtenaw United, our weekly exploration of equity and opportunity in our community. Our guests today come from the Ypsilanti-based organization, aptly named, Friends In Deed. And the work it does in and for the community runs year-round. Elisa Guyton serves as Director of Development and Communications. And thanks for coming in today! I appreciate it!
Elisa Guyton: Absolutely! My honor to be here!
David Fair: And Joye Clute is Director of Program Services. Joye, glad you could be here as well!
Joye Clute: Good morning! And thank you for having me!
David Fair: Well, Friends In Deed has been working to fill in the cracks of assistance for about 40 years. Elisa, when it comes to poverty, are we better or worse off than we were 40 years ago?
Elisa Guyton: Wow! I would say worse off. I mean, the disparity from the wealth gap basically is what continues to grow. You know, we have a lot of high-income earners in this area. But then, we have a very high portion of low or below poverty. And that is what we're here to help tackle.
David Fair: Well, and to take that a bit further, consumer prices are on high. The costs of housing and transportation have spiked. And as you mentioned, the income and wage gap is only growing. Joye, has there been an increase in requests for assistance in the past 12 to 24 months?
Joye Clute: Absolutely! Really, in the past four years that we have experienced a different kind of poverty, there is a whole new population that we haven't seen before who are struggling in seemingly what would be that poverty level. The cost of everything is up with really no way for households to keep up with those increasing expenses. And the more and more things progress in this year and into the next, we anticipate that getting even worse.
David Fair: And, Elisa, I mentioned that Friends In Deed is filling in the cracks in poverty assistance. What kinds of financial and material resources can you provide to those who find themselves stuck in those cracks?
Elisa Guyton: Our biggest thing that we do is eviction prevention, providing security deposits or rental arrears, things like that. We also have a furniture program for those who are just moving into housing and they need your basic furniture. Beds is what we prioritize. And then, we have our transportation program, which helps people. We have a car donation, and we try to help with repairs as well. And then, our biggest program is our Circles program, which really helps to empower those who are in poverty by surrounding them with allies who then help them along their goals. And so, our leaders are the ones who are setting those goals--setting smart goals. And the allies come in to help provide that social network and really connect on a more intimate level than most mentoring programs do.
David Fair: Washtenaw United and our conversation with Joye Clute and Elisa Guyton continues on 89 one WEMU. Joye and Elisa come to us from the organization Friends In Deed. And, Joye, in your years of work in this arena, how big a role have you found systemic and institutional factors to be as a root cause of poverty?
Joye Clute: It's definitely a root cause of the poverty. Systems have a tendency to ignore the the human element. And because of that, things are typically monetarily geared. And that is kind of how our society behaves. The penalty for being poor is fines and fees. And the more you are in a cycle of debt and low income, the amount of money and the very limited time that you can get buried under significant amount of debt is staggering and it is problematic. These systems are created to meet you in your emergency under very, very specific circumstances. And with poverty, as Elisa and I know all too well, it is a very individual journey, and it can be caused by a lot of different elements. So, the systems are flawed.
David Fair: I'm so glad you brought this up, though. We often talk about these issues as big, broad societal things, and they are for certain. But those who are living through it, it is a deeply personal experience. So, Joye, if you could take me a little further into the Circles program and explain how Friends In Deed fosters that relational component and individualized service that helps break the cycle of poverty.
Joye Clute: We look at the person as a whole. Like I said, poverty can happen in a lot of different ways, and, for some people, that might be a lack of transportation. For others, that might be lack of daycare support or for people in this area that have been in this area for a long time might not have the basic understanding of how to navigate just finances or how to live day-to-day with bills. So, when we are introducing these relationships in the Circles program, not only are we teaching the mentors what poverty actually looks like, but we are introducing them to the person who is experiencing this poverty. I think, oftentimes, people get labeled as being poor or poverty, but it is an experience, not a person. And by opening up that door to that understanding, these relationships can grow. They can meet the person where they are, address their barriers and get them to where they want to be. And when you structure a program like this around a person, the outcomes and the goals are much more realistic. They take pride in what they are doing, and that's why this program is effective. Not just that, but we also introduce two sets of classes, if you will, who might not typically interact with each other. So, there's a broader understanding. And then, those people can continue to educate others with their experiences.
David Fair: And, Elisa, do you find that in this collective of individuals that are going through this and growing from the programs that it also creates community?
Elisa Guyton: Without a doubt! The biggest thing that they say is once in Circles, always in Circles, because you find that once the leaders and their mentors come together, they build this huge community of such important, honest relationships that they become family. And they keep these relationships going for years and years. And, really, that's just a testament to how transformational this program is because it's really opening everyone's eyes to the truth and the reality. And then, individually, they get to conquer whatever barriers are in the way. And it's wonderful!
David Fair: We're talking with Elisa Guyton and Joye Clute from Ypsilanti-based Friends In Deed on WEMU's Washtenaw United. And, Elisa, in every opportunity to serve, there's a potential for a positive outcome, as you've outlined in a story of hope and success. Do you have a favorite story from watching someone move from assistance to greater opportunity to self-sufficiency?
Elisa Guyton: Absolutely! We had someone who needed car repairs who had reached out to us, and we were able to get this person a check, but we couldn't get a hold of them. And on a particular day, their car was like on its last breath. And they pulled in. They knocked on our door in tears saying, "I don't know what to do." And then, a staff member was able to say, "Hey, we have a check for you for your repairs. We've been trying to get a hold of you." And to see the tears, the emotion, the excitement of this particular client, it was just beyond everything. It made everyone's day just how touched she was and how this check was really going to help save her, so that she can keep her car, keep her job. You know, it's just so....
David Fair: And it's stories like that on the days when it is most difficult and you're not noting a particular success that it keeps you going and moving forward with the idea that's going to be another person down the line, right?
Elisa Guyton: Exactly!
David Fair: Well, Joye, Friends In Deed has been working to combat poverty for I mentioned 40 years. Right now, the income gap is widening. More families than ever living paycheck to paycheck. There's housing and food insecurity. Access to opportunity becomes more difficult the lower you are on the income scale. I've painted a rather bleak picture, so I'm going to ask this of you. As our time comes to an end today, what are you most optimistic about in addressing poverty and inequity in Washtenaw County?
Joye Clute: I'm looking forward to a lot of people and a lot of other entities coming together to fight this collectively. And the beauty of our organization is we are here for everybody, and that is individuals. That is families. That is other entities that are looking to help others. I think we have created some pretty significant bridges to continue to address those service gaps and really come together to make meaningful intervention with the people who really, really need it. And as far as the community goes, who is really concerned about what's happening and looking to help, this is the time to really come together, pay attention and advocate for the safety and well-being of the community as a whole. And there's a lot of different ways to do that. So, we invite you to reach out to us and join us in caring for our neighbors.
David Fair: Well, thanks to both of you for making the trip into WEMU today! Happy holidays to you both and to all of yours!
Joye Clute: You as well! Thank you!
Elisa Guyton: Thank you!
David Fair: That is Friends In Deed Director of Program Services Joye Clute and Development and Communications Director Elisa Guyton--our guests on Washtenaw United. For more information on Friends In Deed and the work it does in our community, stop by our website at wemu.org. Washtenaw United is produced in partnership with United Way for Southeastern Michigan, and you hear it every Monday. I'm David Fair, and this is your community NPR station, 89 one WEMU FM, Ypsilanti.
WEMU has partnered with the United Way for Southeastern Michigan to explore the people, organizations, and institutions creating opportunity and equity in our area. And, as part of this ongoing series, you’ll also hear from the people benefiting and growing from the investments being made in the areas of our community where there are gaps in available services. It is a community voice. It is 'Washtenaw United.'
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