The History of MIFA continued The Ice is Broken In the early days while struggling to build a sound financial base for MIFA, Smith and Dempsey wrote and submitted proposal after proposal to federal agencies, local foundations, and any other source they could find. Together they wrote grants in profusion, convinced that as soon as they “broke the ice” and received an initial grant, they could prove their ability to administer it and other grants would follow. In this area, their timing was fortuitous. The federal government at that time was allocating funds to programs that were designed to eliminate poverty. Termed the “War on Poverty”, this financial commitment coincided with MIFA's proposals to improve the lives of people in need. The first federally funded grant to MIFA was awarded for Project MEET transportation marking the happy ending to the period of writing and submitting grant after grant with no results. The Memphis Presbytery provided the matching funds. Operation of the program began July 1, 1974, with Paul Curry driving the Salvation Army bus to transport elderly persons to Project MEET congregate meal sites where a nutritious lunch was provided and other services offered. When Roseann Botts moved from the VISTA roster to the Transportation payroll as Coordinator of this program, the precedent was established for the selection of MIFA program managers from the VISTA ranks. Eventually six buses were loaned to the program during the week by churches and community organizations and 500 elderly were served each month. Volunteers were recruited to help participants on and off the buses. With this project, the period of high hopes and empty coffers began to ease, although it was far from over. This was an important landmark, proving that MIFA could handle a sizable project efficiently and manage the stringent accounting regulations required by the federal government. It was also a “learning ground for the management of future grants,” say Dempsey. From the initial commitment of taking participants to congregate meal sites, MIFA Transit has expanded to include a fleet of sixty vehicles serving four counties with transportation services for the elderly, the ill, and the handicapped. One of Dempsey's interests at the University Interfaith Center was to arrange medical help for the poor. Nationwide, the concept of health maintenance organization was being promoted as a vehicle for bringing quality health care to more people. Businessmen and physicians in Memphis were generally opposed to this idea, but Dempsey defined the concept and recruited MIFA board member the Reverend Lloyd Ramer to head a committee to try to establish one in the city. He worked with Dempsey in submitting a grant application to the Department of Health, Education and Welfare to study the feasibility of a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) in Memphis. In November, 1974, MIFA was awarded a grant of $49,992 to conduct such a study. With the help of VISTAs Sybil Tucker and Barbara Wilson, Bob Dempsey set out to determine the feasibility of a private, county-wide, prepaid comprehensive health system. That study concluded that the development of a local HMO should go forward, and additional funding was awarded by HEW. One of the program development tasks was to recruit a board for the HMO that would represent labor, industry, consumer groups, and the medical community. Businessman Elder Shearon, the first chairman of the HMO board, took the lead in finding these people. Barbara Wilson remembers that this was not an easy task but, Shearon “paved the way by finding people who were willing to listen.” After several years of development, the HMO of Tennessee, Inc. was incorporated and spun off from MIFA as a separate entity. This was a significant accomplishment of MIFA, representing as it did a permanent change in a system that effects the lives of many by providing options in the way health care is delivered. The HMO is now owned by Pru-Care, and continues to provide pre-paid health care to this community. In February, 1975, MIFA moved its offices to 149 Monroe. The organization had outgrown its space at the Catholic Diocese, so board Chairman, the Reverend Harold Barrett, asked Lewis McKee (later Board Chairman of the Memphis Food Bank) to find a suitable new location, which they obtained rent-free from Boyle Investment Company in a building which housed the Chamber of Commerce at the corner of Monroe and 2nd Street. That year, Jeanne Tacket began her association with MIFA, coming, as have many of its other leaders, as a VISTA volunteer. With a master's degree in public administration, she worked closely with Smith and Dempsey, learning the methods of planning and organization they had developed. Smith says that Tacket “got MIFA into business in a caring, thorough, nurturing way”, and all who have profited from her presence would agree without reservation. Tacket reflects: “There is something special about working with MIFA. I think it is because staff, both paid and volunteer, are nurtured, not stifled, and each comes to feel that his work makes a difference in the lives of people.” In October, 1975, MIFA's charter was amended to include this addendum to the purpose: “It shall serve as an agency to deliver services in area of social services, health, education, housing, transportation, and any other areas appropriate to the purpose of MIFA.” This was a change in emphasis from the original purpose, which stressed research, dissemination of information, and education, with service mentioned briefly last. Some people were concerned that the shift to delivery of services might dilute the resolve to effect changes in the system. Father John Batson discusses the fact that “the extensive involvement of MIFA in the delivery of human services has sometimes been questioned,” but he feels that this involvement does not preclude being an agent for change. He argues, in fact that “you can be an advocate for human needs that are not being met if you are already providing a service that gives you instant credibility.” James Holmes agrees with this: “In a subtle way, the system has been changed by MIFA, as the delivery of services to the poor has been modified.” In 1975, MIFA received a grant from the Delta Area Agency for a Tax Rebate for the Elderly project. The law permitted rebates to elderly homeowners with limited incomes, but the homebound had no way to participate. VISTAs Virginia Hiett, Virginia Klettner, Bridget Church, Rita Seigle, Beverly Sims and Diane Wellford set out to reach these isolated seniors and document their eligibility. Armed with early models of portable copiers in big black suitcases, they would go into a home, set the machine on the bed, and watch birth certificates, etc. disappear into the black box, hoping that readable, though smudgy copies would come out on the other side. After the major sign-up had taken place, the program was continued by the State office for outgoing enrollment. The City Department of Community Development awarded a two-year grant in 1975 to rehabilitate the homes of low-income homeowners who had been granted hardship waivers. Health and safety violations in ninety homes were corrected under this program. MIFA served as the coordinating agency in the Vietnamese Resettlement Project begun in November, 1975. A committee was formed to coordinate local efforts to secure sponsors, jobs, housing and other assistance for the refugees. VISTAs Tharon Kirk, Betty Smith, Sybil Tucker, and Joanne Brown worked with the committee, agencies, churches and individuals to provide maximum services for the refugees with a minimum of duplication. After the initial influx of refugees had been served, Catholic Charities and other agencies assumed the responsibility for ongoing resettlement efforts. In seeking to concentrate resources on emerging needs and critical services, MIFA constantly evaluates and modifies its relationship to programs. The Refugee Resettlement and Tax Rebate programs are examples of MIFA initiating and operating programs until the need has been largely met, then turning them over to other agencies to continue. As part of MIFA's on-going program evaluation, some were phased out if found to be impractical or ineffective. Others were terminated at the end of the contract period. Some programs, such as the Memphis Literacy Council, were administered by MIFA with the understanding that they would eventually become independent. In this case MIFA provided support for the board and VISTAs to help administer the project. The council is now firmly established in the community and Nina Katz, one the original VISTA workers, still serves as public relations director. Another example of an agency that was initiated by MIFA and developed as a separate entity, is the Housing Opportunities Corporation. This organization continues to function in the community as a means of assuring equality and lack of discrimination in local housing. Other programs have begun as separate projects and later became a part of MIFA. An example of this is the Churches and Social Services Fund (CSSF), established in 1972 by some of the same concerned people who were involved in MIFA. The fund was designed to help ministers respond most effectively with their limited emergency resources for helping people in need. The story that is told, which may be apocryphal, is that a Mrs. Evans, who developed a compelling, heart-wrenching story of need, approached many different ministers with her tale of woe, and was usually rewarded with money by each of them to solve the same problem. In a minister's meeting, several of them began to compare experiences, and realized for the first time that they were being duped by a skillful beggar. A more sensible way to dispense their resources would be to have clients screened by someone trained to recognize real need. Not only would this eliminate duplication and make the funds stretch further, but it would also allow the client more dignity. CSSF was organized to provide such a service on behalf of many caring congregations. VISTAs Virginia Burnett was assigned by MIFA in 1975 to assist the CSSF Board in enlisting church aid and in setting up food pantries and clothes closets. CSSF eventually became a MIFA program and the name was changed to Churches and Synagogues Serving Families. The acronym, CSSF was retained however, and in 1988 was changed to CASES, Churches And Synagogues Emergency Services. CASES provided a central place, MIFA, where churches and synagogues can refer people with emergency needs. These persons are screened by a social worker and may then receive rent or utility assistance, and food or clothing. This system has been broadened and refined over the years. CASES funds may pay for medicines and unusual emergency needs and provide essential matching funds for other grants that are designated for mortgage, rent, or utility assistance. CASES has also nurtured and supported the Christmas Store. The first Christmas Store was organized in 1975 by Vicki Bolton, a case worker for the Tennessee Department of Human Services, who was frustrated with the awkwardness of a system where well-meaning donors took presents to the home of needy children. At the Christmas Store, parents, screened by the Department of Human Services, select two new toys for each of their children and then present the gifts themselves. “We feel,” said Bolton, “that every child should have something new and special at Christmas, and that the gift should come from the parent or Santa, not from a stranger coming to the home.” Thus, the Christmas joy for needy children has been wrapped in dignity. In 1987, the Christmas Store provided new toys to over 15,000 children. As in many MIFA programs, success is heavily dependent on volunteer workers and individual contributions. Next: The Last Half of the 70's