Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 14 November 2003 — Page 25

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Classified • Memoriams • Sports Business

D SECTION FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2003

YOUR MONEY

MAHERS

Urban League's insKhil’e aims MAIICK3 . • J* II

Drunk on *° im P rove diverse workplaces

the holiday

spirit

By MICHAEL G. SHINN For Tho Recorder “During the Christmas season, too many people buy things they don’t need, with money they don’t have, run up debts that they can’t afford and all this for the wrong reasons,” comments Solomon Harge, executive director of the Consumer Protection Association in Cleveland. “The holiday season is supposed to be a religious observance, but that fact has been lost in the Madison Avenue marketing hype,” Harge says, adding: “The Christmas spirit in mod-ern-day America is all about selling products. The social and psychological pressure to overspend is at its zenith during this time of the year. How can a normal person avoid getting drunk on the holiday spirit, when it seems that friends, family and the media are all serving loaded cocktails and enticing them to ‘get the holiday

spirit’?”

By ERICKA C. WHEELER

Stall Writer

Diversity in the workplace is a voluntary opportunity put in place to enhance the culture and benefits of a company. The Diversity and Race Relations Institute (DRRI), a newmission bythe Indianapolis Urban League, presented a recent seminar alongside Baker&Daniels law firm and B&D Navigator discussing the importance of diversity in the workplace and upholding affir-

mative action.

The mission of this new program is to “help individuals, companies, organizations and communities to value diversity and to use diversity as a tool to maximize individual, organiza-

tional and community effectiveness and impact." “Diversity provides an opportunity for decision making," said Marilyn Sadler, executive director of DRRI. “It enhances employee job satisfaction, improves the ability to retain top talent and it better reflects the demographics of your client or customer

base."

During the seminar, facilitators attempted to distinguish the difference between diversity and affirmative action. According.to Sadler, diversity is voluntary. It is a business strategy which benefits all people. Whereas affirmative action is a mandate by law which represents the underrepresented population to ensure discrimination does not take place in the workplace.

Several years ago, Denny’s restaurant was faced with a multitude of discrimination lawsuits from African Americans, who complained ofdiscriminatory service. Denny’s restaurant was forced to compensate and resulted in a loss of sales to the company. "Denny’s CEO has been out trying to promote their new cultural change," said Sadler. But before a company has to face being hit with a discrimination lawsuit, DRRI provided ways to implement diversity in the

workplace.

Strategic planning is a first step. “Why shouldn’t strategic planning be there? It is a business case,” said Steve Kellam of B&D Navigator. “Companies have sales ► See DRRI, Page D2

“The holiday season is Supposed religious observance, but that fact has been lost in the Madison Avenue marketing hype,"

HUD addresses

housing

discriminaHon

Special To Recorder

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Carolyn Peoples w'as in Indianapolis recently, meeting with local housing groups and discussing what her department is doing to address housing discrimination and increase housing opportunities for families, particularly minority. As head of H UD’s Fair Hous-

Holiday

financial

survival The start-

ing point for

financial i A

survival is^d^T -ingOffice, Peoples leads thefed-

gather^your immediate family and discuss the holiday season and what it means to you as a family. What does Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year mean to yourfamily? What have

some

been

of the most meaningful experiences that you have had during these times? How can you and your family best participate in and observe the true meaning of the holiday season? Many churches and service organizations sponsor community meals, food baskets and service projects during the holiday season. Youth and adults that participate in these programs generally leave with two impressions. First, they are happy to have helped other people and secondly they realize how wonderfully blessed they are to have a home and family. Begin to plan how your family will spend its time, energy and money this holiday season. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that the mall, movies and spending money are lower on the priority list than you originally thought. Holiday shopping tips Even after putting holiday expectations in perspective, you are still going to have to spend some money and do some shopping. The following shopping tips are aimed at effectively utilizingyour resources and not going broke during the holidays. At this point, I have to confess that shopping is one of my least enjoyable activi-

ties.

(1) Determine your gift budget. How much can you afford to spend in total? — $200, $. r >00, $1,000, etc. You set your limit and never spend more than you can afford. Don’t buy things that put you in debt. (2) List the people that you are ► St« HOLIDAY, Page D2

eral government’s efforts to create and promote equal opportunities for all persons through enforcing laws that prohibit discrimination in the sale, rental, advertising and financing of housing based on race, color, religion, gender, national origin, familial status and disabil-

ity.

Among the groups Peoples met with was the Marion County Center for Housing Opportunities, the Indianapolis Housing Agency, and several disability rights groups including Fifth Freedom, the Indiana Association of Rehabilitation Facilities and the Association for Re-

tarded Citizens.

With each group, Peoples emphasized that despite the gains of recent years, HUD stud- ► See HUD, Page D2

Carolyn Y. Peoples, assistant secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently visited Indianapolis to discuss housing discrimination and increased opportunities for minority families. (Photo/C. Guynn)

Dismal Black jobless stats masked by media glow

From BET.com In a classic example of racial disconnect, the bulk of glowing media reports on October’s job growth and minuscule unemployment drop mask the alarming jobless statistics in the Afri-can-American community. While the Bush administration crows that the national employment rate blipped dow nward from (i.l percent in September to h percent last month, the latest U.S. Department of Labor stats also show that the Blaek adult unemployment rate

Lost your job? Tips to help manage the shock and transition

M

t ••'X

Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus.

From Wealth Management News Service Stunned. Fearful. Immobilized. Angry. Shocked. These are just some of the emotions people experience when faced with a sudden job loss. With the economic dow nturn’s slow recovery, thousands of America ns still find themselves unexpectedly out of w ork. Besides a paycheck, work also provides people w ith a sense of identity, a rhythm to everyday life, andoften a close-knit group has climbed to U.f> percent and the Black teen-ager unemployment rate has gone through the root at percent. “ The African-American statistics, especiallx for the young people, arc devastating,' observed Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, lie joined House MinoriU LoaderNancy I’elosi, 1) Calif., in a phone conference made available to the media. "Four out of 10 African Amen cans (who arc able to work) arc unemployed," said Cummings. Heeded predominant!) Black

of friends and acquaintances. Losing a job means losing all of those things. It can be disorienting to go from a full, fastpaced schedule to long, seem-ingly-empty days. But as Oprah’sfriend Dr. Phil McCiraw w ould say, “I fyou don't have a job, then your job is to find a job." As traumatic as it can feel to lose a job, the key is to try and not let the loss overwhelm every area of your life. As best you can, avoid becom- ► See LOST, Page D2

Morgan State University in Baltimore. w here he sits on the board, asan example of how “negatively" the present economy has impacted African Americans. 'Wove had to let 1,000 students tout of 1.1,000') at the university go, because they could not continue to finance their schooling because of losing full or parttime jobs needed to pay lor their education," lie said. I’elosi adder! that the Bush administration is culpable lor gi\ mg tax breaks to companies to ► See MEDIA, Page D2

Black Business Profile

Full name ol’lmsiness: Urannie Christian Child Care Ministry Address: .'H-.'Fi (Jrcbard Ave. Indianapolis, IN 4(»21K Phone: (317) .923-66.90 Fax: ' (317)923-8467 Year opened: 1.9.92 F-in ail: granniepaulette^i sbeyahoo.net Owner: Paulette Daniel Number of paid employees: One Products/services: We provide service to any family or single-parent that aspires to have quality child care service for these children. Significant business advances/achievements: Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he w ill not depart from it. Future goals: To continue to be a part of my children’s lives that have come through the doors of my day care. Why did you start the business and how has it grown? I started my business to give this world a true opportunity to recognize the need to hold on to our children. I wanted give them the village of love each and every one of them deserv e. What are some of the obstacles you faced and how did you overcome them? I face the hardest task in the 11-year history of my business from the state. They have no respect for community investments for our children. The state's only concern is money, not the need of any child in a structured environment. Prayer and persistence to stay in the will of God was another challenge that I faced. Having to swipe children in and out with a card and disrespecting all licensed home day care contracts. Making all the rules to fit budget. Having no spiritual knowledge of the interference this is having on providers. We were never as kids “this is it take it or leave it.” How can we leave it when the majority of our env ironment is on the program? Who does your business best serve and why? My business best serves single parents because of location. I love the parents because 1 am a mother and grandmother to most of them.

How has your experience helped to meet the needs of your clients? With a Southern background and growing up in a stable home in Mississippi with love and respect, these key aspects of my life have helped me to provide to my children in my day care. I have witnessed many people who never have had an opportunity to love their neighbor as themselves and having to grow up too soon.

Where did you get the name of your company and does it have any significant meaning? My daughter was a teen-age mother and I saw the need to help her as well as many other single parents. My grandson called me grannie, so I named my business "Grannie." Of course, being a Godfearing woman I wanted to share Christ in this ministry. This is a Christian child care and that is the most important foundation for 11 years of success thus far.

If you would like to be featured in the Recorder's Black Business Profile, call 924-5143.