photo via sterlingjohnson via flickr

In case you missed them, here are some of the stories we found interesting this week.

Fairfield homeless shelter has open house Thursday

Times Herald

After more than a decade of planning and fundraising, construction is complete on the $11.2 million Bridge to Life Center, a homeless shelter at 310 Beck Ave..

The public is invited to a dedication of the center from noon to 2 p.m. Thursday.

St. Anthony vs. Citigroup: charity wants its $2 million back

SF Chronicle

More members of middle class file for bankruptcy

USA Today

Foreclosures hitting more people with prime loans

SJ Mercury News

Share the Spirit: Volunteer Hayward is Secret Santa to the needy

Inside Bay Area

This is the first of a new feature that we hope to have every Friday in which we share all the links we’ve come across over the course of the last week that deal with issues important to our community, or our work. We’re calling it Hot Links Friday.

We hope you find them as useful as we have, enjoy.

(Some of these links are to newspapers and may expire)

UNITED WAY OF THE BAY AREA IN THE NEWS

American Canyon Family Resource Center other agencies helping financially strapped
Times-Herald
As part of the United Way’s SparkPoint program, the center offers many free services at the center, including financial coaching, job placement, credit repair and foreclosure assistance, the flier notes.
“This is a pilot program that’s supposed to help people increase their income, improve their credit and develop or build assets,” center case manager Alma Medina said. A SparkPoint program for Solano County is in the planning stages, United Way spokeswoman Aimee Durfee said.

Deal of the day: LIVE UNITED sports packages
SF Chronicle Dollars and Sense blog
Scroll down to “Deal of the day” at the bottom of the screen
INCOME

Foreclosure pipline grows in the Bay Area
CC Times
Distressed activity builds after slow down from moratoriums

Families of small business owners feel pinch as state cuts ripple out
SF Chronicle

Bankruptcy Workshop
On Thursday, August 20th, hosted by the Family Economic Success Workshop.

AT&T Investing $865 Million in Education, Environment, Volunteerism Programs
Philanthropy News Digest

Opinion:  Is It Now a Crime to Be Poor?

NY Times
In defiance of all reason and compassion, the criminalization of poverty has actually been intensifying as the recession generates ever more of it.

‘Cash for clunkers’ effort hurts nonprofits
SF Chronicle
Education

Nonprofit leadership at a crossroads: Interview with CompassPoint CEO Jeanne Bell
SF Examiner

RESILIENT COMMUNTIES/HEALTH

And You Thought a Prescription Was Private
NY Times
Prescriptions and the information on them are bought and sold in a murky marketplace, often without the patients’  knowledge or permission.
Open Forum:  Higher co-pay, fewer prescriptions filled
SF Chronicle

Thousands Line Up for Promise of Free Health Care
NY Times
When Remote Area Medical, the Tennessee-based organization running the event, decided to try its hand at large urban medical services, its principals thought Los Angeles would be a good place to start. But they were far from prepared for the outpouring of need. Set up for eight days of care, the group was already overwhelmed on the first day after allowing 1,500 people through the door, nearly 500 of whom had still not been served by day’s end and had to return in the wee hours Wednesday morning.
Forum to discuss Home Support Services
Marin IJ
A forum for people to learn more about In Home Support Services and how budget cuts will affect the program.