November 16, 2006

Many people are having questions concerning the multi-dimensional nature of our work we are doing.  So, we thought we'd let folks know how we are coming along with our official purpose and the beginnings of our business plan.

MIM's Model of Empowerment Purpose and

General Company Description of Business Plan

Purpose of MIM's Model of Empowerment
Each part of MIM's Model of Empowerment has a multi-dimensional nature.  And, each is designed to be activated and applied simultaneously, as needed, to be most effective.

Each person and family is the reason for our existence.  We value people and relationships.  All of our work begins with people in mind.

We include the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in our model, not because they approve or are directly involved with our forming organization but, because of their educational resources and supportive network already in place for people with serious, persistent metal illness and their families.  Our purpose in including them is to, with concerted effort, collaborate with them to address stigma and discrimination of people with mental illness through education.

Each of the eight connecting circles includes two distinct identities: Armor Bearers Of the Weak (ABOW) Force and Crises Intervention Team (CIT).
Our ABOW Force will include any person and/or organization willing and able to facilitate the establishment of our own foundation. The purpose of our foundation will be to grant musical instruments, art resources and fees for music and art resources for diversionary activities and potential economic sustainability; and it will grant seed money for business and economic development. Our ABOW Force will also do fundraisers and coordinate social activities that aide our non-profit work.
Our CIT will collaboratively develop a strategy with professional community member's at large of how to keep the peace and divert potential crises situations within our own community.  This plan will include when outside professionals are needed to assist our community with safety and peace keeping issues.

Spiritual Spoke:  We believe the masses of the human species seek a spiritual experience and/or seek a peaceful and/or just human experience.  Also, we believe selfless service and non-violence constitute the highest and purest form of any religious teaching and spirituality.  Therefore, for our model to be holistic in nature, we believe exploration of diverse forms of spirituality is a necessary component for it to be effective.

Family Spoke:  According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, humans have the innate need to belong.  The Family Spoke is designed to give a person a "family unit" to belong to and a functional support system as an aide of empowerment.

Artistic Spoke:  The Artistic Spoke is included to encourage diverse forms of expression as a diversionary and peacemaking activity; and it is to explore and develop art cottage - industry businesses for economic development.

Educational Spoke:  We believe knowledge is the key to "k(no)w-ledge" kind of living.  We believe in and are adapting "Gandhi's Seven Steps to Global Change". Re-education is a key to global change and has the potential for aiding in bringing global peace.  We value all knowledge equally and strive to not censure any for the purpose of benefiting ourselves and for the benefit of others.

Employment Options:  We believe the disadvantaged population can be economically and socially supported at the local level.  We believe centralized government control and socio-economic support is not necessary.  We endeavor to aide the disadvantaged locally by creating business with the intention of them becoming self-employed, employed by our businesses and/or coops, and/or facilitating their employment and/or community service work as part of their barter for residency membership.

Personal Adaptive Need (PAN):  The PAN Spoke is included with the specific intention of including what we refer to as our "safety net".  We believe enough programs exist where a person needing services must adapt to a programs environment in order to receive needed services.  So, when situations arise and a person has extreme difficulty adapting to the situation, with mercy we strive diligently to adapt to the person instead for the sake of peace, safety and provision of holistic solutions.

Immediate Physical Needs (Food,Clothing,Shelter) Spoke:  Providing sustenance needs is the foundation of our mercy/social-service and empowerment work.  It is our initial step of facilitating a person's growth to become a contribution to society.

Mental Health Professional Services Spoke:  We believe each person has the right to self-determine their own mental health status and needs.  However, when our community evaluates, by consensus, that a persons behavior/s and state of mind is negatively affecting that persons contribution to our community, and society in general, and it is negatively affecting their own personal life, we will refer them to resources outside of our community that are qualified to potentially effect a peaceful, positive and productive behavioral change.

General Company Description
of Business Plan
What business will you be in? Social Service and Personal Empowerment

What will you do? Empower families experiencing symptoms of mental illness/disadvantage, emotional disadvantage and economic disadvantage (MEED)

Mission Statement:  Our mission is to provide a comprehensive framework of options and solutions, within the MIM's Model of Empowerment and through simultaneous grassroots outreach and collaborative community efforts, which will supply the necessary support system for MEED people and their families to achieve their dreams and goals.

Goals:  Our goals are to provide refuge, respite and diversion conducive to exploring multi-dimensional solutions to multi-dimensional challenges, and to empower self-determined, self or interdependent sustainable livelihoods and peaceful, positive and productive lifestyles at the local, national and global level.

Objectives:  Our objectives are to establish a national network of 24 hour 's 365 days per year co-ed, income sharing, live/work community centers, co-ed, affordable housing cooperatives and an Extended Family Solutions Network (EFSN).

What is important to you in business?  Peaceful, positive and productive activity that promotes comprehensive solutions to identified needs.

To whom will you market your products?  MEED people, their families and community members at large who impact their lives such as lay caregivers, public servants and professionals.

Describe your industry.

Our corporation will be directly involved in many diverse industries to meet our mission statement such as:  Media and Entertainment-- recording studio, publishing, audio and video pre and post production; Technology - data processing, network and information services; Consulting - communications, education, business and market research; Services -  convention management and festival facilitation; Food Processors - vegetables and herbs; Educators - independent school; Metal workers - specialized processors(recycling); and non-profit social service sector of personal empowerment.

Is it a growth industry?  Yes.

Media and Entertainment:  According to www.PRNEWSTODAY.com , "PricewaterhouseCoopers Says Entertainment and Media Industry in Solid Growth Phase, Will Grow 6.6 Percent Annually to $1.8 Trillion in 2010 Digital, Mobile and Broadband Becoming Increasingly Lucrative Distribution Channels."

Technology:  Information Services and Electronic Commerce by Jennifer Tallarico, Senior International Trade Specialist Office of Service Industries Department of Commerce, "Growth of traditional network services will continue to increase as a result of new applications and tools designed for the Internet and intranets. The Internet is also likely to spur the development of new forms of network services."

Consulting:  According to Paula Lipp of Graduating Engineer and Computer Careers Online, "The rising need for technological expertise in all industries is sparking unparalleled demand for IT consultants.  Like a patient with a heart condition seeking out the services of a cardiologist, companies around the country and the world are calling on technological specialists to handle defined, unforeseen needs. Those specialists are technical or IT (information technology) consultants and the unprecedented demand for their services is resulting in never-before-seen opportunities for new graduates.  Issues like Internet commerce, web page design and enterprise resource planning have kindled a strong need for technological expertise across all sectors of business. The field is so hot, in fact, that many companies which previously hired only experienced professionals are changing how they view entry-level employees."

Services:  According to the International Festivals and Events Association, "The growth of the festivals industry has been booming for the past two decades. Event production is appearing on college course schedules in various parts of the world; thousands of books have been published on the industry; the economic impact of events is being recognized by host cities and corporate sponsors alike."

Food Processors:  "Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food." -Hippocrates, 400 BC . From this idea, the knowledge that food is a sustainable issue for human survival, we believe food processors will continue to be a growth industry.  Also, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food , "In recent years, consumers have begun to look at food not only for basic nutrition, but also for health benefits. The functional food and nutraceutical industry is responding to a continuing increase in consumer understanding of the link between diet and disease, rising health care costs, aging populations, and advances in food technologies.  This industry has significant potential to improve the health of citizens, reduce health care costs, support economic development in rural communities and offer producers the ability to diversify their agriculture and marine based crops. The market is large, global and growing. Canadian functional food and nutraceutical companies are well positioned to expand exports of new and exciting products and ingredients. In 2004 's functional food market was estimated to be worth $2.7 billion."   

Educators:  According to Dr. Mark Rosenman, guest editor of Innovative Higher Education, Empowerment as a Purpose of Education, Abstract    Within the field of alternative higher education is a growing movement which distinguishes itself through its orientation to individual and social change. Its proponents contend that conventional (and many alternative) higher education programs are oriented primarily to the conservation and maintenance of the dominant societal systems. Furthermore, they contend that those systems hinder us, individually and collectively, in achieving greater social, political and economic justice and a higher quality of life for all. This sector operates with the conviction that alternative education can have a liberating or empowering impact for individuals and communities by contributing to their appropriate development."  And we believe, by being a part of this growing movement, we will be contributing to the growth of the educators industry which educate with the purpose of personally empowering others.

Metal Workers:  According to www.gainesvilletimes.com, an article by Debbie Gilbert says, "Copper a hot item for burglars-Police say that as the metal's price increases, so do thefts.  Economic growth is occurring on every continent in the world," he said. "And as we become more dependent on electronic communications and computers, there's even more demand (for copper wiring)."

Non-profit Social Sector of Personal Empowerment:  According to the Center for Non-profit Management in an article by Alison Buttenheim, Social Enterprise Meets Venture Philanthropy: A Powerful Combination " part of a growing movement called social enterprise: creating nonprofit businesses to provide economic empowerment and expanded opportunity for disadvantaged individuals, including the homeless, veterans, low-income high school students, and drug abusers. Along with several other nonprofit enterprises, they hope to soon join the "portfolio" of organizations comprising the Los Angeles Social Enterprise Fund."

What changes do you foresee in the industry, short term and long term?

Short term, I see are more and more people are seeking holistic, integrated solutions to their challenges.  Long term, as this trend continues to grow, people will demand and obtain solutions to their challenge from those who provide them in a holistic and integrated fashion.

How will your company be poised to take advantage of them?

As we develop our programs, with the flexibility of our Personal Adaptive Need (PAN) spoke already in place, we will continue to be flexible and able to deliver solutions holistically in an integrated fashion.  As our affordable housing cooperatives and community centers expand, along with our database created by our think-tank of multi-dimensional information to include flexible, mobile:   various residency options to include various locales; employment, business ownership and skill-building options; spiritual exploration and educational options; leisure time options;  self-determined choice of mentor/s; and any other PAN self-disclosed, we will be in place to service those seeking multi-dimensional solutions to multi-dimensional challenges in a holistic, integrated fashion.

Describe your most important company strengths and core competencies.

We have the flexibility and compassion to meet a person where they are in life, in a non-judgmental manner; the willingness to help build the persons self-esteem, when needed, and simultaneously introduce and surround them with our EFSN of people who have the resources to facilitate their self-realization/actualization/transcendence dreams and goals.

What factors will make the company succeed?

MEED people, their families, professionals, lay caregivers and public servants are seeking multi-dimensional solutions to the very multi-dimensional challenges we are prepared to collaboratively provide;  the visionary and founder of this corporation is personally committed long-term to the company mission;  the "I can do!" attitude will ensure our success.

What do you think your major competitive strengths will be?  Our competitive strengths will be our open-mindedness and ability to think outside the box of mainstream thinking patterns and presently accepted social norms.

What background experience, skills, and strengths do you personally bring to this new venture?  

My knowledge has been accumulated through my 32 years of personal experience.

My experience is that I have four generations (my grand-mother, mother, myself and my son) of personally acquired mental illness/mental health experience, eight years as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) working in environments of nursing homes, spinal cord and traumatic brain injury rehab, home health and mental health and my ten years of personal, informal, intermittent research of mental health/illness and interpersonal relationships and dynamics. .

For the past ten years, I have been going to every seminar I could go to, read books, articles, surfed the internet, conducted hundreds of informal interviews in the states of Indiana, Colorado and Louisiana which I have resided within to find answers and solutions to what I now refer to as the MEED State of Being.         

These past two and a half years I have begun to lay the groundwork for a potentially feasible, compassionate, comprehensive and sustainable plan - Mercy International Ministry's.  I organized my thoughts and data, and then designed what I now refer to as MIM's Model of Empowerment.

During this time I have been experimenting with myself, which I am continuing with even now.  I started playing music, doing more creative writing, began actively advocating for my family and others through poetry open-mics, doing the things I love - such as dressing in a quirky manner, sometimes intentionally acting outrageously, but safely, - saying what was on my mind, without censure to get reactions to people.    I discovered I was much happier, content, accepting and tolerant of others.

About three months of progress in my experiment, I added my husband and son with their permission.  My husband started coming to the open-mics with me.  And, the last six months he has learned to play and been playing a Celtic drum.  He is very involved in this project now with me.  I started being more tolerant of what mainstream society considers abnormal social behavior, except for unhealthy hygiene, violent behavior and illegal activity in our home.  I discovered I was getting along better, with fewer and less intense arguments.  We were much more peaceful.  We were happier and spent more time in each others company having healthy conversations and interpersonal relationships.  The many responses within my experiment peaked my curiosity.  My research intensified.

I was briefly employed by the Center for Mental Health in the town I reside in Anderson, Indiana.  My husband and I needed the income and I wanted to do work that I felt I could be helpful to people.  A prominent man, who will remain anonymous, suggested a time before being employed that I get some "practical experience" within the mental health sector of services, if my intention was to develop solutions as an aide to present work being done.  Because I followed through on his suggestion, I was able to accomplish two goals simultaneously with efficiency.

It was during this time of employment, I noticed clients responding well to my work of art projects I would put together for their participation.  But also, I kept hearing from clients that they weren't getting enough "fun stuff" they wanted to do.  So, as part of most of their treatment plans was to include social outings, I'd ask what they wanted to do.  Many times it was something artsy, musical or outdoorsy.  When these options were available, I noticed increased participation in not only social activity, but also an increase in adherence to the overall treatment plans. 

This got me to thinking and further intensifying my research.  After being employed for about six months, I found it necessary to resign.  It was time to begin the field research needed for my then theoretical MIM's Model of Empowerment which needed more evidence of support.

We visited two urban intentional communities with thirty-plus years of experience in Illinois and one rural one in its early development located in Arkansas.  I strongly suspected that housing would be a necessary component, but knew it was needed at the conclusion of that field research. 

I had already designed and built a website for this theoretical model.  But, when I returned home from the field research, I knew it was time to get it up and running with more data.  The wheel was beginning to turn and I had to be ready for it to roll.

Sure enough, as I started reaching out to people not only through open stages, but now the internet, people have had a lot of questions.  Many more have told me stories of how this is a great idea!  Some have a hard time grasping the complexity of this work and some of course doubt or just plain don't agree with what I am working towards.  Non-the-less, the work moves forward. 

Soon after, it was time to make a concrete commitment to equal socio-economic justice.  We began living an active economic downwardly-mobile lifestyle.  This has been quite challenging.  My husband and I had been living the average American lifestyle of work, work, and work, consume, consume, consume for many years.  So, when the decision came about to buy or relinquish our leased truck, we let it go back and became a one car family.  We couldn't afford to keep it and buy a house for the work we were soon to begin of a shared affordable housing cooperative for MEED and their families.  It was a sacrificial and difficult decision, but in retrospect, a necessary one. 

From my outreach efforts through the internet, I met Frank Wennin through the website www.ic.org ,a website for others interested in community.  We began communicating by e-mail, then by phone.  We realized we both had similar ideas concerning social justice issues, etc.  That was about 5 months ago.

About 3 months ago, Frank traveled to Anderson for us to meet in person, do some onsite consulting to me and give the work a boost of faith.  While he was in town,  we gave a few informal presentations to some folks and our first formal presentation at the Church of the Brethren my husband and I attend.  It was pretty rough and still needs some polish, but we stepped up to the plate and gave it our best effort.  Frank illustrated, Chess Out-side the Box, his theory.  I presented MIM's Model of Empowerment.  Some folks gave us a chance to show the effort we are taking to help others. 

From the presentations we gave together, some leg work Frank had done back east and some local advocacy work I had been doing, a small group of us began to band together.  We wanted to see the actual prototype house come together and develop our outreach efforts, began to expand.  From this expansion has come Pearl House of Peace, our acting prototype affordable housing cooperative.

There are many questions people are asking.  This business plan, our website, personal interactions, open stages and my soon to begin public speaking is how I respond.

My skills have been developed through my sheer tenacity to conquer survival issues and thrive despite adversity.  I continue to hone my developing skills to meet the challenges of meeting future goals I have set for myself.

My most enduring strength has been, and still is today, my belief in a higher power, that some refer to as God.  And, my past, present and future relationships with people have been, are and will be my next greatest source of strength within my human experience called life.

Legal form of ownership: Non - profit Corporation

Why have you selected this form?   We will seek grant money from those seeking worthy causes to support or contribute to our development mentally, emotionally and/or economically and those seeking 501(c) 3 exemptions on their state and federal income taxes in order to aide in our charitable social-service work and self-empowerment, which will enable ourselves, and others of our growing network, to ultimately build profitable business that will operate in a self-sustaining manner and long-term, simultaneously fund our own charity work and well as other worthy causes.

October 15, 2006
Pearl House and Beyond
by Angela Micelli Suarez

Dreams come to us in many ways. Great visionaries of the past have acted on their belief in what they have seen what could be in the future.
Pearl House in Anderson, Indiana is the manifestation of a dream. The vision of creating a peaceful, positive and productive atmosphere for mentally, emotionally and economically disadvantaged (MEED) people is in my sight. We're well on our way of creating new realities for ourselves.
Our website, www.InTheKnow-SPRMPublishing.com, can give you more information.You are invited to take this journey with us.

Pearl House is acting as an affordable housing cooperative for MEED, and on a tiny scale of how we invision our community centers will operate, with an emphasis on the arts and self-realization. I believe, as Abraham Maslow, that when needs 1-4 (5. Actualization, 4. Status (esteem), 3. Love/belonging, 2. Safety, 1. Physiological (biological needs) are met, then we can begin the process of self-realization and the 5th actualization step can be achieved. And, when we focus on each others strengths and work together, we can accomplish what some refer to as miracles.

We are not treatment based. Nor, do we have or plan to include government assistance in our community. Some individuals receive government assistance at the present. But, we believe we have the ability to work towards economic self-sustainability at the local level without government aide. By creating a non-profit umbrella, Mercy International Ministry's (MIM's), to enable us to receive donations as seed capital and other needed resources, other than government grant money, we are striving to build micro/cottage industry profit businesses. Our long-term vision is that our profit businesses will fund our non-profit work, create "jobs" for ourselves and contribute to the economic development of our local economy in the process.

We believe in community! We live together, dream together, work together, shed tears together and work our differences out together.
We are not a utopian community, but we share resources with one another, and most of all, our time and knowledge. We are learning to be tolerant of one another's view points and accepting of our differences. We are learning that we are responsible for our own lives. Some are beginning to understand that through healthy interdependent relationships, we can reach for the stars and catch a few.

As an example of our efforts, Pearl House facilitated our first festival August 5, 2006 at the Anderson Town Center. We called it "Representation". We plan many more. Through festival venues we are spreading our message of peace, contributing to positive, productive activities and enabling ours, and other artisans, opportunities to be heard, seen and experienced. We are using it also as a way to market our artistic talents with the intention of contributing to our long-term economic sustainability.

So, if you get the chance, come stop by at 1429 Pearl Street. Chances are someone will offer you a bite to eat, a cup of coffee, friendly conversation, an interesting experience and a peak into our future.

The MIM's Pearl House Think Tank seeks to add value to ourselves, our Anderson Community and beyond.

We are in the talking stage of developing two businesses under one roof to include several micro cottage industry businesses.

Our two businesses are to include a bed and breakfast and a cafe.

Real Estate Property owners within a twenty block square of Downtown Anderson, Indiana who are interested in collaborating to develop cooperative businesses are encouraged to contact us through e-mail at angelasuarez@sbcglobal.net .

We have some concrete ideas we would like to share with those who are:  1) willing and able to help us become economically self-sustainable, 2) willing and able to to collaborate cooperatively, 3) willing and able to catch the vision of a once again thriving, sustainable and economically prosperous Anderson Community.

No pressure.  Just a friendly chat to discuss some solutions to many peoples challenges.

After months of contemplation, we have decided on a band name - Fire Rising!  

We have agreed to be fuel in The Master's hand and let the Spirit illuminate through us.  And, we are rising to stand in the gap for hurting, oppressed - mentally, emotionally and economically disadvantaged  (MEED)  people and their families.

This is the first picture we have of Chuckie and I performing together.  This picture was taken of us while we were in Arabie, Lousiana just east of New Orleans in the Hurricane Katrina Disaster Zone. We were there as support relief workers with Emergency Communities Made with Love Kitchen.  Two nights during the dinner meal, we provided respite and diversion in the form of musical entertainment.  This is the MIM's Model of Empowerment in action.  I wonder in a crowd of about 250 people, that either lived through Katrina, or was now volunteering as relief workers, needed our words of encouragement and entertainment those two nights?  We will probably never know exactly, but God does! 

We are Fire Rising!

Check out our new On-Line Catalog!  We will be adding more as time goes by, so check back frequently.

This venue is being created with three purposes in mind.

One - Give those challenged by the symptoms of mental illness, including their families, a venue to express themselves in a positive, peaceful and productive manner, and perhaps for some, even lead to economic self-sufficiency.

Two - Build more awareness of how the arts and literature impact society and social change.

Three - Develop a stream of revenue to continue with and expand the advocacy work and fund scholarships for mentally, emotionally and economically disadvantaged (MEED) and their families.

SPRM Publishing has published books, book marks and newsletters.  And, we plan more.  This is just the beginning!
This venue we are adding is for artists and writers to exhibit and / or promote and sell their work through our on-line catalog.   All are invited to participate in our community building efforts.  Submission applications can be obtained through our download page.

WE ARE PRESENTLY SEEKING PREVIOUSLY UNPUBLISHED:

100 page manuscripts that address mental illness and mental health issues that affect families. We are specifically interested in material that offers alternative coping strategies for families to implement to address symptoms their ill and/or recovering loved ones present.

Short stories, 500 words or less, of personal experience as one who is in recovery from a mental illness and employed or self-employed.

Short stories, 500 words or less, of personal experience of how art, music and/or creative writing has been used as a coping skill to manage symptoms of mental illness.

 Poems, any style, addressing mental illness and/or mental health issues.

Slogans and short sayings that address mental illness and mental health issues suitable for bumber stickers, magnets and buttons.

AND ORIGINAL:

Art work suitable for producing prints or using for back drop of bookmarks that address mental illness and/or mental health issues.

Art work of any medium made by those challenged by the symptoms of mental illness including family members.

****ANY ORIGINAL ART WORK AND PREVIOUSLY UNPUBLISHED WRITTEN MATERIAL (100 pages or less) WILL BE CONSIDERED.****