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This week Michigan Radio’s Morning Edition host Christina Shockley speaks with Ismael Ahmed, the Director of the Michigan Department of Human Services.

Mr. Ahmed begins by focusing on the needs of children in the state. Citing the 500,000 children currently living in poverty in Michigan, Ahmed says, “We are creating a whole new generation of children who will have difficulty in terms of being educated and safe.”

While Mr. Ahmed acknowledges that parents play a big role in taking care of the children in the state, he says it’s also the job of the community and active individuals to help protect children. For those that want to get involved with helping children, Ahmed suggests becoming a mentor, a big brother or sister, or an advocate for children’s programs.

For his second idea, Mr. Ahmed stresses the importance of assuring that there is an appropriate safety net for those who have lost their jobs. “We can’t leave twenty percent of our population behind,” says Ahmed, adding, “We’ve got to assure that people who need literacy and job training get that.”

As to how an individual can help those in need, Ahmed suggests actions as simple as donating to a food bank or working in a soup kitchen. He also calls on the need for advocates in Lansing, saying, “The survival of those that are left behind has to be a central effort in this state.”

Lastly, Mr. Ahmed urges residents to reengage themselves with their communities. Ahmed says, “Most of us have come to rely on officials, elected officials, and others to make our decisions. Part of what we need to do is really become engaged again both at the ground level in the decision making and in advocacy.”

Ahmed says it’s important that citizens get involved in both legislative and community efforts aimed at helping those in need. “There are all kinds of people out there with all kinds of interest groups who have their interests,” says Ahmed, “but our interests as people living at the street level need to be taken up by us. We need to organize ourselves… We need to all become community actives and politically engaged.”