[COMM-ORG] PICO Network News - December 9, 2008

Fri Dec 12 14:24:53 CST 2008

From: "PICO National Network" <news at piconetwork.org>

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

ECONOMIC SECURITY

PICO wages national campaign to stop preventable foreclosures

Over the past three months, as our nation entered one of its
most turbulent economic periods in 70 years, clergy and faith
leaders from PICO National Network have been working to address
the root cause of the financial crisis - the millions of
preventable foreclosures that continue to push down housing
values and destroy family wealth.

PICO affiliates have held events across the country - from
hard-hit cities like Antioch, CA, San Jose, CA and Kansas City,
MO all the way to the nation's Capital - to push the Treasury
Department to embrace a systematic home loan modification plan
by the FDIC that could prevent as many as 1.5 million
unnecessary foreclosures. Watch campaign coverage on CNN, or
read about PICO in USA Today, Washington Post, and other
national media at http://ga3.org/ct/H1_svVd1AEi7/.

Now, PICO is calling on Congress to deny approval of the
remaining bailout funds unless Treasury agrees to allocate
funding for the FDIC plan. Read more about PICO's fight to keep
families in their homes and put a floor on falling housing
values at http://ga3.org/ct/H1_svVd1AEi7/

Faith and clergy leaders go to D.C. to layout transition
priorities

In keeping with President-elect Obama's own words, that "Change
doesn't come from Washington, change comes to Washington," 175
PICO clergy and faith leaders from across the country blanketed
Capitol Hill two weeks after the election to push for a
transition agenda to get our economy - and our country - back on
track.

PICO leaders urged quick passage of SCHIP and assistance for 1.5
million homeowners facing foreclosure as immediate steps to
boost the economy. Clergy and faith leaders will return to
Washington in the coming months to continue pushing an agenda
for economic recovery that includes investing in affordable
housing, health care, education, and jobs for urban youth. Read
more at http://ga3.org/ct/H7_svVd1AEij/

HEALTH CARE ACCESS

PICO presses Congress and new Administration on health reform

In November, PICO clergy and religious leaders met with Senate
Finance Committee Staff Director, Russ Sullivan; Senior Health
Staff for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority
Leader Mitch McConnell; and dozens of Congressional and Senate
offices, to urge quick passage of the State Children's Health
Insurance Program and an increase in Medicaid payments to states
as first steps in the road to comprehensive health reform. Read
more at http://ga3.org/ct/H7_svVd1AEij/

Gainesville residents work to guarantee health care access

In the wake of an announcement that Shands AGH, the primary
community hospital serving residents of east Gainesville,
Florida, would be closing, PICO affiliate ACTION Network
organized a forum to express community concerns about health
care access. ACTION Network brought together the chief operating
officer of Shands HealthCare and city and county officials to
meet with community physicians who practice at Shands AGH and
150 concerned residents. Read more at
http://ga3.org/ct/Gd_svVd1AEiU/

HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES

Queens congregations win historic housing victory

After two years of organizing, PICO affiliate Queens
Congregations United for Action (QCUA) and its ally
organizations won a record-setting victory for affordable
housing when the New York City Council voted in favor of the
Willets Point redevelopment. Under the plan, 35 percent of the
project's 5,500 housing units will be affordable to very low
income, low income and middle-income families. The project will
also generate 18,000 construction jobs and 5,000 permanent jobs.
Read more at http://ga3.org/ct/-1_svVd1AEi9/

"Invisible homeless" speak out in San Francisco
Clergy and community leaders from PICO affiliate San Francisco
Organizing Project (SFOP) are waging a campaign to develop
affordable housing specifically for the city's "invisible
homeless" - working-class families who, due to the San
Francisco's high housing costs and lack of affordable housing
options, are forced to live in crowded or substandard
apartments. Read more at http://ga3.org/ct/G7_svVd1AEiy/

VOTER DEVELOPMENT

COGIC Cathedral mobilizes over 1,000 new voters in Rochester

This fall, 30 faith leaders from New Progressive Cathedral
Church of God in Christ - a member of PICO affiliate Interfaith
Action in Rochester, NY - launched their first ever voter
development drive, successfully mobilizing over 1,000 new voters
to go to the polls on November 4. Read more at
http://ga3.org/ct/Hp_svVd1AEim/

Vermont congregations host gubernatorial candidates

On October 27, Vermont Interfaith Action (VIA) held a
Gubernatorial Candidates Forum at the College Street
Congregational Church in downtown Burlington. The forum
addressed four issue areas that had been identified by extensive
listening campaigns in VIA member congregations, including: 1)
Vermont's home heating crisis, caused by the sharp increase this
year in the cost of heating oil; 2) green job development; 3)
affordable housing, and; 4) accessible healthcare. Read more at
http://ga3.org/ct/J1_svVd1AEip/

YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES

Creating a web of support for youth in San Diego

In October, over 1,300 community members helped launch San Diego
Organizing Project's (SDOP) historic pilot effort to create a
new and dense network of relationships between public and
private entities that focus on youth in the southeastern portion
of San Diego. Elected and appointed officials from the city,
county, school system, together with nonprofit leaders and 30
SDOP clergy, committed to collaborate to increase school
attendance, decrease truancy and dropouts, and create innovative
diversion programs and enrichment activities such as afterschool
programs, recreational opportunities, and job training. Read
more at http://ga3.org/ct/Hd_svVd1AEiu/

Congregations win $4 million for violence prevention/green jobs

On November 4, faith leaders from Congregations Organizing for
Renewal (COR) mobilized thousands of voters to pass a ballot
measure in Union City, CA, which will generate $4 million over
eight years for youth violence prevention and intervention. The
funds will be used to implement a systemic approach to better
support youth and young adults, intervening in the cycle of
violence and bringing them life changing options. Read more at
http://ga3.org/ct/-p_svVd1AEi0/

Framingham congregations address rise in youth violence

On December 6, clergy and faith leaders from Metropolitan
Interfaith Congregations Acting for Hope (MICAH) in Framingham,
MA brought together 150 people, mostly from the city's Brazilian
community, to meet with the Framingham Police Chief to address
the rising problem of youth violence. Tensions have been
heightened in this city of 65,000 located west of Boston, after
a stabbing occured at Framingham high school in mid-November.
Read more at http://ga3.org/ct/G1_svVd1AEiE/

GOOD SCHOOLS

New Bedford schools chief listens to parents' concerns

Over the summer, New Bedford's new school superintendent
approached PICO affiliate United Interfaith Action of SE
Massachusetts (UIA) with concerns about how few parents were
attending district meetings. In response, UIA leaders decided to
organize a community forum to encourage parents to share their
concerns and learn more about the district's new school chief.
Read more at http://ga3.org/ct/F1_svVd1AEin/

JOBS - http://ga3.org/ct/Yd_svVd1AEit/

Learn more about organizing careers with PICO at
http://ga3.org/ct/Yd_svVd1AEit/.
Visitors can now learn more about PICO, what it means to
organize with PICO, and watch videos of organizers talking about
their experiences. Visitors can also search for jobs, submit
their resumes online, and sign up to receive future job
announcements. Visit http://ga3.org/ct/Yd_svVd1AEit/ and sign
up to receive regular updates on jobs in PICO.

DONATE

PICO needs your financial support

PICO's success in empowering families and improving communities
depends on financial contributions from our donors. To help
support our work on the issues you've read about in this issue
of e-news and others, go to http://ga3.org/ct/Jd_svVd1AEiP/ to
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See past issues of PICO Network News at
http://ga3.org/ct/Td_svVd1AEiO/