Sacramento Area Congregations Together (ACT),
January 20, 2010,
The Sacramento Bee
"This proposal is a small price to pay to ensure that all kids get an education and can compete in the job market, and that becoming a productive member of our community is in the best interest of our families, our churches, our schools and, most importantly, our community at large," said Pastor Donald Leeper with Sacramento Area Congregations Together, which is
involved in the campaign.
San Diego Organizing Project (SDOP),
January 19, 2010,
National Public Radio
"What they decide could mean the difference between a family with a sick child paying $5,000 a year for health care or $1,800 a year," Gloria Cooper, of the San Diego Organizing Project, told the crowd, describing the difference between what might happen under the Senate bill, which is the higher number, and the House version.
Brockton Interfaith Community (BIC),
Massachusetts Communities Action Network (MCAN),
PICO National Network,
January 14, 2010,
Boston Business Journal
Camden Churches Organized for People (CCOP),
November 26, 2009,
Economist
ROSA RAMIREZ is an active member of Camden Churches Organised for People (CCOP), a large and powerful civic group in Camden, New Jersey. She complains that rubbish is not collected. She worries about drug dealers hanging out on street corners and in the city's many abandoned buildings. But when her daughter, who lives in the suburbs, begs her to leave, Ms Ramirez replies, "How can I leave? Camden needs me." It does. Not enough people care about this city of 79,000 people that lies in the shadow of Philadelphia.
Oakland Community Organizations (OCO),
November 18, 2009,
Empire Report
And it's this kind of systemic change that advocates like Jesus Rodriguez, a community organizer with Oakland Community Organizations, a large faith- and community-based group, are hoping to see. Recently OCO joined forces with Oakland School Food Alliance, another parent and community organization, to figure out how to bring more fresh, healthy food to kids throughout the district. "One of the main goals of this project is to have real cooking in every school," he says.
Communities Creating Opportunity (CCO),
November 08, 2009,
NBC Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo.- Health care reform supporters are celebrating Saturday night's victory in the U.S. House of Representatives, but now the planning begins to win another victory in the U.S. Senate.
The Rev. Wallace Hartsfield, Sr., longtime Kansas City, Mo. minister, traveled to Washington with the organization, Communities Creating Opportunities.
Vermont Interfaith Action (VIA),
October 23, 2009,
Time Argus
As a member of Vermont Interfaith Action, part of the PICO National Network, an alliance of 1,000 congregations nationwide, I have been actively involved in the national health care debate for more than half a year. My education has mainly come from the conversations I have had with friends, family members, fellow parishioners at Christ Church Episcopal in Montpelier, and fellow volunteer advocates from around the country.
PICO National Network,
October 20, 2009,
Religion News Service
Organizers, who include PICO National Network, Faithful Reform in Health Care, Interfaith Worker Justice, Catholics United and the African Methodist Episcopal Church, said religious leaders from a number of key political states, including Maine, North Dakota, andFlorida, attended events dedicated to health care reform.
Camden Churches Organized for People (CCOP),
September 01, 2009,
Camden Courier Post
Congregations Building Community - Modesto (CBC),
August 12, 2009,
The Modesto Bee
About 40 people gathered at Tenth Street Plaza on Tuesday morning to pray for a national health care system. They also prayed for Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, and others in Congress faced with the task of making health insurance affordable for all.
The event, sponsored by Congregations Building Community in Modesto, drew people such as Fabiola Garcia, who lost her health insurance five years ago when she resigned from her job as a credit union loan officer when her daughter, Veronica Hall, was born prematurely, weighing 14.9 ounces.
PICO National Network,
August 04, 2009,
ABC News
Camden Churches Organized for People (CCOP),
July 30, 2009,
Catholic Star Herald - Camden,NJ
Here at St. Mary Parish Hall on Monday evening, July 20, a crowd numbering 100-plus gathered to hear about social justice issues affecting the community and how they could help, in the words of one of the presenters, “build the kingdom of God on Earth.”
The event, “Building Communities in Camden,” is the second in a series of talks sponsored by St. Mary’s Social Justice Ministry. The night focused on the current attempts to revitalize Camden City, including creating affordable housing.
Camden Churches Organized for People (CCOP),
July 30, 2009,
Catholic Star Herald - Camden,NJ
Pasted on the entrance doors of St. Anthony of Padua Church in Camden July 19 were 13 photos of “ugly” houses of Cramer Hill.
Inside were cards with these instructions: “Vote for the Ugliest house in Cramer Hill. Since these houses have been in this condition for weeks, months, years, or in some cases decades, the ‘winner’ will be announced at a Public Award Ceremony Thursday, August 27, the Feast of St. Monica, the Patron Saint of Patience.”
PICO National Network,
June 30, 2009,
CBN
Brockton Interfaith Community (BIC),
June 22, 2009,
Wicked Local Brockton
The City Council is set to approve the next budget tonight, cutting just $100,000 from the $311.5 million recommended by the mayor.
For the second year in a row, the $100,000 would be cut from the 21st Century Corp. budget of $250,000, if the council follows the recommendation of the Finance Committee, a subcommittee comprised completely of city councilors.
Orange County Congregation Community Organization (OCCCO),
June 10, 2009,
Orange County Weekly
The Anaheim City Council, led by Mayor Curt Pringle, loves to crow about the luxury housing that has and (someday) will continue to pop up within and around the Platinum Triangle, the fabled area near Angel Stadium, Honda Center and the Grove of Anaheim that the city envisions blending "leading-edge business, high-salary employment, world champion entertainment and exciting residential neighborhoods, creating a unique opportunity in the heart of Orange County."
PICO National Network,
May 22, 2009,
WorldMag.com Blog
Obama is urging comprehensive health care reform by the end of the year, and a national network of clergy is doing the same. The group is starting a nationwide campaign to advocate for health care reform, buying radio ads featuring local clergy and airing them in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri and Nebraska.
PICO National Network,
May 22, 2009,
National Catholic Reporter
The radio ads, which can be found here, will be playing on Christian and mainstream radio station in swing districts. Radio listeners in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri and Nebraska will soon hear that "every person, created in the image of God, is of limitless value."
PICO National Network,
May 21, 2009,
Faith in Public Life Blog
Ads running on Christian radio feature local clergy in key states--Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri and Nebraska-- complement hundreds of events in local congregations across the country, including public meetings with Members of Congress, and other local and national lobbying efforts.
PICO National Network,
May 19, 2009,
The Atlantic Online
As a wide array of businesses, interest groups, and unions speak up on health care with reform efforts moving forward, so too are faith groups: a coalition of progressive and community-organizing-oriented religious groups will run ads on Christian radio starting Thursday (running through next week) in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri and Nebraska and will hold events with congregations nationwide
Camden Churches Organized for People (CCOP),
May 11, 2009,
Courier Post
Brockton Interfaith Community (BIC),
May 07, 2009,
Enterprise News
Brockton Interfaith Community (BIC),
May 07, 2009,
Boston Globe
Oakland Community Organizations (OCO),
April 23, 2009,
Education Week
A new report examines the history and impact of an effort to create smaller schools in the 43,000-student Oakland, Calif., school district.
The report concludes that small schools, created with the backing of advocacy groups in the city, have shown stronger academic performance, better school climate, and an improvement in how teachers view their schools' professional culture, compared with larger schools studied over the same period.
Brockton Interfaith Community (BIC),
PICO National Network,
San Diego Organizing Project (SDOP),
April 12, 2009,
New York Times
QUINN RALLINS, 23, graduated magna cum laude last year from Morehouse College with a dual major in international studies and Spanish. This spring, Mr. Rallins is finishing his master's degree in comparative social policy at Oxford. His next step? Top financial and technology companies and nonprofit groups have expressed interest in hiring him. Even in this economy, he has options. But Mr. Rallins wants to be a community organizer - just like the world's most famous one, Barack Obama.
Faith Works North San Diego County,
April 04, 2009,
San Diego Union Tribune
"The churches are overwhelmed," said Peter Hasapopoulos, executive director of Faith Works, a nonprofit, faith-based, community organizing agency in Escondido. "Part of my job is to ask, 'Are you thinking strategically?' There has been an onslaught, but it's a ripe environment to think about why we do systemic change in the first place."
Oakland Community Organizations (OCO),
April 03, 2009,
KQED Radio
Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization (CCISCO),
April 01, 2009,
CBS 5
Metro Organizations for People (MOP),
March 18, 2009,
La Voz Nueva
Earlier last month, State Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver, introduced Senate Bill 09-170, also known as the Tuition Equity Bill, to the Colorado General Assembly and received sponsorship from fellow Democrat Senators Bacon, Sandoval, Tapia and Groff. The bill later received House sponsorship from Rep. Joe Miklosi. Several local organizations, many of which support educational and immigrant rights, have rallied for this legislation. "This legislation offers students the opportunity to pursue a college education and have a shot at the American dream," said Carmen Medrano of Metro Organizations for People (also known as MOP).
PICO National Network,
March 10, 2009,
ABC 7 Washington
PICO National Network,
March 10, 2009,
Catholic News Service
Come March 26 Jaime Silahua and his family are facing life on the streets. His bank, it turns out, is foreclosing on his home in Antioch, Calif. It didn't matter, Silahua said, that he tried to renegotiate the terms of his loan, citing economic hardship brought on by his teenage son's yearlong treatment for leukemia. The bank turned down his appeal, saying his income fell just below the amount needed to qualify as a hardship case.
Camden Churches Organized for People (CCOP),
PICO National Network,
March 10, 2009,
Courier Post
Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization (CCISCO),
PICO National Network,
March 07, 2009,
KCBS
Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization (CCISCO),
Faith in Community (FIC),
PICO National Network,
March 06, 2009,
Fresno Bee
A Fresno contingent, including members of five Fresno families, joined the caravan in Antioch early Friday. A rally was later held at St. John's Cathedral in downtown Fresno by Faith In Community, a local religious group, and PICO National Network, a national interfaith coalition.
Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization (CCISCO),
February 23, 2009,
East County Times
Seven years ago, the Silahua family bought a one-story, ranch-style home on the 3600 block of Gentrytown Drive for $281,000. On Monday, Jaime was sitting in a Pittsburg courtroom, surrounded by a dozen concerned well-wishers, pleading his case to keep his family from being evicted. The well-wishers, organized by a local interfaith organization, also joined hands with him in prayer outside the courthouse.
PICO National Network,
February 13, 2009,
Catholic News Service
A few hours before the signing, a Catholic mother of three spoke in a teleconference about her reliance on Florida's SCHIP plan, called KidCare, to treat her son's heart condition and her daughter's asthma. "It was a lifesaver for me," said Nilda Santana, a member of Good Shepherd Church in Orlando, Fla., who said she was unable to afford health insurance through her employer.
PICO National Network,
February 05, 2009,
Beliefnet
PICO National Network,
February 04, 2009,
America Magazine
Inland Congregations United for Change (ICUC),
January 30, 2009,
The Press-Enterprise
Metro Organizations for People (MOP),
January 29, 2009,
Rocky Mountain News
Media Coverage Archive
