Volume 1, Issue 5

"This is great!  For the first time I was able to come together with colleagues, learn about HUD government programs, which had intimidated me before, and to feel that a difference could be made together, in partnership."

The Center for Community and Interfaith Partnerships hosted the second in its series of ten regional conferences, "Commitment to Justice: Creative Partnerships for Renewed Hope in Our Communities" on December 8th and 9th in Nashville, Tennessee.  The purpose of the conferences is to reach out to community and faith-based organizations, which Secretary Cuomo has recognized as "the voice of conscience in the struggle for economic rights."  The conferences highlight resources available and successful approaches to developing employment and affordable housing opportunities, and explore ways in which grassroots groups can contribute to greater social, economic, and racial justice in economically distressed areas.  Community Builders have been a determining factor in the success of the Syracuse, NY and Nashville, TN conferences.  The Center has and will continue to rely upon the expertise and local contacts of Community Builders in the regional conference areas.  Community Builder assistance has included determining appropriate workshop topics, speaking on panels and coordinating workshop presenters.

The Nashville conference follows closely on the heels of the extremely successful kickoff of the "Commitment to Justice" conference series, held in Syracuse, New York on October 27 and 28.  The Syracuse conference brought together approximately 350 community organizers, neighborhood activists, and members of grassroots community and faith-based organizations of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. 

The conferences were well-received by the participants, "This is great!  For the first time I was able to come together with other colleagues, learn about HUD government programs, which had intimidated me before, and to feel that a difference could be made together, in partnership."

The conferences enabled community faith-based groups, both large and small, the opportunity to  receive needed information, to access resources, to plan and establish activities and programs that will make a difference.  Moreover, the conferences represented an opportunity for HUD to learn from the experiences of the members of faith-based organizations.  In the words of one of the participants, Reverend Janet Wolfe, "We have the power and resources to create a community in which every single human being has an opportunity to be who God created them to be.  May it be so."

Nashville Senior Community Builder Brenda Cleaver said, " . . . for so long faith-based organizations have not had the information needed to access funds from HUD.   There was misinformation that faith-based groups and organizations could not do business with HUD or any federal agency because of the separation of Church and State.  However, the faith-based conference provided the information needed so organizations and HUD can partner together to address social concerns related to housing and community development." 

The Center will be hosting similar conferences in Chicago, St. Louis, Houston, Denver, Seattle, Sacramento, Boston and the mid-Atlantic region throughout 2000.  Be on the lookout for the conference scheduled in your area and see how you can get involved.