STATEWIDE CONFERENCE IN TAMPA ON BUILDING BETTER COMMUNITIES TEACHES ORGANIZATIONS HOW TO REACH FEDERAL FUNDS

TAMPA - Faith and nonprofit organizations seeking to utilize federal resources to improve their communities are meeting in Tampa for a two day conference. Several federal, state and local organizations led by the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are gathering with about 500 attendees at the Tampa Convention Center.

Keynote speakers include Maria Farias, HUD's Acting Director of the Center for Faith Based and Community
Initiatives; Pam Iorio, Mayor of Tampa; Rick Baker, Mayor of St. Petersburg; Reverend Dr. Fred Lucas, President of Faith Center for Community Development in New York City; and Reverend McKinley Young, Presiding Bishop, 11th District African Methodist Episcopal Church, Jacksonville, Florida.

"From the logic behind electronic grant applications to secure federal funds, to the challenges of caring for the population with HIV/AIDS, HUD's state-wide conference offers very valuable information from federal, state and
local organizations that serve the most frail in our communities. We are confident that faith-based and nonprofit organizations attending this event will benefit since their knowledge brings a multiplier effect on the wellness of the communities around us", said Anna Maria Farias, HUD's Acting Director of the Center for Faith Based and Community Initiatives.

Attendees receive information from Catholic Charities, the State of Florida, the cities of St. Petersburg and Tampa, the counties of Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas, and Polk, Freddie Mac, and representatives of the United States Departments of HUD, Health and Human Services, Labor, Agriculture, the Census Bureau, the Internal Revenue Service, the Small Business Administration, the Center for Disease Control, the Office of Homeless Initiatives, Health, Education, and Community Affairs, and the University of South Florida.

Items in the agenda include the revised E-Logic Model for Federal grant applications; building economically strong communities; understanding the role of faith-based organizations in hurricane recovery, and accessing resources
and relationships to address the growing issues of homelessness, the need for affordable housing; the HIV/AIDS challenge within the African American and Hispanic communities; the needs of non-profit organizations; and to build partnerships with federal, state and local resource providers to promote healthy, vibrant and viable communities. Concurrently, HUD offered "The Art and Science of Grant Writing Training", which included new and advanced
training topics on grant writing.

HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development, and enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet
and espanol.hud.gov.

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For further information contact Bill Kalbas at (813) 228-2026 x 2112.