Take Action Now - Here are suggested things you can do now to help further the causes on TIAR’s action agenda. For those items asking you to contact a state official, contact information is found at the bottom of this page.
The Rochester Voters Alliance is off and running again this year with a number of organizations coming together with TIAR to register voters in those areas and among those populations most underrepresented. We have already been informed that we’ll be welcome at the Public Market and a staff person at the Center for Disability Rights is working with us. But volunteers are needed by April to take part in a training session that month and then to help staff registration tables in June, July, August, and probably September. If you can help with this – even if it’s only for some of the time – contact Paul Brayer at brayerpm@frontiernet.net
Many people around the nation are using all or part of their stimulus incentive checks the government is mailing out in May to immediate advantage for people in poverty. GRCC is encouraging you to give half or more of your check either to a project that empowers people in poverty locally or perhaps, anonymously or not, to someone who is currently struggling with meeting his or her basic needs. Anyone who makes such a commitment, can let GRCC know and we will send you a bell like the one below. It once was a shell used in war, but has been turned into a sign of justice and peace.
If you need suggestions of where you can make your gift count, we can help. Just call, write or email the office. We know that low income people will immediately put the money into our own economy. You can stimulate our economy, encourage a neighbor and stimulate your own spirit all at once.
(The form below should be used to let GRCC know what charity will receive your donation and where we can mail your bell.)
Photo below and attached is a photo of the Shell Bell. To know more about the Church World Service initiative and the Shells for Bells program you can visit this site: http://www.churchworldservice.org/kids/Ed0005/cambodia.htm
The Shells to Bells Giving Initiative
Name __________________________________________________________________
Address ________________________________________________________________
City State Zip ___________________________________________________________
Email _________________________________________ Phone ___________________
I will contribute $ _________ from my stimulus check to the following charity:
______________________________________________________________________
Mail, fax or email form to:
Greater Rochester Community of Churches
2 Riverside Street, Rochester, NY 14613
(585) 254-2570 (fax) 254-6551
grcc1@frontiernet.net
www.grcc.org
A recent cover story in The New York Times Magazine makes plain the threat: The winner of the 2008 presidential election could be decided by flawed, insecure, and hackable electronic voting machines. This is the most prominent news coverage this issue has ever gotten, so it could be our one last chance to get this right before the election in November.
Congress is poised to consider a new emergency paper ballots bill—but we'll have to convince them to act right away. A compiled petition with your individual comment for presentation to local election officials and your members of Congress is available at the following web site:
http://pol.moveon.org/paper2008/?r_by=11873-8228492-sezUoZ&rc=comment_forward
Contact State Officials to Increase the Welfare Grant
(Sample letter: modify as you wish or use email)
Please support a significant increase in the public assistance grant this year. I believe this is necessary because I see people in my community who have been struggling to make ends meet and have to rely on public assistance. Recent downward economic trends are making matters worse.
As you know, the value of their benefits has fallen to only 50% of the Federal Poverty Level, or about $8,800 per year for a family of three. The Public Assistance grant which has not been raised since 1990 is woefully inadequate. Soup kitchens, food pantries and homeless shelters simply cannot keep up with the increasing numbers coming to their doors for help.
I am especially concerned about the 888,000 New York children living in poverty. Some of these children and their parents are members of my community. [You may wish to insert a story here, such as I have looked into the blank stare of a hungry child clinging to a parent who is waiting hours in a long line for the small amount they now get in assistance.] You can help make a difference in the lives of such children by acting now to raise the Public Assistance Grant by 49%.
Thank you for your consideration.
A Welfare Grant (TANF) increase is again being discussed in the Human Services Committee in Albany. What is being discussed is a 10% for each of three years. Immediate calls to Senator Joseph Robach (225-3650) and Assemblywoman Susan Johns (244-5255) who sit on the HS Committee are needed as soon as possible.
Both Senator Robach and Assemblywoman Johns are supportive but a call will provide encouragement. Let Senator Robach also know that this will be an issue in the Fall election, especially if the majority party (Republicans) are not in support of this proposal. Senator Robach’s staff has indicated that fraud was an issue and that they are recently becoming aware there are people who depend on this for survival. This is thought to be an interesting comment.
(Sample letter: modify as you wish or use email)
Please support a significant increase in the public assistance grant this year. I believe this is necessary because I see people in my community who have been struggling to make ends meet and have to rely on public assistance. Recent downward economic trends are making matters worse.
As you know, the value of their benefits has fallen to only 50% of the Federal Poverty Level, or about $8,800 per year for a family of three. The Public Assistance grant which has not been raised since 1990 is woefully inadequate. Soup kitchens, food pantries and homeless shelters simply cannot keep up with the increasing numbers coming to their doors for help.
I am especially concerned about the 888,000 New York children living in poverty. Some of these children and their parents are members of my community. [You may wish to insert a story here, such as I have looked into the blank stare of a hungry child clinging to a parent who is waiting hours in a long line for the small amount they now get in assistance.] You can help make a difference in the lives of such children by acting now to raise the Public Assistance Grant by 49%.
Thank you for your consideration.
Dear ________
I strongly support the creation of a $400 million Housing Opportunity Fund as proposed in the State of the State address. Such a fund is urgently needed, because similar funds have become a key tool in the renewal of hundreds of communities across the United States. Trust funds can do this because they provide a dedicated source of revenue that is not impacted by the political climate or the vagaries of governmental operating budgets. This means that the revenue can be counted on year-to-year. That makes these funds -- and there are more than 400 across the country -- critical to effective neighborhood development.
(more)
I commend our local Interfaith Action and the many other New York State organizations that have worked so hard on this proposal, as well as former Mayor Bill Johnson and current Mayor Bob Duffy who have supported it.
Sincerely,
People leaving prison are without even basic necessities, and about half have no family to assist them. (See “Monroe County Re-entry Task Force” below) Please consider donating “welcome” kits for men (and some women). This can be a great project for a church group, scout troop or school community service project. Kits can contain items like toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo and conditioner, disposable razor, lotion, socks, washcloth, underwear, pocket calendar book, pen, a personal note to encourage—or whatever your imagination inspires. To receive information on how to prepare a Welcome Kit, contact Paul Brayer at brayerpm@frontiernet.net
HOLD THE DATE FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL FROM TIAR: Sunday, June 8, 2008, 3 PM in the Shults Center at Nazareth College
Rev. J. Paul Womack, Chaplain (Colonel) Retired, USAR will share his experiences in two Iraq wars. Paul was an interrogator in the Vietnam War (1969-1970), served as a Chaplain in Desert Storm (1991) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (2004). He retired from the Army in 2007 and was awarded the Legion of Merit for his service. He has also been warded the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.
Paul is former President of the Interfaith Alliance of Rochester (TIAR) and a former president of the Greater Rochester Community of Churches (GRCC). He chaired the IFF and other interfaith organizations while in Rochester. He is currently pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church on Grand Island, NY and will assume duties at the Hurlbut Memorial United Methodist Church at the Chautauqua Institution in July 2008. Included among his degrees is a Doctor of Ministry from Colgate-Rochester-Bexley Hall-Crozier Theological Seminary.
HIS TALK: Proud to Have Served in “Caesar’s Army."
Since completing the Poverty Video some years ago, the TIAR Poverty Task Force has been considering its next steps. This is now moving to the next phase as the Task Force will be the core educational component for “Let Justice Roll”, the major interfaith anti-poverty effort now coming together in the Rochester area. Many TIAR persons have been involved in shaping Let Justice Roll, which will be carrying out a five-point program under the acronym “CLEAR”
Communicate
Link
Educate
Advocate
Respond
Because of the availability of TIAR’s Poverty Video and workbooks, it was natural for Let Justice Roll to turn to TIAR to use these resources in carrying out a program to educate the general public, including religious groups, about the problems of poverty in the Rochester area and ways to get involved in addressing it.
Ed Lemon has agreed to chair the education team of our reconstituted Task Force to take on this task. He has several volunteers who are now acquainting themselves with the video (now a DVD) and other resources, and are preparing themselves to become a cadre of speakers. However, an effort like this needs audiences to hear the message and be motivated to take action.
The TIAR- Let Justice Roll collaboration is offering to any community group the opportunity to schedule an informative and enlightening presentation on poverty issues in Rochester. This free program is composed of the 28-minute DVD, "The Faces of Poverty: Not Just Faces, But Our Neighbors." It puts real faces on poverty, and is accompanied by a knowledgeable group discussion leader. Appropriate handouts will be available including a list of Volunteer Opportunities to provide suggestions for involvement.
The purpose of the presentation (one hour with discussion) is to help educate the community about the realities of poverty in Monroe County, raising such questions as, “If you had a sudden large unexpected expense next month, and your funds could not cover all the needs for housing, transportation, child care, health care, food, and clothing, where would you turn? Which would you choose to do without?”
Anyone interested in participating in this effort – whether a member of TIAR or not, or whether as a trained presenter or to schedule a presentation – is welcome to contact Ed Lemon at elemon@rochester.rr.com
“Blasting through obstacles.”
Here in Monroe County, more than 2,500 people are released from incarceration every year. Without help, about two-thirds of them will return to prison within three years, at a cost of about $35,000 a year per person; prison, for most people, is an expensive and ineffective deterrent to crime.
What’s this got to do with you? Maybe more than you think. In the U.S., we incarcerate people at about eight times the world average—in our country, more than 2 million people are in state prison, 70,000 in New York alone, and that doesn’t include county jails or federal holding centers. Most people are incarcerated for non-violent offenses. It is very likely that someone close to you will be touched by the corrections system. Of everyone who goes to prison about 97% return home, regardless of their crime. At that point, the community ex-offenders return to has a vested interest in each releasee’s success.
A safe, stable place to live, food, health care, and jobs are just the beginning. The most important gift we can give them is hope, a reason to live and the sure knowledge that they have what they need to overcome the past and find their true future. And success does happen! The result: lower crime rates, safer neighborhoods, healthier families, and lower costs for all of us.
For more information, please contact:
Ann Graham
Coordinator
Monroe County Reentry Task Force
Catholic Family Center
87 N. Clinton Avenue
Rochester, NY 14604
585-262-7163
agraham@cfcrochester.org
The Monroe County Reentry Task Force is a program funded in nine counties across New York by the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services, Monroe County, and Catholic Family Center. It represents an unprecedented level of cooperation between corrections, law enforcement, service providers and faith-based groups to enhance the safety of our community by working together to stabilize the lives of people leaving prison and giving them the tools and support they need to succeed.
TIAR has supported the efforts of the Coalition for Decent Burial to give all people - no matter what creed, color, sex or financial situation - access to a simple, decent and respectful funeral.
Background
On March 1, 2006, Monroe County changed its policy of allotting an average of $1,850 for the funeral and burial of indigent persons, cutting it to an average of $1,250. This lower amount does not cover even a minimal burial, but only cremation.
For some people, cremation is not a problem; however, for others it is a violation of their religious or ethnic traditions.
With representation from faith communities, social agencies, and the community at large, the Coalition for Dignified Burial has been meeting since April 2006 to work with county officials to resolve the issue. Negotiations with the county include the possibility of developing a community burial fund.
The Coalition has succeeded in securing from the local newspaper a one-day, six-line death notice at no charge to persons qualified by the county Department of Human Services.
An Unexpected Gift
In December, 2006, a donation was made to start a burial fund by Kate Lauren, an American singer, songwriter, and performer based in Zurich, Switzerland. She had searched the web and found our site (tia-roch.org). She organized a successful benefit concert and designated some of the proceeds as a special memorial to her deceased father, Vincent A. Simonetti. Herr concert also raised awareness among her public of the many other needs that people struggle with; or, as she hoped, "to provide a wind of change for those less fortunate."
The Board of Directors of The Interfaith Alliance of Rochester is deeply grateful for her very generous donation of $ 1,700.00 to our temporary Community Burial Fund. We received a donation of $50.00 in addition from one of her family members, and have also made a contribution from our organizational funds. (TIAR, has housed this fund until the current policy is rescinded or an alternative way of solving this issue is established.) Her gift was a most creative way of memorializing her father, and it was a great honor for us to be entrusted with it. As of January 2008, we have responded to four requests for assistance with burial expenses.
We are blessed to have people like Kate making a difference in our troubled world.
The Coalition for a Dignified Burial includes members from The Interfaith Alliance of Rochester, the House of Mercy, Catholic Family Center of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality, Peace Baptist Church, Transfiguration Roman Catholic Church, and community representatives-at-large. Contact Sr. M. Gratia 'Esperance,(585) 271-3226 or Heide Parreño (585) 256-7372, for more information.
Immigration forums on various aspects of the immigration problems are being planned. As the 2008 U.S. election campaigns continue, we see immigration coming to the fore as a key issue. We also see increasing anti-immigrant rhetoric coming from national and local groups.
A helpful website that can offer clues about the hate language
and where it comes from: http://www.wecanstopthehate.org/
Check it out-it's really good!
Sr. Gratia’s comment from a Christian perspective:
If Jesus Christ came back tomorrow in the Second Coming, would we want to label him an undocumented immigrant and arrest, imprison, torture, deport, or execute him (as he was in the First Coming)?
Poverty / Economic Justice
1 DVD Education Sessions (in cooperation with Let Justice Roll): See above for description. For scheduling, contact Ed Lemon.
2 Burial of those without resources
3 Rochester Children’s Zone Proposal (Glenny Williams) / Children’s Agenda
4 Economic Justice: Hotel Workers Union Organizing
5 Judicial Process Commission’s Re-Entry Case Management Project for released offenders / Adult Mentoring Program – See above
National / State / Local Government
1 Fair Campaign Pledge (local / NYS)
2 Local Legislative Forums (in collaboration with GRCC)
3 Citizens for Better Government (NYS)
a. Campaign finance reform – public financing of campaigns
b Redistricting by independent non-partisan committee
c Legislature rules reform
4 Immigration Forums (in collaboration with Downtown Community Forum)
5 Voting with Wisdom and Clear Vision – a program on preparation for voter responsibilities
6 TIA National
a First Freedom First Petition
b Voting Rights Act (lack of federal enforcement)
Peace / Non-Violence
Area being coordinated by Heide Parreno and Marilyn Wienk. Following TIAR’s adoption of a Peace Resolution at its November, 2007 meeting, the group is now considering appropriate follow-up activities.
Health Care
Area seeking a coordinater; no specific TIAR projects going on in this area at this time.
Hon David A. Paterson, Governor
Executive Chamber, State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224
www.ny.gov/governor
Your State Senator
Michael F. Nozzolio
119 Fall Street
Seneca Falls, New York 13148
888-568-9816 fax 315-568-2090
or
409 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
518-455-2366 fax 518-426-6953
nozzolio@senate.state.ny.us
James S. Alesi
220 Packett?s Landing
Fairport, New York 14450
223-1800 fax 223-3084
or
905 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
518-455-2015 fax 518-426-6928
alesi@senate.state.ny.us
Joseph Robach
2300 West Ridge Rd.
Rochester, New York 14626
225-3650 fax 225-3661
or
902 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
518-455-2909 fax 18-426-6938
robach@senate.state.ny.us
George D. Maziarz
2578 Niagara Falls Blvd.
Wheatfield, New York 14304
716-731-8740 fax 716-731-8746
or
811 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
518-455-2024 fax 518-426-6987
maziarz@senate.state.ny.us
Your Member of the Assembly:
Joseph Errigo
3045 East Henrietta Rd.
Henrietta, New York 14467
334-5210 fax 334-5437
or
427 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12248
518-455-5662 fax 518-455-5918
errigoj@assembly.state.ny.us
Susan John
840 University Ave.
Rochester, New York 14607
244-5255 fax 244-1635
or
522 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12248
518-455-4527 fax 518-455-5342
johns@assembly.state.ny.us
Joseph D. Morelle
1945 East Ridge Road
Rochester, NY 14622
585-467-0410 fax 585-467-5342
or
716 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12248
518-455-5373 fax 518-455-5647
morellj@assembly.state.ny.us
David F. Gantt
74 University Avenue
Rochester, New York 14605
585-454-3670 fax 585-454-3788
or
830 Legislative Office Bldg.
Albany, NY 12248
518-455-5606 fax 518-455-5419
ganttd@aseembly.state.ny.us
William Reilich
2737 West Ridge Road
Rochester, New York 14626
585-225-4190 fax 225-6502
or
322 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12248
518-455-4664 fax 518-455-3093
reilichw@assembly.state.ny.us
David Koon
268 Fairport Village Landing
Fairport, New York 14450
585-223-9130 fax 223-5243
or
643 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12248
518-455-5784 fax 518-455-4639
koond@assembly.state.ny.us
Stephen M. Hawley
121 North Main Street Suite 100
Albion, New York 14411
585-589-5780 fax 585-589-5813
or
433 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12248
518-455-5811 fax 518-455-5558
hawleys@assembly.state.ny.us
We are committed to an inclusive democratic process based upon the mutual responsibility of public officials, public institutions, and the general public. It requires honest and civility through open discussion of issues and full participation open to all citizens.
We work towards a public good that offers dignity and wholeness to all people. This includes a quality public education, a sustainable environment, a living wage, comprehensive health care, adequate housing, and a voice for people of faith in the political arena that respects the First Amendment.
As a growing and diverse interfaith community, we bring a constructive and healing witness to public and political life in the Greater Rochester community. The Interfaith Alliance of Rochester is one of many local alliances in a national coalition of people of faith.
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