"On Thursday evening, King spoke to over 100 adults who are either participating in the Valley Interfaith GED program or waiting to do so. The house meeting was held at St. John the Baptist's in San Juan. Speaking in Spanish, King praised those participating in the GED program and spoke about his vision for scaling up what Valley Interfaith has started....

....asked if the GED en Español program could be scaled up to match the obvious demand, King had no doubts. 'I have no doubt at all. We will find a way to do it.'"

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Bishop Gerald F. "Kicanas joined nearly 100 members of churches of different denominations from the area who gathered ... to organize a campaign in favor of not only a new immigration law but also efforts of Gov. Jan Brewer to expand the state's health program for the poor: the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS)....

Kicanas' appeal came as he spoke to members of Yuma County Interfaith, a faith-based group whose leaders and members represent a variety of religious denominations in the area."

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"Valley Interfaith Project, a community organization composed of religious and civic leaders, spoke in support of the tax hike, telling the board members that the increase was small but would yield a good return on investment. 'The state has placed our educational system in a vise grip and now only provides 1 percent of the funding for the district,' Monica Dorcey said.

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"Meeting city, state, faith and education leaders on Thursday, Sen. John McComish, of District 18, voiced his continued support for Gov. Jan Brewer's plan to expand Medicaid in the state at a panel hosted by the Valley Interfaith Project (VIP).....McComish and Rep. Heather Carter, of District 15, pushed the expansion that would give Medicaid to about 300,000 low-income Arizona residents.

VIP's crowd included nearly 800 people from surrounding churches, school districts and organizations."

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"Together Baton Rouge volunteers have worked to clean up the Gilbert Memorial Park Cemetery, to launch with the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank...and to advocate for reliable funding and better administration for the Capital Area Transit System.

With this new community Bible study program, the purposes are to 'develop relationships across the lines that divide us' and embrace 'the call of Scripture to act in the world today,' Wesley said."

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"The Austin City Council did away with the CURE zoning process at its last meeting, but the zoning entitlement program didn't go quietly. The public hearing before the Council's vote was characterized by a heated exchange between Mayor Lee Leffingwelland Interfaith Austin's Kurt Cadena-Mitchell.

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"Juvenile crime, speeding and sidewalk repairs are some of the biggest problems in in Southeast Austin's Dove Springs area -- but residents are fighting back. Neighbors are taking advantage of the city services their tax dollars pay for. Side walk repairs are continuing in direct result of residents calling 311 to report the need, according to city officials.

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"If Oak Creek doesn't remain affordable housing, will have to move in with her mother in Bastrop. Principal Robertson says continuity is key for low-income families.

'Constant change is not a friend for Title One families,' Robertson says. 'Nor is it for students to jump from school to school. That upheaval — some of our most successful families will be thrown into I don't know what kind of abyss.'

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"The Austin-based Workers Defense Project is asking the courts to step into its wage dispute with the developers of the downtown Austin J.W. Marriott hotel under construction.

'Developers need to keep their promises to taxpayers and workers, and the city must enforce its own rules,' said Kurt Cadena-Mitchell, a leader of Austin Interfaith, a multi-congregation group pushing the city to establish a standard above minimum wage on construction projects that are granted economic development deals by the city."

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Leaders of Dallas Area Interfaith called on Texas legislators to support bi-partisan House Bill 3791 which would expand Medicaid to insure an additional 1.5 million Texans. Clergy from Jewish, Catholic and Protestant congregations announced that DAI had collected over 5,000 signatures in the last few months in support of expansion Medicaid.

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