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In a 4-3 vote Nov. 6, Mesa City Council approved a controversial plan to buy the Grand Hotel near Main Street and Power Road for emergency transitional housing for vulnerable populations....

A large contingent of people from the Valley Interfaith Project showed support by rising and standing in silence as a leader, Bethany Lambrecht, spoke in favor of the purchase....

Leaders Pledge to Keep Working Towards $26/Hr Goal

After 48 Marin Organizing Committee leaders participated in the Marin Board of Supervisors meeting, joined by numerous people online and supported by 50 letters/emails that had been submitted earlier, the Board of Supervisors voted to increase the salaries of In-Home Support Services (IHSS) caregivers to $18/hour.

Leaders delivered compelling testimony in-person and online, and were joined by allies  including InSpirit health care workers, care recipients and SEIU 2015 (who represents caregivers).  MOC leaders provided moving testimony about the limited nature of IHSS time allotments for each recipient. For example, transportation to and from a doctor’s office is allotted only 12 minutes per week, and if the client could theoretically walk into the office herself the caregiver would not be paid while waiting to drive the client home.

We were saddened to share that former IAF organizer Kevin Courtney died on October 19, 2023 in Tucson, Arizona. He left this earth a better place.  Kevin organized with the West / Southwest IAF for more than 20 years, and he was the Lead Organizer for EPISO/ Border Interfaith (El Paso) and PCIC (Tucson, Arizona).

He was a lifelong advocate for adult education, GED, and ESL learners. His organizing career began in Tucson while assisting with Adult Basic Education students to advocate for increased program funding. During his two-stop tenure with PCIC, he was instrumental in the creation and continued funding of Job Path, which has since graduated thousands of Tucsonians into living wage jobs.

In a public assembly at St. Paul AME, 140 AMOS leaders secured commitments from new DMPS Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts and four school board candidates to work together to expand 'Let’s Talk Now' and restorative justice practices, support student mental health, and retain and diversify the Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) teaching workforce.  In the meeting, Superintendent Dr. Roberts announced that DMPS will change hiring practices for people with criminal records.

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Charice Williams, the Hiatt Middle School student engagement coordinator [and Bethel AME Church leader], spoke about the importance of having school staff who look like their students and about the barriers to achieving this goal.

Williams told those gathered about a woman... who was previously incarcerated but ultimately earned a master's degree and 30 years later has worked for both the state and county. Yet because of her criminal record, the woman was not eligible for a stipend position as part of the district's school-based mentor program Sisters 4 Success, Williams said.

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The city of Des Moines and A Mid-Iowa Organizing Strategy (AMOS) are accepting applications from community stakeholders interested in sitting on the advisory committee for a proposed Community Land Trust in an effort to reserve land for permanent affordable housing....

Officials and AMOS say the land trust will be classified as a nonprofit organization with the goal to provide “a supply of sustainable housing for residents with low to moderate incomes” and strengthen, stabilize and preserve neighborhoods...

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Lauridsen Skatepark is being certified with USA Skateboarding during a public event Sunday, Polk County and Catch Des Moines officials tell Axios.

Why it matters: The designation means the facility will be a regional skateboarding hub and likely attract more Olympic-qualifying events, Laura Jass, director of sports for tourism advocacy group Catch Des Moines, tells Axios....

DSM police previously had a "three-strikes-and-you're-in-jail" policy to discourage public skateboarding....

• Groups like A Mid-Iowa Organizing Strategy (AMOS) then led nearly two decades of organizing and fundraising that resulted in Lauridsen Skatepark.

[Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Dew Tour]

Scoop: Lauridsen Skatepark Gains Certification, Axios [pdf]

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[A] new coalition of neighborhoods, churches and others formed Communities Organized for Public Service, or COPS, in 1974....

“That was the perfect storm that planted the seed that allowed COPS to flourish,” said Father Mike DeGerolami, also a leader for COPS/Metro Alliance.

...Garza said needed projects and improvements only proceeded after the community demanded that a piece of the city budget be spent on the West Side.

Struggle, Determination Mark History of Westwood Square, KSAT [pdf]

On Monday, Oct 23rd, CCG leaders held a press conference with 5 city council members to call on council to stand united in the effort to expand rental assistance funding from the Mayor's proposed $15.5 million to the CCG proposal of just over $30 million. CCG leaders expressed their disappointment in the Mayor's proposal, describing it as "woefully inadequate." Leaders have brought this issue to the Mayor many times over the past 5 months, starting with an action of over 350 leaders back in May.

CCG will continue working with council to advance a budget amendment on this issue. See press coverage of the action here, here, and here.