As a result of Valley Interfaith's impact on the recent Pharr city comissioners race, the newly constituted city commission has placed six of the organization's top agenda items on the agenda -- all of which are expected to be approved. At an accountability assembly three weeks prior, leader raised the issue of needed investments in parks, libraries, additional job training, a bridge across a canal to link two neighborhoods, curtailment of predatory lending, street paving and additional bus routes.

The Rio Grande Guardian reports:

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TMO Lyons Elementary parents won an 8 - 1 Houston Independent School District board vote against proposed boundary changes to their school. The changes would have sent students from one of the top ranked schools in the state to one ranked in the lowest 18% statewide. Parent leaders signed up 600 petitioners opposed to the change to convince board members that this was a bad idea.

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More than 60 interfaith allies, including leaders from COPS/Metro Alliance, demanded an end to the detention of refugee children and mothers in private prisons at Dilley and Karnes City, Texas. Leaders held a press conference on Friday, May 8th at the San Antonio ICE field office, during which Fr. Walter D'heedene from Sacred Heart Catholic Church spoke, alongside leaders from the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC), the Interfaith Welcome Coalition, the Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry (TXUUJM), and RAICES.

The group attempted to deliver petitions calling for an end to imprisonment of refugee children.

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Nevadans for the Common Good celebrated the signing of the CARE Act by Governor Sandoval which recognizes the important role that family caregivers play in caring for their loved ones by improving communication between families and hospitals. Rev. Art Gafke (standing on the right side) represented NCG at the signing.

Days prior, fourteen leaders from NCG participated in a two-day caregiver respite training held by REST at St. Andrew's. Leaders plan to take this training back to caregivers in their communities to serve the needs of elders and their families.

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In a New Yorker piece by Samuel Freedman, Industrial Areas Foundation co-chair Ernesto Cortes and Sr. Christine Stephens reflect on the life and spirit of Edward Chambers, the long-time executive director of the IAF that led it to to become the premier community organizing network in the US and around the world.

"Ed believed in the mission of the church, and I don't just mean the Roman Catholic Church," Sister Christine Stephens, a member of Chambers's leadership team in the I.A.F., said. "That mission involved dealing with people who are on the margins, people who don't have power."

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Pima Community College Chancellor Lee Lambert and five key Pima County Interfaith Civic Education Organization leaders signed the first ever Memorandum of Understanding between the college and interfaith group to promote collaboration around civic engagement, student leadership development, and other mutually beneficial activities. The MOU will be in effect for 5 years.

Monsignor Raul Trevizo, Pastor of St. John the Evangelist and Vicar General of the Catholic Diocese of Tucson, Rev. Sharon Ragland, Senior Pastor of St. Mark's Methodist UMC, Fr. Tom Tureman, S.D.S., Pastor of Most Holy Trinity Catholic, Rev. Delle McCormick, Senior Pastor of Rincon Congregational UCC, and Deaconess Marjie Hrabe, President of the PCICEO Board spoke at the signing ceremony. Rev. Ragland spoke of the importance of Pima to her daughter's success, and Msgr. Trevizo recalled teaching classes at PCC as one of his first jobs after college. All the speakers stressed the importance of students being supported, engaged and successful.

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The NOVA Workforce Institute of Northeast Louisiana broke their own record in job-placement this month, placing 17 of its graduates in living wage careers. Since 2009, NOVA has placed 461 adults into living wage work, with a projected annual wage impact of $7.4 million. Economist Bob Eisenstadt, the rector of the University of Louisiana at Monroe's Center for Business and Economic Research said,

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BUILD greatly appreciates all of the support and encouragement we have received from our sister IAF organizations. We stand united to rebuild Baltimore and know that we can count on our IAF colleagues. We will be in action again tomorrow calling on the City Council President and Police Commissioner to meet with citizens who live in Baltimore's forgotten neighborhoods. Their voices will be heard. And we will make change.

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In collaboration with the Baton Rouge Catholic Diocese, Jesuit Social Research Institute and Catholic Charities, Together Baton Rouge kicked off a 4-part series on the 'Joy of the Gospel' by Pope Francis. With over 70 participants in attendance, representing 25 different parishes, Fr. Fred Kammer (Executive Director of the Jesuit Social Research Institute) taught the first section on the "Joy of the Good News." This is part of a larger strategy to broaden the institutional base of the organization.

In the second of three steps to secure funding for workforce development and affordable housing, PCIC leaders testified before Pima County Supervisors, persuading them to support (4-1) an expanded bond package which includes a building for workforce development program JobPath ($1M), affordable housing ($20M), neighborhood reinvestment ($25M) and open space / environment ($80M).

Randy Mayer, the pastor of Good Shepherd UCC, argued that this bond was an opportunity to leave the County in better shape than they found it. He also pledged the support of PCIC and Southern Arizona Interfaith to help pass the propositions this November -- the final step towards victory.