Healthcare Enrollment (2013)

IAF organizations in Texas did the hard work of educating leaders and corralling public entities to develop local healthcare enrollment plans:

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Fairfax became the first municipality in Marin to commit to providing funding for the expansion of the REST winter homeless shelter program into a year-round project, thanks to intervention from the Marin Organizing Committee. The Town Council voted unanimously to approve a request for $16,392, as part of a regional proposal put forth by MOC leaders.

At its 'Housing Sabbath' MOC gave a standing ovation to the Fairfax Council and announced plans to step up the fight for year-round emergency housing. In addition to targeting nine other cities, including San Anselmo, Tiburon and Novato, leaders aim to persuade Marin County to put in $500,000 and the Marin Community Foundation to put in $250,000. Congregations plan to step up their in-kind contributions of food and shelter as well.

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Metropolitan Alliance for Common Good leaders packed an assembly to hear stories from people impacted by Oregon's driver's license laws shared their stories and to advocate for Measure 88 on Oregon's November ballot, which would allow undocumented immigrants to drive after fulfilling all other requirements.

Catholic Archbishop Alexander Sample urged leaders to "get their elevator speech ready" in order to educate as many voters as possible about the measure. The political director for Governor Kitzhaber and former Hillsboro police chief Ron Louie also spoke in support of the measure.

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Doña Francisca's death by car, the 4th accident in front of the Sherwood Village senior living facility, brought clarity to members of Aging Latinos in Action. Without a stop sign, seniors were left vulnerable to rushing and inattentive drivers. ALA reached out to COPA for training, then conducted their own research actions and meetings with sitting Council members to secure a crosswalk in front of their living facility. In photo, ALA leaders process down their newly installed crosswalk.

Said leader Fermin Gonzalez, "We're not part of history...we're making history!"

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Building on a public conversation about juvenile criminal justice, initiated last year by AMOS, almost 800 people gathered at Iowa Events Center to hear the latest findings on the developing brains of children and youth.

Dr. Dipesh Navsaria explained that when young children are routinely stressed, such as in cases of abuse, "their systems bombard them with 'flight or flight' hormones", the overproduction of which can stunt their ability to control their emotions or even learn.

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About 350 Sydney Alliance leaders packed an assembly hall in Sutherland-St George to challenge NSW Minister of Transport Gladys Berejiklian, local MPs and candidates for state office. Affordable housing, homelessness and cheaper fares to the airport were key issues at the inaugural "Leading From the South," assembly.

The Minister of Transport was asked to respond to challenges that emerged from conversations with local residents including a timeline for the delivery of train station accessibility upgrades and a reduction of train fares for workers commuting in the airport precinct. Ideas to address the affordability crisis were also presented, including a shared equity housing scheme.

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340 PCIC leaders packed the hall of Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Tucson for an "Education Accountability" session with 30 member institutions in attendance. Candidates for State Representative, Pima Community College Board, and Arizona Attorney General publicly responded to PCIC concerns around DACA, foreclosures, JobPath workforce development, and overall funding for public education.

Tucson Weekly reports on Fr. Tom Tureman's "barn burner" speech denouncing the educational system failure in Arizona: "Teachers are our first responders, but instead of supporting them, we revile them...." 'elect people who ignore education and spend their energy shouting about immigration and taxes.' More below.

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The morning after an assembly in which hundreds of San Fernando Valley leaders of One LA leveraged commitments from District 3 candidates to ensure sufficient funding for the 'My Health LA' program, the LA County Board of Supervisors voted to invest $6 Million in additional dollars for the program.

One LA estimates that the added funding will expand coverage by 35 to 40 thousand individuals. This victory comes months after the organization identified millions of County dollars that could be used to cover more uninsured people, including undocumented County residents.

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This summer, Working Together Jackson drew 432 leaders into 36 house meetings about the state of (under)employment in Mississippi and the need for a Workforce Development Institute to prepare workers for a changing economy -- and specifically to pair ambitious individuals (who undergo training) with employers seeking better employees. Jackson businessman Charles Hooker noted that Mississippi "often promotes itself as offering 'good, affordable labor.' Sometimes 'affordable' is a euphemism for cheap. Cheap labor not only provides harsh, undignified, not-so-enjoyable lifestyle to those who can do better, it also limits the prosperity of the greater community."

In a related initiative around school funding, Working Together Jackson leaders signed up almost 7,000 (18% of Hinds County) for the 'Better Schools, Better Jobs' initiative, a petition to place on the ballot a proposed amendment to the state constitution to require full funding for Mississippi schools.

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Hundreds of One LA-IAF leaders convened at Mary Immaculate Catholic Church in Pacoima with candidates for Los �ngeles County Supervisor District 3, Sheila Kuehl and Bobby Shriver. Leaders leveraged commitments from both to:

• Increase funding for My Health LA if the current funding stream falls short of covering all those eligible;

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