Building on a program they created 7 years ago to provide emergency shelter for Marin residents during winter months, 250 MOC leaders succeeded in persuading both leading candidates for Marin County District 1 Supervisor to commit to finding money to expand the program to year round. Candidates Susan Adams and Damon Connolly both said yes to the crowd gathered at Congregation Rodef Sholom.

The Rotating Emergency Shelter Team (REST) program operates during five winter months each year, housing and feeding 40 men at rotating congregations -- as well as 20 women housed at the County Wellness Center and served by congregations.

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Gathering at the Pharr Events Center in the Rio Grande Valley, Valley Interfaith leaders celebrated their 30th anniversary with stories of historic achievements, blessings for recent VIDA graduates, and presentations of strategies for healthcare enrollment, education and comprehensive immigration reform. Veteran leaders like Fr. Alfonso Guevara lauded Valley Interfaith as a 'university of public life' that helps people do 'what politicians can no longer do' -- tapping into local relationships, learning what matters to people and developing people's capacity to achieve extraordinary things through collaboration with others. In photo, leaders bow head in prayer at start of celebration.

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Valley Interfaith's healthcare summit in Edinburgh drew 220 leaders from member congregations and schools. The meeting was held in collaboration with three Hidalgo County commissioners and State Representative Sergio Munoz. Hidalgo County Judge Ramon Garcia declared, "I stand with Valley Interfaith in calling for a coordination meeting...to discuss tangible strategies for educating our uninsured population about how they can access the federal marketplace." Leaders are planning a November "'check up' on the new marketplace in the Rio Grande Valley,' Valley Interfaith leader Eddie Anaya told the Guardian.

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