EPISO, With El Paso Elected Officials, Challenges Governor
Elected officials and members of Border Interfaith and the El Paso Interreligious Sponsoring Organization joined the CEOs of University Medical Center and Del Sol Medical Center to push for expanded Medicaid coverage to insure 1.5 million uninsured Texans, including about 135,000 El Pasoans....
Lucy Nashed, a deputy press secretary for the governor, in an email said Perry is against a Medicaid expansion under Obamacare, but is interested in flexibility from the federal government "to address the challenges in the current broken Medicaid system."
Read moreBorder Interfaith Brings Clean Water to Hundreds of Families
Leaders "celebrated the completion of the new water distribution system by El Paso Water Utilities. The celebration took place at San Patricio Catholic Church in Canutillo. More than 240 homes in the Mayfair and NuWay communities are now connected to the water system, and 60 more residences in the Schuman Estates will have running water in the next few days.
The community fought for years to get reliable water service, said the Rev. Pablo Mata, a member of the community group Border Interfaith....'At the end, the people got it done,' Mata said."
Read moreEPISO Leverages Commitments for Equity in School Funding
More than 200 leaders of El Paso Interreligious Sponsoring Organization assembled to challenge Clint Independent School District board candidates to "eliminate all disparities in per student funding throughout the district if elected....Challengers Claudia GarcÃa, Sonia Herrera, Susana Santillan, Dino Coronado and incumbent Patricia Randleel participated at the nonpartisan accountability session at the Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Horizon City."
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Border Interfaith Leverages Commitments to Reduce Negative Impact of Tests
"Candidates for the U.S. Congressional 16th District of Texas, the Senate District 29 of Texas, Texas House of Representatives District 78 and for District 1 of the State Board of Education participated in Sunday's candidate accountability session...organized by Border Interfaith at the San Judas Tadeo Catholic Church in the Upper Valley."
Local Group Hosts Debate with 8 Candidates Running for Election, El Paso Times
EPISO Leaders Bring President of TX Gas Company to Colonias
When neighborhood parishioners of San Juan Diego Catholic Church in the Montana Vista colonias grew frustrated at the lack of gas service in their unincorporated district, they organized a petition drive, signing up 300 families to demand that the Texas Gas Service install gas lines. When the petition did not bring about the desired response, these parishioners approached their priest for help. He challenged them to join the social justice ministry of the church and to work with the El Paso Interreligious Sponsoring Organization (EPISO). These leaders responded, joining the ministry, organizing house meetings with other neighbors and, with EPISO, targeting the TX Gas Service President, Kari French, with an invitation to tour their neighborhood, to see for herself the state of infrastructure in the colonias.
The President accepted the invitation, toured the area, and committed to meeting with the department head to see what can be done. She reflected, "my people can tell me what is going on in the colonias," but it is different to see it for oneself.
Read moreLeaders Challenge County Commissioner Candidates in El Paso
300 leaders of EPISO organized a runoff accountability session at San Juan Diego Catholic Church late July. Reports the El Paso Times, "Vince Perez, a former communications director for U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, and state Rep. Inocente "Chente" Quintanilla took questions from about 300 residents of the unincorporated community in East El Paso County during a two-hour event Sunday.
Read moreEPISO Challenges School Representation & Spending Disparities
"Before the board meeting on Wednesday, the El Paso Interreligious Sponsoring Organization, or EPISO, and the Paso del Norte Civil Rights Project argued that the district's at-large elected board does not ensure equal representation throughout the communities it serves, particularly the Horizon City and Montana Vista areas....Six of the seven school board members live in Clint, and one trustee, Patricia Randleel, lives in Horizon City, said district spokeswoman Laura Cade.
Read moreEl Paso Organizations Get $210 Million for Infrastructure
When El Paso officials first envisioned a "quality of life" bond they slated $600 Million for stadiums, a zoo and high-art venues. EPISO and Border Interfaith leaders responded with a house meeting campaign in their institutions centered on the question: what would improve the quality of life for El Paso families and individuals? Upon hearing stories about crumbling roads, decaying parks, darkened neighborhoods and unpaved walkways, leaders returned to council members with reports on what would improve the quality of life for residents. Councilmembers resisted incorporating these day-to-day fixes until leaders organized a second round of house meetings that unearthed renewed energy to fight for these improvements. Leaders partnered with the City Manager to add $210M in certificates of obligation to pay for roads, streetlights, sidewalks and parks, and then leveraged a 6:1 council vote in support.
EPISO, Border Interfaith Gather Input on Quality-of-Life Bond, El Paso Times (04/29)
EPISO Leverages Commitments from Candidates on Education, Immigration and Workforce Development
"About 450 people gathered Sunday at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church to listen to candidates vying to represent Precincts 1 and 3 on County Commissioners Court, Districts 75 and 77 in the Texas House of Representatives, and the 16th and 23rd Congressional Districts in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The event was organized by El Paso Interreligious Sponsoring Organization, a non-partisan group..."
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