TMO Combats ‘Fortress Mentality’ in Houston Neighborhoods
‘No Arguing the Fact That Project Quest Works’
San Antonio's Workforce Development Task Force, composed of a diverse collection of city and county representatives, leaders in the business and health community, and executives from two universities and a community college, reported their findings and unanimous recommendation to City Council: "Expand funding for long term training program Project Quest."
Read moreThe Border Organization Expands Into Elementary Schools
Along the Southern border of Texas, one leader's confrontation helped triple The Border Organization's reach into local elementary schools. When a principal failed to split up a kindergarten class that had 32 children, against district policy, her inaction was challenged by a mother after school.
Read moreAustin Interfaith Fights for Higher Wages in City Subsidy Deal
Leaders piled into City Hall to ask City council members to raise the minimum workers would be paid. Says Garcia,"When we're using public funds we've got to bring in jobs where families can at least afford to eat."
Veteran Columnist Says: Don’t Let Politics Diminish Capital IDEA
"When University of Texas researchers studied the long-term benefits of an intensive Austin job training program called Capital IDEA, they found that graduates enjoyed a steady trajectory in earnings and within six years earned salaries that were $12,000 a year higher than participants in ordinary job-placement programs.
Read moreCapital IDEA Boosts Outcomes for Graduates AND Their Children
"Eloina Serna wasn't the only one in her family who benefited when she signed up with Capital IDEA.... 90 percent of children who are now 18 or older earned a high school diploma and 64 percent of those children earned a college degree or are currently enrolled...."
Capital IDEA was founded in 1998 by Austin Interfaith, in partnership with Central Texas business leaders, to lift "families out of poverty through workforce training, especially in high-demand occupations such as health care, information technology, utilities and skilled trades." Capital IDEA graduate Eloina Serna poses with son in photo above.
Read moreWTOS Leaders Celebrate Power Behind Victories
"Sometimes the 'least expected' grandmother-type stands face to face with an elected official, not only getting that official's attention, a hearing, but also getting a mayor's personal cellphone number and an important friendship....It is in the power of churches from all areas of the city coming together to speak up, to fight for justice that WTOS obtains credibility among local city, county and state officials in their efforts to speak together..."
Glenda Harbert: Coalition Makes All Our Lives Better, San Angelo Standard Times
Read moreBuilding on Win, TMO Fights Wage Theft as Immigration Strategy
Building on an Austin victory criminalizing wage theft statewide, TMO institutions take the fight against wage theft to the pews.
"For The Metropolitan Organization, the wage theft law is not just about employees' rights; it is a way to carry out immigration reform in the current political climate. The Rev. Kevin Collins (photo right), the organization's co-chairman, says that... they will still benefit from the reform.
[Photo Credit: Wenjing Zhang, New York Times]
Read moreWTOS Helps Launch Innovative Software Training Project for Low-Income Youth
TMO & Bishops Advance Immigration Efforts
"The prayer service, sponsored by The Metropolitan Organization ...is part of the Houston Area Interfaith Campaign for Humane Immigration Reform, which has reach thousands of Houstonians with its trainings in over the past two years....The service was followed by a series of workshops on human trafficking, work and wages, and pending federal legislation and policy."
[Photo Credit: Johnny Hanson/ Houston Chronicle]
Houston Clergy, Politicians Gather for Immigration Prayer Service, Houston Chronicle
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