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 more

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."

Controversy Surrounds New Jobs Coming to Austin, KVUE-ABC

"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 more

"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 more

"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 more

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 more

New Computers, New Mindset, San Angelo Standard Times

"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

Read more

A gathering of more than 300 people - from many faiths - marked the Sept. 11 anniversary with memories, discussion and a commitment to build better community. Says Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker of Congregation Beth Israel, "People came up to me to share how...they had never met anybody 'like that' before and yet they found that sense of commonality...of decency...of support."

Read more

"The local arm of West Texas Organizing Strategy, an interdenominational coalition of churches, has been the single biggest community organizing force behind the revitalization efforts."

Read more