"Linda Clark, a VOICE leader who attends St. Charles Borromeo, said the issues VOICE will bring to the forefront are those that the poor, immigrants and other marginalized community members have identified as important to them.

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"Existing programs that save Tucson Electric Power customers money on their energy bills will be cut significantly. That's the bottom line reached at the end of the March 16 Arizona Corporation Commission public hearing....

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"A wheelchair-using retired U.S. Air Force captain who travels to the hospital by bus three times a week.

A New York transplant who hoped to get to her job without having to purchase a vehicle.

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"Omaha Together One Community (OTOC) joins the Nebraska Catholic Conference, United Methodist Church leadership, Interchurch Ministries of Nebraska and many other medical, religious and social institutions in support of Legislative Bill 599.

This common-sense legislation would restore prenatal care for all low-income women without regard to their immigration status — an investment in families that Nebraska has been making for more than 20 years..."

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Dallas Area Interfaith, a "grassroots advocacy group, which pushed Dallas City Hall to hire more police and Collin County to fund more indigent health care, exhorted the board to fix widespread failures that have threatened safety and brought Parkland to the brink of closure."

Dallas Area Interfaith Calls on Parkland's Board, UTSW to Fix the Site, Dallas Morning News

"Four years ago, a group of concerned citizens began the Oklahoma Sponsoring Committee (now called Voices Organized in Civic Engagement, or VOICE) to advocate for the residents of Oklahoma City. They held dozens of small meetings in churches and public places to understand the concerns of the local people—the struggling local schools, an inadequate public transportation system, the lack of dignity afforded to undocumented immigrants and the lack of opportunities for people after getting out of prison."

On February 12th, almost 1,200 leaders from 23 institutions and 8 denominations gathered to launch VOICE: Voices Organized in Civic Engagement. Dr. George Young, pastor of Holy Temple Baptist Church asked, "Who will speak for me? ...Do you hear the rumbling?...Do you hear the roar?...I add my voice to the roar: VOICE!"

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After helping fend off Gov. Martinez's efforts to rescind drivers' licenses for undocumented immigrants last fall, Albuquerque Interfaith leaders are gearing up to fight it for the third time. To this end, they organized two actions with over 350 leaders, including a day long legislative training session. Sixteen institutions committed to meet consistently with legislators during the 20 day session. Leaders will also ask legislators to invest part of New Mexico's $12B Permanent Land Grant Fund into schools and early childhood education.

"About 60 clergy leaders from the Catholic, Methodist, Episcopal, Lutheran and Methodist churches took part in Valley Interfaith's second annual conference to promote immigration reform and educate religious leaders about its issues. The convocation follows Valley Interfaith's October 2010 event where church leaders unveiled what they believed should be principles of immigration reform, such as upholding family unity, providing legal avenues for migrant workers and creating a path toward citizenship.

But Thursday's convocation was highlighted by the personal stories of immigrants cornered by the nation's laws..."

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Last summer, Pima County Interfaith Council (PCIC) leaders learned that local residents would be required to use an out-of-state bank for loans under Tucson Electric Power's 2011 Energy Efficiency Proposal. Knowing this would create a stumbling block for individuals, and knowing Tucson's local economy would benefit from local financing, PCIC requested that the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) require a local bank. ACC staff agreed to make this recommendation—IF—PCIC could find a local lender. PCIC leaders met with many bank and credit union officers.

Result: an innovative agreement between Tucson Electric Power and Vantage West Credit Union for loans to local ratepayers.

"Church leaders are banding together to fight a proposed Austin Energy rate increase that they say will hurt their ability to help the poor in the community.

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