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West/Southwest IAF
· January 07, 2014 3:19 PM

Koreena Malone, an accounting graduate of Capital IDEA, was confronted with the threat of losing her home when a developer's plans involved razing her apartment and replacing it with a higher cost unit. In collaboration with
Austin Interfaith she formed a tenant's association and negotiated a new deal on the redevelopment with Travis Heights Elementary School, the neighborhood association, her tenants' association, and the developer.
"'I strongly believe that the redevelopment of Oak Creek Village won't just lead us to a better community but a model for the city of Austin,' Malone said.
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West/Southwest IAF
· October 22, 2013 5:41 PM

When
Albuquerque Interfaith leaders learned that a lottery-funded scholarship program was in danger of going broke, they rallied to save the fund -- reaching out to parents, concerned congregation members and State Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino. Parent leaders testified about the importance of the scholarship for students in state colleges; state legislators noted that the late notification prevented them from voting to channel money away from tax cuts for businesses and into long-term investments like college.
Parents Rally Around Lottery Scholarship, Albuquerque Journal
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West/Southwest IAF
· October 19, 2013 10:40 AM

After a year of observing juvenile judicial hearings at the Polk County Courthouse, and identifying a 767% increase in misdemeanor holds for African American youth, AMOS leaders identified several ways to better protect youthful offenders. 200 leaders strategized about desired reforms at their 'Restorative Justice' conference, and voted to support a Polk Courthouse renovation plan, which includes several of AMOS' ideas , and which would require passage of a bond proposal in early November. The proposed plans include space for pretrial conferences and mediation; a system to keep youthful offenders away from adult offenders; discreet spaces that keep youth out of the public eye when brought into the courtroom; and a setup allowing for juveniles to sit eye-to-eye with judges in the courtroom.
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West/Southwest IAF
· October 07, 2013 10:23 AM

In an unprecedented collaboration between leaders from two Chambers of Commerce and judicatories from Muslim, Jewish and Christian faith traditions, 200 Austin-area stakeholders gathered for an afternoon of learning about economic, business and legal perspectives on immigration reform. This was the second event in a campaign organized by clergy leadership to support compassionate immigration reform, with the number of attendees doubling since the first event.
Austin Interfaith Hosts Immigration Reform Event, Austin American Statesman
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West/Southwest IAF
· October 02, 2013 4:53 PM

At least 70 leaders from
Communities Organized for Relational Power (COPA) organized a meeting with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff to address immigrants' fears about reporting crime and the preponderance of racial profiling.
Participants included people like Johnny Delmar, a UCSC student who shared his story about being profiled recently by rifle-armed police looking for robbery suspects.
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West/Southwest IAF
· October 02, 2013 10:41 AM
Posted
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West/Southwest IAF
· September 27, 2013 5:50 PM

At a meeting sponsored by
NAIC, Northern Arizona Interfaith Council teachers, administrators and parents assembled with Secretary of State Ken Bennett, Representative Karen Fann and the Chairman of the local commercial development group to develop a funding plan for Prescott Valley public schools. Leaders from three distinct school districts serving 13,000 children will mobilize to pass approximately $43 Million in bonds and override propositions to raise money.
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West/Southwest IAF
· September 14, 2013 10:43 AM

"
Austin Interfaith worked from the ground up to get its priorities included in the budget....It represents the interests of low-income families and has become a familiar presence at City Hall in recent years. Austin Interfaith leaders mobilized members to show up en masse to city budget hearings to plug these programs, meet with council members and bombard council offices with calls and emails in the days leading up to the final budget vote. The nonprofit was elated that council members agreed to spend money on all of Austin Interfaith's priorities, totaling $2.4 million."
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West/Southwest IAF
· September 11, 2013 10:01 AM
Omaha Together One Community (OTOC) leaders applauded the decision of the Mayor and City Council to finalize $957,000 for demolition of condemned houses and $25,000 to support job training in the 2014 Budget.
OTOC advocated for increased demolition funding in the 2013 budget and as a result, approximately 93 structures will be demolished this year, nearly triple the number from 2012. OTOC expects that the $957,000 in demolition funding in the adopted budget will allow the city to demolish over one hundred dangerous, condemned buildings in 2014. "These demolitions will heighten the quality of life for neighborhoods, businesses, and nearby institutions like churches and schools like the one where I work " said OTOC leader Karen McElroy.
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West/Southwest IAF
· September 06, 2013 4:46 PM
"Project Quest, a local jobs training program established in 1992, has partnered with San Antonio-based Rackspace to recruit individuals interested in enrolling in Rackspace's Open Cloud Academy. There have already been 17 Project Quest students enrolled in the Cloud Academy, and Quest is seeking city funding to expand participation by its clients....The additional funding would allow another 200 Project Quest clients to participate in the Cloud Academy...."
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