In house meetings and in their parishes, leaders with Silicon Valley Allied for the Common Good (SVACG) heard from immigrant families living in isolation - afraid to leave their homes or send their children to school - and unsure what to do if ICE comes knocking on their door. 

In response, SVACG united over 140 leaders for a Rapid Response Training with the Santa Clara Rapid Response Network to prepare residents to safely support immigrant neighbors targeted by ICE. Leaders also launched a research action campaign to identify additional ways to stand with families and strengthen long-term support in the community.

The Rev. Aaron Klinefelter, rector of St. Jude’s Episcopal Church, and Sharon Rowser, of Foothill Community Presbyterian church, served as co-chairs for the founding convention of Silicon Valley Allied for the Common Good.

[Excerpt]

On the eve of a pivotal national election, nearly 600 leaders and community members from 17 founding organizations–including St. Jude’s Episcopal Church and Santa Maria Urban Ministry, both of the Diocese of El Camino Real–gathered to launch Silicon Valley Allied for the Common Good (SVACG), the first broad-based community organization in the region affiliated with the Industrial Areas Foundation. The event marked a new era of collective commitment to building power and fighting for concrete change in one of America’s most influential—and most unequal—regions.

The convention centered on a shared vision of “common good” in a region known for extreme wealth disparities... 

[Photo Credit: Episcopal News Service]

Silicon Valley Allied for the Common Good Launches, Pledging Community Solidarity Beyond Election Outcomes, Episcopal News Service [pdf]