Students Show Faith in a Better Tomorrow

On June 30th, 2009 at the State Capitol, under a clouded sky, students of the Coalition joined hundreds of people dressed in black in an inspirational event, "Called to be Faithful Minnesota: A Witness of Lament." The event sponsored by the Minnesota Council of Churches and Saint Paul Area Council of Churches was held in response to Governor Pawlenty's announcement that as of July 1st, he would use his "unallotment" authority to drastically cut health and human services, which provide education and care for the poor.

However despite such solemn news, spirits were high, as congregations of various faiths gathered together in a ceremony full of powerful expression and a reverence for justice.

Individuals holding signs adorned with spiritual quotes from the Bible, the Torah, and Buddha, listened as the rabbi cried "Enough!", and the Hindu leader gave a moving chant based on Sanskrit texts.

The ceremony included numerous speakers who challenged the divides prevalent in today's society. With extreme conviction they emphasized that regardless of our faith, our race, or our economic status, we are all members of humanity, and it is this humanity that calls on us to help those in need. As Amy Eilberg from the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith learning commented, "We were reminded yet again that all of our traditions teach devoted care for the disadvantaged of society. All of our religions teach that we are connected to one another, and that our commitment to justice demands attentiveness to the needs of the poor."

The students of the Coalition were privileged enough to be able to attend such an event, and to interact and communicate with members of different faiths, all fighting justice through compassion and determination.

A call to action from Michael Dahl

This post is a transplant from the facebook page. Here’s what Michael Dahl said:

Campus Activists … check out my post on the “Interested in Policy Ideas?” Discussion Board. If you want more details for any or all of the suggestions, I’ll get them to you. Just as important, the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless would love to strategize with you and other college students on how to build community support / political pressure so that policy-makers commit to ending homelessness.

We live in troubled times. Our economy is in its worst shape since the Great Depression. People are losing their homes. Homelessness is on the rise. Jobs, credit, healthcare, and affordable housing are scarce.

Big problems require bold solutions. It is time to take action on all we can accomplish together.

Please contact the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless if you want to take action on the following policy proposals:

1) Create affordable housing options for all households. Our common goals to educate children and youth, maintain a strong workforce, keep ourselves in good health, and end poverty will only succeed when everyone in our community has the stability a home provides.

We must build, rehab, buy, and help extremely low-income people rent, affordable housing. The unhealthy housing economy contributed greatly to our current economic situation. A healthy housing economy must be part of the solution.

2) Help households in crisis before they become homeless. No community is made stronger or safer by allowing vulnerable people to fall through the cracks. Allowing homelessness to become the natural outcome of poverty, violence, or illness only allows those problems to become worse and more costly to individuals and society.

We must support and strengthen successful homeless prevention efforts.

3) Provide immediate help to people who become homeless. Homelessness hurts. The health of children and their ability to learn are decreased when they are homeless. Vulnerable people fall victim to violence and exploitation when they do not have the safety of a home. Workers find it difficult to maintain their jobs when their night’s shelter is in question.

We must provide resources to outreach programs, emergency shelters, and transitional and permanent supportive housing programs to achieve effective results.
4) Quickly connect people experiencing homelessness to community resources and appropriate services. Homeless services increase people’s income, housing stability, and self-reliance over time and assist them in appropriately transitioning into conventional housing and, if needed, services.

We must ensure that we do not have one system for people who are housed and another for people who are experiencing homelessness. Our healthcare system, our education system, public safety, and all our community resources must be accessible to all Minnesotans regardless of housing status.

We must invest in people.

Now is the time to strengthen our communities. Now is the time to invest in our families and our future. Now is the time to make sure nobody is forgotten. Now is the time to make sure nobody is left behind.

Now is the time.