White House.gov Blog Feed: The Partnerships Blog

Receiving Advisory Council Recommendations to End Human Trafficking

Melissa Rogers — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Today we gladly and gratefully received a report from the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships with its recommendations for strengthening partnerships to combat human trafficking. The report is the product of months of work by a diverse and dedicated group of advisers on an issue President Obama has identified as “one of the great human rights causes of our time.”

The Advisory Council’s report will help support a larger campaign that is being waged by the Administration against human trafficking. Just yesterday, for example, the White House held a forum to highlight the significant progress it has made on these issues since President Obama’s speech at the Clinton Global Initiative in September 2012. The four elements of the Administration’s strategy include:

1) Preventing trafficking by raising awareness among vulnerable populations, leading by example, and educating the public and first responders;

2) Prosecuting traffickers through strengthened investigations and enforcement tools;

3) Protecting survivors through comprehensive social services, family reintegration, and immigration services; and

4) Partnering with civil society, state and local government, the private sector, and faith-based organizations to maximize resources and outcomes.

The work of the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships is a crucial part of our efforts to advance this fourth objective. The Council’s recommendations demonstrate the commitment of a distinguished set of civic leaders to strengthen and expand partnerships with government to end the scourge of modern-day slavery. Their thoughtful recommendations deserve our close attention.

When President Obama took office, he created the Advisory Council as one way of continuing his conversation with religious and other community leaders about the common good. The President met with Advisory Council members to thank them for their work. Like the inaugural Advisory Council, this Council has proven to be an excellent way of making sure that the good ideas of faith and other neighborhood leaders are heard by the President himself as well as by officials and employees across the federal government.

I would like to thank the members of this Council for their service over the past several months. They have worked collaboratively and thoughtfully to arrive at consensus and have offered us some key recommendations on this important issue. We are fortunate indeed to be able to draw on their insights and benefit from their good counsel. In particular, I would like to thank Council Chair Susie Stern for her leadership of this group.

Now that the Administration has received the Advisory Council’s report, its job is to review these recommendations carefully and to respond. We look forward to doing so in the days ahead.

Many who now live in the shadows are counting on us to see them and to make changes that will help them to reclaim and restore their lives. This report will be an invaluable resource for us as we continue to work to achieve those aims.

Melissa Rogers is the Director of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Download the report of reccomendations to the President here

Building Partnerships to Eradicate Modern-day Slavery

Susie Stern — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:55:26 +0000

Modern-day slavery is one of the greatest human rights atrocities of our time. The scale and cruelty of this crime is truly unimaginable with an estimated 21 million people held in bondage through human trafficking every year. Every 30 seconds another person becomes a victim of human trafficking.

Members of President Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships presented him with our report of recommendations on how together we can scale our partnerships to counter modern-day slavery.

This Council gathered in July 2012, as leaders from diverse religious and non-profit backgrounds, to examine how we could collectively address the issue of human trafficking. We began this work then as strangers with little knowledge or in-depth understanding of the nature of human trafficking. We had little idea of how it was touching our own congregants and our own communities.

Through our study and research on this issue, we quickly became impassioned by the scope and scale of human trafficking around the world, particularly right here in the United States. We had the opportunity to meet with and learn from amazing modern-day abolitionists, and survivors of trafficking, working to combat human trafficking both within and outside of government.

Our recommendations focus on key areas in how we believe the Obama Administration can work with the religious and non-profit organizations we represent to counter the scourge of modern-day slavery:

First, we recommend that the White House and President Obama lead the effort to elevate and bring to scale the fight against modern-day slavery at home and abroad. We encourage the Administration to commission a comprehensive study to better understand exactly what resources, services and programs are required to scale this work to meet the need. Along the same lines, we also propose that the Administration convene private philanthropy, business, other governments and global civil society to discuss ways to dramatically increase the resources committed to fight against modern-day slavery.
Our second key recommendation is that the White House and U.S. Government lead the effort to eliminate slave labor in the purchase and consumption of goods and services. Building on the President’s Executive Order to eliminate human trafficking in federal contracting, we believe the federal government can lay out clear and fair guidelines for companies to monitor for and eliminate slavery in their supply chains and labor recruitment.
We make recommendations on how the Administration can elevate and consolidate its internal efforts to counter trafficking in persons, from elevating the State Department Office to Monitor and Combat Human Trafficking to a full Bureau, to encouraging the Administration to consolidate its support behind one single national trafficking hotline to mobilizing the power of national service through the Corporation for National and Community Service to empower local efforts to map and coordinate local responses to human trafficking.
Finally, we make recommendations on how the Administration can engage Americans of all backgrounds to join the movement to eradicate modern-day slavery through the creation of a White House Call to Action and the production of a toolkit for faith and community groups to learn more and get involved.

In offering this report, we know that the possibility of this moment may only realize its full potential if our actions speak louder than our words; if we share more than mere spoken commitment, but also move to collaborate in earnest to ensure that every person enjoys full protection and accountability under the law, every product is responsibly sourced, and every survivor is provided with what they need to bring them to recovery.

It is in this spirit that our Council presents these recommendations to President Obama and his Administration. We believe these recommendations, while just a beginning, will contribute to a growing movement of conscience that will break forth into the collective will and action of Americans of every background.

Today, we stand together changed by a shared journey of learning and partnership, eager to do everything in our power to eradicate modern-day slavery and bring justice and dignity for all touched by the evil that is human trafficking.

We are proud to stand with the President Obama and his Administration on this vital moral issue. We commit ourselves to working with our government, our houses of worship and community-based organizations, and our fellow Americans, to end slavery in our time.

Susan K. Stern is the Chair of the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

Download the report of reccomendations to the President here

Working Together for the Common Good

Melissa Rogers — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:27:46 +0000

I’m honored to be appointed as the director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. As many of you know, the mission of the Office is to form partnerships between the federal government and non-profit organizations, both secular and faith-based, to more effectively serve Americans in need.

I look forward to continuing the office’s work with our faith-based and secular partners to help expand the middle-class and build our economy through improved access to education, health care, and skills development. Another important task will be the continued implementation of the President Obama’s Executive Order that embodies common-ground reforms to strengthen these partnerships. This is a crucial step in ensuring that our partnerships are consistent with our Constitution and values.

I also look forward to continuing the office’s work with the Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships as it finalizes its recommendations regarding ways to end human trafficking.

And working together, our office will push forward with important initiatives like President Obama’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge.

It is a privilege to serve President Obama and my fellow Americans by forging and promoting a wide range of effective partnerships to help people in need. I look forward to building on the work of those who came before me.

Melissa Rogers is a Special Assistant to President and Director of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

DOJ Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Contributes to DC Public Safety Television Segment on Reentry

Eugene Schneeberg — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 16:20:21 +0000

I recently had the opportunity to contribute to a segment with Christine Keels, Supervisory Program Analyst and the Faith-Based Initiative Team Leader of Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA). The segment, named “Faith-Based Initiatives for Offender Reentry”, appeared on DC Public Safety Television and was a combined effort of my office and CSOSA.

As the video explains, “the faith community has long been an important force in improving public safety, offender reentry, and victim services. Many faith-based organizations are uniquely suited to bringing together residents and local leaders to address challenges.” Among these efforts, CSOSA has joined 100 faith institutions in a mentoring program for formerly incarcerated individuals—resulting in 200 mentors being matched with 300 mentees—and approximately 500 formerly incarcerated individuals have successfully completed the program since August 2007.

The DOJ Center for Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships recently held two successful webinars on Faith and Community Based approaches to Reentry and Responsible Fatherhood Initiatives. Click the links below to watch/listen to these informative webinars:

The supportive role of community partnership and congregations across the country cannot be underscored enough: “[t]here are more than 350,000 religious congregations in the United States. Faith-based institutions engage 45 million volunteers, nearly half of the total number of American volunteers.”

Click here to watch the video.

Eugene Schneeberg is the Director of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Justice.

HUD Focuses on the Food Desert Problem in D.C.

Gayela Bynum — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 16:30:54 +0000

On August 25^th, 2012, the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD CFBNP) participated in a “Farmers Market: Food Desert” community outreach event to raise the awareness and importance of eating healthy and nutritious food.

The event, held at St. Elizabeths East Campus in the District of Columbia, focused on bringing up and educating a healthier generation of kids in America focusing on the benefits of eating nutritious food. HUD CFBNP was happy to partner with the District of Columbia (D.C.) Ward 8 Farmer’s Market, the D.C. Office of Deputy Mayor Victor L. Hoskins, the HUD D.C. Field Office, America’s Miss D.C. Sarah Elizabeth Hillware, and executive chef, Dwayne Hickman of the Reef restaurant in Dupont Circle. Celebrated artist and founder of Sage of Anacostia, Melani Douglass also presented and spoke about the importance of cleaning food prior to eating or cooking it and how it relates to good health and well-being.

“Farmers Market: Food Desert” participants help raise the awareness and importance of eating healthy and nutritious food at a D.C. farmers market. (Photo by Michael Megginson)

The program’s emphasis focused on the theme that parents and caregivers play a key role in promoting and teaching children the importance of making healthy choices in nutritious food. Attendees received information about planning balanced meals using the USDA’s new healthy “My Plate” food portion initiative and resources on local health and wellness available in the District. Event participants also enjoyed the opportunity to shop for local produce and foods from regional farmers.

For more information or questions, contact HUD CFBNP Program Manager Gayela Bynum at Gayela.A.Bynum@hud.gov.

Gayela Bynum is Program Manager of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Fathers and Families Moving Forward in the Land of Enchantment

Max Finberg — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 20:59:52 +0000

The efforts to help dads be better dads got a big boost on August 10 at the second New Mexico Fatherhood Forum. Hosted by the New Mexico Alliance for Fathers and Families at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, this gathering highlighted the efforts of President Obama’s responsible fatherhood initiative and many others.

The New Mexico Alliance brings together almost 20 organizations and agencies from around the state, in coordination with the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and the US Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services. Led by Allan Shedlin, Crispin Clarke, Erwin Rivera, Esther Devall and others, the New Mexico Alliance continues to shine the spotlight on how government policies, community efforts and culture can all contribute to strengthening families through helping fathers.

This is the second time interested parties from federal, state and local governments, civil society and others have gathered to highlight initiatives to help fathers. Two years ago, we gathered in rural Valencia for the inaugural meeting. Since then, the Alliance issued a comprehensive report of their recommendations and the New Mexico State Legislature passed a memorial designating August 10, 2012 as “New Mexico Fathers and Families Day.” The theme continued to highlight the cultural traditions of Rural America, Hispanic and Native Americans.

Participants heard from President Obama on his belief in the importance of fathers via video, greetings from U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall, a personal perspective on his own dad from Las Cruces native and Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Ed Avalos, Al Pooley of Native American Fathers and Families, and a White House Father’s Day honoree, Jerry Tello of National Latino Fatherhood and Families Institute.

One of the highlights was learning of the “Strengthening Families” program through our host, New Mexico State University. Their Extension Service is working with community partners, including Sierra Vista Community Church, to offer seminars to fathers and families in an effort to address many of the issues worsened by the absence of dads in their kids’ lives. I was enchanted and encouraged by all of the committed efforts happening in New Mexico to promote dads, fathers and families.

Max Finberg is a Senior Policy Advisor in the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

Students in Camden Inspire Their Community and Share Lessons with HHS Staff

Alexia Kelley — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 20:30:42 +0000

In July, the HHS Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships had the privilege of meeting with a group of young people who have done more for their community in five months than others might do in a lifetime. The Student Leaders' Von Nieda Park Task Force of St. Anthony of Padua Church and School in Camden, New Jersey is a group of highly motivated, energized middle school students who were unhappy about what they saw in their community and decided to take action.

The students shared their passion for making change in their community with staff from the HHS Partnership Center and the Administration for Children and Families.

Genesis Santana tells a story about “Our Friend Ron,” a former janitor at St. Anthony of Padua Church and School. (by Heather Wilson/PICO National Network)

The students’ most recent project was the beautification of Von Nieda Park in Camden, which borders their school and had been given the nickname, "The Most Depressing Park in the Nation."

In only five months, the students removed graffiti, repaired and painted benches, removed illegally dumped trash and construction debris, installed new swings and basketball nets, constructed two community notice boards, and removed hazardous objects.

The students were assisted by Father Jud Weiksnar, a Franciscan priest and pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Church and School, which is a member of Camden Churches Organized for People. Father Jud has been a quiet yet steady force supporting the students as they assess community needs, address public officials, and organize volunteers.

In addition to describing their efforts and showing pictures of the refurbished park, the students also shared their motivations and philosophies surrounding their work. In particular, the students distinguished between community service and community organizing. They made the case for community organizing as a long-term investment in their community. The students were terrific speakers and presenters, and reminded their audience that people of any age can affect change in their community.

The Student Leaders' Von Nieda Park Task Force, chaperones, and friends from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (by Heather Wilson/PICO National Network)

The students have been recognized at the city, county and state levels, and were one of only 18 groups nationwide to receive a Youth Service Challenge award for the environment, part of the Jefferson Awards for Public Service. We are excited to see what good works come next for the youth of Camden!

Alexia Kelley is Director of the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

It Takes a County … to Help Feed Families!

Emilia Luna — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 19:31:49 +0000

In small rural communities like Cedar County, Iowa it takes many people wearing different hats to coordinate a successful food drive effort. This group gleaned for the Bread of Life Food Pantry to help support USDA’s Feds Feed Families campaign.

USDA employees at the Tipton Service Center in Iowa are making impressive contributions to this year’s Feds Feed Families campaign. USDA Rural Development employee Mike Boyle reported food donations exceeding 750 pounds for the month of June and 1,760 pounds in July – just a portion of what is expected to be distributed throughout Tipton and surrounding eastern Iowa communities as part of the food drive this summer.

“We’re off to a good start,” said Boyle. “Last season, we donated approximately five tons of food to local non-profits. Our goal now is to top that.”

What makes these efforts unique is that most of the food pledged comes from a local source, Tipton’s Hardacre Community Garden. Boyle and a small legion of volunteers donate their free time to grow fresh produce for neighbors in need. With hands in the dirt, these gardening enthusiasts cultivate a wide array of healthy fruits and vegetables. What’s grown is donated as part of the People’s Garden Initiative year-round ‘Share Your Harvest’ effort which directly supports the Feds Feed Families Food Drive.

The immediate recipients of the harvest are local individuals, churches, and nonprofit organizations such as the Cedar Manor nursing care center and the Bread of Life Food Pantry. These donations provide for those who may otherwise be unable to access fresh foods and help to build a healthy community food system.

The Tipton People’s Garden produces a bounty of potatoes, garlic, and corn to help feed those in need.

Established in 2009, Hardacre Community Garden has been recognized as an official USDA People’s Garden. This means that the garden adheres to three criteria —it’s a collaborative effort, benefits the community, and incorporates sustainable practices.

Hardacre Community Garden is trying to promote healthier lifestyles by incentivizing the consumption of locally grown and organic produce. The food donated by the garden can only be consumed or shared, but not sold. And the garden’s bounty leaves a light environmental footprint.

“Everything we do makes a difference,” said Mike Boyle with a smile.

People’s Gardens, such as Hardacre Community Garden in Tipton, Iowa allow beneficiaries to stretch their food budgets without compromising on nutrition or environment health. Thus, such projects reflect the fundamental spirit of the Feds Feed Families campaign, for what appears on the surface to be helping neighbors is ultimately helping us all.

Emilia Luna is a Project Assistant in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

Ed. note: This is cross-posted from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's blog.

Effective Strategies for Working with Fathers Returning from Prison

Eugene Schneeberg — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 19:17:42 +0000

I was pleased to represent the Department of Justice’s Center for Faith-based & Neighborhood Partnerships on a webinar hosted by the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse.

I believe strongly that having a responsible father engaged in the life of his children can play a key role in the preventing many serious social issues in our communities. Cities and towns throughout the country are becoming more familiar with the alarming statistics which indicate that father absence can lead to a wide variety of deficiencies in a child’s life. It does not always occur, however research has indicated that father absence can lead to poor academic performance, and in some instances lead to delinquent behaviors.

It was my distinct pleasure and honor to co-present on this important topic along with:

Tassalie McKay of RTI International of Durham, North Carolina
Pastor Marvin Charles of D.A.D.S Program of Seattle, Washington

Each of the presenters discussed the startling statistics around father absence, including the fact that roughly 24 million children live without their biological fathers in their lives (this is more than 1 in 3 children). One in twenty eight children in this nation is living in a circumstance where one of their parents are incarcerated. Tassalie discussed lessons learned from the National Evaluation of the Responsible Fatherhood, Marriage and Family Strengthening Grants for Incarcerated and Reentering Fathers and Their Partners (MFS-IP). Pastor Charles shared some very practical insights into what dads face when returning from prison and the supportive services that they provide at the D.A.D.S. program in Seattle.

Those of us working to improve this reality understand that there is a great need to develop serious and effective programs to ensure adequate services for these children, so that they do not follow in the path of an incarcerated parent. Additionally, it is clearly evident that there needs to be continued improvement in services delivered to returning parents to reduce recidivism rates in this segment of our population.

Click here to view/download the webinar slides: Effective Strategies for Working with Fathers Returning from Prison.

Eugene Schneeberg is the Director of the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the Department of Justice.

Ed. note: This is cross-posted from the Department of Justice.

Honoring the Victims of the Oak Creek Tragedy

Gautam Raghavan and Paul Monteiro — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 14:15:54 +0000

On August 5, 2012, a 40-year-old man entered a Sikh gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin shortly before Sunday services and opened fire, resulting in the deaths of six people. The investigation into this issue is still ongoing.

That day, the President convened a call with FBI Director Bob Mueller, Chief of Staff Jack Lew, and Homeland Security Advisor John Brennan to receive an update on the tragic shooting in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. During the briefing, the President directed that the federal government assist as appropriate in the investigation into the shooting. Following that briefing, the President called Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Oak Creek Mayor Steve Scaffidi, and trustee of the Sikh gurdwara Charanjeet Singh to express his condolences for the lives lost and his concern for those who were injured.

Also on August 5, the President released the following statement:

Michelle and I were deeply saddened to learn of the shooting that tragically took so many lives in Wisconsin. At this difficult time, the people of Oak Creek must know that the American people have them in our thoughts and prayers, and our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who were killed and wounded. My Administration will provide whatever support is necessary to the officials who are responding to this tragic shooting and moving forward with an investigation. As we mourn this loss which took place at a house of worship, we are reminded how much our country has been enriched by Sikhs, who are a part of our broader American family.

On August 6, the President issued a Presidential Proclamation honoring the victims of the tragedy in Oak Creek and ordering that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff until August 10, 2012. And at a bill signing event, the President responded to a question from reporters about the incident:

If it turns out, as some early reports indicate, that it may have been motivated in some way by the ethnicity of those who were attending the temple, I think the American people immediately recoil against those kinds of attitudes, and I think it will be very important for us to reaffirm once again that, in this country, regardless of what we look like, where we come from, who we worship, we are all one people, and we look after one another and we respect one another.

Also on August 6, staff from the White House and the White House Initiative on AAPIs participated on a community conference call with over 80 community based organizations as well as an Incident Community Coordination Team conference call convened by the Department of Homeland Security. The purpose of these calls was to offer timely support and assistance to community leaders, and solicit their feedback.

In addition, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, James Santelle, spoke about the incident at a press conference and highlighted ongoing efforts by law enforcement to ensure the continued safety of the Sikh gurdwara in Oak Creek and the broader Oak Creek community:

That kind of commitment will continue today, tomorrow and the weeks ahead and the months ahead and in the years ahead, and the Sikh community should know that we remain committed to ensuring your safety and your security here in Oak Creek and around the nation. That is the commitment of this Attorney General, of this President and of all of us in federal, state, local and tribal government here in the state of Wisconsin.

On August 8, the President placed a call to Dr. Manmohan Singh, the prime minister of India, to express his condolences for the victims of the attack, which took the lives of Indian nationals as well as Americans. President Obama reiterated that the Sikh community is an essential and vibrant part of the American family. The President also underscored that the incident is particularly tragic because it took place in a house of worship. Prime Minister Singh expressed his gratitude for the many messages and gestures of support from the United States, and for the prompt reaction and heroism of the local police department.

On August 9, United States Attorney James Santelle and the Community Relations Service of the Department of Justice organized a community-wide gathering with representatives of the Sikh Temples in Oak Creek and Brookfield, leaders of the local, regional, and national Sikh organizations and associations, officials of federal, state, and local government, including law enforcement, and others.

On August 10, Attorney General Eric Holder delivered remarks at the memorial service for the Oak Creek victims. In opening his remarks, the Attorney General described the many contributions of the Sikh community in America:

This is the idea that – no matter where you come from or how you worship – once you are here, you are part of the American family. And this also is the story of the Sikh community in our country – a community that has contributed in innumerable ways to the greatness of America.

These were the early immigrants who came to the West Coast in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to work in lumber mills, on railway lines, and as agricultural laborers – and who stayed, building and strengthening communities around the country, from Yuba City to New York City, from Miami to Milwaukee, to Washington, D.C.

There are public servants like Dalip Singh Saund, the first Asian American ever elected to Congress; and Bhagat Singh Thind, a hero who fought for America in World War I, and then fought to become a U.S. citizen.

We are talking about our neighbors and co-workers, our brothers and sisters, and the members of our American family – and of the Oak Creek community – who we remember today.

In closing his remarks, the Attorney General spoke about the Obama Administration’s commitment in the coming days:

Today, I wish that I could give each of you – as well as every member of our nation's Sikh community; and every other member of our American family – the peace that you seek. I can’t do that.

But I can make you a promise. I want you to know that your loss will fuel the ongoing work – being led by this Administration, by our nation's Department of Justice, and by our law enforcement community – to seek both answers and justice, to advance the investigation that's now underway, to identify and implement the solutions that we need to prevent future tragedies, and to build on the unprecedented steps that have been taken to respond to threats – and to prevent violence and discrimination – aimed at our Sikh and other religious communities.

Protecting the safety and civil rights of every person in this country – in our schools and neighborhoods, in our workplaces and houses of worship – must, and will, remain a top priority for me and for all those who serve the American family.

Also on August 10, at the White House Iftar dinner, President Obama remarked:

This is the diversity that makes us Americans; the pluralism that we will never lose.

And at times, we have to admit that this spirit is threatened. We’ve seen instances of mosques and synagogues, churches and temples being targeted. Tonight, our prayers, in particular, are with our friends and fellow Americans in the Sikh community. We mourn those who were senselessly murdered and injured in their place of worship. And while we may never fully understand what motivates such hatred, such violence, the perpetrators of such despicable acts must know that your twisted thinking is no match for the compassion and the goodness and the strength of our united American family.

So tonight, we declare with one voice that such violence has no place in the United States of America. The attack on Americans of any faith is an attack on the freedom of all Americans. No American should ever have to fear for their safety in their place of worship. And every American has the right to practice their faith both openly and freely, and as they choose.

That is not just an American right; it is a universal human right. And we will defend the freedom of religion, here at home and around the world. And as we do, we’ll draw on the strength and example of our interfaith community, including the leaders who are here tonight.

Additional Resources

We will continue to monitor this situation closely and provide regular updates. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to provide feedback by email to AAPI@who.eop.gov or consult the following Federal government resources:

The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers a Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 for immediate crisis counseling, 24 hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. The toll-free Helpline immediately connects callers to trained and caring professionals from the closest crisis counseling center in the nationwide network of centers. The Helpline staff will provide confidential counseling, referrals and other needed support services. The Helpline is confidential and multilingual.
The Department of Justice Community Relations Service is the only Federal agency dedicated to assist State and local units of government, private and public organizations, and community groups with preventing and resolving racial and ethnic tensions, incidents, and civil disorders, and in restoring racial stability and harmony.
The Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) supports the Department's mission to secure the nation while preserving individual liberty, fairness, and equality under the law.
The Emergency Management Institute supports the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA’s goals by improving the competencies of the U.S. officials in Emergency Management at all levels of government to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the potential effects of all types of disasters and emergencies on the American people.

Gautam Raghavan are Paul Monteiro are Associate Directors in the White House Office of Public Engagement.

Feed the Future: Together We Can

Norah Deluhery, Yaseen Eldik — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 14:10:50 +0000

USDA was honored to join forces with USAID and Islamic Relief USA to host the department’s 4^th annual Iftar celebration. The event welcomed over 170 guests, including representatives from humanitarian organizations, faith-based groups and federal employees. This year’s Iftar called attention to the importance of reducing food insecurity abroad with the theme “Feed the Future: Together We Can.” Iftar is an evening gathering held each year during Ramadan. A time of spiritual cleansing in the Islamic faith, Ramadan is when Muslims fast, abstaining from food and water from sunrise until sunset. Iftar is the meal at which Muslims break their fast each night. For many Muslims, fasting is an act of empathy towards those around the world who go hungry not by choice, but instead by circumstance.

USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah speaks about Feed the Future.

Darci Vetter, Deputy Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, kicked off the event and discussed ways in which USDA and USAID programs are working build food security internationally. Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of USAID, emphasized the tremendous support of President Obama in moving forward the Feed the Future initiative and how it is working—everyday—to end global hunger.

This year, USDA international food assistance will benefit more than 9.7 million people worldwide under the Food for Progress and McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition programs. The McGovern-Dole Program focuses on low-income, food-deficit countries that are committed to universal education. In Mali, more than 45,000 children and adults in 120 schools have been fed by a private voluntary organization with help from the USDA program.

Keynote speaker Ridwan Adhami, Creative Director for Islamic Relief USA, shared the impact of images and personal stories in the fight to alleviate the suffering caused by malnutrition and famine. These speeches sparked conversations throughout the night about ways in which we, as a country and as individuals, can implement innovative methods to address food insecurity.

One example of such an innovator is Shukri Abdinur, who spoke about her work to end hunger as a member of the Somali community. Ms. Abdinur, works for the American Refugee Committee’s “I am a Star” program, discussed ways in which her community in Minneapolis supports efforts to end famine in Somalia.

A large and diverse crowd gathered for USDA’s 4th annual Iftar celebration.

The USDA Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships has helped to organize the USDA Iftar for the past four years. The Center recognizes the importance of collaborating with faith-based groups to better serve communities in need, both at home and abroad.

Abed Ayoub, CEO of Islamic Relief USA, emphasized that theme.

“Tonight’s Iftar brings together people from all walks of life and religious backgrounds to emphasize the values that unite us as Americans, reminding us of our duty to help communities in need domestically and globally,” said Ayoub.

Norah Deluhery is the Acting Director of the USDA Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnershipsk, and Yaseen Eldik is a Truman Summer Institute Fellow in the USDA Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Finding Jobs in the Mile-High City

Ben Seigel — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 21:47:18 +0000

On a radiant summer morning in Denver this week, the magic of faith-based partnerships was on full display throughout a historic small church. In one of the three rooms at Agape Christian Church, children from the neighborhood were enjoying a nutritious breakfast thanks to a partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Feeding program. In the adjoining room, community members were working together at the computer lab, refining their resumes and discussing their job searches.

Community leaders gathered at Agape Christian Church, housed in a building marking its 125th year, to learn about job clubs and explore new partnerships, August 1, 2012. (Photo by Ashley Gerwitz)

And in the last room at the church—the historic sanctuary built in 1887—the Department of Labor’s Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnership was hosting a Job Clubs and Career Ministries Symposium with 100 community leaders from across the Front Range.

For the past year-and-a-half, our center has been building civic partnerships with job clubs, career ministries, and job networking and support groups based at congregations, community centers, and coffee shops. Through these partnerships, we connect job clubs to the public workforce system overseen by the Department of Labor and others. We also work with community leaders interested in starting up new job clubs. Finally, we provide a venue at www.dol.gov/jobclubs where job club practitioners and others can find and communicate with each other and download tools and information.

Our event in Denver was part of a series of regional symposia we have been holding across the country that bring together job club leaders, faith leaders, nonprofits, and government agencies to discuss their respective efforts in helping job seekers and to explore the formation of new partnerships.

Richard Krebs, center, talks about his job club, the 905 Group. To his right is Bob Schulz from the career ministry at Cherry Hills Community Church, and to his left is Meeka Houston of SHALOM Denver, August 1, 2012. (Photo by Ashley Gerwitz) (by Ashley Gerwitz)

One panel featured a diverse set of local job clubs, including The 905 Group, a volunteer-run networking group comprised primarily of executives from the Information Technology sector, and a program at SHALOM Denver, a division of Jewish Family Service of Colorado. We also heard from ministry leaders at Cherry Hills Community Church, Sacred Heart of Mary Church, and Agape Christian Church, who discussed the role that faith, motivation, and perseverance play in helping job seekers arrive at the right mindset for landing the job they love. Additionally, staff from the Denver Office of Economic Development expressed interest in working with job clubs to recruit employers and job seekers for their on-the-job training programs.

We wrapped up the event with an inspirational presentation from Liz Ryan, a former human resources executive for a Fortune 500 company. Liz presented her “whole person job search” approach that provided valuable advice to those assisting job seekers.

Before the event ended, attendees were already scheduling follow-up meetings, brainstorming next steps, and forging new partnerships. These conversations were music to my ears, as they exemplified the added value of all of our federal faith-based and neighborhood partnership centers: connecting communities and catalyzing collaborations.

Ben Seigel is Deputy Director of the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Labor.

At First Meeting, President's Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships Takes Up Issue of Human Trafficking

Joshua DuBois — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 22:33:49 +0000

The President's Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships meets in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on July 31, 2012. From left: The Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop, Episcopal Church; Council Chair Susan K. Stern, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and Jewish Federations of North America; and Joshua DuBois, Special Assistant to the President and Executive Director of the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. July 31, 2012. (by Millicent Cripe)

Every year tens of millions of people around the world are victims of human trafficking.

Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery where traffickers profit from the control and exploitation of other people. It fundamentally boils down to somebody held in compelled service for someone else’s profit-- from commercial sex to forced labor. Every year, human traffickers generate billions of dollars in profits by victimizing millions of people around the world – including right here in the United States.

The issue of trafficking in persons and modern day slavery will be the focus of the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. This year’s President’s Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships held its first meeting Monday and Tuesday, July 30-31^st at the White House. The Advisory Council is a group of diverse religious and non-profit leaders appointed to give recommendations to government on forming effective partnerships with faith-based and community groups.

“Here is what trafficking looks like in the real world,” Alison Friedman, Deputy Director of the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, shared in opening remarks, “It’s a kid who was forced to dive for fish since he was five—beaten over the head with oars if he surfaces too quickly and when he makes it to the shelter and is taught to sing ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It,’ but he doesn’t know how to smile. It’s a woman in Texas forced into prostitution by a group of men who targeted single mothers through their children’s daycare. It’s the boy I met in Northern Thailand who became a child soldier because he could not come up with a $14 bribe to pay off the police, so they sold him.”

The issue of human trafficking has been highlighted by President Obama and is being tackled by key leaders across government. President Obama said in a statement, “The United States is committed to eradicating trafficking in persons, and we will draw on tools ranging from law enforcement and victim service provision, to public awareness building and diplomatic pressure. Because we know that government efforts are not enough, we are also increasing our partnerships with a broad coalition of local communities, faith-based and non-governmental organizations, schools, and businesses.”

The Advisory Council heard briefings from many government and non-profit experts on the issue of human trafficking. Speakers included: Tina Tchen, Assistant to the President, Chief of Staff to the First Lady, and Executive Director of the Council on Women and Girls; Alison Friedman, from the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Human Trafficking; Tonya Robinson, Special Assistant to the President for Justice and Regulatory Policy on the White House Domestic Policy Council; Rob Berschinski, Director for Multilateral Affairs, National Security Staff; Paul Almanza, National Coordinator for Child Exploitation, at the Department of Justice, and many others. They also heard from outside experts in the field such as Humanity United, International Justice Mission, the Polaris Project, Slavery Footprint, Safe Horizon, Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS), World Relief, and Rabbis for Human Rights.

During the meeting, the Council members agreed to focus their report of recommendations to the President in four areas: 1) Victim Services, 2) Victim Identification and Reporting, 3) Supply Chain and Demand issues and 4.) Public Awareness and Education.

The President’s Advisory Council is coordinated by the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, along with the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the Department of Health and Human Services. The Council will produce a formal report of recommendations to President Obama and the Administration. The next meeting of the Council will be scheduled for later this Fall.

Appointed Members of the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

• Council Chair: Susan K. Stern, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and Jewish Federations of North America

• Leith Anderson, President, National Association of Evangelicals

• Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder and CEO, PolicyLink

• Brian Gallagher, President and CEO, United Way Worldwide

• Bishop Mark Hanson, Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

• Lynn Hybels, Advocate for Global Engagement, Willow Creek Community Church

• The Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop, Episcopal Church

• Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, Executive Vice President, The Rabbinical Assembly

• Archbishop Demetrios Trakatellis, Archbishop, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

• Sister Marlene Weisenbeck, Past President, Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR)

• Reverend Elder Nancy L. Wilson, Presiding Moderator, Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches

• Miaohong Hsiangju Liu – Director, Buddha's Light International Association

• Barbara Williams Skinner- President, Skinner Leadership Institute

• Elder Steven Snow, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS)

• Maria Nagorski, Executive Director, Fair Chance

Joshua DuBois is the Special Assistant to the President and Executive Director of the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

Partnering for Good

Joshua DuBois — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 22:12:10 +0000

In March 2011,President Obama launched the President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge. At its core is a simple, but powerful premise: When students from diverse religious backgrounds come together to serve their communities, they learn more about one another in the process. For example, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and secular college students partnering together, across religious lines, on a Habitat for Humanity house building project; or students from a single-faith campus restocking a food bank with a local house of worship of a different faith.

We are thrilled that over 270 schools from around the country met the Challenge by holding year-long service initiatives at their institutions. Yesterday and today, college students and representatives from schools across the country convened at Howard University to recognize the great work that has taken place, share best practices and encourage schools to keep the good work going into the coming year.

Amazing work has taken place on campuses across the country, stories like:

At the United States Air Force Academy, the Interfaith Student Council – a group of Christian, Muslim and Jewish students – worked together with a local food bank to package food for more than 32,000 needy families.
Bucks County Community College in Pennsylvania enlisted diverse students from all three of its campuses (Newtown, Perkasie, and Bristol) to focus on poverty, diversity, and environmental issues with programs from pond and creek clean-ups, to a Habitat for Humanity house build.
Despite their historic rivalry, students from diverse religious backgrounds at Georgetown University and Syracuse University teamed up to raise over $2000 and gather over 1300 pounds of food to support the local food pantry AND announced their accomplishments at halftime of the two school’s NCAA basketball game!

Stories like these are being noted over a day and a half at Howard University, and Administration officials have joined the event. Last night, Arne Duncan, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education expressed appreciation to the students and faculty for their commitment to service learning and fostering greater understanding across religious lines. Today the group heard from Cecilia Munoz, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, and I addressed attendees as well, encouraging them to keep the work going into the coming year.

You can learn more about the President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge here.

The Challenge is staffed by the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, the Department of Education and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Joshua DuBois is the Director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships

White House Honors Fatherhood Champions of Change

Jarred Reiling — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 19:19:15 +0000

Attorney General Eric Holder addresses the Fatherhood Champions of Change and attendees at the White House event. The Attorney General shared that the most important job he has had is being a dad to his three children. (Photo by Jarred Reiling)

The White House initiative Champions of Change honors Americans who have strengthened their communities. The initiative seeks to solicit their ideas, hear of their successes and learning experiences, and harness their passion in order to maximize their potential to promote change across the country.

Last week, the White House focused on fatherhood in support of President Obama’s Fatherhood & Mentoring Initiative and in celebration of Father's Day. Each of the ten Champions of Change honorees contributed incredible work in the fields of fatherhood in communities of low-income men and boys.

The event had an air of enthusiasm, as it was well-attended by many key stakeholders within the cause of advancing fatherhood and mentorship among children without fathers. In addition to the Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Joshua DuBois, Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan made appearances to share their thoughts in honoring the Champions. Check out the event here.

Witnessing the excitement and passion for the fatherhood cause incites moments of reflection. Inspiring our youth by creating a lifelong bond from a father to a child is of paramount importance for the enhanced well-being of our children, and it is a cause that reaches us all—as each and every one of us has the potential to have a relationship with our fathers.

But equally important is the role we can play as mentors for those children who, due to circumstances beyond their control, do not have fathers in their lives. These children must be reminded that the absence of their fathers is to no fault of their own, and they must know that they are not forgotten.

Father’s Day is a celebration for everyone—be they fathers, mentors, potential mentors, and perhaps most importantly, the children affected by the presence and absence of fatherhood and mentorship. In the words of the Attorney General: “of all the titles I’ve held in my life – lawyer, prosecutor, judge, U.S. Attorney, and, now, Attorney General – the one I’m most proud of is ‘father.’ As fathers, we have an opportunity today, as we do every day, to act responsibly in the lives of our own children. And by setting a good example, each of us can have a significant impact on the future of our nation, in profound and positive ways.”

Let us continue – and inspire others to begin – that work today.

Jarred Reiling is a Presidential Management Fellow at the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Justice.

Faith-Based Group Rebuilds Alabama Church Following 2011 Tornadoes

David L. Myers — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 21:56:34 +0000

Tornadoes and fires hold more in common than being disasters: they can also make good neighbors.

This is uniquely true in Boligee, AL, a small rural town near the Mississippi border, and Hartville, OH, near Akron. It's a great story of faith communities helping each other -- and it has a beautiful twist at the end.

The story begins in and around Boligee in 1996, when four African American churches burned to the ground. Though it has never been proven, many suspect the fires were related to racial tension. Volunteers from around the world rebuilt the four churches -- including Little Zion Baptist Church -- with the assistance of Quakers and Mennonites.

Fast forward to April 27, 2011, when tornadoes tore through central Alabama, killing 139 people and destroying billions of dollars of property, including the Christian Valley Baptist Church in Boligee, home of a small African American congregation.

The Christian Valley Baptist Church in Boligee, AL, a small African American congregation, was destroyed by a tornado in April 2011. (Photo courtesy of David L. Myers)

ROPE OF HOPE

The Rev. Tracy Giles, Christian Valley’s pastor, didn’t know what to do. Insurance would cover $165,000, but estimates to rebuild the church exceeded $500,000. Pastor Giles heard about Mennonite Disaster Service and sat down over coffee with one of its coordinators, Jerry Klassen. Pastor Giles told Klassen, “I need a thread of hope.”

Klassen responded, “I can throw you a rope of hope.”

Klassen contacted Maple Grove Mennonite Church in Hartville, and soon skilled volunteers from several Hartville churches were making regular treks to Boligee. On Sunday, June 3, 2012, six months after the start of the rebuilding, Christian Valley Baptist Church commemorated its new opening; total cost was $160,000.

“It was God reaching across the borderline,” said Deacon Willie Cain.

The Rev. David L. Myers, a Mennonite minister and director of the DHS/FEMA Center for Faith-based & Neighborhood Partnerships, who participated in the dedication ceremony, said it was a mutual opportunity for service. “Christian Valley Baptist cannot be itself without a church to worship in, and Mennonite churches cannot be themselves without a service project.”

Christian Valley Baptist Church, rebuilt. (Photo courtesy of David Myers)

And here's the beautiful twist: one of the biggest challenges faced every year by thousands of disaster volunteers is finding housing during their time of service. That wasn't the case for the volunteers rebuilding Happy Valley Baptist Church.

Remember Little Zion Baptist Church, which was burned and rebuilt in 1996? That same church provided housing for more than 80 volunteers who traveled more than 800 miles from Hartville to Boligee.

Disasters of all kinds can indeed make good neighbors.

The Rev. David L. Myers is the Director of the Department of Homeland Security Center for Faith-based & Neighborhood Partnerships.

Summer Food Service Program Fills Need at Healing Waters Center in Colorado

Kevin Concannon — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 21:06:07 +0000

Under Secretary Kevin Concannon (left) meets Senior Pastor Joseito Velasquez, Healing Waters Family Center (center) and Dr. Danny Carroll, a board member of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. (Photo from USDA)

Ed. note: This is cross-posted from the USDA Blog.

As part of the national Summer Food Service Program Kickoff (SFSP) Week June 11-15, I was in Denver, Colorado, and visited two great Colorado SFSP sites.

One of those sites was in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, just west of downtown Denver. Healing Waters Family Center has a 90 percent Hispanic congregation. Last summer, after participating in a webinar co-sponsored by USDA and the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC), Healing Waters became an SFSP sponsor for the first time and had a very positive experience.

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to share a conference call with Pastor Joseito Velasquez, the pastor at Healing Waters. On that call, we spoke to reporters about the program.

Something Pastor Velasquez said on the call really showed why the summer food service program is so critical. He said, “For the two months that our site was open last year, parents brought their children in for plates of food. Not only did they ask for food, but also for spiritual and community help they needed. We were able to help them here and also refer them to other agencies in the county. So we became a liaison for the community, and all this was possible thanks to the Summer Food Program, which has been a blessing.

I was looking forward to traveling to Denver and meeting Pastor Velasquez in person. When I arrived at Healing Waters, about 35 children were taking part in a lesson about important qualities young people should have, such as kindness and faith.

While there, I also had the pleasure of meeting a few other Denver-area leaders. Andrés Chao, the Consul General of Mexico in Denver, and Laszlo Kalloi, the Consul for Community and Economic Affairs, joined us so they could see the summer program first hand. Later, we shared a list of all Colorado sites with them so they could be sure to share the information with all of the folks they work with at the consulate in Denver.

I also met Dr. Danny Carroll from the Denver Seminary, a board member of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. NHCLC is a supporter of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative, and the organization led the way in committing to support access to healthy food during the summer by engaging pastors in Let’s Move Faith and Communities. Mr. Carroll stayed to visit the children and joined them for lunch.

We congratulate NHCLC and organizations like Healing Waters who work very hard to provide much-needed services in their community. A representative from the Jeffco Mental Health Center, which sometimes provides courses for parents at the church, also attended the event.

By sponsoring the Summer Food Service Program, Healing Waters has found a way to fill a need in their programs for children. Children, parents and community organizations feel better after participating in the SFSP.

Kevin Concannon is the USDA Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services.

White House, Department of Education, Corporation for National and Community Service Continue the President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge

Mara Vanderslice Kelly — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 20:30:34 +0000

Last year, over 400 campuses responded to President Obama's Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge. Launched in March 2011, this challenge calls for campuses to advance interfaith service and interfaith engagement over the course of one year. Over 250 of those campuses organized successful interfaith service and interfaith engagement events with over 50,000 people reporting involvement – and that was only at the half-way point!

Because of the overwhelming response to this initiative, the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Corporation for National and Community Service are proud to continue the President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge. All institutions of higher education across the country are invited to join this initiative to make interfaith service a national priority. Additionally, on July 9-10, 2012 in Washington, DC, all institutions of higher education are invited to come to celebrate the accomplishments of the Challenge, to gain useful information about organizing interfaith/community service at your institution, and to network and learn from others along with key leaders from President Obama’s administration.

Campus communities have been taking the lead through the creation of new interfaith partnerships, large-scale days of interfaith service, and student-led campaigns for interfaith action. For example, Grambling State University in Louisiana trained the entire first year class of 800 in issues of disaster preparedness. Despite their historic rivalry, students from Georgetown University and Syracuse University teamed up to raise over $2000 and gather over 1300 pounds of food to support the local food pantry (announcing their accomplishments at halftime of the two school’s NCAA basketball game!).

At Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport, Connecticut, over 300 students gathered for events promoting interfaith cooperation and diversity such as the Thanksgiving Luncheon, while they also gave back to the community by providing blood pressure screenings and a Men's Center food and toiletries drive. Students at Claflin University, in Orangeburg, South Carolina, coupled their community-wide interfaith forum with an innovative project called Panther Reading Express. Students traveled to a local school to read and donate books.

Campuses involved in the inaugural year of the President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge have been public and private, religiously-affiliated and secular, community colleges, HBCUs, and seminaries. President Obama wants to grow the number and diversity of institutions who will champion the cause of interfaith cooperation—values he has promoted throughout his administration.

More information about this program, including the July 9-10, 2012 gathering, can be found at www.ed.gov/EdPartners. The site includes a program overview and a form for institutions to indicate their interest in participating in the Challenge. Institutions interested in joining the Challenge in the coming year are encouraged to attend the July 9^th-10^th event to learn more!

The President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge is led by the White House and supported by the Department of Education and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). This initiative was developed in part by the recommendations of the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

Mara Vanderslice Kelly is the Deputy Director and Senior Policy Advisor in the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

Formerly Incarcerated Individuals Transition Back to Life in Harlem

Eugene Schneeberg — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 20:04:49 +0000

As the keynote speaker, I had the honor and privilege of representing the White House Office of Faith-based & Neighborhood Partnerships at the Harlem Parole Reentry Graduation last week. The graduation event celebrated the accomplishment of formerly incarcerated individuals as they successfully transitioned back to their neighborhoods after receiving community-based services and intensive monitoring from the program.

Thirty-eight formerly incarcerated individuals shared the proud moment together as they took the first steps to rise above becoming a statistic. As the Parole Reentry Court’s website explains, graduates of the program are less likely to be re-convicted than formerly incarcerated individuals on standard parole—a rate of 19 percent lower, to be exact.

The event brought many community leaders together in celebration of the success of both the program and its participants, as a local choir group sang the praise of the occasion. Partners of the program and event included:

The Hon. Terry Saunders, Chief Administrative Law Judge from the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision
The New York State Division of Parole/Parole Board
Elemendorf Reformed Church
Interfaith Center of New York
The Center for Employment Opportunities
Palladia, Inc.

Specifically, the program provides:

Pre-release assessments to ensure eligibility and customize a treatment and supervision plan
A system of rewards and consequences for compliance/non-compliance with the plan
Outreach to programs addressing participant-specific needs
Meetings with family members of participants to maximize family support
Vocational and treatment services
Post-program contact

The program is one example of many that are made possible with the Department of Justice's support with Second Chance Act grants. Learn more about these grants here.

Eugene Schneeberg is the Director of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Justice.

Confronting High Blood Pressure Through Public-Private Partnerships

Acacia Bamberg Salatti — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 22:15:58 +0000

Acacia Bamberg Salatti addresses a group of faith, community, health, and business leaders at AMEC Manage BP launch.

Heart disease and stroke are the first and fourth leading causes of death in the United States, respecitvely. Responsible for 1 of every 3 deaths in the country, heart disease is an even greater risk in the African American community. Although African American adults are 40% more likely to have high blood pressure, they are 10% less likely than their non-Hispanic white counterparts to have their blood pressure under control.

To help reduce this health disparity, Manage BP with AMEChealth.org is the African American Episcopal Church (AMEC) Health Commission’s groundbreaking hypertension prevention initiative. Designed to leverage technology to reduce hypertension rates and to improve health outcomes, the program utilizes the church’s web-based platform—www.amechealth.org—to deliver health education messages, disseminate health information, collect patient-generated data, and provide peer support.

The Manage BP with AMEChealth.org campaign will initially involve 10 AME churches in the New York City metropolitan area and will reach more than 20,000 congregants. The launch is just the beginning of a larger program, which will expand to include 4,000 AME churches across the nation.

AMEC health ministers participate in training for heart disease prevention.

AMEC Health Ministers will be trained to partner with congregants to take blood pressure readings and to encourage healthy diet and smart exercise decisions. Healthy diet and exercise education will include food preparation and nutrition classes and educational webinars.

Blood pressure readings will be stored electronically via congregants’ mobile devices and (with the congregants' permission) can be readily shared with physicians and other providers. Welch Allyn Corp. provided 50 blood pressure monitors to support the initiative. The campaign is designed as an offline and online program supporting congregants that may not have ready computer access.

I served as the keynote speaker of the launch with AMEC clergy, leaders, Health Ministers, and other public/private stakeholders at Greater Allen Cathedral in New York City. Former Congressman Rev. Dr. Floyd Flake, who serves as the Senior Pastor at Greater Allen, opened the event with a prayer and emphasized the importance of educating congregants and the community at large about hypertension and related chronic illnesses.

Rev. Dr. Miriam Burnett, International Medical Director of the AME Church Connectional Health Commission, co-hosted the event along with Rev. Dr. Lisa Williamson, the NY AMEC Conference Health Director. Silas Buchanan and Gabriel Hayes with Ourhealthministry.com, who serve as thedevelopers of the amechealth.org platform, also participated in the event.

In her opening remarks, Rev. Dr. Burnett said, “Manage BP with AMEChealth.org is a public-private consortium that shares a common vision to improve the health outcomes and reduce health disparities in vulnerable populations." Other partners represented at the launch were the NYC Department of Health, NextPHR, and Boston Scientific.

Chevy Cleaves, Vice President, Global Diversity and Inclusion of Boston Scientific said, "Boston Scientific shares AMEC Health’s vision to reduce health disparities and to improve cardiovascular outcomes among historically underserved patient populations. We are proud to support the Manage BP effort and believe that by leveraging a coalition of partners, we have a tremendous opportunity to implement measurable interventions that can be replicated within the communities that we serve."

Innovative public/private partnerships like these underscore the critical role that faith and community leaders play in reducing chronic disease and health disparities.

More information about this program is available at www.amechealth.org

Acacia Bamberg Salatti is the Deputy Director of the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships (The Partnership Center) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Together for Tomorrow

Michael Robbins — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 15:20:03 +0000

We've been overwhelmed with the positive response to our Together for Tomorrow (TFT) initiative, which is advancing community partnerships to propel school improvement. TFT is being led by the U.S. Department of Education, working with the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Since we launched TFT at the end of February, we've had hundreds of people join us for local TFT Town Halls, where we spotlight examples of effective school-community partnerships and help catalyze new efforts. Community and faith organizations, schools, and others are embracing the vision of TFT: to celebrate and inspire community and family engagement in education; strengthen the capacity of low-performing schools to manage partnerships; and focus partnerships on the ABCs - Attendance, Behavior, Course performance, and College access.

In April, we announced the Together for Tomorrow School Improvement Challenge, inviting schools, national service programs, higher education institutions, and community-based organizations to work together to propel improvement of our lowest-performing schools.

People across the country are expressing their enthusiasm for the TFT Challenge. It offers national recognition of exemplary efforts already underway, and it creates a path to catalyze new partnerships to improve low-performing schools.

Challenge plans aren’t complicated – submissions are a maximum of 10 pages long, using an easy template. Will you accept the challenge? Learn more at TFT.challenge.gov.

Michael Robbins is Senior Advisor for Nonprofit Partnerships at the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Education.

An Open Letter to Fathers

Bob Perciasepe — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 22:44:40 +0000

It's a great time to be a dad.

I don't say that because this Sunday was Father's Day, though I'd be lying if I said I hadn't been looking forward to it. Being a dad is so important today because it's an opportunity to empower the next generation of men and women to conquer whatever challenges may face them. It's an opportunity to help shape their future.

When fathers aren’t a part of their lives, kids are more likely to get involved in harmful and destructive activities like drug use and crime. On the other hand, giving children the paternal support they need helps them grow into confident, capable and healthy men and women.

All children deserve solid father figures in their lives, but far too many don't have them. President Obama, whose own father was absent for much of his childhood, understands that. That's why he created the Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative to celebrate fatherhood and create meaningful opportunities for fathers and children – and adult mentors and young mentees – to connect.

Children aren't the only ones who reap the benefits of these relationships; fatherhood is one of the most inspiring things in life. Watching my daughters grow into responsible, driven and happy women has been an indescribable joy.

It has also been great to share my passion for the environment with them. From their earliest days, we enjoyed the "great outdoors" whenever we had a chance – and we still do. But I also showed them the importance of protecting the natural resources that surround us by doing things like recycling and cutting back on energy use. These are things that are still a part of their lives today.

June is America's Great Outdoors Month, and finding creative ways to enjoy the open, outdoor spaces and keep them healthy and vibrant can be a great opportunity to bond with your son, daughter or mentee – and improve your community at the same time. Check out the outdoor activities aimed at protecting the environment on EPA’s website for some ideas. We would love to hear about some of your outdoor dad experiences this summer, so please share your stories by tweeting @fatherhood, @EPAgov or using #outdoordad.

However you choose to spend your time, I encourage you to continue making fatherhood or mentoring a priority in your life. Take the President’s Fatherhood Pledge,and do your part to help shape the next generation of happy, healthy Americans.

Happy Father's Day to all!

Bob Perciasepe is Deputy Administrator at the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Community Health Centers: Expanding Access to Care in Underserved Areas

Lisa Carr — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 22:14:52 +0000

The C.W. Williams Community Health Center in Charlotte, North Carolina was created in 1981 when local leaders Peggy Beckwith, founder of the local Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation; Dr. John Murphy, a local dentist; and Rowe "Jack" Motley, the first African-American county Commissioner, filled out an application to create a community health center. Mr. Motley drove to Washington, D.C. to submit their application. Their application was accepted and the C.W. Williams Community Health Center was created.

C.W. Williams Executive Director Beverly Irby, Dr Everlyn Hall-Baker, Alexia Kelley, Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and Dr. Joann Parris. (Photo by Dwayne Gross)

On May 3, 2012, Alexia Kelley, Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships visited the C.W. Williams Community Health Center. She shared the news that a total of $730 million was being awarded across the country to community health centers, and that C.W. Williams Center had been awarded $500,000 to create a dental clinic. Dentists are in short supply in North Carolina and ranks 47^th in dentist-to-population ratio. The new funding will greatly expand access to care.

According Health Center CEO Beverly Irby, C.W. Williams is poised to become a medical home to a even greater number of underserved individuals “Our Board of Directors and key management staff are actively engaged in strategic planning to open new sites, particularly on the east side of Charlotte and other underserved neighborhoods.” Just last year, the Center served over 10,000 individual patients.

For more than 40 years, community health centers have delivered comprehensive, high-quality preventive and primary care to patients where they live, and the Affordable Care Act makes a major investment in expanding their ability to serve patients. A total of $730 million was awarded to help community health centers across the country serve people who are low-income and vulnerable, expand their facilities and create jobs.

Lisa Carr is Associate Director of the Partnership Center at the Department of Health and Human Services

Helping to Provide a Healthy Start for Children

Acacia Bamberg Salatti — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 20:45:17 +0000

Ten years ago, a federal report listed Memphis as the city with the highest rate of infant mortality in the country. In certain neighborhoods, the quantity of infant deaths paralleled infant death rates in Third World countries. Those statistics underscore the issue of health disparities in vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities in the Memphis community; however, that health crisis is also providing opportunities for innovative partnerships with faith, community, health, and government leaders in the state of Tennessee.

One promising example is the First Ladies for Healthy Babies Network, which is an initiative through the Neighborhood Christian Center. Within the African American community, if the pastor of the church is male, his wife is often given the term “First Lady” as a gesture of honor and respect. Understanding the integral role that faith leaders play as trusted messengers in their communities, the First Ladies for Healthy Babies Network engages First Ladies and other female leaders in the congregation to mentor young women and to actively refer moms of children 0 – 3 to NCC’s early childhood and parent/caregiver program.

Tennessee’s First Lady Mrs. Crissy Haslam and President/CEO of Neighborhood Christian Center Ephie Johnson pose with volunteers from Memphis’ Operation Smart Child Program.

In 2009, NCC formally launched Operation Smart Child (OSC), an evidence based program designed in partnership with the Urban Child Institute, to improve brain and social skills development in children from conception to four. The goal of this joint effort is to drive the behavioral change of caregivers of children 0-4 in targeted neighborhoods by educating them on early childhood brain development. Translating the science of nurturing the brain in early childhood into usable touch points for parents and caregivers is a critical first step to prepare a child for a lifetime of learning. Along with the” First Ladies for Healthy Babies” mentoring component, FLHB is a direct support network for Memphis’ Operation Smart Child Program.

A part of the mission is to help support young mothers during the first year of their babies’ lives, providing critical information on maternal and child health. For example, parents should be aware that one way to reduce sleep-related infant deaths is to place babies on their backs instead of on their stomachs and sides. Breastfeeding and good prenatal care also play a critical role in reducing SIDS.

Ephie Johnson, the President and CEO of the Neighborhood Christian Center said, “The church continues to be a place of refuge and support for our country’s and community’s neighbors in need. The Neighborhood Christian Centers, Inc. has recognized this fact and that is why we saw it important to ‘birth’ the First Ladies for Healthy Babies Network.”

Johnson adds that she envisions linking First Ladies and Leading Ladies together across the country with one collective aim: to give all the nation’s children a healthy start.

Johnson’s work has already garnered the support of one prominent First Lady. Mrs. Crissy Haslam, the First Lady of Tennessee, is partnering with First Ladies for Healthy Babies to encourage local faith-based community leaders to help Tennessee families. She and her staff view the network as a powerful asset in creating awareness for important local issues, such as infant mortality, early childhood development, and parental involvement in education. The Tennessee First Lady’s Office has held events with First Ladies in Memphis and Nashville, and they are working to expand the network across the state.

By engaging critical segments of the community like health, faith, and community leaders, initiatives like these have great potential to narrow health disparities and gaps in hard to reach communities. Dr. Kimberlee Wyche-Etheridge, who serves as the Director of the Bureau of Family, Youth and Infant Health in the Metro Nashville Davidson County Public Health Department said:

“The health and well-being of our most vulnerable citizens, our babies, defines us as a community. It speaks to our collective conscience and morality. When one of God's children dies before his or her purpose is fulfilled we all grieve the loss, either immediately like we see with parents or loved ones or later when there is a piece of our individual selves that is missing due to that baby not being in the world. When we see shameful disparities across our state with African American babies dying at rates of 2 to 2.5 times higher we should all be called to action. Inequities of power, privilege, and income have created a canary in the toxic coal mine scenario. If not ours, then whose responsibility is it to level the playing field and make the first move toward sustainable and meaningful change?”

Also in Nashville, the Martha O’Bryan Center, a faith-based human services organization (www.marthaobryan.org), has built a community-based physician supported initiative, Tied Together, which is having tremendous results lowering infant mortality and child removals among families living in poverty. This evidence based program has tracked results through Vanderbilt University for three years and has seen, not just person-centered change but also community-centered change led by the 270 graduate families of Tied Together. As a result of First Ladies for Healthy Babies event in Nashville, in the coming year, the Tied Together staff will bring this critical information to area churches and church leaders.

First Ladies for Healthy Babies serves as a great example of the tremendous contribution that faith leaders provide with public health outreach.

Acacia Bamberg Salatti is the Deputy Director of the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships (The Partnership Center) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Children in the Rio Grande Valley Enjoy Summer Food and Fun

Georgina Castillo — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 20:02:20 +0000

Children select lunch options. (Photo from USDA)

Ed. note: This is cross-posted from the USDA blog.

As summer time begins, I think of children playing with their friends and having a great time as they enjoy their vacation from school. I am also very aware that some children may go hungry during the summer months. Fortunately for children in the Rio Grande Valley on June 1, Catholic Charities began their second year providing meals to children up to age 18 through USDA’s Summer Food Service Program. Catholic Charities is now providing summer meals in Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties in South Texas.

Catholic Charities kicked-off the SFSP at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan Del Valle on May 24. Attending the event were DeAdrian Maddox, USDA, Angela Olige, Texas Department of Agriculture assistant commissioner, Eddie Lucio Jr., Texas senator, Daniel E. Flores bishop of the Diocese of Brownsville, San Juanita Sanchez, San Juan mayor, and local community organizations. During the kick-off, children from Idea Public School enjoyed a nutritious lunch and participated in various activities.

In Bishop Flores’ remarks to the audience, it was clear that he was happy to continue supporting the efforts of the federal, state and local community as they work together to provide children healthy meals during the summer. Catholic Charities partnered with local communities to make feeding sites available in rural areas and colonias.

The Summer Food Service Program is a federally funded program that is administered by the states in which they reimburse organizations for meals served to children during the summer months. Although USDA funds the summer program, local organizations make the program work by becoming sponsors that serve nutritious meals and snacks at schools, recreation centers, playgrounds, parks, churches, day camps, summer camps, housing projects, and Indian reservations.

As I saw the children eat their lunches in San Juan, I realized how important a role SFSP plays in reducing food insecurity. That’s why the Food and Nutrition Service continues to work every day with potential partners to close the gap.

Georgina Castillo is a Public Affairs Specialist for the Food and Nutrition Service at USDA.

Healthy, Affordable Meals for Our Children This Summer

Secretary Tom Vilsack — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 13:19:03 +0000

Ed. Note: This is a cross-post from the U.S. Department of Agriculture blog.

As final school bells ring and students across our nation start summer break, the last thing on a parent’s mind should be how they’re going to provide nutritious meals for a child.

During the school year, USDA plays an integral role in being sure our children have enough to eat. Through the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs, USDA helps families by providing nutritious school meals to 32 million kids each day.

But when school’s out for the summer, low-income families can have trouble providing food for their children.

This is a serious concern. Proper nutrition is critical for a child’s ability to learn, grow, and be ready to achieve their dreams – and hunger is one of the most severe roadblocks to the learning process. Lack of nutrition during the summer months may set up a cycle for poor performance once school begins again and can make children more prone to illness and other health issues year-round.

This is why USDA’s Summer Food Service Program plays an integral role in continuing USDA’s important work on child nutrition – even when school’s out for the summer. The program provides Federal assistance for state agencies and non-profit sponsors to help children in low-income areas get the proper nutrition they need.

Over the past three years, USDA has served record numbers of Americans under this program because we understand the need to help folks make ends meet – and to make sure that our children don’t face unnecessary obstacles to learning.

In 2011, USDA partnered with more than 4,700 sponsors, serving more than 137 million meals to low-income kids over summer break – about 3.7 million more meals than we served in 2010 and 7.5 million more meals than we served in 2008. And over the past three years, we’ve added more than 6,000 additional feeding sites around the country to be sure folks who need this help can find it. This summer, we expect record participation once again.

The Summer Food Service Program is just one way we’re helping Americans everywhere put healthy, affordable meals on the table.

Over the past three years USDA has helped 1 in 4 Americans through our food assistance programs. We’ve worked hard to make sure that any family that’s eligible has access to these programs, and we’ve ensured the very highest standards in program integrity.

And just this month, USDA is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the MyPlate and MiPlato icons – a new, simple way to help Americans to make healthier choices at mealtimes.

The fact is, no American should go hungry or lack access to healthy foods – least of all our children. As America comes back from the greatest recession many of us have seen, President Obama and I know how important it is to give working families a leg up.

By investing in common-sense programs that help families across the nation, we’re working to strengthen America – and we’re building a healthier future that’s full of opportunity for our young people.

For an audio version of this message, please click here.

Tom Vilsack is the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Connecting Faith, Fatherhood, Youth Violence & Reentry

Eugene Schneeberg — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:17:53 +0000

The U.S. DOJ Center for Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships was pleased to participate in the 2^nd Annual Summit on Preventing Youth Violence in Washington, D.C. as a part of the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention. The Forum is an effort to elevate youth and gang violence as issues of national significance, and to enhance the capacity of localities to more effectively prevent youth and gang violence. I was particularly excited this year that so many powerful national and local faith-based and non-profit leaders were able to participate including:

Lecrae Moore, Grammy Nominated Hip Hop artist
Pastor Keith Norman, First Baptist Church, Memphis, TN
Pastor Michael McBride, PICO National Network
James Rodriguez, President, Fathers & Families Coalition of America, Inc.
Deborah Aguilar, Founder, “A Time for Grieving”, Salinas, CA
Sue Badeau, Casey Family Programs

Lecrae Moore, Grammy Nominated Hip Hop artist shares at the 2012 Summit on Preventing Youth Violence May 16, 2012.

national and local faith-based and non-profit leaders participate at the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention May 16, 2012.

Read about the 2012 Summit on Preventing Youth Violence

The next day the CFBNP worked with the White House Office of Public Engagement to recognize twelve leaders as Champions of Change for their work to prevent Youth Violence within their communities.

2012 Youth Violence Prevention Champions May 16, 2012.

Youth Violence prevention champions of change May 16, 2012.

Read about the White House Youth Violence Prevention Champions of Change

Lastly, the CFBNP recently held two very successful webinars on Faith and Community Based approaches to Reentry and Responsible Fatherhood Initiatives.

May 16, 2012.

Eugene Schneeberg is the Director of the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the Department of Justice.

Remembering My 5th Birthday

Carolyn Worthge — Tue, 01 May 2012 23:11:35 +0000

On my 5th birthday, I was surrounded by the love of my family, and of course, enjoyed a delicious home-made birthday cake made by my mother. Everyone came to celebrate my day, showering me with gifts (I’m told a Barbie play set was involved), to show me how important I was in their lives. While it was a big milestone for me, luckily I was a healthy child, and it was expected that I would reach the age of five. In my first five years of life, I was up to date on my vaccinations, always had access to clean water, and although mosquitoes loved to bite me, my parents did not have to fear that those mosquitoes would infect me with malaria.

For much of the world though, and particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, mosquitoes pose an ever-present threat to children’s lives, especially in those first five years. In the last year alone, we lost about 7 million children under the age of five, many from malaria.

When I traveled to Ghana in the summer of 2010, I had the misfortune of experiencing malaria firsthand. I met children who were full of joy one day, but lying in bed sick the next- their energy and health devastated by the disease. When I contracted the disease, I understood the extent of their sickness, falling into an extreme fatigue. Thankfully, I had easy access to treatment and recovered quickly, but I know this is not the case for many children and families. I can’t imagine the pain and difficulty so many mothers must experience on a daily basis, unable to provide their children with the life-saving resources needed to prevent and treat malaria.

In my work as a Faiths Act Fellow, I’ve seen the great value that the world’s major religions place on caring for those who are suffering, and ensuring a hope and a future for children everywhere. In my own tradition, the Bible tells a story of Jesus welcoming children when others pushed them away. As he says, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14b). We are told that children are a reflection of God, and it is our faithful duty to nurture and care for them. Whether rich or poor, each child’s life has immense worth, and we must seize the opportunity now to end preventable child deaths.

We have the tools to prevent deaths from malaria, and together we can save half a million children’s lives each year. Through insecticide treated bednets, education programs, and other resources, we can make sure more children are able to live healthy, malaria-free lives. And that means more 5th birthdays.

Together we can support effective strategies to prevent childhood deaths and ensure that more children have the opportunity to survive beyond their 5th birthday. Upload a picture of your 5th birthday today, and share why you believe that Every Child Deserves a 5th Birthday!

Carolyn Worthge is a Faiths Act Fellow working at the ONE Campaign.

Understanding the Mortgage Servicing Settlement and the New FHA Streamline Refinance MIP: A HUD National Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships Conference Call

Paula Lincoln — Tue, 01 May 2012 22:56:31 +0000

May 1, 2012.

There is a great deal of information available about the recent Mortgage Servicing Settlement and FHA Streamline Refinance MIP programs. The HUD Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships hosted a national conference call that explained both plans for faith leaders to share with the congregants and communities. The “Understanding the Mortgage Servicing Settlement and New FHA Streamline Refinance MIP” conference call was held April 18^th at 2:00 PM EST.

Callers learned about the Mortgage Servicing Settlement Agreement, the new FHA Streamline Refinance MIP options available to eligible homeowners, scam awareness and prevention efforts, and the importance of using HUD-approved Housing Counselors from senior HUD officials including HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. Faith and community leaders received information and resources useful to congregation and community members facing foreclosure and/or families who might qualify for compensation due to an improper foreclosure practices, mortgage principal reductions and refinancing of underwater homes available for eligible homeowners. The call was well received, with 780 faith-based and community leaders calling-in, and helped educate the community about ways to save their homes, while bringing hope to those facing foreclosure.

For more information about the Mortgage Service Settlement, please visit: www.nationalmortgagesettlement.com.

Paula Lincoln is the Director for theCenter for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development

Vote for Your Favorite Video Today!

Julie Curti — Tue, 01 May 2012 22:16:19 +0000

10 days left to vote for your favorite Communities on the Move video! May 1, 2012.

The public voting period for theCommunities on the MoveVideo Challenge is in full swing! Browse our video gallery and vote for your favorites daily until Friday, May 11^th. These videos showcase some of the innovative approaches community and faith-based groups are taking to encouraging healthier lifestyles for kids.

The Video Challenge encourages faith-based and neighborhood organizations to create one-to-three minute videos highlighting their work to make their communities places of wellness. Participants were invited to show how they are promoting healthy eating, physical activity, and access to healthy, affordable food for children. Your vote counts: winners will be invited to visit Washington, DC to share their videos with the First Lady at the White House!

The Challenge is part of Let's Move Faith and Communities, which engages congregations and neighborhood organizations in the effort to end childhood obesity within a generation.

Want to learn more about Let’s Move!and take action? Sign up here and join our movement!

Julie Curti, is the Assistant to the Director for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the United States Department of Agriculture