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ALLIED PARTNERS: - March 15, 2011 Present: Susan Corrado, Eileen Dresser, Joe Ellwanger (Wisdom), Ryan Estrella, Gloria Menadier-Farr, Ruth Hein, Alice Howard, Carol and Fred Janacek (Orthodox), Dorothy Krause, Marge Lyford, Peter Morris (Arbor Covenant), Selena Pettigrew, Shirley Robbins, Rhea Schultz, Jack Tiffany. 1, Introductions. 2. Jack wrote an agenda on the whiteboard, and chaired the meeting. 3. JFF Report (Ryan): Eviction Prevention is going very well in coordination with MUM. There are many more Spanish-speaking applicants. It is becoming harder to get people into apartments in the Allied Drive area, with rents going up and landlords less flexible. What is the answer for those whom no one wants in the neighborhood? More services to help them manage a second chance? If the new state budget goes into operation, JFF and CAC (Community Action Commission) will probably eventually cease to exist, eliminating a huge amount of services. 4. Pastor Fred J. described the faith community rally which he and Carol attended today. 5. Susan led a review and discussion of the By-laws draft produced by the committee (Susan, Jack, Sina, and Shirley). A point overlooked: procedure for making changes to the by-laws. Needing clarification: management and availability of the various funds. 6. Joe Ellenwanger, a retired Lutheran pastor with a passion for doing justice, who was active in the civil rights era, described Wisdom, a state-wide organization focused on congregation-based organizing. There are affiliated groups in several Wisconsin cities, and one is forming in Madison, to be called "Moses". Four task forces focus on schools, immigrants, jobs and economic development, and TIP (treatment instead of prison). Congregation-based organizing encourages a "core/justice" team in each congregation which works on issues in their own neighborhood. These teams can call on the larger organization for help. The major goals of Wisdom are to develop "community" and to act on justice issues. Structure includes a religious leaders caucus and a leadership board. Joe passed around brochures and a sign-up sheet for those who want further information. 7. Jack proposed reimbursing $171 in expenses of the recent mailing, from the Special Projects fund. Approved by consensus. 8. The Wellness Center report was given out in print.
9. Neighborhood Association report (Alice and Sina): Alice told us about a 15-year-old boy who has been put in the Dane County jail (with adults) instead of the Juvenile facility; this is a great injustice. She also distributed a letter regarding the need to help students in GED and computer classes with the expense of those classes.
Meeting adjourned. |