Eastside Interfaith Social Concerns Council Minutes

Next Meeting:
Tuesday, September 8, 2009, 12:00 noon – 1:30 p.m.
PLEASE NOTE: There willL be no meeting in August
Program: CONGREGATIONS FOR THE HOMELESS
Location: Bristol Hall, ST. Margaret's Episcopal Church 4228 Factoria Boulevard SE, Bellevue (Across From Newport High School)

CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order and conducted by EISCC Vice-President Sally Wing.

OPENING PRAYER: The meeting was opened with prayer offered by Sandy Lewis of Bellevue’s Episcopal Church of the Resurrection.

SELF-INTRODUCTIONS: Self-introductions were made by 19 members and guests.

›MINUTES: The minutes of the June 9, 2009 meeting were approved as circulated.

TREASURER'S REPORT:EISCC Treasurer Pat McDermott . At 6/30/2009 cash balances total approximately $155,000. Accounts receivable total $100,498 as a result of 2nd quarter billings to the cities and King County. Operating results are as expected. Nothing unusual was noted during the month.

NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE: The work of the nominations committee continues. They will be presenting a slate of candidates at the September EISCC meeting.

Today's Program: The Church Council of Greater Seattle: Advocacy for the Common Good
Michael Ramos, Executive Director, CCGS (206) 525-1213 x3950.
The Church Council of Greater Seattle represents more than 400 congregations and 15 denominations in the Seattle area. It seeks to be a vehicle for member congregations to impact public discussion and to create conditions for social change, all moved by a desire for compassion and justice.

The CCGS’s main focus is on overcoming poverty and building social justice, both locally and nationally. The CCGS partners with congregations, government, and others to meet the needs of vulnerable people, to educate on relevant issues, to organize for systemic change and to move towards a more just society.

GET CONNECTED:

The CCGS is a great way for you to connect with a faith-based network of people who care about making our world better.

Weekly Update: You are invited to sign up for the Church Council’s regular email providing updates on activities and ways to get involved with Seattle’s progressive faith community.

Action Alerts are calls for action in our community – writing a letter, making a phone call, or volunteering your time.

The CCGS also connects congregations through various ecumenical activities such as the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the Service of Hope, and Interfaith Conversation as well as by publishing their Religious Directory for the Greater Seattle Area - comprehensive directory includes contact information for all the clergy, churches, synagogues, religious communities, schools, residences, camps, and religion-related agencies and organizations.

For more information or to sign up, please visit http://www.thechurchcouncil.org/subpages/unity.html.

In addition, the Church Council offers six different direct action programs that meet human needs in the areas of homelessness, youth development, mental health and compassionate care.

HomeStep serves families, single men, women and young adults as they journey out of homelessness on the road to homes of their own. The program addresses the root causes of homelessness through skill building and family support to increase income, self sufficiency and stability for a much brighter future.

Friend to Friend matches caring volunteers with residents in more than 220 nursing homes, retirement communities and assisted living centers in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties.

Seattle Youth Garden Works provides job training in an innovative, entrepreneurial market-gardening program for youth experiencing homelessness and poverty in our communities. Social Justice Ministries partners with member congregations and other community organizations to help create conditions for social, economic and racial justice in our greater community.

Sound Youth VISTA AmeriCorps works to build capacity in communities, organizations and schools to empower King County’s young people.

The Sharehouse is a free furniture warehouse that helps to end homelessness by turning houses into homes.

More information about these programs is available at http://www.thechurchcouncil.org/subpages/programs.html.

As Michael says, we are on the cusp of real change in this country. Let the Church Council of Greater Seattle be a resource for your congregation as, together, we make this community more closely resemble the one that God intends for us.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

EISCC members may share announcements pertaining to their congregations/agencies. If you wish these announcements to appear in the minutes, please make them well in advance of any event that you are publicizing and to help insure accuracy please provide them in writing to the recording secretary. Among the announcements at the June 9, 2009 meeting were:

JOY POCASANGRE:
announced that she and her husband have joined their adult children's synagogue in West Seattle, Kol HaNeshamah. Joy says that “KHN is a congregation where my husband and I feel we can fulfill our commandment [mitzvah] of repairing the world [tikkun olam].” While everyone at EISCC is happy that Joy and family have found a supportive home as they continue their faith journey, we will miss Joy very much. Joy has been a member of EISCC for 22 years and has served this community wisely, selflessly, and compassionately. We hope that Joy will continue to keep us updated on how she and her family are doing as well as sharing information with us about the work of NESES (Niños Estudiando El Salvador - Children Studying El Salvador, www.neses.org), the nonprofit program run by Joy and her husband. Thank you for everything, Joy!

EISCC LEGISLATIVE COORDINATOR:
Joy’s departure leaves open the position of EISCC Legislative Coordinator, a position by the EISCC Executive Committee. Long-time EISCC member Nancy Bent, representative of First Congregational Church in Bellevue and Coordinator of the yearly Bellevue Crop Walk, has agreed to take on these duties. We truly appreciate Nancy’s capabilities and willingness to serve and are looking forward to working with her.

MAYORS’ DAY OF CONCERN FOR THE HUNGRY:
The Emergency Feeding Program of Seattle & King County is recruiting volunteer teams to help with their 17th Annual Mayors’ Day of Concern for the Hungry food drive. To be held Saturday, September 29th, Mayors’ Day is an opportunity for your congregation, workplace or youth group to make a real difference in the lives of hungry families right here in our community. Your team can be the difference between a family putting food on its table or sending its children to bed hungry. Volunteer teams commit to staffing a nearby store, handing out flyers at the market’s door asking that certain nutritional foods be donated. Shoppers then purchase these items, depositing them in barrels on their way out of the store. EFP provides the flyers, barrel delivery, and donation pickup. You provide the hearts and hands that will ensure success.

It’s a true win-win situation. Store managers like it because they sell more products and customers like it because it makes it easy for them to give. Volunteers have fun and, most importantly, it will help feed local families. With so many of our neighbors struggling, we simply much work together to offer our help in this time of such sharply increased need.

For more information, to register your team, and to reserve the store of your choosing, please contact the Emergency Feeding Program at (206)329-0300 or info@emercgencyfeeding.org.

EASTSIDE REGIONAL COORDINATED FOOD DRIV:

This year Mayors’ Day will kick off an even greater effort to ensure that local households have the nutrition they need and deserve. The cities of Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, Sammamish, Mercer Island and Newcastle are planning an entire month of caring for the hungry in our community. Details are still being worked out, but rest assured that there will be plenty of opportunities for congregations, families and individuals to become involved. Watch for additional emails as more information becomes available

TOGETHER WE BUILD:
Together We Build is an Interfaith Coalition of Christians, Jews, and Muslims seeking to find common ground and learning from one another as we work together to build houses for low-income families in East King County, Washington. The 8th Annual TWB project for Habitat for Humanity will take place at Snoqualmie Ridge in Snoqualmie, Washington, on October 9-11 and October 15-17, 2009. The Youth Build Date will be October 12, 2009. Additional congregations are invited to be a part of this project. The first planning meeting is scheduled for the end of this month.

For additional information, please visit www.togetherwebuild.org or call Habitat for Humanity of East King County at (425) 869-6007.

VOLUNTEER CHORE SERVICES:
According to Diversity Program Coordinator with KCLS Outreach Services Jo Anderson Cavinta (425) 369-3454, the library offers a variety of services designed to meet diverse needs in our community. They offer a traveling library center, a technology lab, ESL and Citizenship classes, and “Fiestas” that help prepare Spanish-speaking children for kindergarten, among other programs.

For more information, log on to www.kcls.org or contact Jo

THE CITY OF BELLEVUE NEEDS SURVEY:
It is not too late for your congregation to be part of the city of Bellevue needs assessment.

Just click over to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=addvTKr1EowUsYC1CkcpDQ_3d_3d to add your voice.

CLOSING PRAYER: The meeting was closed in prayer by Elizabeth Maupin of the Issaquah Sammamish Interfaith Coalition.

Brian Anderson, EISCC Secretary