Posts Tagged ‘workshops’

Calling all social justice Christians

Friday, March 26th, 2010

Help make poverty history

We believe social justice is a key part of Christ’s teachings, and that by working together for systemic change, we can end poverty.

If you believe in the Social Gospel, please join us for Alabama Possible, a social justice and anti-poverty conference we’re hosting at Samford on Saturday, April 24.

  • Worship with the Emergent Cohort and Worship at Workplay’s Daniel Bashta
  • Hear from Wayne Flynt, the conscience of Alabama
  • Participate in a poverty simulation
  • Learn how to build relationships with those you serve
  • Connect with ministry opportunities in the Birmingham area

Who should join us? Anyone who needs a deeper understanding of the poverty in our state, who yearns to understand how scripture calls you to act, or wants to be equipped with the tools to transform Alabama.

We challenge you: join the Alabama Possible movement. Be the change you have been waiting for.

Buy tickets and register today – AlabamaPossible.org/RSVP


Eat, pray, grow: hunger, faith, and community gardens

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

APP hosted Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread: A Hunger and Food Security Workshop last Thursday at Capitol Heights Baptist Church in Montgomery. Over 50 attendees came together to break bread and to share information, new ideas and strategies for fighting hunger in the Montgomery area.

We heard from local hunger relief programs (Montgomery Area Food Bank, Angel Food Ministries, Montgomery FBC Caring Center), community gardening experts (Montevallo Seed to Table, Jones Valley Urban Farm) and DHR representatives (Food Assistance Program, JOBS Employment Program) about ways to get fresh, healthy, and delicious food to our friends and neighbors.

DHR representatives Patricia Huffman, Margaret Green and Mary Lois Monroe explain the benefits available from family assistance programs, as well as the challenges of accessing these resources.

One of the best ways you can address the interrelated issues of hunger, rising food costs and malnutrition in your own neighborhood is to start a community garden. See this Slate article for suggestions on how to get started, as well as our Resource page on Community Gardening.

Edwin Marty of Jones Valley Urban Farm and Leanne Read of Montevallo Seed to Table talk gardening.

Thank you to Pastor Warren Culvert and Capitol Heights Baptist Church for graciously hosting the event; Ama Shambulia, director of West End Community Gardens for catering our delicious, fresh, and and local vegetarian lunch; Trevor Jaggers at Starbucks Vestavia and Tina Gilliland at Starbucks Hoover for food and coffee donations.

For more resources from the event, see our Montgomery Hunger Resource Guide.

Posted by Robyn Hyden

Bring It Back Home Campaign

Friday, October 9th, 2009

Alabama’s widespread multi-generational poverty is rooted in our state’s 1901 constitution, which does not guarantee children the right to a public education, codifies an upside-down tax system that does not give the state the resources it needs to move the state forward, and centers power in Montgomery rather than in our local communities.

Our partner Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform is launching the Bring It Back Home campaign to educate Alabamians about the need for a new constitution and what they can do to make that happen.

ACCR will be holding four free workshops in Florence, Mobile, Birmingham and Dothan.  These workshops will help build grassroots support and relationships to bring Alabama closer to constitutional reform and  will be facilitated by Bob Jones, ACCR Foundation Bring It Back Home Chair.

The workshops will be a combination of speakers, panel discussions and interactive exercises and will:

  • Explain Alabama’s turbulent history of six state constitutions;
  • Highlight the 1901 Constitution’s Articles, Amendments, and State Code – and show how they are connected;
  • Engage with elected officials to learn how Alabama’s executive and legislative branches work;
  • Promote an understanding of how local decisionmaking and governance is impacted by the 1901 Constitution.

Participants will be given the opportunity to become County Coordinators who will lead a Citizens Action Team and organize training, education and legislative activities during the year.

For information regarding the Bring It Back Home workshop schedule, visit www.constitutionalreform.org.