“Taking the Fear out of Talking With Your Elected Official”
Workshop at Plymouth Church Sunday, March 14, 12:30-2:30
Are you motivated to end homelessness but feel uncomfortable talking face-to-face with your elected officials about it? Does the prospect of talking with your state legislator make you nervous because you’ve never done it before? Have you wanted to participate in a lobbying day at the state capital but don’t know how to do it? You are not alone and help is on the way!
On Sunday, March 14, 12:30-2:30 in the Plymouth Church Chapel there will be a workshop to help you prepare for face-to-face conversations with your elected officials. Come to the workshop and gain the confidence to take your message the next step forward or simply learn what questions to ask an elected official when given the opportunity at a town hall forum or candidate debate or public gathering. This is an important election year so there will be plenty of opportunities to engage our public officials in dialog. You’ll want to add your voice to the discussion.
At the workshop, facilitated by Rev. Dr. Nancy Maeker , Director of A Minnesota without Poverty, you will learn step-by-step how to be prepared and how to present your thoughts. You will leave the workshop feeling inspired by like-minded citizens and armed with a packet of resources.
If you would like to attend or if you have questions contact Jan Neville at 612-581-4554 or janeville@comcast.net .The workshop is free but a reservation is requested to insure adequate take-home materials for each participant.
The workshop is sponsored by DCEH, Downtown Congregations to End Homelessness, but is not limited to homelessness issues.
Currie Avenue Partnership Update
The Downtown Congregations to End Homelessness have raised $130,00 for the Currie Avenue Partnership! This has surpassed our goal of $70,000. With this funding, 3 and 1/2 case workers are being hired! To learn more, click here to read the media coverage and an update on the partnership.
Save GAMC Rally on the Opening Day of Session!
The 2010 session of the Minnesota Legislature began on February 4th in the midst of cheering and chanting from 
concerned Minnesotans about the loss of General Assistance Medical Care. Over 700 participants, many from DCEH congregations, listened as Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman from Temple Israel pumped us up about the need for spiritual audacity. We listened to GAMC recipients and what losing their health care coverage would do to their lives. A hugely sized GAMC bill and pen were brought through the crowd and later presented to Governor Tim Pawlenty’s office along with baskets and baskets full of pens, all in an effort to get him to reinstate GAMC funding. We are here to protect the poorest and sickest Minnesotans. Check out some of the media coverage of the GAMC rally!
Bike Repair Blitz
Join us for the DCEH bike ministry kickoff event the week of February 22nd. Volunteers with bike repair experience are needed to fix bikes on:
·Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, February 23rd-25th from 6-9PM
·Saturday February 27th from 10AM-4PM
·Sunday February 28th from 12-4PM.
Stay for an hour or two or three to fix a bike, build community and make a difference! Bikes will provide clients of our outreach centers with sustainable ways to get to school and work. All supplies including tools, bikes and parts will be provided.
Please contact Benita Warns at warns@pclink.com or 651-641-1037 for more information and to sign up to volunteer.
Kickoff to a Year of Advocacy
On Monday January 11th over 70 DCEH congregants and community members gathered at Central Luth er an Church for a one-stop advocacy workshop on ending homelessness. Cathy ten Broeke, Director of Heading Home Hennepin, gave an update on the Currie Avenue Project and talked about some of the challenges that still remain in the push to end homelessness. Key issues for the upcoming legislative session include the unallotment of fu nds for General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) and cuts in funding for Emergency General Assistance. Jeannie Fox from the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits discussed the dos and don’ts of advocating and the most effective ways to have your voice heard.
Participants sat at tables with others from their legislative districts and were given time to discuss how faith and 
poverty connect and what actions and strategies they could take as a district. At the end of the evening everyone was asked to fill out a call to action form outlining what actions they would take in an effort to end homelessness. 57 people committed to taking 203 actions in the coming months. These actions included attending their precinct caucus February 2nd, reading and taking action on Action Alerts twice a month and writing a lett er to the editor regarding ending homelessness. People placed their call to action forms in a basket at the front of the room as everyone sang “We Are Called.” This hymn served as a reminder that through advocacy and working together we are able to act with justice and energized the crowd to take action in the fight to end homelessness.
Our Mission
Work together to end homelessness by using our civic voice to educate and push the community from managing homelessness to ending homelessness and poverty through our support of Heading Home Hennepin and multiple relationships with the homeless, near homeless, congregations, volunteers and community organizations.
