Category Archives: Intentional Communities

September 28, 2021

By: Baek Joon, Northern Asia-Pacific Division, and Adventist Review

In 2019, Public Campus Ministries (PCM) was established at Hsinchu Seventh-day Adventist Church in northern Taiwan, thanks to two PCM missionaries sent to serve in the area. The Hsinchu area is called the Silicon Valley of Taiwan. The city is known as Hsinchu Science Park, the countrys hub of high-tech industry.

The city, with a population of 480,000, has two universities, Tsinghua University and National Chiao Tung University, which rank second and third in the country. The education and living standards of the people in Hsinchu are high compared to the rest of Taiwan.

The Korean cultural wave known as Hallyu is booming among young people in Taiwan. Going with this trend, since 2018 the church has held Korean language classes to attract young people to church. In 2019, the Korean class received approval as an official club from Tsinghua University. Many students at the university have shown interest in the club, and some of them have come to the church.

Since early 2020, the Hsinchu church has struggled due to COVID-19. The situation has evolved over the last year and a half, and church gatherings have been prohibited from time to time. From May to July 2021, the church had to conduct worships online, with on-site worship becoming possible only by the end of July.

On August 21, 2021, a baptismal ceremony was held for the first time. Four young people were reborn. They had started attending the church earlier in the year. There were constant invisible battles in the candidates minds before their baptism, leaders said, but Gods grace was upon them when they finally decided to proceed.

Leaders shared that the ceremony was held at Taiwan Adventist College on a beautiful day. Two PCM missionaries, Seol Ah Park and Ji Soo Choi, actively led the new believers to Jesus Christ.

It has been three years since the Hsinchu church was planted, and currently, about 30 people gather every Sabbath, leaders said. Among them, 60 to 70 percent are college students and young office workers. We hope that they will grow as leaders who endeavor to deliver the gospel of God to many young Taiwanese who do not know Jesus.

About Public Campus Ministries

PCM is a service of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and its regional branches around the world. It envisions inspiring and transforming Seventh-day Adventist students into campus ambassadors through intentional mentoring and discipleship. To this end, PCM provides a ministry presence and nurturing environment for students, both on campuses and in local churches, utilizing communities of mentors who are committed to caring for, mentoring, and training the students.

The original version of this story was posted by the Northern Asia-Pacific Division.

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Public Campus Ministry Makes a Difference in the 'Silicon Valley of Taiwan' - Adventist Review

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In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the new coronavirus apandemic. Staying at home, maintaining social distancing, and washing our hands frequently were some of the recommendations made to contain Covid-19. At first glance, such measures seem simple, but for people experiencing homelessness or for those lacking adequate housing, they are unattainable measures. In addition, according to data from the Zero Evictions Campaign, at least 14,301 families have been evicted throughout Brazil since the beginning of the pandemic and another 84,902 remain under threat of eviction, making them even more vulnerable to the virus.

To ensure their populations right to health and safety, several countries enacted a moratorium on evictions during the pandemic. However, in Brazil, after almost a year and a half of pandemic, Proposed Bill 827/2020, which would ban evictions until the end of 2021, was vetoed by President Bolsonaro.

In this context of a health, economic and social crisis, We Effect, an NGO that focuses on adequate housing, and urbaMonde, an NGO that promotes the social production of habitat, both members of the CoHabitat Network, conducted the Global Study: Community-Led Housing in the Covid-19 Context, in order to evaluate how different types of housing were affected and how they dealt with the pandemics impacts on the lives of their residents, especially in terms of community resilience.

The term Community-Led Housing refers to housing models that rely on resident participation in housing project management, or even construction, emphasizing community coexistence and collective decision-making. These projects primary objectives go beyond land and housing being managed in a collective and non-speculative way by a community or cooperative organization. They include the guarantee of adequate housing rights and the fulfillment of the lands social function. Among the various existing forms, the following were the studys focus: Housing Cooperatives, Community Land Trusts, Collaborative Housing, and Intentional Communities.

Housing cooperatives emerged at the end of the 19th century and spread across the world, adapting to different contexts. They are characterized by the joining together of people dedicated to housing production and management, in order to ensure they remain economically accessible and evictions are avoided. In general, housing cooperatives can differentiate themselves based on their construction mode, financing, and whether real estate is rented or owned by residents, among other aspects. However, We Effect, one of the organizations leading the study, works with a specific model of cooperative association, known as the Mutual Aid Housing Cooperative (or CVAM according to its Spanish initials). The model was tested in Uruguay during the 1960s and is currently applied in several countries. Its characteristics are self-management and community control, collective ownership of the land and housing units, mutual aid to build homes and infrastructure, and multidisciplinary technical assistance to guide and empower residents.

Known the world over, Community Land Trusts (CLTs) emerged in 1968 in the United States in the context of the African-American struggle for civil rights. Today, approximately 500 CLTs exist around the world, and have even been implemented in informal settlements, such as the Cao Martn Pea in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The CLT model is characterized by the separation between land and building ownership. The land belongs collectively to a community organizationthe CLTsometimes created but always controlled by residents, while each resident owns, leases or rents their home (or other structure). The goal is to provide adequate and economically accessible housing in perpetuity, guaranteeing security of tenure and strengthening the community. Currently, Catalytic Communities (CatComm),* in a partnership with civil society organizations, community leaders, universities and public agencies, is working to establish a pilot project in Brazil. To learn more about this initiative, visit the projects website.

Collaborative Housing and Intentional Communities take various forms, with projects aimed in general at providing housing to specific groups such as the elderly, LGBTQI+ population, religious groups, ethnic minorities, or students. In addition to managing spaces collectively, residents often share the same values and interests. In some projects the housing price is adjusted to each residents income, enabling the inclusion of residents with financial difficulties.

Between September and November 2020, 1,047 participants from 72 countries answered a questionnaire to identify good housing practices during the pandemic. Some of these participants were also chosen to be interviewed and provide additional details about their experiences.

In order to analyze the relationship between different housing types and the extent to which their residents were impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, participants had to indicate the nature of the dwelling in which they lived: fully paid individual properties; individual property currently being acquired; private rental housing; public rental housing; borrowed housing; community land trust; housing cooperative; or irregular land ownership. The study tested the hypothesis that Community-Managed Housing initiatives allowed their residents to collectively organize self-help, defend their rights and prevent forced evictions, and to develop other resilience mechanisms in response to income loss and reduction due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The study focused on the following aspects: health and economic impact, forced evictions, and community organizing to face the pandemic.

Regarding the spread of the virus, 80% of participants reported positive Covid-19 cases in their cities or towns between February and July 2020. Of these, 62% said the positive cases were in their nearby districts, such as in their streets or neighborhoods. Concerning the impact on the local economy and employment, around 90% rated it moderate or high. Regarding the impact of the pandemic on personal income, 42% said they lost more than half or all their income (Figure 13).

To offset the pandemics economic effects, many governments offered public aid, whether in the form of financial subsidies, rent collection freezes, or reducing water and electricity costs. However, as shown in Figure 14, on average, only 20.2% of participants received some kind of housing expense assistance.

As a consequence of the economic crisis caused by Covid-19 and lack of public aid, many individuals had their housing situation affected. Private landlords, companies and public agencies carried out evictions in several countries, exposing the population to the virus, without offering adequate resettlement options. In addition, the studys authors mention that public policies granting payment extensions for rent, water, electricity, and gas bills, utilized in various countries, are of a transitory nature and eventually families will have to pay their creditors.

As far as the study participants, on average 48% had difficulty in covering housing costs. When analyzing the responses by dwelling type, housing expenses were a greater burden for those dealing with an irregular land tenure situation (83%) and for participants with government subsidized rent or living in public housing (62%). For those living in Community Land Trusts, only 13% had difficulties with housing costs. Also: participants living in housing cooperatives or CLTs were the only ones who claimed not to have received any kind of eviction threat or, as shown in Figure 22, be evicted at all.

Knowing that I own the building and that I have a surface right on the collective plot makes me feel safe. The CLT guarantees that no one will make me lose my home. resident of CLT Cao Martn Pea, Puerto Rico

Neighborhood networks played a key role in fighting the pandemic, with 82% of participants supporting their relevance. According to survey replies, several community initiatives were established to address issues such as food security, school instruction and infection prevention. Additionally, respondents reported social organizing through WhatsApp groups to offer help with childcare, psychological support or grocery shopping for elderly neighbors. Several income-generating activities were also cited, such as support to local businesses or the creation of solidarity funds.

Although the vast majority of participants agree that neighborhood networks are essential, there is a possible correlation between the dwelling type and the tangible participation of residents in such networks. According to the study, both participants who had illegal land tenure and those living in a collective ownership arrangement tended to have a higher participation rate in community organizations as well as in neighborhood initiatives during the pandemic. In the case of CLTs, 80% of respondents living in this type of dwelling organized themselves in solidarity with their neighbors in the context of the pandemic (Figure 24).

The study concluded that Community-Led Housing initiatives, such as Housing Cooperatives, Community Land Trusts, Collaborative Housing and Intentional Communities, are more resilient during times of crisis, such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Regardless of the kind of impact experienced during the pandemic, residents of Community-Led Housing were able to benefit from the organizational structure already established in their communities to deal with the situation.

We were able to make better informed decisions. We are also used to making collective decisions, which is not always the case when you share a rented house with roommates. resident of the Neds Housing Co-op, Nottingham, United Kingdom

Compared to irregular housing situations, borrowed or rental housing, and even fully paid individual properties, such models offer security of land tenure, even in situations where residents lose their income. This is due to the community-led and collective-ownership characteristics of these models, which provide greater capacity for mutual aid as well as access to negotiation and assistance from banks and local authorities. Some examples include unusual measures, such as collective mortgage payback or monthly payback that is proportional to income. Some initiatives also embrace security funds and savings collectives, which in addition to meeting basic needs and ensuring the survival of families during crises, also enable the creation of income-generating activities.

The study concluded that in such collective housing arrangements, conditions are more conducive to solidarity growth and cooperation development. In most cases, residents decided to live together and/or endured long housing struggles or community structuring processes that brought them closer and allowed them to get to know each other better, generating greater trust and allowing more effective decision-making responses in times of crisis.

One last benefit mentioned in the study are the support networks derived from community initiatives. In addition to sharing spaces, residents share tasks and provide emotional support to each other. In this way, they avoid total isolation, stress and depression.

(There is) mutual solidarity, financial, emotional, and organizational support. As a group, loss of earnings and loneliness can be overcome together resident of Mietshuser Syndikat, Kassel, Germany

However, the authors state that for such models to thrive, it is necessary that local and national governments and authorities contribute public policies that ensure the legal structure, financing, and access to land for Community-Led Housing initiatives.

To summarize, the study proves its initial hypothesis that initiatives such as Housing Cooperatives, Community Land Trusts, Collaborative Housing and Intentional Communities promote individual and community resilience to the social, economic and health impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and insists that such efforts be encouraged to make cities more inclusive and for future crises to be faced more effectively.

*Both RioOnWatch and the Favela Community Land Trust (F-CLT) are initiatives of Catalytic Communities(CatComm)

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The Resilience of Community-Led Housing During the Covid-19 Pandemic - RioOnWatch

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) The flower that shares their name, Yellow Tea Rose Foundation Inc. the new charitable arm of the Theta Omega Sigma chapter of the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority has roots that go deep.

Sigma Gamma Rho incorporated was established November 12, 1922, on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis, said Jessica Lewis, with the local chapter of Gamma Sigma Rho, and President of Yellow Tea Rose Foundation Inc.

Lewis says that Sigma Gamma Rho is one of the original Divine Nine, a group of centuries-old Black sororities and fraternities. When it was founded, the sorority comprised of seven Black teachers, during what Lewis calls a time of upheaval in the 1920s.

These women were trailblazers who were teaching in a city and a school system that was predominately segregated, predominately white, she said. They set the standard for what it meant to be in a Black Greek letter organization.

Today, the Theta Omega Sigma chapter founded in 1999 and now with 20 members continues their legacy. Just this year, they launched the Yellow Tea Rose Foundation Inc., which is named for the official flower of the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, and is a 501c3. Lewis says that this means grants, their graduating high school scholarships, are easier to achieve, while adding that donations to the organization are now tax deductible.

The Yellow Tea Rose Foundation Inc. aims to help Rochester and its communities by addressing three key areas: poverty, education, and health, all of it underscored racial equity.

Everything that we do will focus on these areas, which are critically important to the community of Rochester, she said.

The chapter today consists of college alumna who are originally all across the country from their 20s to their late 50s who try to improve their community. They have programs that range from Operation Big Bookbag that provides supplies to teachers an students, to a teen youth symposium, to Project Wee Savers, which aims to help young people become good financial stewards, to Project Cradle Care, which helps teen parents and moms and dads to the right support for their child.

Naturally, the pandemic has forced them to change many of their programs in format, but they recently added a program to help with another problem that the pandemic has created:

Vaccine inequity.

We secured a grant from the Rochester Area Community Foundation to host a COVID vaccine education program to help educate the community on the vaccine, Lewis.

They targeted two of the ZIP codes that have the least vaccinated populations, 14605 and 14619.

Are programs being intentional on where they are going spread their information, are they going to communities that need it most? Lewis posited. For us, that was a priority We have to be intentional.

At the virtual event, they had in a medical expert, Dr. Angela Branch from University of Rochester, to answer any questions that people had. Community members were also encouraged to share their own stories and experiences. They even had grocery store gift cards for attendees; Lewis says we value peoples time.

But it doesnt just stop with that program, which Lewis called a success, receiving lots of positive feedback. Lewis says the pandemic has kicked their programs into high gear, and the Theta Omega Sigma chapter aims to make lasting changes, that go as long as their roots are deep.

If we dont address (these issues), they will continue to persist, and at some point we have to be intentional about our work, Lewis said. we have to be intentional about the ways in which were combating these issues, really from a systemic level. If were just doing work from a programmatic front, thats just putting a Band-Aid on, its an immediate fix Thats the work the foundation is looking to do.

We want to help people reach self-actualization, she said. We know that theres inequities, we know that there are marginalized communities, but how do we overcome that? What kind of changes need to happen at the local, state, and federal level to help address these issues? Thats what were looking to do.

See the article here:

We have to be intentional: Yellow Tea Rose Foundation Inc. from Black sorority addresses poverty, education, health in Rochester - RochesterFirst

In Minnesota we have a creative, resourceful and resilient nonprofit sector and extraordinarily generous donors who acknowledge and support the essential work they do. As we head into another winter, likely made more difficult for our nonprofit community by the pandemic, we must ensure ongoing support for the critical services they provide to our community.

Dr. Eric J. Jolly

To help meet the needs, our states private philanthropists, business community and foundations came together. At the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, inflows to our donor advised funds reached record levels in 2020, helping to enable grants totaling more than $100 million to some 9,000 organizations, initiatives and projects. In March 2020, a broad coalition of family, community and corporate foundations quickly formed and funded the Minnesota Disaster Recovery Fund. This fund eventually disbursed more than $11 million statewide specifically to support recovery and resilience in our nonprofit sector. Working through community-level intermediaries, the fund helped support more than 1,700 nonprofits and more than 3,000 businesses statewide.

Our community recognized a need and we all rose to the challenge.

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While the philanthropic response to 2020s challenges was certainly gratifying, the creativity and agility demonstrated by so many nonprofits in these exceptionally trying times were equally energizing. There are myriad examples among our foundations grantees of organizations that recognized an opportunity to reimagine and reinvent themselves in the midst of the pandemics impact and the trauma and unrest in the community.

Among those examples are two organizations that, at first glance, would not seem like organizations we would view as crisis responders, but they did respond: Funny Asian Women Kollective (FAWK) and Walker West Music Academy. However, both embraced their roles working at the intersection of art, performance, community, healing, and learned to find new ways to engage and support their served communities.

At FAWK, even as performances were canceled and affiliated artists struggled with the financial consequences, leaders recognized the need to push back hard against heightened pandemic-induced xenophobia and violence against Asian Americans xenophobia that struck close to home given what some of our own staff and their families experienced.

FAWK responded in its uniquely irreverent and humor-infused way, keeping its anti-racism messages prominent through collaborations with other arts and advocacy organizations, moving its anti-racism workshops online and literally taking its work to the streets via trunk shows performed from the back of a pickup truck. Through comedy and laughter, we were able to help our communities talk about our identities and how to deal with Asian hate, said FAWK co-founder May Lee Yang.

At Walker West, 2020 required reassessing its commitment to families to determine what they needed in the face of the years challenges, how Walker West could provide it and what other services it could offer. Rooted in the African American experience and grounded in their mission to help community grow and heal through music, they made an intentional pivot to online instruction and online recitals, enabling it to serve students from outside the immediate area, as well as attract new visitors from as far away as Brazil and Kenya. This pivot was far from a simple shift to online platforms. Rather, it required persistent communication with staff and families, special training for instructors and identifying and developing new training formats for individual and ensemble lessons, early childhood programs and Walker Wests Amazing Grace Chorus. In addition to music instruction, Walker West successfully adapted to a virtual format to stream its Rondo Community Music Series broadening its reach nationally and internationally.

The foundations support for FAWK and Walker West is representative of the work we do on behalf of our donors to nurture our regions nonprofit of all sizes in all stages of development. We do this to help foster a nonprofit ecosystem that contributes to quality of life, equity and engagement and to ensure that emerging nonprofits, those growing or reinventing themselves and established organizations all have the potential to thrive. Our Management Improvement Fund which, since 1985, has been helping nonprofits with essential capacity-building work like strategic planning, board development and organizational assessments, also supports this essential work.

As the pandemic lingers and progress in closing race-based disparities remains painfully slow, we cannot let fatigue undermine our nonprofit sector. At the foundation we will continue to work with donors as they remain alert to the unmet needs in our community, so that our nonprofit sector can continue to innovate, pivot and again rise to the timely challenges that we face as a community.

Eric J. Jolly, Ph.D., is president and CEO of the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, which oversees $1.7 billion in charitable assets.

If youre interested in joining the discussion, add your voice to the Comment section below or consider writinga letteror a longer-formCommunity Voicescommentary. (For more information about Community Voices, see our Submission Guidelines.)

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Crisis responders: the state's resourceful nonprofits, which navigated a year like no other - MinnPost

With these fresh fall temps getting no higher than around 84 the entire weekend, it's a great time to be out and about doing virtually anything.

Perfect timing, then, for an outdoor tailgating contest, a massive dog party on the plaza, and a massive food festival featuring some top-tier chefs.

Enjoy the weather, H-Town. Here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, September 23

The Houston Seminar presents A House and a Home: Reckoning with Racial Disparity in Property OwnershipFor the next three Thursdays, this virtual event will have guest speakers helping viewers understand the legacy and cost of land inequality and why it matters to all of us. First out the gate will be Andrea Roberts, an urban planner who researches intentional communities built by Black people. Her experience in community development under Houston mayors Bill White and Annise Parker inform her efforts to move disappearing African-American communitiesfacing sprawl, gentrification and resource extractionfrom the margin to the center of public discourse. 5:30 pm.

Asia Society Texas presents After the Fall: Ben Rhodes on the Rise of Nationalism Across the GlobeBen Rhodes, national security expert and former White House aide to President Barack Obama, will discuss his new book, which focuses on the rise of nationalism around the globe, with a particular look at Asia. Informed by his travels around the globe, meeting with politicians, activists and dissidents confronting the same nationalism and authoritarianism experienced recently in the United States, Rhodes will share lessons the U.S. should learn in addressing nationalisms root causes and effects. 6 pm.

Echoes of DeLuxe Art ShowA key part of the legacy of the DeLuxe Art Show (which happened 50 years ago) is the continued practice and expansion of Black modernism, breaking from forms and inventing new ones. These themes are represented in the program for this virtual, two-night event, including the documentary Time, directed by Garrett Bradley, the daughter of DeLuxe Art show curator Peter Bradley; and Stefani Saintonges F*cked Like A Star, part of a free virtual program with three short films representing 5th Ward, Black Invention, and Modernism. 7:30 pm.

Friday, September 24

Manhattan Short Film FestivalThe 24th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival is a worldwide event taking place in over 400 venues across six continents, the only event of its kind. Going down locally this Friday and Saturday at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houstons Brown Auditorium Theater, the final 10 films screen simultaneously across the world during a one-week period, with the Best Film and Best Actor awards determined by ballots cast by the audiences in each participating venue. By virtue of their selection by Manhattan Short, each short film is automatically Oscar-qualified. 7 pm.

Social Movement Contemporary Dance presents Power to the PeopleThrough three world premieres, this live performance embodies the freedom from external control or influence. "The Culture" takes ownership of the now-global, hip-hop phenomenon through expression of hip-hops five pillars breakdancing, MCing, DJing, graffiti and knowledge. In "Autonomy," artistic director Elijah Alhadji Gibson celebrates the strength, power and perseverance of all women, through a series of solos. To close the show, "We The People" conveys his observations of what happens when peoples daily lives are interrupted by the world's harsh realities and they begin to demand change. 7:30 pm.

Houston Symphony presents The Artistry of Augustin HadelichAmazing artistry and exciting new discoveries are all in store in these concerts, featuring Grammy Award-winning violinist Augustin Hadelich. The concerts begin with Bachs Concerto for Violin and Oboe, spotlighting principal oboe Jonathan Fischer. Then, Hadelich performs Shostakovichs Sonata for Violin, Percussion and Strings and the Prelude from Bachs Partita No. 2. To close, Hadelich shares a concerto by Joseph Boulogne, the son of a slave who went on to become one of the most important violinists in Paris. The Saturday performance will be available to livestream. 8 pm (2:30 pm Sunday).

Saturday, September 25

Bobcat Teddy's 1st Annual Tailgating CompetitionIf you love Bobcat Teddy's cook-offs, then you'll love this new competition, benefitting the Southern Smoke Foundation. Teams will be battling it out for the best tailgating team in town. First place will win $500, while second place will receive a $250 gift card to Texas Star Grill Shop. Come out for a fun-filled day of college football, taste some great grub, and watch your favorite teams compete. $7 will allow all patrons to taste and vote on their favorite tailgate team. Represent your alma mater, company, or yourself. Noon.

Houston PetTalk Magazine presents Doggy Party on the PlazaThis annual, fun-filled family day includes loads of activities, raffles, vendor sales, games, contests, and the Annual Doggy Party Rescue Me Parade. The event will feature shopping, food, games, artists, face painting, and more. Make sure you and your pooch come dressed to impress for this years Doggie Costume Contest with prizes from Kendra Scott. Guests can rub noses with celebrity guests, get their photo taken in the free pet photo booth, have their face painted, enter giveaways for fabulous prizes, and more. Noon.

ROCO in concert: Bursting at the SeamsConducted by ROCOs artistic partner Mei-Ann Chen, this will feature the world premiere of the first movement of Maxime Goulets Ice Storm Symphony, Turmoil, telling the story of Canadas historic, devastating 1998 ice storm, and also features the world premiere of Marcus Maroneys OK, Goodbye. for flute, viola damore and chamber orchestra, inspired by the melting of the Icelandic Okjkull glacier, and highlighting soloists Matt Dane and Christina Jennings. Michael Abels Delights & Dances and Domenico Cimarosas Il Maestro di Cappella Overture complete the program. There will also be a ROCO surprise. 5 pm.

Sunday, September 26

Chef FestHouston foodies, assemble. Chef Fest will feature nine Houston chefs (including chefs from Lucilles Hospitality Group, Tatemo, The Sporting Club, etc.) who will showcase their passion and creativity around local produce while simultaneously raising awareness and proceeds for the Houston Food System Collaborative. Guests will wash down the day's bites with craft cocktails, local beer, and Texas wine while also immersing themselves in add-on tasting and family-friendly cooking experiences. 11 am.

Main Street Theater presents Darwin in MalibuMalibu, California. The present. One hundred and twenty years after his death, Charles Darwin (aka the Devils Chaplain) is hanging out at a beach house overlooking the Pacific with a girl young enough to be his daughter. His peace is rudely disrupted when his old friend Thomas Huxley (the Devils Disciple) washes up on the beach, closely followed by the Bishop of Oxford, Samuel Wilberforce. These three find themselves entangled in an enthralling and thought-provoking comedy about God and science. Running through Sunday, October 24. 3 pm.

Daryl Hall & John Oates in concert with Squeeze and KT TunstallPrivate Eyes, Rich Girl, Sara Smile, One on One, I Cant Go for That (No Can Do) we could honestly spend this entire blurb listing all the classic hits from the legendary Philadelphia duo, the bluest of blue-eyed soul singers. Here are two men who spent most of their careers making sure their invitation to the cookout is always open. Check them out this weekend, where you know theyll hit you with Shes Gone, Kiss on My List, Everytime You Go Away, and all the faves. 7 pm.

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Here are the top 12 things to do in Houston this weekend - CultureMap Houston

By Laura Bellis, Contributing Writer

The current pandemic plunged 31 million people across the globe into extreme poverty, illuminating disparities in both its impacts and in recovery efforts.

Less than 1% of COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in low income countries, hindering recovery efforts while advanced economies are expected to regain pre-pandemic per capita income levels by 2022.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations fifth annual Goal Keepers Report, released last week, lays bare the adverse effect of the pandemic on progress in combating poverty across an array of global health and economic indicators.

This information may not be alarming to those who have followed the news closely or witnessed first-hand the disproportionate negative impacts of the pandemic on women, people of color, and people in poverty.

The report isnt all doom and gloom. Despite the depressing quantitative data, the report also highlights significant stories of communities leveraging their strengths to survive and support one another:

Some of the most effective interventions weve been tracking have happened at a hyperlocal level, headed by leaders who have worked long and hard to earn the trust of their communities something that cannot be built overnight or in the midst of a crisis.

The report highlights examples of building on pre-existing community infrastructure to power-through pandemic obstacles, which include womens self-help groups in Bahir, India delivering meals, providing home-based healthcare, and supporting vaccine distribution, and community health workers in Senegal going home to home to ensure children arent missing critical immunizations.

Without groups like those already in place, support and recovery efforts would be significantly more challenging, conveying the need, as the reports co-chairs write, to think in generations, not news cycles.

The need and successes of this very same framework can be witnessed in the United States as well in efforts by trusted local organizations, like those in Tulsa.

This past Saturday, as part of events commemorating the 5th anniversary of Terence Crutchers tragic killing by a Tulsa police officer, the Terence Crutcher Foundation hosted an event in the heart of north Tulsa that included vaccine distribution and opportunities to support Hurricane Ida relief.

The Goal Keepers Report tracks progress toward objectives set to realize an end to poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and fix climate change all by 2030, a commitment made in 2015 by 193 world leaders. In this pandemic-consumed fifth edition of the report, the need for long-term investments in global and local infrastructure is explicitly conveyed as critical to achieving these ambition goals.

The report clearly shows investment is very much needed in healthcare systems and health research; decades of such investments is what made the rapid development of safe, effective vaccines possible. And the report shows that just as important are local-level intentional investments in community-building.

Trusted community groups and organizations have not only supported vaccine distribution over the past several months, but they have fed, housed, and provided access to other critical resources throughout the pandemic.

The co-chairs of the Goal Keepers Report write, progress is possible, but not inevitable. To ensure a resilient web of resources in the face of future catastrophic obstacles, the power of community must be acknowledged and invested in.

Read more from the original source:

Gates Foundation report shows the power of community in the face of pandemic devastation - The Black Wall Street Times

How to keep children safe as they return to school

Most of the children in the U.S. have already started school, or are heading back next week and parents and students alike still have a lot of questions about how to avoid the coronavirus. (Sept. 9)

AP

LAS CRUCES If you've seen one community school, you've seen one community school.

This no-one-size-fits-all mantrais intentional, said David Greenberg,executive director of the National EducationAssociation of New Mexico's Center for Community Schools.

Since eachcommunity's needs are different, so is each community school.

Though each of the80community schools in New Mexico offer different services, their missions arethe same.

Greenberg will say that mission is to"strategically leverage partnerships to be with local businesses and faith-based organizations or nonprofit organizations or different health providers to to meet the vision of the needs that the communities establish."

'Very disappointing: Las Cruces Public Schools condemns graffiti ahead of Las Cruces-Mayfield game

What he means is that if a community needs it, you'll find it at a community school, with services available to anyone beyond just when school is in session.

In one town, a community school helped facilitatethe installation of solar panels in homes thatwouldn't otherwise haveaccess toelectricity or running water; in another town, the community school became a food pantry; and in still another town a mom found a job through connections at the community school.

And if a community school doesn't have what you need, a staff member can finda service to help.Once those basic needs are met, the community can thrive, community school advocates say.

Could New Mexico schools go remote again: Not likely, as leaders prioritize in-person learning.

"Some people need help with food and clothes, some people need help with housing, some people need help with electricity. We really tailor the approach to an individuallevel," said Victoria Dominguez, the community schools coordinator for Cuba Independent Schools, one of themost at-risk school districts in the state.

Advocates saycommunity school strategies help the state fulfill it's directives in theYazzie/Martinezlawsuit from 2018 thatrevealed at-risk children inNew Mexico aren't getting the same level of education as their peers.

More:Community schools in New Mexico provided invaluable services amid pandemic, advocates say

"The first step in really reinventing education is shiftingwho's at the table and in the roommaking decisions, and doing the deep listening that we need to do to understand(where) the people are at this point in time," Greenberg said.

Lucia Carrillo and her three young children ages 8, 5 and 2 live in Arrey, a small town south of Truth or Consequences. Carrillo also caresfor her 15-year-old niece, all while working toward for her degree in Early Childhood Education at Doa Ana Community College and New Mexico State University.

Carrillo said she has watched the small town come together since Arrey Elementary School became a community school in 2019.

"More people are coming out to get the help and seek the help," she said.

Arrey Community Elementary has fewer than 100 students enrolled, according to community school coordinator Yolanda Tafoya. However, Tafoya said she provides services to over 180 families in the area.

Tafoya said she's learned more about the community in the year she's been the Arrey Elementary community schools coordinator than in the past 12 years working for Truth or Consequences Municipal Schools

"Those home visits,going in and actually seeing where the students are living, and what their needs are, havejust opened my eyes tremendously," Tafoya said. "To know these are their struggles, (these are) some of the barriers that they may have.The reason we're here is all about students, helping them succeed. The only way that they can be successful in school, is make sure they have every basic needcovered."

For residents of rural communities such as Arrey and Cuba those needs can be myriad and wide-ranging, from food to clothes to health careto internet and utility services.

When Tafoya realized that internet access was a huge problem for Arrey families, the community schoolprovided computers, hotspots and other internet services. She said the school is also working on establishing a computer lab inside the school for anyone in the community.

This will helpstudents like Carrillo access online classes, Tafoya said.

Tafoya has also worked for years to establish a food pantry in town, which she has now done thanks in part to the community school label.

"Instead of it being an entity or an individual or church,we were able to establishunder the school district," she said.

Tafoya now receives weekly truckloads of food fromRoadrunner Food Bank as well as donations from the local grocery stores in Arrey and nearby Hatch. She now travels thedirt roads in rural town to deliverfood to 160 families 600 individuals weekly.

In the northwestern corner of the state, Cuba Independent Schoolsalso provides food to residents through its community school. The school building now hasracks of clothes that families have access to.

"The thing about Cuba is we're kind of in the middle of nowhere," said Dominguez, the community school coordinator."We don't have a lot of resources, so rather than dwelling on the fact that we don't have a lot of resources, we just created created our own."

Dominguezsaid one of thefamilies that utilizes the community school services lives about a 45-minute drivefrom the center of town. Often the family's grandma will come to pick up food or clothes for the 23 people living in that one houseand breaks down crying due to gratitude.

Building that trust with the community is key to providing resources, Dominguez said.

"(We're) letting people know thatwe're in this together, we're gonna get through this together, we're here to support you," she said.

Dominguez said that there are many families that don't have electricity or running water in the area. She said some have generators, but they are loud and expensive to sustain.

The week of Aug. 30, Cuba community schools helpedfacilitate the installation of solar panels in the homes of seven families, a program paid for by thethe New MexicoSenateand the Indigenous Education Department.

"You just let us knowwhat you need from us, and if we don't have resources, we're gonna find resources for you," she said.

Community schools are not just insmall towns. They are also in cities wherein the schools can rely more on partnering with already existing organizations in the area.

InLas Cruces Public Schools, the five community schools put a focus on outreach through after school programs.

MacArthur Community Elementaryoffers child care services, tutoring, professional development courses for staff, technology classes for adults and after school programs for students that they voted on themselves. MacArthur has also provided food, haircuts, school supplies and COVID-19 vaccines to community members.

LCPS community school families also receive free annual dental cleanings.

Similarly, atSierra Community Middle School in Roswell Independent Schools, community members receive free dental cleanings from local offices andfree vision exams and glasses at Walmart's vision clinic.

Sierra also has a brand new school-based health center that is open for general exams and behavioral health services.

"We are just now really kicking off community schoolsat Sierra," said Sierra Middle community schools coordinator Kristen Salyards. "I tell our leadership team that here at the school,when we do thisnot if we do this, but when we do this we will change lives. This has the potential and the possibility to change the lives of our students and their siblings and their parents."

More: High school student accused in Chaparro shooting pleads not guilty

Story continues below.

Virus outbreaks force some students to stay home

As coronavirus outbreaks driven by the Delta variant lead school districts around the U.S. to abruptly shut down or send large numbers of children into quarantine, some students are getting minimal schooling at home. (Sept. 16)

AP

Of the 80 community schools statewide, 33 are still receiving state and federal funding, according to the New Mexico Public Education Department's most recent report on community schools.

All 33 are funded through the New Mexico Community Schools Act, which Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed in April 2019.

Community schools are often placed in areas of high poverty where their services are most needed. Of the 33 state-funded community schools, 16 are elementary schools, six are middle schools and six are high schools. The other five are charter schools servingK-8, K-12, K-2 and 6-12.

Through the Community Schools Act, $2 million was set aside for community school initiatives in New Mexico. Schools that are accepted for the grant receive$150,000 each year for a period of three years to get them started.

The thinking is after thatthree-year period, the community school would have sufficient roots and can rely on community partners and sponsors to continue its services.

In May, the PED issued 50 grants totaling $6.6 million to schools across New Mexico to plan for or to implement the community school strategy in the 2021-22 school year.

For the 2021-22 year, 21 new community schools were established and awarded planning grants ranging between$32,000 to $50,000.

According to LCPS district community school coordinator Amanda Barela,there is a sixth community schoolon the way in the district that will either be Mesilla Park Elementary or University Hills Elementary. She said both will become community schools eventually, but the district are working to decide who will get the funding through a$600,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Other funding sources can come from partnerslike Kellogg or from other state and federal grants.

On Monday, Gov. Lujan Grisham issued a proclamation naming the week of Sept. 20-24 Community School Coordinators Appreciation Week to celebrate the work community schools do for students and families.

The potential for longevity of community schools is something New Mexico excels in, according toJose Muoz,director of theCoalition for Community Schools, which is a national group that advocates for and supports the development of community schools. There are over 5,000 community schools in the U.S., with the majority being in New York and California.

However, Muoz said that New Mexico stands out because of the joint powers agreements that have been established between cities and districts in order to support community schools. Albuquerque Public Schools was the first to sign a joint powers agreement in 2007: the ABC Community Schools Partnership.The district nowhas 34 community schools.

In 2018, the City of Las Cruces and Las Cruces Public Schools signed a joint powers agreement modeled after the agreement in Albuquerque.

"A superintendent changes, a mayor changes, a county manager changes or something like that, but when you take the time and effort it takes to get a joint powers agreement,it doesn't change because it's recognized by the state and you are now an official entity," Muoz said. "We're built for the long run if we can get some more joint partnership agreementsthat include tribal nations (and)how they work with their surrounding counties and cities."

Education and classrooms: Flooding again disrupts Gadsden Independent School District's busing in the La Union area

It can be expected that more community schools will be established in New Mexico in the coming years.

In July, President Joe Biden proposed an increase offunding for community schools from $30 million to $443 million.

Muoz said his organization has a goal for 25 percent of all public schools in the United States to be community schools by 2025. He said that would create a tipping point in education.

"Once we get to that 25%,it'll withstand any position, or any politician,"Muoz said.

Miranda Cyr, a Report for America corps member, can be reached atmcyr@lcsun-news.comor@mirandabcyron Twitter. Show your support for the Report for America program athttps://bit.ly/LCSNRFA.

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Community schools aim to cover 'every basic need.' Here's how they do it in New Mexico - Las Cruces Sun-News

September 20, 2021

DES MOINES, Iowa - The Iowa Department of Public Safety has joined policing agencies across the country who are committed to implementing strategies and actions designed to increase the representation of women in law enforcement.

The 30x30 Initiative is a national effort developed to improve the representation and experiences of women in law enforcement by addressing recruitment, assessment, hiring, retention, promotion, and agency culture. The ultimate goal of the 30x30 Initiative is to have women represent 30 percent of our recruit classes by 2030, and to ensure policing agencies are representative of the jurisdictions they serve.

The 30x30 Initiative is a collaborative effort between police leaders, researchers, and professional organizations across the United States. The 30x30 Initiative is affiliated with the Policing Project at NYU School of Law and the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE). We are working to increase the representation and advance the experiences of our female officers to better reflect the communities we serve, said Department of Public Safety Commissioner Stephan Bayens. We are committed to encouraging women to seek a career where they can truly protect and serve their communities and to provide an environment that will ensure they flourish personally and professionally.

The number of DPS female sworn officers is beginning to increase following efforts to reach women through social media channels, targeted digital messaging, and intentional outreach activities on college campuses. Today, women make up 6.4% of the Departments sworn workforce. The 45th DPS Basic Academy class, currently in training, started with 15% female recruit enrollment. Women also made up 16% of the recent qualified applicant pool for the Departments upcoming Certified Academy (prior certified officers).

Added Department of Public Safety Director of the Division of Professional Development and Support Services, Charis Paulson, We are working to develop Iowa-based research to assist us in our planning and recruiting efforts to help identify opportunities and barriers for all applicants, but especially with females. We are committed to recruiting women and fostering a culture that embraces the unique skillset and diversity they will bring to our department.

More than 35 agencies from major metro departments, to mid-sized, rural, university and state policing agencies have committed to the understanding that a greater representation of women in law enforcement leads to better policing outcomes for communities.

We are grateful to the Iowa Department of Public Safety for being one of the first in the nation to commit to being a part of this growing movement said Maureen McGough, co-founder of the 30x30 Initiative, Chief of Staff of the Policing Project at the New York University School of Law, and former policing expert at the U.S. Department of Justice. We believe strongly that advancing women in policing is critical to improving public safety outcomes. We look forward to having more agencies follow the DPS lead by signing the pledge and improving the representation and experiences of women in policing.For more information, visit http://www.30x30initiative.org.

ABOUT THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

The Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) is the largest law enforcement agency in the state. It includes six divisions and several bureaus, all working together with local, state and federal government agencies and the private sector, to keep Iowa a safe place by following our core values: leadership, integrity, professionalism, courtesy, service and protection. Divisions within the Iowa DPS: Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa State Fire Marshal Division, Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center, and Administrative Services Division. The Department of Public Safety is led by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Governor.

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Iowa Department of Public Safety Supports National Initiative To Increase Women In Policing | Iowa Department of Public Safety - Iowa Department of...

September 23, 2021

Contact: Anissa Riley, College of Veterinary Medicine

Merck Animal Health announced its sponsorship of veterinary student scholarships at the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine (TUCVM). Merck Animal Health has sponsored the past two years of sponsorships for the TUCVM, awarding 15 students during the 2019-2020 academic year and 15 students during the 2020-2021 academic year. Each student received a $5,000 scholarship to further their education as they pursue careers in either companion or large animal veterinary care.

TUCVM is the only veterinary medical professional program located on the campus of a historically black college or university in the United States. The college has educated more than 70 percent of the nations African American veterinarians and has been recognized as the most diverse of all 32 schools or colleges of veterinary medicine in the nation.

At Merck Animal Health we believe in promoting diversity in the veterinary profession and we are eager to support each of these talented recipients, said Lowell Midla, VMD, Livestock Technical Services Manager, Merck Animal Health. We are confident that the unique talents, perspectives, and contributions of these students will help build a brighter future for the veterinary profession.

The 15 recipients recognized for 2020-2021 cycle are:

The 15 recipients recognized for the 2019-2020 cycle were:

We are very grateful to Merck Animal Health for their intentional and long-standing commitment to the veterinary profession and promoting veterinary medical education at Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine through its scholarship program.Across the 2019-20 and 2020-21 academic years, 15 of our students in each cycle received a total of $75,000 in scholarships from Merck Animal Health.The spirit of this scholarship aligns with the legacy of the TUCVM to embrace and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the veterinary profession. We look forward to continuing this impactful partnership with Merck Animal Health, said Dr. Ruby L. Perry, dean of the college, TUCVM.

I echo what Dean Perry says about the appreciation we have for our valued partnership with Merck Animal Health. Our scholarship committee here at the College works hard to identify truly deserving students for the generous Merck Animal Health scholarship. The company continues to not only be an asset to our scholarship program, but it also gives students an incentive to maintain high standards for academics and to become actively involved in service to the veterinary college and their communities, said Dr. Deidre Quinn-Gorham, coordinator of educational programs and instructional technology at TUCVM and chair of the scholarship committee.

The 2021-2022 scholarship application period is now open through Oct. 1, 2021. Interested second- and third-year veterinary students can apply by contacting Dr. Deidre Quinn-Gorham atdquinngorham@tuskegee.edu.

About Merck Animal Health

For 130 years, Merck, a leading global biopharmaceutical company, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the worlds most challenging diseases. Merck Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA, is the global animal health business unit of Merck. Through its commitment toTheScience of Healthier Animals, Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services as well as an extensive suite of digitally connected identification, traceability and monitoring products. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals and the people who care for them. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visitwww.merck-animal-health.comor connect with us onLinkedIn,Facebook,TwitterandInstagram.

About Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine

Located in Alabama as one of the states two accredited veterinary programs, the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine (TUCVM) was envisioned in 1944 by Dr. Frederick D. Patterson, founder of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), and officially established at Tuskegee in 1945. TUCVM is the only veterinary medical professional program located on the campus of a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the United States. The College has educated more than 70 percent of the nations African American veterinarians and has been recognized as the most diverse of all school/colleges of veterinary medicine in the nation. The Colleges primary mission is to provide an environment that fosters a spirit of active, independent, and self-directed learning, intellectual curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, ethics, and leadership; and promotes teaching, research, and service in veterinary medicine and related disciplines.For more information, visitwww.tuskegee.edu/vetmed.

2021 Tuskegee University

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Merck Animal Health furthers commitment to diversity and inclusion efforts amongst veterinary community - Tuskegee University

UMSL was one of 101 U.S. colleges and universities to receive a 2021 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine for demonstrating an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. (Photo by August Jennewein)

The University of MissouriSt. Louis takes pride in being one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse universities in the state of Missouri.

But members of the campus community are continually looking for new ways they can cultivate an even more inclusive environment where everyone can feel valued and thrive.

Today,INSIGHT Into Diversitymagazine recognized that ongoing work while naming UMSL one of 101 recipients of its prestigious2021 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award anational honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universitiesthat demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. The honorees will be featured along with the other recipients in the magazines November 2021 issue.

This marks thesecond year in a rowand fifth time overall that UMSL has received the honor after previously being recognized in2013,2014and2015. It was also the only university in Missouri to be included in this years list of awardees.

We are extremely proud to receive this recognition once again, saidTanisha Stevens, UMSLs vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion. Over the years, the editors at INSIGHT into Diversity have become more selective in choosing the recipients of this award, and the reason for that is because a number of institutions are more intentional about promoting diversity and building more inclusive communities. This year, what made the award really special for us is that it is an acknowledgement of the intentional efforts weve made.

In applying for the award, Stevens noted the focus on DEI in major initiatives such as the creation and implementation of UMSLs first-ever strategic enrollment plan, which recognizes the importance of looking holistically at what is needed to recruit and retain students of diverse backgrounds. DEI also has been top of mind in discussions for the campus master plan, including a proposal to redevelop a portion of South Campus for a North St. Louis County Business and Workforce Development District that would benefit not only UMSL but residents in the surrounding community.

UMSLs application featured a pair of precollegiate programs Eyes on Diversity and the UMSLCollaborative Laboratory Internships and Mentoring Blueprint that receivedINSIGHT Into DiversitysInspiring Programs in STEM Awardslast month.

Stevens also highlighted a town hall event We Are Not a Virus: Tritons Against Anti-Asian Hate held in May,Chancellor Kristin Soboliks message to the campus community about the Juneteeth holiday, and the creation of the Chancellors Award for Inclusive Excellence to further demonstrate the universitys values when it comes to diversity and inclusion.

The UMSL community found ways to continue longstanding traditions such as the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Observance and programming around Black History Month, Womens History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month and LGBTQ+ History Month amid the pandemic.

I think we learned with COVID that we could have just continued to maintain, but we didnt, Stevens said. Instead, we had departments do some really amazing things.

We should be proud of how we stepped out and did some things that we may have always wanted to do but were afraid to. COVID and virtual learning really gave us the opportunity to do so.

One more new initiative is the creation of agraduate certificate program in workplace diversity, equity and inclusion. It is the brainchild of Marlo Goldstein Hode, the senior manager of strategic diversity initiatives. The noncredit program will help students become DEI advocates and leaders, work more effectively with individuals from all backgrounds and make workplaces more welcoming and inclusive.

The HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees and best practices for both continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion, saidLenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. We take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus.

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UMSL wins fifth Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine - UMSL Daily