CCC FORUMS

wldwdpc · Joined: 09 Jan 2007 Posts: 12

Peace & Justice Meeting
Wed. Feb. 21, 2007 6:15 p.m.

1. Challenges facing Education:
Education Forum: Sunday, March 4th at 4-6PM
Bruce will talk with Disciples Class; Jo with Ecclesia and Keystone classes. Susie will phone many from our congregation who are involved in education to invite them to attend. We have had an exceptional response to those who were asked to be on the panel. They each were asked to talk for 5 minutes on what they perceived to be the greatest challenge to education. We will pass paper for the audience to write questions for the panel. Robert, our moderator, will read these questions – those we have time for.
We are all to bring some finger food to share.
2. Pay Day Lending & CIOP: A group of 50-plus people from around Decatur met at Central on February 8 to discuss the Payday Loan problem here. Participants told personal stories about those who have been hurt economically by these loans. The group called for another meeting on March 8 at Central (6:30 p.m.) to plan for the large Regional Meeting in April. Central may also host this meeting. Payday loan combatants from Springfield, Peoria, Bloomington, and Champaign are expected to attend, and possibly Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, too. It was mentioned that NPR’s Market Report had a segment on this problem. http://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2007/02/21/PM200702212.html

John Baird told that CIOP and member group, Farmers Supporting Independent Agriculture, met with Regions Bank in Decatur, and won an agreement from them to offer low interest loans to area farmers. These loans will help preserve family farms and the way of life of small communities as they buy seed and chemicals locally, better able to compete with corporate farms which buy elsewhere.

3. DVD series: Next Film: March 11th Iron Jawed Angels 6PM (CCC)
4. Robert’s reflections: Robert Bushey is currently working on the following initiatives:
IL State Board of Education Preschool for All Initiative Collaboration with Central Christian Preschool and Baby Talk, Inc. Goal is to bring diversity to our current program and to expand our services to reach more students.
51% of students must be at-risk by state definition (health, academic, or socio-economic factors) 49% of students may qualify based on income level.
After-School Program Collaboration with Decatur & Macon County YWCA
Begin in March as a Site for the current YW program with hopes of developing a collaborative Program serving a diverse population of tuition paying and scholarship supported students K-6th grade. Offer opportunities for Central volunteers.
Latinos en Accion of Macon County: Next Meeting is March 17th
Vision for Macon County: We envision non-Latino residents becoming Culturally Competent and Sensitive to Latino Issues/Needs/Culture and for Latinos to have access to opportunities for education/jobs/housing/citizenship.
Mission: To promote/organize to provide:
Educational opportunities (both ways, for Latinos and for the Non-Latino community)
Information and referrals to the Latino community
Macon County Economic Forum
Postponed the forum scheduled on Feb. 20th at GUMC. Sponsored by the Decatur jobs Council. Watch the FORUM for new date and time.
Macon County Special Needs Advisory Panel (SNAP)
Mission is to collaboratively prepare Macon County for response to an emergency/disaster for persons with special needs mental illness/physical disability/homelessness/poverty/elderly.
CCIW Pro-Reconciliation Anti-Racism Team Spring Workshops
March 3rd at Centennial CC in Bloomington
5. Next meeting date: Apr. 18, 2007 6:30 p.m.