Minutes: April 22, 2014

In recognition of Earth Day, we began our April meeting by watching and discussing a brief addresses by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, which called all of us to recognize that those who live in poverty oftentimes bear the consequences of environmental degradation more acutely than the wealthy. "The richer parts of the globe and this nation," she remarked, "have more time and more options in responding to [environmental] challenges; the poor do not." The complete address, as well as other presentations from the 2012 Intersection of Poverty and Environment Forum, can be viewed at the Episcopal Church website.

Following our film discussion, we instituted what will be a regularly occurring segment of our meetings; namely, a briefing concerning local and regional peace and justice issues. Three items received attention:

(1) The recent HUD settlement with the City of Dubuque concerning discriminatory housing practices. On April 15, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that it had reached a settlement with the City of Dubuque concerning allegations that the City's Housing Choice Voucher Program had resulted in discrimination against African American applicants. Upon reviewing the policies, HUD concluded, "applicants from the Chicago area who were adversely affected by the residency requirements differed markedly from applicants from within Iowa in one way: race." (For more information about the settlement, visit HUD's online portal.) Public discussion of this issue has demonstrated that many people sympathized with the City. Anecdotal evidence suggests that there is a rather widely held assumption that applicants from Chicago are simply trying to "game the system" in some way. We discussed the importance of challenging claims of this sort. First, this is, at best, a hasty generalization that cannot be assumed to be true in all or even most cases. Second, we should not ignore the fact that there is typically an element of hypocrisy at play when those in poverty are accused of gaming the system: our media and culture seems to extol members of privileged classes when they seek to pursue actions which will be most beneficial to themselves or their families. We ought to make it a point to challenge those who denounce similar such behavior when it is undertaken by those who are disadvantaged.

(2) The issue of wage theft, and legislation intended to address it. "Wage theft" refers to any practice which results in an employee being illegally denied wages by his or her employer. According to the Iowa Policy Project, wage theft here in Iowa is estimated to result in $600 million in unpaid wages per year. Moreover, on a yearly basis, it accounts for perhaps $45 million in unpaid tax revenue and $14 million in lost revenue to the state’s unemployment fund (view the report). The problem is particularly acute in the food service and construction industries. An anti-wage theft bill, SF 2295, cleared the Iowa Senate; however, it has stalled in committee in the House. Among other things, the bill would require employees to receive written notification of how they will be paid, and it would penalize employers who fail to pay their employees. (Representative Pat Murphy is a member of the committee in which the bill has stalled, and it may be useful to voice our support with him.) The Des Moines-based Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement has been holding workers' rights clinics focusing on this issue, and in the past year they have allegedly helped workers recover $170,000 in illegally withheld pay. For more information about Iowa CCI's Workers' Clinics, visit their website. We discussed the possibility of partnering with Iowa CCI to host a clinic here in Dubuque. Chris will contact them to see if this is something they are interested in pursuing.

(3) Human Trafficking in Iowa. Rev. Kathleen shared that the rector of St. Alban's parish in Davenport, Rev. Brian McVey, has been involved in raising awareness of human trafficking in Iowa. His work in this area began when he discovered that the I-80 truck stop in Walcott, Iowa was a major hub in the trafficking network. Rev. Kathleen suggested that Fr. Brian may be willing to come speak to our group. (For some background reading, see Torey Lightcap's 2012 post on Episcopal Cafe.)

Our discussion topic for the evening pertained to the Prayers of the People. At St. John's, prayers are offered for the men and women serving in the United States military. Haley noted that the Episcopal Peace Fellowship has requested that congregations include prayers for Afghani, American, and Iraqi war dead in their prayers. The EPF keeps an updated list at http://epfnational.org/prayfortroops-2/, which can be checked weekly. Casualties of the conflict in Iraq are documented on a daily basis at https://www.iraqbodycount.org/. Rev. Kathleen noted that the prayers at St. John's once included a prayer for our enemies, and she was not sure when it dropped out of use. She indicated that it could be reintroduced.

As a final matter of business, Chris summarized his work related to the proposed "Peace and Justice Saints" project. As a bit of background, the original proposal was to create informational posters introducing people to some of the holy women and men, whom the church venerates for their commitment to justice, peace, and equality in the church and the broader society. Chris suggested that we modify the project slightly: rather than creating posters, he proposed creating single-panel, brochure-sized handouts, which would feature a photo or illustration, a brief biography, and the official feast day prayer. One person will be highlighted during each month, beginning in May. Chris proposed creating info sheets for the following saints:

• May 13: Francis Perkins, Labor Secretary and first female U.S. cabinet member.
• June 27: Cornelius Hill, priest and last hereditary chief of the Oneida.
• July 20: Amelia Jenks Bloomer, antislavery and women's rights leader.
• August 12: Florence Nightingale, nurse and social reformer.
• September 15: James Chisholm, priest.
• October 10: Vida Dutton Scudder, educator and witness for peace.
• November 25: James Otis Sargent Huntington, priest, monk, and labor rights advocate.
• December 30: Frances Joseph Gaudet, educator and prison reformer.

Our next meeting will be held on May 13th.

April Meeting Reminder

The Dubuque-Area Episcopal Peace and Justice Fellowship will be holding a meeting tomorrow evening, April 22, at 6:30 PM. The meeting will be held in the St. John's Parish House library, following the 6:00 Holy Eucharist. (In May, we will resume our regular schedule of meeting on the second Tuesday of the month.)

On the occasion of Earth Day 2014, we will watch and discuss a brief address by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, which was delivered in 2012 at the Intersection of Poverty and Environment Forum. Other agenda items include the following:

• Local and state peace/justice issues: (1) the recent HUD settlement with the City of Dubuque; (2) wage theft legislation. 
• Discuss EPF perspectives and recommendations concerning prayers for peace and justice. 
• There may be interesting partnership opportunities available with Iowa CCI. For example, they offer a "Social Security Ambassadors" service, and they organize workers’ rights clinics. 
• Chris has an update on the P&J Feast Days poster idea, and he will be soliciting input. 

Feel free to bring other topics or issues, which you would like to add to the agenda.

Minutes: January 14, 2014

At our January meeting, we continued discussing A Framework for Understanding Poverty, and the lessons we could take away from the book concerning community involvement. Particular attention was paid to Payne's thesis that moving out of poverty requires the development (and sometimes the replacement) of significant relationships in one's life, and the recognition that children increasingly rely on relationships with institutions or with people filling institutional roles (e.g., teachers). This raises the difficult question of how and whether institutions can successfully foster the relevant sorts of beneficial relationships.

Following our book discussion, Chris and Haley presented a grant opportunity, offered through the City of Dubuque's "Sustainable Dubuque" initiative. The grant application and requirements may be viewed here. Most if not all of the various ideas we have considered for forms of action or involvement would easily fall within the requirements of the grant. These range from rather straightforward educational events (e.g., a film screening and discussion) to more complicated initiatives that would require partnering with St. John's Parish. Among the ideas discussed were the following:

1. Computer literacy and job training center. At the most recent Fifth Sunday Dinner, Haley spoke to a gentleman who explained that one of the difficulties he faces is finding a place to access the internet and apply for jobs. He bemoaned the fact that almost every job requires an online application, which requires knowledge of how to use a computer. If the demand for free computer access and training exceeds the current supply (as offered, for example, by the public library and Multicultural Family Center), perhaps the EPJF could step in. With funding from Sustainable Dubuque and through a partnership with St. John's, we would be able to purchase 2-3 computers and set up a center which would have regular weekly hours and special training sessions.
2. Diaper dispensary. It has come to our attention that many existing assistance programs do not cover the expenses associated with disposable diapers; moreover, laundromats do not allow customers to wash reusable diapers in their machines. Again, through a partnership with St. John's (providing space and/or funding), EPJF would be able to purchase bulk quantities of diapers and make them available to qualifying families for free. Update: this option may not be compatible with the Sustainable Dubuque grant requirements, though other grants could be explored.
3. Sewing workshop. Haley and Chris know of numerous people in the community, aside from themselves, who would be interested in participating in sewing workshops and training sessions, particular if they focused on how to reuse or "upcycle" old clothes and fabric. A community grant could be used to cover the purchase of machines (perhaps used machines sitting in attics?) and other equipment, advertising/marketing, and perhaps instructor fees.

John rightly pointed out that it would be valuable to gauge the likely level of demand or need for any such proposed programs or initiatives before pursuing grant funding. He volunteered to gain input from contacts who work closely with the populations in our church neighborhood. Upon hearing their thoughts, we will either make a decision to go forward with one of these options, or go back to the drawing board. 

John and Becky will not be present at the February meeting, so we will plan to communicate about this project via email and this website in the coming weeks.

January Meeting Reminder

Our January meeting will be held tomorrow (Tuesday, the 14th) in the St. John's Parish House library at 6:30 PM. We will continue discussing A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby Payne.

Last month, we began reevaluating how we should understand the mission of our group, and we will continue this discussion tomorrow. In particular, we discussed the question of what our primary aim should be, in light of the fact that (1) we lack a regular source of funding, aside from our own personal contributions, and (2) we do not want to compete with, nor duplicate the efforts of, the St. John's outreach committee.

On a related point, Chris and Haley will share information concerning a grant program administered by Sustainable Dubuque, which might be worth pursuing, particularly since one proposed aim of our group was to provide education and foster discussion within our church community about peace and justice issues.

December Meeting Reminder

We will be holding our December meeting today (12/10) at 6:30 PM in the St. John's Parish House library. The agenda includes the following items:

• Finish watching the documentary, The Line.
• Discuss the The Line in conjunction with the first four chapters of A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby Payne.
• Finalize a plan to increase St. John's contributions to the Dubuque Food Pantry.

As always, please invite other interested parties to join us. (They need not worry about not having read the book; the discussion should be interesting regardless!)

Minutes: November 12, 2013

At the November meeting, we watched and discussed the first two segments from the film, The Line, concerning poverty in the U.S. The film documents the stories of people living at or below the poverty line, and it seeks to dispell common myths about poverty. We will finish the film at our December meeting. Additionally, we will be discussing the first four chapters of the book, A Framework for Understanding Poverty, 4th ed. (2005). Special thanks to John and Becky for provided copies at a discounted rate.

Rev. Kathleen shared with us her experiences offering assistance to people in the community. She explained that she receives more requests than she can possibly grant, and we agreed to brainstorm ways in which we could generate further funds. We also agreed to work as a group to develop a more regular (i.e., weekly) contribution by  St. John's to the Dubuque food pantry, beginning in January. Although details will be finalized at the December meeting, it was agreed that we would manage a weekly donation schedule, with certain specific weeks of each month devoted to particular food items. For example, one week might be devoted to pastas and grains, another to vegetables and beans, etc. We agreed to come prepared with further suggestions and proposals.

Rev. Kathleen also noted that paper products and diapers are sometimes difficult for people to come by. We will give some thought to whether it would be feasible for St. John's to have these items in-stock and available for those in need. If such a project were pursued, we might be able to take advantage of bulk-ordering.

Meeting Reminder

Our monthly meeting will be November 12, at 6:30 PM at the St. John's Parish House. We will watch and discuss a brief film, in addition to continuing our discussions concerning issues of concern and possible projects. As always, please come with further topics for discussion, and feel free to invite others.

In case you didn't see it, John posted the following message elsewhere on the blog:

"I have 5 copies of the book, A Framework for Understanding Poverty, 4th ed (2005) that we found helpful. As people from middle-class and lower-middle class backgrounds, it provided understanding of how class affects culture. The list price is $22 and I'll sell these for $10 apiece."