Programs

Churches Take on Housing, Education, Health & Employment Issues

Stamford, CT, April 19, 2010… The InterFaith Council of Southwestern Connecticut announced today that its “Living Water for Dry Times” initiative will begin work on projects that will have a direct impact on meeting the needs of the community. The four Action Groups, made up of clergy and lay members from a wide cross-section of Stamford’s faith communities, have agreed to pursue the following action projects over the next few months:

Ø The Housing Action Group will work on providing counseling to home owners on a wide array of issues such as mortgages, credit, and dealing with financial crisis.

Ø The Education Action Group will work on providing diversity training collaboratively with and for teachers, administrators, students, and parents in the school system.

Ø The Health Action Group initiative plans to educate, inform and actively enroll more families in the state-sponsored Husky insurance program.

Ø The Employment Action Group plans to partner with a Reinventing Stamford initiative of reverse-mentoring, in which high school students will tutor unemployed and under-employed adults in computer skills.

“From start to finish, we want this to be a community-driven effort of ideas and action,” says the InterFaith Council’s president, Kate Heichler. “Faith communities already do so much in and around Stamford. Living Water for Dry Times is an effort to bring that energy, talent and commitment together, so we can promote real, grassroots, systemic and sustainable transformation in Stamford.”

All of the Action Groups will meet on May 6^th at First United Methodist Church on Stamford’s Cross Road to share their progress, and to encourage other citizens in Stamford to join the endeavor. Co-chair Michael Hyman says that “In these rough economic times the faith community cannot look the other way as others suffer amongst us, whether the cause is unemployment, or health, intolerance or shelter, there are opportunities for us to make a difference in the quality of life for all of our neighbors. When we do that we make our community better for everyone. The efforts being made by our diverse teams show that the faith communities in Stamford are prepared to meet some hard truths head-on.”

The Thursday, May 6^th meeting starts at 6:00 PM and will feature food, fellowship, and music by the Parthi Children’s Choir, and also includes elements of diverse religious traditions. Joe McGee, Vice President for Policy and Program of the Business Council of Fairfield County, will offer a business perspective on addressing Stamford’s needs.

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Living Water for Dry Times was launched last November, with a celebratory gathering of faith communities that emphasized inspiration and information. Comprising a diverse group of clergy and lay leaders, Living Water for Dry Times (LW4DT) is becoming the outreach arm of the InterFaith Council, one of the oldest and most active interfaith groups in the country.

The InterFaith Council seeks to promote action and foster conversation about issues important to people interested in faith and spirituality in southwestern Connecticut. For more information, contact Kate Heichler or www.interfaithcouncil.org.

Dear Interfaith friends,

Within this constantly changing world, understanding and relationships are vital to living well and living well with others. The InterFaith Council of Southwestern Connecticut is committed to creating opportunities for the development of insight into the practices and beliefs of other traditions and allowing space for connections to form.