Accomplishments

DART organizations throughout the United States have won victories on a broad set of issues. Below we have provided a compilation of victories from DART affiliates only in the last four years. This is an abbreviated list ordered by interest areas in order to illustrate what can be accomplished when congregations organize together to do justice. For a more comprehensive list from a city-by-city perspective, please read about each of our local affiliate's work in the DART Network Directory.
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Public Education Improvement
As you will see below, DART organizations have been highly effective at improving the quality of public education in various ways. First and foremost, many DART organizations have succeeded in implementing and expanding effective reading curriculum in our public schools such as Direct Instruction (DI). DI is a structured approach of teaching children to read that has proven to accelerate the learning of at-risk students in public schools. Implementing this way of teaching kids to read has vastly improved historically low performing public schools and provided children the opportunity to master one of life’s most basic necessities for success: reading.

In addition to improving our school system’s capacity to teach reading, DART organizations have also succeeded in addressing in-school bullying, suspension policies, early childhood development/Universal Pre-Kindergarten programming, truancy, quality teacher training and retention policies, school-based health programming, post-graduation planning for high school students, building maintenance problems, and improved school-wide behavior/discipline. See below for details on our most recent victories.

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2007
St. Petersburg, Florida: The superintendent of schools committed to launch a pilot school-wide discipline program into 24 schools in 2006. In their follow-up, FAST members saw 23 Pinellas County schools embrace the CHAMPS/Foundations program, and with the staggering statistic of more than 37,000 students benefiting from the program in its first year, the FAST education committee met with school board members and got them to commit to expand the program into additional schools at this year’s Action. By June 2007, the school board voted to implement CHAMPS/Foundations into 8 additional schools.

Columbus, OH: Ron O’Brien, Franklin County Prosecutor, followed through on his commitment in 2006 to convene a cross-section of area stakeholders to develop a comprehensive city-wide plan to reduce truancy. As a result, Columbus Public Schools began a model truancy reduction program in 12 CPS schools.

Evansville, IN: The CAJE organization got the Evansville- Vanderburgh County School Corporation (EVSC) school board to agree in 2007 to a pilot program to increase the number of at-risk high school students in technical training by 25% annually. The EVSC school board also agreed to a new six point implementation plan of the reading program in kindergarten to third grade to increase Evansville’s public school literacy rates. CAJE leadership will be meeting with the EVSC school board quarterly to monitor the progress of these two programs.

Jacksonville, FL: The Superintendent of Duval Public Schools agreed to participate in a Reading Summit that will be hosted by ICARE in 2007 in an effort to collaboratively improve reading instruction for poor performing schools in the district.

Miami, FL: During 2007 leaders researched, identified and advocated for a new teacher induction program. In March the School Board approved the funding and implementation of the Mentoring and Induction for New Teachers (MINT) program.

West Palm Beach, FL: The Superintendent of the public school district, Art Johnson, attended PEACE’s action assembly and committed in front of 700 people to fulfill every one of the organization’s requests, which involved implementing a tracking system of students in the alternative schools so that real measurable data could be gathered on the system’s success. He also committed to establish a goal of at least 50% of the alternative schools making learning gains equivalent to a Grade C or above within two years.

Toledo, OH: Leaders from the TUSA organization found that Toledo Public Schools had returned 3 of 4 million dollars they had been granted for a NCLBA program to increase math and reading scores, and had only enrolled 16% of eligible students. After pressuring the school system on this item, the program administrator reported that 34% of eligible student were enrolled in the program, the largest participation increase in the country – the school officials had met their commitment to TUSA to double their numbers.

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2006
Lexington, KY: Bullying and violence is the second largest reason for high suspension rates in some of Fayette County’s middle schools. BUILD leaders discovered that while the school system has many programs to deal with this problem, not a single one of them had any evidence of effectiveness. At BUILD’s Action Assembly in 2006, the School Superintendent committed to implement a program (Olweus) that has proven to reduce bullying by 70% in two of the five schools with the highest rate of violence. The Superintendent also agreed to have his staff analyze all the programs they offer and to stop using any program that could not be proven to be effective.

St. Petersburg, Florida: FAST members celebrated an update from the Early Learning Coalition’s Director that more than 1,300 children are now enrolled in the full day Pre-K program with the wrap-around funds that were won by FAST in 2005; the director also agreed in 2006 to provide pre and post-testing of the programs to ensure the use of effective literacy programs. Further results on this victory are described above in 2007.

Jacksonville, Florida: Leaders celebrated in 2006 as a new Superintendent for the Duval County Schools agreed to continue Direct Instruction in the eleven elementary schools currently using the program. Dr. Wise also agreed to conduct a nationally-normed assessment of all reading curriculum prior to the 2007 materials adoption process to provide an objective comparison of the effectiveness of each program currently in use.

Richmond, VA: The RISC organization played an instrumental role in 2006 to leverage $1 million dollars in public monies to fund the recommendations of its Truancy Task Force.  As a result of RISC’s focus on truancy, the truancy rates throughout the school district dropped by over half their previously reported numbers.

Miami, FL: School Board members met with the PACT organization and committed in front of 850 PACT members: 1) to support a high quality induction program for beginning teachers, and; 2) to support funding for a comprehensive system of school-based health clinics and nurses.

Lakeland, FL: As a result of the PEACE organization, nine elementary schools with over 250 second graders are using Direct Instruction. While this is the first year and results are still being compiled, implementation is so positive that that the district is using it with even more students than planned and it is excited to expand the program to more students next year.  

Daytona Beach, Florida: First, the Volusia County School District agreed to the FAITH organization’s push to increase the number of students eligible by 10% for the Direct Instruction Reading Program that FAITH has championed in the school district. Also, FAITH’s Education Committee was proud to announce that third grade FCAT scores – in which an increasing number of the students use the Direct Instruction Reading Curriculum – reached an all time high in 2006.

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2005
Jacksonville, FL: The ICARE organization was recognized in 2005 for their campaign to implement behavioral training in Jacksonville city schools; during this year in-school suspensions dropped by 22%, or by a total of 2,500 suspensions.

Lexington, KY: Through the BUILD organization’s efforts Bryan Station High School has implemented the Individualized Graduation Plans (IGPs) mandated by Kentucky law. An IGP is a plan of study that emphasizes academic and career development for students in high school.  The plan serves as a tool which helps students set learning goals based on academic and career interests. Not only did they implement the plans, but they did it faster than originally committed and all students at Bryan Station have IGP’s. BUILD also continued its work in education by focusing on math scores in the middle schools feeding into Bryan Station. BUILD was able to secure a commitment from the Superintendent and from the Principal at Winburn Middle School to provide funds for a Highly Skilled Education (HSE) for the 2005-2006 academic year. A HSE acts as a coach for the teachers, helping them to learn better teaching methods.

St. Petersburg, FL: Leaders from the FAST organization decided in 2005 to focus on ensuring that low-income 4-year olds are ready for Kindergarten. After pressure from FAST, Janet Chapman, the Director of the Early Learning Coalition committed to provide wrap around funds to all low-income working families so that their children can attend a full-day pre-kindergarten program, not just the three hours a day that the state is providing through the Universal Pre-Kindergarten legislation. She also committed in 2005 to ensure that these Pre-K programs are high quality. Further results on this victory are described above in 2006.

Richmond, VA: The RISC organization’s campaign in 2005 to address truancy played led to the creation of the Truancy Task Force, an initiative involving over 30 organizations from government, and non-profit and business sectors, working together to get students back in school. Also, RISC’s proposal, printed in the Times-Dispatch, to hire more truancy officers and social workers and to pick up truants from the streets, has now been implemented by the city. Further results on this victory are described above for 2006.

Louisville, KY: The CLOUT organization’s work to implement the Direct Instruction (DI) reading curriculum in the public schools continues showed enormous progress in 2005. Due to CLOUT’s success in getting DI teaching curriculum implemented, Shelby Elementary (formerly the lowest performing school in Kentucky in the area of reading), will have nearly one-half (48%) of the school’s kindergartners entering first grade in fall 2005 reading on the second grade level, and at Mill Creek Elementary nearly two-thirds (63%) will be. Also in 2005, CLOUT negotiated an agreement with the school district to implement DI in two additional schools beginning fall 2005, and the district is actively seeking the funding to support those schools’ implementation of the program. Further results on this victory are described above in 2006.

Tampa, FL: In November 2005, members from the HOPE organization joined a delegation of leaders from the Federation of DART Organizations in Florida in Tallahassee to advocate for a quality Florida Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) program, meeting with eight key legislators and giving testimony before a joint House/Senate workgroup meeting on UPK. Also, as a result of HOPE’s previous campaign, the Direct Instruction Reading Mastery program is now in all Special Education classes in Hillsborough County Schools impacting over 30,000 children K-12th grade.

Lakeland, FL: At its action assembly of over 1,000 members, the PEACE organization received a commitment from the Superintendent of Polk County Schools in 2005 to broaden and expand the use of Direct Instruction in low performing elementary schools. Further results on this victory are described above for 2006.

Lansing, MI: During 2005, the GLADE organization continued its focus on literacy improvement for elementary school students in the Lansing School District. They sponsored a special workshop in December that was attended by 70 representatives from area congregations and the Lansing School District. Mary Damer’s presentation and experience with implementing a successful reading strategy so impressed the superintendent of schools that she indicated her interest in piloting Direct Instruction in local low performing school in Lansing. To further develop this campaign GLADE arranged a visit for the superintendent to a high performing Direct Instruction school in Toledo, offered suggestions for possible school sites, and then obtained her commitment to come to a GLADE meeting in April to report progress. Unfortunately, 87 GLADE members attended the action but the superintendent was a no show. GLADE continued with their campaign, and began working that year with the Michigan Organizing Project to develop strategies to address state restrictions on Reading First funds.

Miami, FL: Leaders from the PACT organization relentlessly pursued ways to improve the public education system despite the challenges of holding the new and powerful Miami-Dade Superintendent, Rudy Crew, accountable for the quality education of all children. After accepting an invitation to attend PACT’s 2005 October assembly, Superintendent Crew did not show up. Following this disappointing move by the Superintendent, PACT leaders conducted individual meetings with school board members to gain their support to either protect Direct Instruction in schools where it is successful, or ensure that the Superintendent addresses the weaknesses in the district-wide program which he plans to implement. Also, in May 2005 PACT convened over 700 children, teachers and parents to recognize reading improvement scores and to show their support for the DI program.

Daytona Beach, FL: In 2005, the FAITH organization continued to monitor progress on the implementation of Direct Instruction (DI) in the Volusia county public schools and to call for the expansion of DI in fourteen elementary schools.

Springfield, OH: JAM challenged the Superintendent of Springfield City Schools in 2005 to create a plan for reading improvement by incorporating proven effective scientifically based reading programs for implementation in the 2005- 06 school year.

Dayton, OH: The LEAD organization continued in 2005 to monitor public education in Dayton. In due part to LEAD’s tenacity, five of Dayton’s lowest performing schools have received Reading First grant monies.

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2004
Louisville, KY: The CLOUT organization’s ongoing work to implement the Direct Instruction reading curriculum has shown staggering results in two schools. The state test results released last fall showed that Shelby and Lincoln schools were the top two most improved elementary schools in reading out of all 88 elementary schools in the Jefferson County Public System. CLOUT and the JCPS officials are negotiating an approach to ten more schools. Further results on this victory are described above in 2005 and 2006.

Tampa, FL: The HOPE organization worked on improved reading curriculum and effective suspension policies in 2004. As a result, the in-school suspension program (ATOSS) initiated by HOPE supervised 10,000 kids during the school year in 2004 and Direct Instruction was implemented in six low-income schools, where two schools reported that their kindergartners were now at the 86% and 98% level in reading.

Grand Rapids, MI: The MOP organization won a commitment in 2004 from the Superintendent of Schools to develop a comprehensive remedial program for all students reading below grade level which will be in place on the first day of the 2004-05 school year, and to include MOP in a committee to monitor reading scores on a monthly basis throughout the school year.

Miami, FL: In 2004, leaders from the PACT organization worked with 26 elementary schools implementing Direct Instruction (DI). Student reading scores continue to improve and PACT gathered 1,200 people to recognize the achievements of 800 students at the organization’s second awards ceremony. PACT’s continued efforts to organize parents at five member schools resulted in two significant achievements. In one case 60 parents met with one school’s officials to secure commitments on long standing maintenance problems, in another 40 parents at another school successfully stopped an all-nude strip bar from getting an alcohol license near their school.

Richmond, VA: In 2004, RISC gathered 235 members to successfully convince City of Richmond officials, including the superintendent of schools, to craft a plan to address the city’s alarming truancy rate (three times the national average) by the 2004-2005 school year. RISC estimates that its plan will save over $2 million in taxes for the city. For further results from this victory see above in 2005 and 2006.

Lexington, KY: The Superintendent of Schools committed to implement recommendations on state mandated Individual Graduation Plans at a local high school, as well as work closely with the parent organization on plans to rebuild the school. Further results on this victory are described above for 2005.

Lansing, MI: GLADE’s work on education in 2004 resulted in 200 more four-year olds being served by an early childhood education program annually.

Evansville, IN: In education, many poor and minority public school students are unable to meet the minimal reading levels mandated by the state of Indiana. The superintendent of schools sent a representative who committed to investigate implementation of the Direct Instruction (DI) reading program.

Lakeland, FL: At the PEACE organization’s Assembly in 2004, two school board members agreed to work with PEACE to identify ten of the lowest performing elementary schools in the district and to commit to improve their reading scores by five points in the next year. Additionally, they agreed to ask the new superintendent to share with PEACE her plans to achieve this result. For further results from this victory see above in 2005 and 2006.

Toledo, OH: In the area of education TUSA made progress in 2004 on an old victory related to Direct Instruction (DI) and on expanding the committee and its focus. The three schools using (DI) have made significant progress; one school is the third highest in the district. The organization was able to protect funding for the program that had been threatened. The committee has grown from four to eighteen people and it is getting up to speed on literacy research, visiting schools and attending school board meetings.

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Crime and Drug Reform
DART organizations throughout the country have committed to removing the scourge of crime, drugs, and violence from our communities. By addressing our law enforcement, judicial, and correctional systems, DART organizations have intervened to get to the root causes of these problems. This intervention has led to increased pressure on law enforcement to make arrests on “hotspots” where drug sales, prostitution, and criminal activity are known to occur, creation of drug courts to handle nonviolent drug offenders, community policing programs, and alternative sentencing options for drug addicts to get substance abuse treatment. See below for details on our most recent victories.

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2007
Louisville, KY: At its annual action in March 750 CLOUT members launched the “Stop the Revolving Door” campaign, to secure reforms in the criminal justice system. At the action the Chief Justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court agreed to double the size of the Drug Court program, provide more training for judges on how to use the program, and to maintain the licensed treatment component of the program. Additionally, the Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Corrections agreed to create a new training program in addiction issues for all Probation and Parole staff in the state. The Mayor of Louisville Metro has also agreed to establish a new drug treatment program in the local jail.

Lakeland, FL: At PEACE’s April 3, 2006 Action, with 1,000 people present leaders asked for a study to identify the need and possible solutions for substance abuse treatment in the county. These studies showed that 40,000 people in Polk County need access to substance abuse treatment services and that about 10,000 people would voluntarily attend substance abuse treatment after leaving jail if it was available. At our Nehemiah Action on April 23rd 2007, with over 1,600 people present four county commissioners agreed to create a task force that would leverage county resources, and create a plan to add additional 100 beds for inpatient treatment and an additional 1,000 slots for outpatient treatment.

Daytona Beach, FL: Chief of Police agreed to work with FAITH to revitalize the city’s Hot Spot Card campaign.

Jacksonville: The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) agreed to expand the Hotspot card campaign for anonymous reports of criminal activity by printing and distributing an additional 9,000 Hotspot cards in Spanish. Sheriff Rutherford also agreed to support an additional $1 million dollars for the In-Prison Drug Rehabilitation Program. The Mayor has yet to agree to this addition.

2006
Lakeland, FL: The PEACE organization saved tax payers over $24 million in reduced jail costs in 2006 as people graduated from the newly created drug treatment program in the county jail and beat historical recidivism rates (based on projections using data collected before the creation of the drug treatment program). Also, due to pressure from the PEACE organization, the county sheriff and head of Tri-County Health and Human Services have agreed to conduct a comprehensive study on drug use in the county to determine the need for more treatment programs. Further results on this victory are described above in 2007.

Jacksonville: The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) agreed to work with the ICARE organization in the production, distribution, and implementation of hotspot cards as an anonymous tool for the community to report crime. In addition, the Sheriff has agreed to submit a proposal to the city in 2007 to double the capacity of the “in-jail” rehabilitation program after research showed a 97% reduction in recidivism rates for graduates of the program. Further results on this victory are described above in 2007.

Lexington, KY: Through their research leaders from the BUILD organization discovered that over 80% of the jail population in Fayette County is there for problems related to drugs and alcohol, and with treatment the re-arrest rate drops from 66% to 19%. While a drug recovery program existed in the jail for men there was no program for women. BUILD leaders approached Lexington’s Mayor in 2006 to add $175,000 into the city budget to expand the jail program to serve women but she initially refused. However, when she attended a BUILD gathering of over 1,000 people, she agreed and two months later the Urban County Council made it official by approving the Mayor’s budget. In 2006, 15 women graduated from the new program and a new class started in 2007.

Springfield, OH: A senior judge has agreed to work with the JAM organization in 2006 to develop a plan for the creation of a drug court to handle cases involving non-violent, substance-abuse offenders to reduce drug-related crime rates and to relieve overcrowded jails. Also, JAM continued to receive ongoing cooperation from city and county law enforcement officials using the ‘Hot Spots’ device that has resulted in over 350 cards being turned in, one of which led to an arrest in a murder case.

Richmond, VA: The RISC organization won agreements from Sheriff C.T. Woody and Dr. Stephen Ashby of the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority to create a plan for comprehensive drug treatment and job training for people staying at the City Jail for more than six months.

Dayton, OH: The LEAD organization solidified the Dayton Police Department’s previous commitment to the “Extra Eyes Program” that allows citizens to report suspicious and criminal activity in Dayton. This information is reviewed and subsequently passed on to the appropriate police district, bureau or squad for follow-up. Monthly and quarterly reports are posted in each LEAD member congregation for continuous accountability.

Daytona Beach: Based on a victory the FAITH organization won in 2001, over 1,000 inmates have successfully completed the substance abuse program in the Volusia County Jail System.

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2005
Daytona Beach, FL: The FAITH organization secured a long-sought commitment from the Daytona Beach Chief of Police in 2005 to double the size of the city’s narcotics unit, allowing for much needed focus on drug enforcement.

Dayton, OH: As a result of persistent pressure from the LEAD organization, the City Manager stabilized the number of police officers in the streets, stopping a continuous trend of annual reductions.

Grand Rapids, MI: The Chief of Police for the Grand Rapids Police Department committed to working with the MOP organization to improve police community relations, especially with the Hispanic and homeless populations of Grand Rapids.

Springfield, OH: The JAM organization celebrated continued success with its Hot Spot Card Campaign, a program that enables citizens of Springfield to anonymously report crime and allows JAM to record/follow-up on police response. In April critical information concerning a homicide in the city came in through the use of the cards leading to the arrests and arraignment of the suspects. In total over 250 cards have been turned in with a 50% arrest rate. Further results on this victory are described above in 2006.

Toledo, OH: The TUSA organization secured commitments from the Toledo Police Department to continue the Hotspots program that enables citizens of Toledo to anonymously report crime and allows TUSA to record/follow-up on police response. This endeavor resulted in cleaning up 230 high-crime spots in 2005.

Lexington, KY: As a result of several meetings with the Chief of Police the Lexington Police Department will distribute Safety Tips Cards, a card that allows citizens of Lexington to anonymously report crime. These cards continue to be available in over 50 locations around Lexington.

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2004
Louisville, KY: CLOUT completed its work in 2004 with Police Chief Robert White to develop a strategic plan to reform the culture of the police department through a broad implementation of Community Oriented Policing (COP) program. The Chief had delayed this process several times until CLOUT held a direct action meeting of 400 people to get the process back on track. The plan was completed in August, and CLOUT is meeting with police officials on a regular basis to monitor their implementation of the plan. Also in 2004, CLOUT worked with the police department to develop a new “Quick Tip” card, which citizens can use to report crime anonymously. This card has been a big success since it's introduction last fall, with over 18,000 cards being distributed throughout Louisville Metro.

Sarasota, FL: The SUREStep program initiated by the SURE organization in 2003 conducted its second year with twelve female inmates in the county jail. As of June 2004, none had been re-incarcerated. In October 2004, SURE gathered its members in a mass meeting with the Police Chief of Sarasota continue to prioritize attention on drug abuse and violence. The chief agreed to continue a Community Resource Team in the Newtown area, provide comprehensive diversity training for officers, and within six months implement two programs directed to children and youth that will foster a positive image of law enforcement. In May 2004, SURE members also met with the County Sheriff, Sarasota Chief of Police and Housing Authority Director to focus on criminal activity in the North County. The officials agreed to establish a joint task force to coordinate actions and communicate with community leaders.

Daytona Beach, FL: The FAITH organization received a commitment from the Daytona Beach Chief of Police in May of 2003 to double the size of their narcotics unit, a commitment which he rescinded four months later. In 2004, FAITH conducted further research and established that the police department’s narcotics unit is well understaffed in comparison to other departments in the state. Further results from this campaign can be found above in 2005.

Springfield, OH: In 2003, the JAM organization received commitments from the Springfield Police Department to initiate a “Hot Spots” campaign, a program that enables citizens of Springfield to anonymously report crime and allows JAM to follow-up on police response. In 2004, over 150 cards were submitted to police. This information led local law enforcement to numerous arrests, two major drug busts and the closing of a forgery ring. Further results on this victory are described above in 2004, 2005, and 2006.

Columbus, OH: Several congregations from the BREAD organization banded together to initiate a “Hot Spots” campaign in three blighted neighborhoods. This included a focused police and code enforcement presence and eventually led to a measurable rebound in those areas.

Toledo, OH: The Chief of Police committed to the TUSA organization to investigate and report on the clean up 112 high-crime spots, which resulted in dozens of arrests in neighborhoods with concentrated criminal activity.

Tampa, FL: The HOPE organization met with police officials to call for action on 31known drug spots, resulting in full investigative action and dozens of arrests.

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Healthcare Provisions
The rising costs of healthcare is a growing crisis, forcing many families to decide between paying their rent and buying groceries or going to the doctor. Local DART organizations have responded to this issue by focusing on the best common practices of achieving quality and accessible healthcare. Specifically, several DART organizations have created reliable streams of revenue to open new primary healthcare clinics to serve those who cannot afford health insurance. Other organizations have acted on this issue by holding private hospitals accountable for reducing wait times and expanding indigent care programs, opening much needed dental clinics for the uninsured, providing basic healthcare benefits among city employees, and increasing public healthcare provisions for children. See below for details on some of our most recent victories.

2007
Columbus, OH: In front of 1,900 BREAD leaders, State legislators committed their support to expand healthcare coverage for uninsured low-income residents of Ohio in the 2007-9 biennial budget.

Lexington, KY: Leaders from the BUILD organization learned that there were at least 30,000 people without health insurance in Fayette County, Kentucky. Therefore, BUILD called nearly 1,000 people together and received commitments from the Commissioner of Public Health to develop a needs assessment and a plan for the health department to expand their ability to serve the thousands of uninsured people in the county.

Tallahassee, FL: In June of 2007, leaders from the TEAM organization attended the local budget hearings and spoke out in support of local funding towards primary care services as well as asked for additional funds to provide mental health services. County Commissioners voted unanimously to continue funding primary care services placing $1.2 million in 2007/2008 budget; $24,000 was also allocated for mental health care programs at the two local clinics.

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2006
Lakeland, FL: As a result of the PEACE organization’s campaign in 2004, 62% of the residents passed a ballot initiative to dedicate at least $35 million each year in sales tax dollars to provide health care for the uninsured. After the first year the county was only seeing 3,000 patients and its projections were to serve only 12,000 each year. At the 2006 PEACE action assembly, over 1,000 people from member congregations said that wasn’t good enough and won a commitment from a majority of the County Commissioners to use the tax money to serve 45,000 people each year, and to open community clinics as the best strategy to meet this need. Because of PEACE, enrollment is now on target for 15,000/year, and plans are finalized for two clinics to open in Lakeland and Winter Haven within the year.

Jacksonville, Florida: City council unanimously voted to expand healthcare benefits to 500 employees of the city previously uninsured in 2006 after the ICARE organization raised the issue. Also, ICARE secured a commitment from one city council person to work with the organization on revising bidding documents to require outside contractors that will provide health care for their employees.

Evansville, IN: After a hard fought campaign, the CAJE organization secured the unanimous approval of the Vanderburgh County Council to include a new dental clinic in their 2006 health department budget. The Community Dental Clinic later opened its doors on June 26, 2006. In its first six months alone, the clinic saw 1,700 patients, providing almost $300,000 of dental care. Payment is on a sliding fee scale, based on income. No one will be denied services due to an inability to pay.

Daytona Beach, FL: During the year the FAITH organization monitored Halifax Hospital's previous commitment to the organization's plan to increase access to medical services for residents without health insurance. After much pressure from FAITH, Halifax recently opened Express Care Center and the Dunn Ave Clinic have cut down wait times from weeks to hours and now thousands of people without health care have signed up for the Hospital's indigent care program. In May 2007, FAITH was honored by the Keech Street Clinic for helping Halifax Hospital better serve the indigent population.

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2005
Columbus, OH: In 2005, the BREAD organization won a commitment of $1.2 million from Franklin County to expand services at the Columbus Neighborhood Health Centers (CNHC). This allocation means that more than 2,700 people annually will get on-going health care from CNHC for at least three years. BREAD also convinced the Columbus City Council to restore more than $343,000 in proposed cuts to the Columbus Neighborhood Health Centers. This action means that more than 1,500 people continued to receive prescription drug benefits in 2005 from CNHC.

Tallahassee, FL: County Commissioners agreed to meet with their Primary Health Advisory Board to decide how the previous year’s tax money could be best used to benefit indigent care by funding the areas of greatest need. For more results on this victory, see above in 2007.

Lakeland, Florda: PEACE won commitments from the Director of Community Health and Social Services and members of the county commissioners that they would open one clinic a year for the next five years to serve the uninsured and ultimately increase patients seen from the current 2,000 to 45,000 patients per year. For more results on this victory, see above in 2006.

Daytona Beach, FL: The FAITH organization’s continued Health Care Campaign to get Halifax Hospital to improve indigent health care experienced great gains in 2005. After being refused meetings on multiple occasions, FAITH members decided they had had enough. In March 2005, 70 FAITH members attended a Halifax board meeting, and new CEO Jeff Feasel committed to meet with the group. Since that time, the Health Care Committee has met twice with Mr. Feasel and Board Chairman Glenn Ritchey; the hospital has opened up a new clinic, opened up enrollment for its patient assistance program, and is now in the process of recruiting patients for this program. For more results on this victory, see above in 2006.

Evansville, IN: As the result of CAJE’s dental campaign, the Vanderburgh County Health Department included a new dental clinic in their 2006 budget. On June 14, 2005, 400 CAJE members gathered to build support for the dental clinic, and to launch the campaign to get the Vanderburgh County Council to fund it. The county council voted on the budget September 2005. For more results on this victory, see above in 2006.

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2004
Lakeland, FL: In 2004, the PEACE organization won a stunning victory when the voters passed a half cent sales tax to fund indigent health care. The $26 million dollars will ensure better health care for the 120,000 uninsured in the county. Also, PEACE won commitments from two commissions to support the organization’s position that 50% of the funds be used for accessible and affordable health care, and to hire an independent, outside consultant to create an overall long-term health care plan for Polk County, Florida. For more results on this victory, see above in 2005 or 2006.

Jacksonville, FL: The ICARE organization successfully pushed the City Council to support a resolution lifting enrollment caps for Florida Kidcare, a program which provides health care for over 3,500 children in Northeast Florida.

Evansville, IN: After much research, leaders from the CAJE organization discovered there is only one clinic in the region, staffed by volunteer dentists, that provides care for the indigent. Representatives of the local dental society declined an invitation from CAJE to attend and support a survey that could open the door to a federal program to provide dentists. For more results on this victory, see above in 2006.

Daytona Beach, FL: The FAITH organization voted this year to develop a health care initiative. Intensive research determined that Halifax Hospital, a publicly funded hospital that has primary responsibility to administer indigent health care, was not adequately meeting the needs of this population. FAITH’s solution was to ask the hospital to develop a plan to double the number of patients served through the primary care centers over the next two years. Representatives from Halifax Hospital were invited to attend FAITH’s June action assembly. FAITH members were very angry, however, that no representative from Halifax Hospital attended. For more results on this campaign, see above in 2005 and 2006.

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Affordable Housing
Skyrocketing costs of housing have left the option of home ownership outside the reach of many. DART organizations have vigilantly sought constructive ways of reversing this trend. In particular, DART organizations have won housing trustfunds that set aside public investments in affordable housing construction; inclusionary zoning ordinances that ensure new housing construction includes affordable units; effective and efficient homeless financing and programs, and; legislative protection against tenant abuse. See below for details on some of our most recent victories.

2007
Evansville, IN: On May 3, 2007, 500 people were present as Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel committed to create a task force to identify revenue sources for the Evansville Housing Trust Fund before the end of the year. Mayor Weinzapfel also committed that at least two-third’s of the Evansville Housing Trust Fund will be used to create or support housing for very low income households. Consequently, the 11 member task force was appointed by the Mayor and City Council and the task force had their first meeting on June 13th. CAJE is seeking $2 million annually for the Evansville Housing Trust Fund.

St. Petersburg, FL: After a research training of nearly 100 leaders in the fall of 2006, leaders discovered that the first year of the housing trust fund would only yield about 100 units of affordable housing in the county. This was a far cry from what was needed to provide affordable options for the over 400,000 households paying more than half of their income on housing. In order to make a dent in this need, FAST leaders brought together the mayors of the three major cities – St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Largo – county commissioners and staff, and the heads of the two major housing authorities. In front of 2,000 people, FAST got them to commit to jointly develop a comprehensive affordable housing plan that would create a net increase of more than 3,000 units of affordable housing over 3 years and develop a plan to do one-to-one replacement of any public housing units lost in 3 years.

Tallahassee, FL: TEAM received commitments from 4 City Commissioners and the Mayor to implement a pilot program aimed at providing low-interest loans to rehabilitate rental homes and preserve the affordable rental housing stock for working families. The program will provide up to $1 million in assistance. The City Commission also agreed to a stronger code enforcement program that will protect people from living in substandard conditions by re-inspecting vacant homes with outstanding code-violations before renting the property to new tenants.

Tampa, FL: On April 23, 2007 650 people from HOPE congregations gathered to press 6 public officials, including the Clerk of the Circuit Court, the Director of Health and Social Services, two County Commissioners, and two Tampa City Council Members to support the following, partial, solutions to homelessness: 1) expedite the county’s process of giving Rent Assistance Checks to landlords to get people off the street or to prevent evictions; 2) recommend a 2008 county budget item to obtain IDs for an estimated 1,500 homeless persons, and to establish a Voice Mail Program and case manager for 3,000 mailboxes; and 3) to support the creation of an Affordable Housing Trust Fund that serves people with the greatest need. Two months later, the Clerk of the Circuit Court and the Director of Social Services reported they had expedited Rent Assistance checks to 11 days, and had sent mailings to 250 landlords giving them the option of direct deposit checks and soliciting their ideas to improve the entire rent assistance process.

Lexington, KY: Within housing BUILD pressed the Lexington-Fayette County Code Enforcement Division to hold trailer park owners accountable for the unsafe condition of their properties. On March 19, 2007 BUILD brought together 818 members to the annual Nehemiah. Despite a previous commitment to come, the Mayor of Lexington chose not to attend the action to commit the code enforcement division to clean up the trailer parks. Several hundred BUILD leaders called the mayor the very next day to express their disappointment. Two weeks after his decision not to attend, the Mayor instructed code enforcement to embark on an aggressive campaign to clean up the trailer parks; this campaign has resulted in significant clean up in several locations.

Charlottesville, VA: IMPACT brought out 1,600 people to press for commitments from city and county officials regarding transportation and housing. Ultimately, they won: (1) an increased allocation from 1 million to 1.75 million annually by Charlottesville City Council for an affordable housing program and (2) IMPACT has begun to bring together officials from the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County and University of Virginia to plan regionally for our affordable housing crisis.

Toledo, OH: The Mayor and six City Council members committed to adopt civil penalties for housing code violations, and to double the number of city code inspectors.

Daytona Beach, FL: FAITH received an agreement from four Daytona Beach city commissioners, the mayor, and the community development director, as well as four Volusia County Council members and the county chair to develop and pass a Workforce/Affordable Housing Ordinance by February 2008. The plan should include an array of tools to increase the number of affordable units in the city of Daytona Beach and unincorporated Volusia County. This victory came after a successful community-wide campaign spearheaded by the FAITH’s Affordable Housing committee that included several educational and relationship building meetings with local government, non-profits, developers, and realtors.

Kalamazoo, MI: Due to continuous pressure from MOP, the Kalamazoo County enacted the first county-wide housing trust fund in the State of Michigan. Two-year funding was obtained from the City and County even in a time of cut-backs and severe budget shortages for the entire state of Michigan.

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2006
Columbus, OH: Under pressure from the BREAD organization, the Franklin County and City of Columbus created an Affordable Housing Trust Fund in 2003, which uses tax abatements for neighborhood revitalization and affordable housing development. After continued prodding from the BREAD organization in 2006, Franklin County tripled the amount of money (now $3 million annually) that it is investing in the Affordable Housing Trust with a guarantee that $1 million of that new funding will benefit projects built for families at or below 30% of the area median income.

Louisville, Kentucky: In 2006, the CLOUT organization secured the commitment of the mayor of Louisville to develop a local affordable housing trust fund, which he subsequently included in his Comprehensive Housing Strategy, as well as 1 million dollars in seed funding for the fund. Also, CLOUT secured the commitment of the president of the Louisville Metro Council to establish a new committee within the Council to develop the local affordable housing trust fund. Finally, for the first time in the organization’s history, CLOUT worked at the state level to gain the passage of state legislation which will provide a secure, ongoing source of millions of dollars per year in funding for the Kentucky Affordable Housing Trust Fund (for the first time in the fund’s 13-year existence).

St. Petersburg, FL: Pinellas County Commissioners announced their commitment at the FAST organization’s action assembly to create a housing trust fund that will set public monies aside for building developments and units that low- to moderate-income families can afford. FAST leaders demanded that the county conduct a thorough assessment of the county’s affordable housing needs, and disburse the trust fund monies based on this study to be sure the fund provides for the families most in need. In addition, FAST also got the Commission to unanimously approve creation of a mandatory inclusionary zoning ordinance that will compel builders to include a percentage of affordable units in their developments for years to come. More results on this victory can be found above in 2007.

Daytona Beach, FL: The FAITH organization kicked off its Affordable Housing campaign in 2006 by getting agreements from two city commissioners and the Mayor’s representative to work with FAITH to develop an Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance in the city of Daytona Beach. While the city carries out a study on how to implement an effective affordable housing strategy, FAITH leaders continued to work with area businesses, community groups, developers and realtors to build support for a mandatory Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance in the city of Daytona Beach.

Richmond, VA: RISC packed the auditorium in 2006 to pressure and ultimately win follow through from Chesterfield County officials on their commitments and to change the county master plan to include language around affordable housing.

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2005
Kalamazoo, MI: The MOP organization won a commitment from the City of Kalamazoo for $250,000 in seed money for a county-wide Affordable Housing Trust Fund, with 60% of the funds dedicated to housing for the lowest income segment of the county. They have also secured the commitment of a majority of both the city and county commissions to find a dedicated funding source for the fund.

Louisville, KY: In 2005, CLOUT adopted the growing crisis in the lack of affordable housing in Louisville Metro as their new issue campaign. In partnership with other community groups CLOUT developed a proposal for an Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which would provide millions of dollars of new funding per year to implement various housing strategies to address the problem. CLOUT has already gained support from Louisville’s mayor for the idea, and has engaged numerous other supporters from the corporate, political, and religious community. More results on this victory can be found above in 2006.

Richmond, VA: The RISC organization secured affordable housing for low and middle-income people in 2005, at a time when home prices are getting out of control. At their meeting on June 29th, Chesterfield County agreed on language of a draft for Affordable Housing in their Comprehensive Plan. The Task Force, which was created as a result of RISC’s actions, set down the language of a draft that would give all residents the opportunity for decent housing within their means. More results on this victory can be found above in 2006.

Columbus, OH: Franklin County, under pressure from the BREAD organization, included new language in 2005 to require the Affordable Housing Trust of Columbus and Franklin County to ensure that low-income families were getting low-income units created by trust fund projects. For more results on this campaign, see above in 2006.

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2004
Jacksonville, FL: Acting in coalition with local affordable housing organizations, the ICARE organization won a $1.2 million increase in Community Development Block Grant funds toward affordable housing efforts in Jacksonville.

Kalamazoo, MI: The Kalamazoo Chapter of the MOP organization won a housing safety net program to establish new housing for those who are evicted from rental housing. They also won a better system of informing neighborhood residents of houses, which have been condemned and won a commitment from the City of Kalamazoo to participate in a countywide housing trust fund.

Sarasota, FL: As a result of the SURE organization’s work, the Board of County Commissioners developed a plan that will waive impact fees on housing for low income people for the newly designated Enterprise Zone of North Sarasota County, and the school board has proposed the waiver of impact fees based on income and purchase price.

Tallahassee, FL: After receiving pressure from the TEAM organization, the City of Tallahassee created a fund for homeless programs through the adoption of a voluntary program that makes small additions onto utility bills. This will provide a steady, yet voluntary, source of revenue for effective homeless service providers in the area.

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Economic Opportunity
The lack of economic opportunity and gainful employment have left many of our families and communities in a state of constant anxiety. DART organizations have risen to this challenge in various ways including: implementation of comprehensive economic development plans, creation of mortgage and debt counseling, passage of living wage ordinances, strengthened minority hiring policies, and accessible workforce training programs. Also, several DART organizations have worked for the passage of First Source agreements, which require companies receiving tax abatements to ensure disadvantaged workers are considered the “first source” for filling entry-level jobs. See below for more details on our most recent victories.

2007
Columbus, OH: State Senator Ray Miller committed to draft legislation that would cap the amount of interest that payday lenders could charge at 36% (typically payday lenders are charging an APR of 391%).

Toledo, OH: After continuous pressure, enough Toledo City Council members supported the First Source Program and it was passed. Later, TUSA found that the Economic Development Department had not been contacting the jobs training agency as they should have been, so they have now restructured their department and the city council members are holding the department accountable.

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2006
Kalamazoo, MI: The MOP organization won a commitment from the Kalamazoo City Commission to totally revamp its tax incentive program for prospective employers to change it from a system that grants tax abatements with no requirement for actually producing good jobs to one that provides needed training for low-income persons to help them qualify for jobs that are otherwise not available to them.

Springfield, OH: The JAM organization won passage of a half cent sales tax generating $3 million for a comprehensive economic development plan, and in December a Local Hiring Coordinator was hired to connect employers to local job seekers.

Columbus, OH: Suzanne Coleman-Tolbert, Director of the Central Ohio Workforce Investment Committee (COWIC), committed to the BREAD organization to strengthen the First Source program in order to increase the number of disadvantaged workers being hired into entry level jobs at tax abated companies.

Richmond, VA: The RISC organization won commitments from four members of City Council to introduce and fight for a Living Wage ordinance for city contract employees.  Many of these workers will see their pay increase from $5.15/hour to $9.50/hour.

Toledo, OH: Because of the TUSA organization’s largest public meeting ever, a city council member has agreed to introduce and sponsor the First Source ordinance, and the TUSA Jobs Committee met with six council members to get their support. After fighting with two mayors TUSA has now obtained a copy of the first source draft ordinance; the public standoff with the Mayor has energized and engaged an even greater number of members and generated strong media coverage. For more details on this victory, see above in 2007.

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2005
Springfield, OH: Leaders from the JAM organization obtained commitments from the county commissioners to have a plan for First Source Hiring in place by July 1, 2005 and operational by September 2005; these commitments hinged on earlier demands made by the organization to implement a half-cent sales tax increase for the purpose of developing a county wide economic plan. Early in 2005 JAM’s demands were met with $2.3 million dollar budget earmarked for the countywide plan, and $600,000 specifically for First Source Hiring.

Jacksonville, FL: At the ICARE organization’s main public meeting, three city council members were recognized for their participation in a recent unanimous vote to extend full-time benefits to 500 temporary workers as a result of ICARE's living wage campaign.

Daytona Beach, FL: The FAITH organization won commitments from four of the seven Daytona Beach City Commissioners to take the first step in drafting a First Source Ordinance for the City of Daytona Beach.

Toledo, OH: The Toledo Mayor and County Commissioners reached an agreement with the TUSA organization on First Source Agreement which will allow low-income people to have first access to jobs created through public tax-abatements. For more details on this victory, see above in 2006.

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2004
Dayton, OH: The LEAD organization won passage of a Living Wage ordinance in the City of Dayton which will benefit all city employees.

Jacksonville, FL: Through the tireless action of the ICARE organization and the Living Wage Coalition, the City Council unanimously approved a bill to address issues of the living wage, a topic previously thought to be dead on the Council floor. Although the City Council did not approve a living wage for all city employees, it did enact a bill that provides health benefits to over 250 previously “full-time part-time” city employees and a job training program that allows city workers to move quickly into higher paying positions. For more details on this victory, see above in 2005.

Springfield, OH: The JAM organization obtained commitments from the county commission to include JAM in the development of a countywide economic plan, including a first source job creation program, job training and job placement for the un/under-employed. For more details on this victory, see above in 2005.

West Palm Beach, FL: The PEACE organization brought together over sixty people to attend housing workshops with Citibank to learn about obtaining a mortgage and repairing credit; no agreement has yet been reached with Wachovia and Washington Mutual.

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Accessible Public Transportation
For many, the lack of accessible transportation limits the ability to do even the most basic things like getting a higher paying job a little further away from home or taking a child to the doctor’s office within a given lunch hour or depositing a check in the bank before closing. DART organizations have surfaced these issues among our members and taken action to ensure quality public transportation is available to all. Some organizations have fought and won expanded night time busing, secured federal funds for use toward public transportation locally, created free, around the clock assistance to seniors in need of transportation, doubled the city’s bus fleet and routes, along with others. See below for details on some of our most recent victories.

2007
Tallahassee, FL: TEAM pushed for the city to prioritize funding for satellite transfer stations to address the problem of routing everyone through one downtown hub. As a result, the Director of Star Metro (Tallahassee’s Bus System) announced that $200,000 was placed in the budget to build 3 new satellite transfer stations. TEAM also pushed to get 5 bus shelters put in specific neighborhoods that lacked safe bus stops. All 5 shelters were erected and, in addition, 32 new shelters were placed throughout the city.

Lexington, KY: In response to pressure from the BUILD organization, two new bus routes, managed by the local transit authority opened in 2007 to provide access to higher-paying, dense employment areas in the city.

Charlottesville, VA: On March 15, 2007, IMPACT brought out 1,600 people to press for commitments from city and county officials regarding transportation and housing. Ultimately, they won: (1) a new bus route to the County Social Services and a major mobile home park that began in March 2007, (2) Sunday bus service that started the summer of 2007.

2006
Columbus, OH: The Near East Transit Center opened for business in 2006 and now provides a major link to center city residents to outer belt jobs. The BREAD organization began pushing for this center in 2000, got Congresswoman Deborah Pryce to champion funding at the federal level, resulting in a $1 million federal grant and convened numerous community meetings with COTA to assist with the design of the center. In addition to expanded transportation, the Transit Center now features 9,617 square feet of retail and office space in what was previously considered a decaying corridor. Now with 40 to 50 employees, the center houses a Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) customer service department, the Children's Hospital Close To Home Physician Care Center, and other businesses. The health facility houses doctors, nurses, and other professionals who are specially trained to care for children, and provides many health services, including ongoing primary care for children, sports/school/camp physicals, well child examinations, immunizations, sick visits, and more.

Tampa, FL: The CEO of the public bus system (HART) and the President of it’s Board committed to the HOPE organization’s to introduce the following initiatives at their next board meeting: the extension of bus service to midnight on weekdays and two extra hours on weekends on seven main routes, to advocate for it in the 2007 budget, to construct bus shelters at eleven identified locations and to give a status report at HOPE’s next action assembly.  In 2007, the CEO and Board Chair of the Bus System reported on the successful implementation of late night bus service expansion to 1:00 a.m. on nine major bus routes in Hillsborough County at a projected cost of $1,077,775 and ridership of 78,484.

Springfield, OH: The Board of County Commissioners committed to the JAM organization to create a revised countywide transportation plan that will offer options for expanded routes and services to coordinate meeting needs of the entire county. The new transit plan was completed and approved in the spring of 2007. Clark County Commissioners have agreed to find ways to fund the new transit plan which may allow for increased services areas and expanded hours of the current system.

Daytona Beach: The FAITH organization continued to monitor its nighttime busing victory of 2005 and discovered the number of riders using the expanded nighttime bus schedule for second and third shift jobs continued to surpass all expectations.

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2005
Tallahassee - As a result of the TEAM organization’s efforts, the City of Tallahassee did not reduce the level of funding or services for Dial-A-Ride, a local bus service which provides transportation for the disabled and elderly. This much-needed service had been previously under threat by city officials during budget discussions.

Lexington, KY: One week after members from the BUILD organization voted public transportation as a priority the citizens of Lexington passed a tax to fund public transportation. BUILD leaders then researched how the money was going to be spent. The research committee uncovered that the University of Kentucky (Lexington’s largest employer) was having difficulty filling early morning and late evening jobs due to lack of public transportation at those hours. The changes proposed for the bus system were not going to change the situation. In response, BUILD brought together the University of Kentucky, LexTran (Lexington’s Transit Authority), The Metropolitan Planning Organization, and the Society for Human Resources Managers (SHRM) to develop a plan that would address the problem. BUILD is continuing to monitor the progress and will be meeting with representatives in the upcoming months to review their recommendations.

St. Petersburg, FL: Under intense pressure from the FAST organization, Mr. Brian Smith, Director of the MPO, committed to create a plan for a one-stop system for elderly transportation so that seniors can be connected with the appropriate transportation service. Further results on this victory are available above under 2006. In addition, FAST leaders had also identified an unsafe bus stop that needed to be moved and six areas where bus shelters were needed for the elderly or young children riding the bus. Although Mr. Sweeney, the Director of the countywide bus systems, was at first unwilling to meet, and unwilling to talk about moving the unsafe bus stop, FAST leaders were able to get him to attend their Action Assembly. Once he was in front of 1,200 people Mr. Sweeney exclaimed that the meeting had been a “transformative experience” for him, and he reversed his position, agreeing to all that FAST asked.

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2004
Miami, FL: The PACT organization’s campaign to improve public transportation gained significant momentum in 2004. Specifically, PACT leaders sought to double the number of buses in the city’s bus fleet (a three billion dollar expenditure). With varied actions involving a total of more than 1000 people, PACT successfully pressured the mayor to include doubling the fleet in his overall transit improvement plan. This is a tremendous reversal as the mayor has gone from saying “NO” to PACT’s demands in March 2001 to now doing everything PACT leaders once demanded of him. Later, the voters of Miami Dade County passed a half-cent sales tax that has financed the doubling of the bus fleet and improving services for the county’s poorest residents.

Lansing, MI: The GLADE organization continued monitoring its transportation campaign and discovered new cross-county transportation routes continued to pop up all over the area as a result of their cross-boundary agreement negotiated with transportation officials.

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Neighborhood Revitalization
Local DART organizations tend to select issues affecting their entire metropolitan area. But on occasion, our members are called to confront extreme disparities in the life and vitality of certain neighborhoods. See below for details on some of our most recent victories related to neighborhood revitalization.

2005
Springfield, OH: The JAM organization launched a campaign focused on the deplorable conditions of a certain neighborhood Kroger grocery store where service and food quality is demonstrably lower, in spite of price fluctuations when compared to other Kroger stores in the area. Kroger executives were not in attendance at the meeting but have met with the organization since and have committed to continued meetings to negotiate a plan for major renovations.

Dayton, OH: The City Manager agreed to work with the LEAD organization to reduce the number of abandoned buildings in the city. After LEAD’s push, the city quickly went into action and reported within months that it had taken down or rehabilitated 200 buildings in 2005.

Jacksonville, FL: The ICARE organization secured commitments from code enforcement officials to address a list of thirty run down properties. The officials reported to ICARE members later in the summer resulting in full clean-up operations in that area.

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2004
Evansville, IN: The CAJE organization’s research uncovered that the City of Evansville is severely understaffed in areas of code enforcement, and cities of comparable size have double the number of inspectors. In response to action on this issue from CAJE, the Mayor of Evansville committed to provide the staffing and resources necessary for effective code enforcement.

Minority Rights
Racism takes many forms in our cities. Crime, inadequate public education, inaccessible healthcare, lack of affordable housing and others all disproportionately affect minority populations in our country. DART has confronted these injustices by bringing together congregations across economic, religious, and racial lines. Below you will find details on some of our most recent victories that relate specifically to minority rights.

2006
Grand Rapids, MI: In an effort to reverse a culture of mistrust, the MOP organization won a community response program in 2006 with the Grand Rapids police which involves the Hispanic and African-American communities in regular direct dialogue with the police chief.

Grand Rapids, MI: After mobilizing tens of thousands of citizens across the state of Michigan, the MOP organization won the commitment of Congressman Vern Ehlers to co-sponsor the Kennedy-McCain comprehensive national immigration reform bill.

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2004
Louisville, KY: CLOUT’s bilingual organizer engaged four Hispanic congregations in a listening process that identified two issues of concern to the growing Hispanic population in greater Louisville. In March these new congregations joined the organization and, at CLOUT’s Assembly, pressed local officials on issues of health care and housing. Their actions resulted in commitments to hire bilingual staff at the family Health Center; translate a booklet on rights and compliant procedures for tenants by the city’s Department of Inspections, Permits and Licenses; and, the owners of three major apartment complexes agreed to translate their leases into Spanish.

Michigan: The MOP organization led a statewide campaign on immigration reform, and won the right of undocumented immigrants to receive a driver’s license without a social security number. Further results on this victory are described above in 2006.

Miami, FL: The PACT organization helped secure the co-sponsorship of the DREAM Act from the entire Miami-Dade Congressional Delegation and is a leader on the national coalition.

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Youth and Elderly Services
Injustice is often hardest felt among the most vulnerable in our communities. Local DART organizations have responded by fighting to protect our youth and aging populations. See below for details on some of our most recent victories on these issues.

2006
Dayton, OH: Two Dayton Commissioners committed to the LEAD organization to hire a Youth Coordinator, and agreed to direct the Youth Coordinator to meet with LEAD within 30 days of being hired and then regularly to report on progress. The new citywide Youth Coordinator started in May 2006 and is now responsible for compiling and marketing a comprehensive list of out-of-school programs and services for youth; identifying the programs on the list that include learning, conflict resolution and development of social skills; convene youth to identify and provide input for programs they find interesting and appealing; and, develop criteria to evaluate the quality of programs.

St. Petersburg: As a result of the FAST organization’s efforts, the Metropolitan Planning Organization created a one-stop phone number system with a live person to connect seniors to transportation services in 2006. Now, any senior in the city of St. Petersburg can call anytime – day or night – toll free and receive immediate in-person support for their transportation needs.

2004
Lansing, MI: Lansing, MI: In 2003, the Mayor of Lansing was reluctant to expand an adolescent mentoring program, but after continued pressure from the GLADE organization, he agreed to expand a high-quality mentoring program proven to keep kids in school and raise their grades. Due to GLADE’s efforts this program is now serving twice as many adolescents before GLADE’s intervention.

Richmond, VA: In 2004, members from the RISC organization received commitments from the City of Richmond’s Vice Mayor and Director of Human Services to establish a mentoring program to reduce youth delinquency.

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