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People of faith are called by that faith
to speak for all children.
March 26, 2012
CORRECTION:  SB 447 NOW RESIDES IN THE HOUSE, NOT THE SENATE.  CORRECTED ARTICLE BELOW.  OUR APOLOGIES FOR THE MIX-UP

HELP MOVE HB 641-CHILD PROTECTION AND PUBLIC SAFETY ACT TO A VOTE BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE

 

March 26 -- On March 21, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted "Do Pass by Substitute" for HB 641 - The Child Protection and Public Safety Act.  As we reported, the next stop was the Senate Rules Committee, where bills are assigned a spot on the Senate calendar.  The end of this legislative session is Thursday, March 29, and HB 641 is not on the calendar.

 

We need your help in getting the Senate to move this bill to the floor so that we can offer restorative justice to Georgia's children.
 

JUSTGeorgia Urgent ALERT (open link for instructions)

As a member of the JUSTGeorgia coalition, ICM is asking you to do the following before 5:00 p.m. today:

  

Contact Governor Deal, members of the GA Senate and members of the GA House with the messages contained in this ALERT

 

Thank you for your steadfast commitment to making Georgia a better place for all children.  Your support for restorative justice has not been in vain.

HOUSE SHOULD VOTE "NO" ON SB 447 - DO NOT UNDERCUT GA'S UNEMPLOYED FAMILIES

 

SB 447 is still alive and, apparently, well.  This bill that seeks to cut unemployment insurance weeks in Georgia to the lowest in the country, while putting a 50% cap on unemployment insurance tax rates, is projected to be voted on by the House today

 

These tax cuts far outweigh the small increase in unemployment taxes. Moreover, the bill puts most of the burden on unemployed families rather than the corporations--65% of the money generated by the bill comes out of the already low benefits of jobless families, and only 35% from small employer tax increases.

 

Please contact your State Representative now and let him/her know that you do not support legislation that further disadvantages Georgia's unemployed families.  Vote NO on SB 447.

JOIN ICM AT OUR THIRD ANNUAL "COMING TOGETHER FOR ALL CHILDREN" AN ICM WELCOME AND REDEDICATION CELEBRATION (HIGHLIGHTING CELEBRATION OF EXCELLENCE) 

 

ICM's Coming Together for All Children

The honor of your presence is requested, Thursday, April 19, 2012, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at ICM's third annual "Coming Together for All Children." We gather to welcome and celebrate you and the children we serve; and to renew our commitment to do what we are called to do; do what we are able to do; and do what must be done for children.

 

ICM's "Coming Together for All Children" will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta, located at 1911 Cliff Valley Way, NE, Atlanta, GA 30329.(Please go to www.uuca.org for directions.)

 

A light dinner will be served.  Please RSVP by April 14 for yourself and your guests.

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This is a great opportunity for child advocacy and other child well-being organizations to provide information about the work you're doing to help children in Georgia. Please let us know that you're coming.  Register today!

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Celebration of Excellence

2012 Celebration of Excellence - 20th Anniversary

ICM's "Coming Together for All Children" will also be the culmination of our celebration of giving for the 20th Celebration of Excellence for Georgia's Foster Care Children.

 

As a partner sponsor of the 20th anniversary of the Celebration of Excellence, which is scheduled for June 13, we are asking you and your faith community or organization to participate in the celebration of giving by sponsoring 20 gift cards in increments of $25 for Georgia's foster children who are graduating from high school or from a post-secondary educational institution. For ease of use and access, we are asking that the gift cards be from Target or Wal-Mart.

 

Please bring your donation of 20 gift cards on April 19 to the "Coming Together for All Children" celebration and be part of the Celebration of Giving recognition ceremony.

US DEPT OF LABOR ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF $75 MILLION THROUGH YOUTHBUILD GRANTS PROGRAM TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE DEVELOP JOB SKILLS

  

Contact Name: Jason Kuruvilla or Dave Roberts
Phone Number: (202) 693-6587 or x5945
Release Number: 12-0433-NAT

 

WASHINGTON - Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced on March 7 the availability of approximately $75 million in YouthBuild grant funds to develop programs that will help out-of-school youth complete high school or General Educational Development programs, as well as learn critical occupational skills in construction, health care, information technology and other fields.

 

"The YouthBuild programs that will be funded through this grant competition will help provide youth at risk of falling through the cracks with the opportunity to develop not only the jobs skills they need, but also the leadership qualities that will enable them to be valuable, productive members of their communities," said Secretary Solis.

 

The U.S. Department of Labor anticipates serving more than 5,200 young people through 75 grants, ranging from $700,000 to $1.1 million each, to be awarded to organizations that oversee education and employment services for disadvantaged youth in their communities.

 

This solicitation for grant applications is the first to incorporate new regulations for the YouthBuild program that expand required skills training beyond construction to include training in high-demand occupations such as health care and information technology, among others.

 

YouthBuild is a nonresidential, community-based alternative education program that provides classroom instruction and occupational skills training to at-risk individuals ages 16-24. Participants have been in the juvenile justice system, are aging out of foster care, are high school dropouts, and are otherwise at-risk of failing to reach key educational milestones and opportunities that lead to career fulfillment. Participants learn valuable skills as they build or rehabilitate housing for low-income or homeless individuals and families in their communities. Non-construction skills training programs also must include leadership development and community service elements to ensure that youth maintain a connection to their communities through service and volunteerism.

 

The solicitation for grant applications will be published in the March 8 edition of the Federal Register. Both the solicitation and information on how to apply for a grant are available at http://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm.

 

For more information on YouthBuild and other Labor Department youth employment programs, visit http://www.doleta.gov/youth_services.

JOIN ICM IN BUILDING A "BRIDGE TO HARMONY"

 

"Religious persecution anywhere is a threat to religious freedom everywhere."  Whether it is the imprisonment of pastors Sadegh-Khanjani and Yousef Nadarkhani by the Iranian government or one of the 1,322 "religious-bias" hate crimes in the United States, the victims deserve more than our shock and our silence.  They deserve our commitment to build relationships of understanding, appreciation and respect across boundaries of religious institutions and spiritual practices.

 

Become a bridge builder and help build the "Bridge to Harmony" by sharing your stories of encouragement on ICM's facebook page of how you have reached out or how you plan to reach out in peace and friendship to persons not of your own faith tradition.
SPIRITUAL WITNESS FOR CHILDREN
Prayer
One of the most important things faith communities can do for children is to pray for them.
 
Every child is a child of God and deserves justice and compassion. Every child deserves our prayers.
 
ICM encourages every faith community to become a spiritual witness for children. Hold a worship service in your church, synagogue, mosque or temple and invite others to join in praying for the well-being of all children.
ICM Mission and Goals

 

The Interfaith Children's Movement (ICM) is an interfaith, grassroots, advocacy movement dedicated to improving the well-being of children in Georgia.  ICM was formed in 2001 as an intentional association of individuals and communities of faith from all religious traditions.

 

The Interfaith Children's Movement strives to be a voice for all Georgia children, but especially the poor and marginalized whose voices are often unheard. 

 

ICM works closely with Georgia's policy-oriented child advocacy organizations, such as: 

HELP FEED HUNGRY CHILDREN THIS SUMMER THROUGH THE SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM (SFSP)

 

22% of Georgia's children live in poverty, and Atlanta ranks fifth in the nation in child poverty.

 

The SFSP is looking for eligible sponsors to serve nutritious meals to children throughout Georgia during the summer months.  The program is administered in Georgia by Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning and is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture.

 

What does SFSP do?  SFSP provides free meals to eligible children in low-income areas during the summer months when students are out of school.

 

Who Can Qualify:

- Public or private non-profit schools;

- Universities, colleges, or camps;

- City or county governments; and

- Private nonprofit organizations, including churches and other faith-based organizations considered tax exempt by the IRS.

For more information about SFSP click here.

 

For training dates click here 

 

MAKE A
SPECIAL
CONTRIBUTION TO ICM TODAY
  
Your contributions create a better Georgia for all children.  Make a monthly tax-deductible gift of $25.00 or a one-time gift of $100.00. Please click HERE now to make a secure, on-line, tax-deductible contribution. Do what must be done... GIVE to ICM today.

 

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JOIN ICM and the effort to improve the well-being of Georgia's children. Make a tax-deductible contribution today.

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ICM Board of Directors

Bettieanne C. Hart, Board Chair

Carolina Antonini

Dustin Baxter

Rev. Toni Belin-Ingram

Rabbi Analia Bortz

Linda Eason

Lance Lourie

Rev. Andrew Peabody

Rev. Dr. Wendell Phillips

Donald Price

Imam Mansoor Sabree

Rev. Dr. Luther E. Smith, Jr.

David Soloway

Beatrice Soublet

Kathryn Stanley

INFORMATION RESOURCING
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  County Juvenile Justice Fund)

- Asian American Legal Advocacy  Center (AALAC)

- Atlanta Community Engagement  Team (ACET)

- Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasting

- Barton Child Law & Policy Center

- Building Understanding Communities (BUDS)

- Caminar Latino, Inc.

- Children's Advocacy Centers of Georgia

- Children's Defense Fund

- Cobb Faith Partnership

- Communities in Schools-Georgia 

- Community Health Interfaith  Partnership (C.H.I.P.) 

- Dignity in Schools

- ECPAT-USA

- Embrace Georgia

- Faith Alliance of Metro Atlanta

- Families First

- Georgia Advocacy Office

- Georgia Alliance to End    Homelessness

- Georgia Appleseed

- Georgia Association of Latino-   Elected Officials (GALEO)

- Georgia Budget and Policy   Institute (GBPI)

- Georgia Care Connection

- Georgia CASA

- Georgia Center for Child Advocacy

- Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning Bright from the Start

- Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students (GEEARS)

Georgia Job/Family Collaborative

- Georgia Rescue and Restore

- Georgians for a Healthy Future

- Governor's Office for Children  and Families

- Gwinnett SToPP Parent Coalition

- Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies

- Higher Ground

- HOPE for Georgia

- Interfaith Children's Movement

- Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atl

- JUSTGeorgia

- MAAC/EmpowerMEnt

- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

- National Council of Jewish Women

- Not for Sale Georgia

- Open Jewish Project

- Refugee and Resettlement Services of Atlanta (RRISA)

- Refugee Family Services

- Renovacion Conyugal

- Rescue & Restore Victims of   Human Trafficking (U.S. Dept of  Health & Human Svcs:  Administration for Children &   Families)

- Southern Education Foundation

- StreetGRACE

- Strengthening Families and   Communities Coalition (Georgia)

- Success for All Students

- U.S. Citizenship & Immigration

- United Methodist Children's Home (Decatur)

- United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta

- Voices for Georgia's Children

- VOX: The Voice of Our Generation  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Doing what we are called to do.
 Doing what we are able to do. 
 Doing what must be done!