focus alert - october 9, 2015
DESCRIPTION
A busy time of year with a variety of activities and opportunities. Read on.TRANSCRIPT
FOCUS Churches of Albany 275 State St. Albany NY 12210
518.443.0460
www.focuschurches.net
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1. Details...details...details...
2. Free Workshop
3. Pantry “Thank You”
4. Advocacy News
5. SEFA Donations Requested
6. Ecumenical Notes and Opportunities
1. Details...details...details...
What day am I signed up for? What am I suppose to do? What’s different?
New parking pass? New routines? What’s with hats? When do I need to
show up? How long do you need to stay? What is my role with guests?
We are still looking for new volunteers for the Winter Breakfast Program.
Are you interested and available? Positions that need filling: Half shifts
(8—9:30) available and substitutes are needed. Please call the FOCUS
office at 443.0460 or email Belinda at: [email protected]
2. Free Workshop
3. Pantry “Thank You”
6. Ecumenical Notes and Opportunities
4. Advocacy News
Faith for a Fair NY will be holding their annual retreat
at the Dominican Spiritual Retreat House October
11th-13th. We’ll look at successful movements in
New York and across the country - including the
Fight for $15 and Moral Mondays - and look ahead
to what we can expect in the coming year. You can
register here. FOCUS scholarships are available.
Contact Joe Paparone for more information.
Action Needed!
There’s still time to take action on
Childhood Nutrition Re-Authorization!
These critical bills, currently being de-
liberated in Congress, would maintain
and expand access to healthy meals
for students over the summer. You
can sign a letter to Congress here:
http://bit.ly/1DqKx35
On Sept. 27th and Oct. 4th, Emmanuel Baptist hosted two workshops on
poverty in Albany, the work of FOCUS, and the connections to broader
shifts in the national and global economy. On the 27th, Karen Kendall
and Becca Leet (both are Emmanuel members and on FOCUS staff)
shared details about the FOCUS anti-hunger and anti-poverty programs,
and Joe Paparone and Joanna Nadeau (Emmanuel) gave the context of
poverty across Albany County. On the 4th, we were joined by Janice Trai-
nor and Jessica Dowsett from the Capital District Area Labor Federation,
who gave a presentation on “Common-Sense Economics” describing the
larger economic shifts in the past 40 years, what has caused those
shifts, and how we’re affected today. Joe connected the work of the FO-
CUS Advocates to statewide anti-poverty movements like the Fight for
$15. We’re excited to begin sharing these workshops at the other FOCUS
churches soon!
Rev. Deb Honored by HANNYS
At the annual Hunger Action Network of New York State membership
meeting Deb Jameson was recognized for her 10 years of service on the
Board of Directors and of “her many valuable contributions in the strug-
gle to end hunger and poverty in NYS. Her work has helped ease the suf-
fering of so many.”
5. SEFA Donations Requested
FOCUS Congratulates Christ Church
of Albany on their 2 year anniversary!
FOCUS has collaborated with Christ Church
on many wonderful projects around Albany.
Check out this cool video !
Nostra Aetate
Fifty years ago, on October 28, 1965, the Second Vatican Council issued the proclamation Nostra Aetate, which articulated the Roman Catholic Church’s understanding of its relation-ship to other religions and its desire for closer interactions with them. The proclamation ushered in a new era of interfaith dialog, understanding, and respect.
You are invited to a celebration of this historic event on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 3 p.m. at the Howard Hubbard Interfaith Sanctuary, 959 Madison Avenue, on the St. Rose College cam-pus.
The program will include presentations by six faith traditions: Ba’hi, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. Presenters will talk about their faith’s perspective on Nostra Aetate, its impact on them in the decades since, and hopes for the future. A panel of young people from the University at Albany will then comment on their views of interfaith rela-tions today and their ideas of what the future may bring.
Join the FOCUS Advocates! This
group will meet on October 20th, at
5:30pm at Emmanuel Baptist - to
begin planning for anti-hunger and
anti-poverty advocacy in the coming
year. We’ll discuss the issues, edu-
cate and organize our congregations,
and mobilize to work for justice. Food
will be provided! Let Joe Paparone
know if you’ll be attending: