Voice of the Poor Northeastern Region
Northeast VOP representative:
Vincent Reilly, New York, NY. e-mail
Norman Thor, Buffalo, NY. e-mail
VOP News From Manhattan
March 12, 2008 -- Vin Reilly shares this update.
"We're just back from Albany where the mood was very quiet, like a wake. NE Region Voice of the Poor representative Ramon Vidal and his wife Pascasia renewed old acquaintances with Speaker of the New York State Assembly Sheldon Silver. Before an official photographer and one from the NY Times, they presented him with the Manhhattan Council's Call of the Poor award. Produced in the Society's Eugene, OR Aurora glass foundry, it was a recycled sapphire blue etched glass plaque in recognition of many years leadership and support for our Holiday meal program.
From Rockville Centre VOP: "What Have We Done?"
The Winter issue of Vincentian Way...good neighbors to the poor (Vol. 11, No. 1, p. 5) provides an overview of Voice of the Poor activities by Joan Delaney, Chairperson, VOP Committee (Bethpage, NY). "During the past year, the Voice of the Poor Committee has continued its goals of education and advocacy," says Delaney. Highlights reported include:
February attendance by several members to the Society Ministries Gathering in Washington, DC and continuing advocacy on issues which affect those in need during the year via emails to state senators and members of Congress, particularly as issues such as Section 8 housing and the expansion of health care benefits to children.
Attending the Public Policy Day in Albany, NY with a focus on expanding supports for working families, treatment programs in the criminal justice system, simplification of the enrollment process for Medicaid, Child Health Plus and Family Health Plus.
VOP members presented a workshop at the Society of Catholic Social Scientists conference at St. John's University explaining how advocacy has been formally added as an essential ministry of Vincentians in addition to direct service to the Poor.
Chairing a workshop presented by representatives of the Tax Advocacy Workshop during Ozanam Day. The keynote speech concerning Poverty on Long Island was presented by Dick Koubek of Catholic Charities stressing the impact that letters, emails and phone calls from actual constituents have on legislators rather than simply correspondence from a nonprofit group.
Letter writing by Conferences including letters to the Suffolk County Department of Social Services regarding the lack of timely and necessary services by DSS for people whom they send to local congregations for help and letters to State Senators and Assembly members requesting that that the needs of the poor are addressed in the 2008-09 budget.
The group's major year-long initiative in participating in an interfaith coalition called MICAH (Mobilized Interfaith Coalition Against Hunger) provided an opportunity to educate people about poverty on Long Island and to seek opportunities for advocacy. Vincentians participated in interfaith programs which coincided with the feast of St. Vincent de Paul explaining Vincentian history and ministry.
2007 Northeast VOP News:
SVDP-VOP Presentations
In October the Society of Catholic Social Scientists is meeting at St. John's University, School of Law (Jamaica, Queens, New York). Three SVDP Vincentian presentations are scheduled at this 15th Annual Meeting. Pat O'Dea of the Rockville Centre Diocesan Council shares that there will be a presentation centering on the position papers developed by the Voice of the Poor Committee and adopted by the National Council. Vincentian Ray Sickinger will present a paper titled, "Service, Democracy, and the Common Good in 19th Century France: The Example of Frédéric Ozanam." Plus Rockville Centre Vincentians will give a presentation on conference work entitled, "Embracing All Works of Charity: Blessed Frederic Ozanam's Legacy."
Registration information: http://www.voiceofthepoor.org/poverty_news_files/poverty_news.htm
2006 Northeast VOP News:
Northeast Regional Newsletter Report on VOP
August 2006 -- Patricia Sickinger, NE Secretary/SVDP, shares a page from their latest edition of SVDP’s Northeast Regional Newsletter, which reports on VOP work of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York. According to the article, Rockville Centre takes the responsibility of VOP seriously. It’s chair is a member of the Diocesan Council’s Board of Directors.
VOP in Manhattan
August 2006 -- Executive Director and VOP National Committee member, Vin Reilly reports: The Manhattan Council has been advocating on behalf of our neighbors in need as they visit our parish volunteer food pantries. Our State Legislature funded our Holiday meal program at $42,000.00 for last Thanksgivings 200 chickens and 1,600 turkeys along with Easter's 2,351 hams. We also expect changes for the better in our Hunger Prevention, Nutrition Assistance contract which funds the bulk canned goods delivered to a dozen parish pantries the year around. We participate at our State Catholic Conference's public policy day and help distribute the agendas to legislators or staffers.
VOP Rockville Centre, New York
August 2006 -- Update from Joan Delaney, Chairperson, VOP, Diocese of Rockville Centre:
In conjunction with activities at the state capitol coordinated by the NYS Catholic conference of Bishops, we advocated on behalf of the following issues: enact education tax credits to benefit all parents and all schools; promote ethical stem cell research and ban embryo experimentation, secure insurance equity for behavioral health service; ensure access to health care, and continue reform of New York’s Rockefeller-era drug sentencing laws.
Contacting both state and local legislators and cooperating with the Public Policy Education Network of Catholic Charities, we also lobbied on the issues of immigration and affordable housing, both huge problems on Long Island.
Finally, members of our committee, along with numerous other Vincentians, have joined the NYS Catholic Advocacy Network which facilitates communications with legislators at all levels regarding topical issues, particularly those before state and federal legislators. In that regard, we have responded to their requests to e-mail legislators through this network concerning a wide array of pending budgetary and ethical issues.
News from VOP in Diocese of Rockville Centre, NY
June 2006 --Joan Delaney, VOP chair, provides the following update on activities of the Diocese of Rockville Centre.
Our Voice of the Poor Committee was begun in 2003 and its chairperson is a member of the Diocesan Council’s Board of Directors, an indication of the importance given to this initiative. Our mission has been two-fold. The first is to educate our members concerning the importance of addressing the root causes of social injustice and to make it possible for them to participate easily in contacting those who have the power to correct those injustices. The second is for the VOP committee to act as a pro-active liaison with elected officials and other local organizations, particularly Catholic Charities, and engage in activities which address justice issues. Some projects have included letter-writing as well as personal visits to legislators.
To accomplish these goals, VOP representatives have spoken personally at numerous meetings of all four of our District Councils. We have provided each Conference with pamphlets containing contact information concerning all of our area’s elected officials. Additionally, materials are sent periodically to conference presidents on issues of importance. We have also begun a VOP newsletter that is sent quarterly to all conferences updating them on important issues as well as providing them with background information concerning the role of social justice in the Society and in the Church. All members have been urged to join the New York State Catholic Advocacy Network which provides an easy method to become informed and to contact legislators. Committee members have also attended numerous conferences and programs among which are: the Catholic Social Ministries Gatherings in Washington, D.C., annual lobbying days in the state capital with other Catholic groups interested in social justice, and programs sponsored by the Vincentian Center for Church and Society at St. John’s University. Most especially, we have forged a closer relationship with Catholic Charities and their Public Policy Education Network and have frequently used their research on many local issues, particularly affordable housing, immigration, and racism. We co-sponsored a program on racism with Catholic Charities.
Our Committee also presented a program on the Voice of the Poor initiative at the Northeast Regional Meeting held on Long Island in 2005, and we will offer a workshop on Voice of the Poor at our own Ozanam Day this Fall. While successes come slowly, we are especially pleased that the issue of affordable housing has gained momentum as we join our voice with that of many other local groups in publicizing its importance.
Update from Joan Delaney (July 11, 2006): We just received an e-mail update from the NYS Catholic Advocacy Network which noted that the main issues for which we lobbied were settled in the way for which we advocated. (Of course we must begin again in the Fall.) I don't know if you are aware of that website, but it is set up in a way that makes it really easy for people to respond. It is run by the NYS Catholic Conference which is the official public policy voice of the church in NYS. The website is www.nyscatholic.org While they mainly focus on NYS issues, they also inform us and make it possible for us to respond to national legislators as well on some of the larger issues.