Welcome
January 7, 2009CCISCO
Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization
CCISCO helps everyday people win extraordinary victories, not by speaking for them, but by providing a vehicle for them to speak, act and engage in the public arena for themselves. Since 1996, we have been organizing a voice for justice and equity in Contra Costa. We are a multi-ethnic, multi-generational, interfaith federation of 25 congregations and youth institutions representing over 35,000 families.
News
CCISCO Leaders Help Lead National Foreclosure Protest in Washington D.C.
Washington, D.C. - CCISCO leaders along with over 200 PICO leaders from across the country gathered in prayer on November 18 in front of the Treasury Building before delivering a letter signed by 500 faith leaders calling on Treasury Secretary Paulson to adopt a mass mortgage modification plan that would keep as many as 2 million families from losing their homes.
"We want them to look at the bigger picture. Don't just look at Wall Street, look at Main Street. Look at the man next door who is working hard and really paying taxes," said Minister Marvin Webb, CCISCO leader from Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church in Richmond, California. "We are asking the secretary and Congress to keep people in their homes."
1/05 - MSN Real Estate - Banks Ignore Stuggles of Responsible Borrowers
12/26 - PBS Religion and Ethics Newsweekly - Churches and the Foreclosure Crisis
11/29 - Washington Post - Coming Together in a Crisis
11/20 - CNN American Morning - Dear God, Save My House
11/18 - USA Today - Clergy rally in D.C. for homeowner protections
11/18 - AP - More Negative Signs for US Housing Market
Representatives from cities where the foreclosure crisis has hit the hardest held signs displaying the number of people facing foreclosures, while people who have lost their homes gave their personal accounts. Webb prayed between each testimony.
"Remove the veil between the people of this nation and the people in authority. Pierce the veil of Secretary Paulson and Congress and move in their hearts today," Webb prayed, while the crowd shouted, "Wake up! Wake up, Secretary Paulson!"
CCISCO leaders have demonstrated that when there is tremendous pain in the community, their voices will be heard.
"It's too late for me, but it's not late for millions of people that are going through the same pain," said CCISCO leader Berenice Ramos of Holy Rosary Church in Antioch as she testified outside the stone pillars of the Treasury Department, where hundreds staged the morning prayer session.
In the coming weeks, PICO will hold public negotiations with officials in cities where foreclosure numbers are high. While in Washington, CCISCO and PICO leaders met with House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank and Senior Obama transition officials to ask for their help in keeping people in their homes.
"We want them to see the faces of people who are distressed. We want them to take the power they have and adjust loans and mortgages so people can stay in their houses," Webb said.
Also a priority for the Washington D.C. trip was the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). CCISCO Leaders, PICO clergy and other religious leaders met with Senate Finance Committee Staff Director, Russ Sullivan; Senior Health Staff for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell; and dozens of Congressional and Senate offices, to urge quick passage of the SCHIP program and an increase in Medicaid payments to states as first steps in the road to comprehensive health reform.
Pittsburg High Parents Want Changes to Assessment Process
Pittsburg, CA - On Wednesday, December 10, 2008, over 100 leaders, parents, teachers, and students presented their research findings regarding the effects of assessment tests on student achievement to the Pittsburg Unified School District.
With the exception of 11th grade English (23% failing), students range from over 50% failing in English to 61-78% failing in Math. These staggering statistics coupled with a lack of resources to address academic failure has left students discouraged and defeated.
12/10 - Contra Costa Times - Concerned parents ask Pittsburg district for better assessment process
"I study and study, often to 2:00 AM in the morning. I do all my work, and still I continue to fail. It is so frustrating", said student Elizabeth Aguirre as she broke into tears during her testimony.
Parents expressed the concern that they have not been given the tools to help their children. The lack of extra-curricular help has left students falling further and further behind with very little to show except for more assessments tests.
"It is important to test, but we need teachers who can adequately prepare them. The way we have now is not working," says Brenda Scott mother of a 10th grader at Pittsburg High School.
The research report revealed that parents have not given up on their children.
Parents envision a Pittsburg High School where every student graduates prepared for life: ready for college or career. They are working to help build a common culture, one that fosters success rather than failure, where parents, teachers, students, administration, and community are of one accord in reaching this important goal.
"The assessments are failing our students both emotionally and academically. We want the Pittsburg School Board to know that we are tired of our hard working students failing," says Sophia Hernandez, mother of a 9th grader at Pittsburg High School.
