The P.O.W.E.R. Founding Convention
Because Philadelphia needs our strength to move ahead….
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
Register now-– because it will make seating quicker!
Arrive at Tindley Temple United Methodist Church at 5:30 P.M.
750 South Broad Street (between Fitzwater & Catherine Streets– because it takes some time time get that many people seated.
(There will be music to gather by!)
A group will leave Old First together at 5 p.m. BY BUS!!! (we will have relaxed parking so that you can park here).
The meeting will be over in ONE AND A HALF HOURS sharp!
In that concentrated time, 2,500 people from congregations across this city — crossing the lines of religion, race, ethnicity, class and neighborhood that often keep us apart — will become the largest organization working for better jobs & schools, safer streets & more affordable homes & healthcare in the city of Philadelphia.
We will hear both real people’s stories and what our research has shown about the challenges of joblessness, underemployment… and how education is not serving to get people jobs.
Join us as we ask Mayor Nutter, other public officials & private sector leaders to make a commitment:
Bringing 10,000 Philadelphians to living wage jobs over the next 5 years — and working together to create the educational and training pipelines needed to accomplish such a huge goal.
THIS MUST BECOME A SHARED PUBLIC-PRIVATE PRIORITY!
Michael and other clergy met with the Mayor on Monday:
~ His staff person asked “How many people are REALLYgoing to be at the meeting?” Is the Mayor’s office gauging whether P.O.W.E.R. and the constituencies it represents need to be taken seriously?
~ Mayor Nutter was not sure he was willing to make a commitment to connecting the people of this city with living wage jobs. He waffled– talking about how so many of our unemployed are unprepared to work, and how we (clergy? faith communities? or just “someone else?”) needed to prepare people for the jobs that are possible.
But that’s why we were there! P.O.W.E.R.’s mission is to exhort and hold civic leaders to such a vision and mission. In other words, ‘the city’ — with some creative public and private coalition — is responsible for and needs to develop the programs that get people back to work.
Join us to convince Mayor Nutter and other leaders that together we can make a difference, get people back to work and strengthen the whole city!
Invite you friends, family, neighbors, co-workers to help too.
Jobs and the education to get them will make a difference for the most vulnerable among us. They will also improve life in this city for all of us.
