The leaders who are involved in Old First’s participation in POWER, the faith based community organizing effort of Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Muslim congregations from across the city, will be meeting on Friday, Sept. 14, 6 pm offsite. They want to regroup our organizing efforts within Old First, after the summer. And to figure out how we can be more effectively involved in both the Jobs Campaign and the Emphasis on Education. As well, two new short term initiatives have arisen that we need to consider how we might be involved in:
~ “Let My People Vote,” a campaign in response to the new PA voter i.d. requirements that have been estimated to disenfranchise as many as 750,000 voters and 30% of the African American population. This tight, two-month campaign will focus on voter registration for the first month. The second month will turn to helping people make sure they have the i.d. necessary to vote and turn out the vote efforts.
~ Prevent legislation that would invite payday lenders back into PA, allowing them to charge interest rates on their typically 2-week loans that equals 300% annually. Philadelphia’s Consumer Advocate has called this type of lending “legalized loan sharking.” Working families are the most likely to be trying to make it paycheck to paycheck, so that for working class and poorer folks payday lending becomes predatory. POWER wants to organize support to defeat the legislation that would make PA one of the most attractive markets in the country for payday lenders.
Old First has a strong group of leaders working on POWER. But it’s not a closed group. And their dinner meeting is not closed either. If you are interested, please speak to Beth W., Mike W. or the pastor and join us for the meeting on Friday, Sept. 14 at 6pm.