B.R.E.A.D. Assembly tomorrow at Congregation Tifereth Israel in Columbus

I told you about the B.R.E.A.D. action meeting that will take place on May 8 a while ago, but since the rally is actually taking place tomorrow, it seems appropriate to post a reminder. It also wouldn't hurt to remind you that B.R.E.A.D. stands for Building Responsibility Equality and Dignity, and is made up of 50 congregations in the central Ohio area. As Rev. George Glazier wrote, ...The most important part of this is the Action Assembly where hundreds and hundreds of people are gathered. It is the very numbers of people that convince the elected officials that the issue needs to be addressed.

So, if you like the idea of being able to make a difference simply by "showing up", this is the event for you. That's what the registration, which starts at 6:15 p.m. is for, by the way--signing in and making sure that you are counted in the official numbers. Each congregation has a table where their members can sign in, and if you're not a member of one of those congregations, you can always sign in with mine. ;-) Or whichever one you want, just so long as you're counted.

This excerpt from the May newsletter of Temple Beth Shalom give a quick explanation of the issues being addressed at tomorrow's meeting

•To establish a Comprehensive Truancy Prevention Program, and
•To expand the numbers of low-income children enrolled in Quality Early Childhood Programs.

Officials from Columbus Public Schools and Franklin County will respond.

Co-President Rev. George Glazier has commented: "When I think about BREAD I get the mental picture of people standing together... maybe in a hallway outside the County Commissioners Office... maybe at one of our Assemblies... We stand together for justice, for more low-income housing... for access to health care... for streets that are safe. We also stand with... we stand with all the religious traditions of justice...with those in government, education, and other institutions which are seeking justice across the board - for everyone."

The following is from the new B.R.E.A.D. web site, still under construction...

Monday, May 8, 2006 - Nehemiah Action Meeting
"I heard their outcry...And I called a great assembly."
(Nehemiah 5:6-7)

Congregation Tifereth Israel
1354 E. Broad St.
6:15 pm-Registration
7:00 Opening Prayer
Issues

Youth:

Research shows that truancy is a significant red flag indicating children who are at risk of academic failure, drop-out, and juvenile delinquency. As of today, our community does not have a coordinated effort to deal with truancy reduction or prevention. BREAD will call for the development of a comprehensive truancy reduction plan in order to address this problem.

Early Childhood:

Research indicates that children of poverty on average have significantly lower language skills even at 3 years of age. The State of Ohio has made funding available for thousands of lowincome children to attend pre-school programs through the Early Learning Initiative (ELI). But significant roadblocks exist which limit enrollment in the program with the result that hundreds of openings for pre-school are going unfilled in Franklin County. BREAD will issue a call to remove these roadblocks and bring ELI up to full capacity in Franklin County.

Jobs:

Last May, we asked City and County officials to strengthen First Source, an employment program which links job creation and workforce development with tax abatements. The jobs committee concluded that the inadequate implemetation of First Source reflects a larger problem with City and County administration of workforce development throughout Central Ohio. Suzanne Coleman Tolbert, President of Central Ohio Workforce Investment Corporation will present a plan to strengthen workforce development, along with the First Source program.

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