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| Amanda, Lacey, and Keri in the Romero dining room (Erica is taking the picture so you can't see her) |
"When the church hears the cry of the oppressed it cannot but denounce the social structures that give rise to and perpetuate the misery from which the cry arises." � Oscar Romero
Ride for AIDS update:
7 sponsors
$335 raised
Number of remembrance ribbons: 3
longest ride this season: 41 miles
Hmm, updates since all the way back in mid-March� I had a nice relaxing birthday at home with my housemates. We ate brownies with mint chocolate ice cream and asked each other trivial pursuit questions. Lacey threatened to get me a guy for my birthday, but lost his number. Darn.
At work we just turned in renewal applications for three of our housing projects. It was a lot of work to put together. Chicago is in the midst of a �ten year plan to end homelessness� which is basically reforming our entire housing services system. Because of this a lot of our housing funds are being set aside for new permanent housing projects. This means less funding for existing projects, with an estimated 20 projects going to be cut this year. We think ours will be ok, because we have already transitioned them to permanent housing, and because we do a good job, but it is still a little scary. Another scary housing thing is threatened cuts to HOPWA, the biggest funder of HIV-specific housing assistance. We have three grants through HOPWA. Senator Santorum of PA has the crazy idea of eliminating HOPWA to pay for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. He claims that housing can be taken care of through Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8). The problem is HUD, the government agency that administers them is already stretched thin and has had funding cut. Here in Chicago, the waitlist for vouchers has been closed for several years because there were already too many people on it. That is the WAITLIST, not the housing. You can�t even get on a waitlist, and he thinks we don�t need housing??? GROWL. The problem is the AIDS Drug Assistance Program in many states really is underfunded, but if you take away someone�s house to give them drugs, they still aren�t going to be very healthy. Fortunately here in IL our ADAP is well funded (yeah for Blue states!).
Ok, so now that I have completely bored you with my advocacy rants� We have an LVC retreat coming up in two weekends. There is also a choir concert that weekend. Our church and Libertyville UMC are doing a �Concert for Peace� at their church, and then a week later here at our church. It is an interesting mix of music from traditional �high mass� type music (two different Agnus Deis and Kyries) to African spirituals to you name it. It should be really fun to sing in a mega choir because I guess they are pretty big. We have more guys though (yeah for churches in the heart of Boystown!).
We are supposed to be on Chicago Public Radio next Thursday. Unfortunately we will be on retreat so I won�t be able to hear it. You can listen on their website: http://www.chicagopublicradio.org it is a part of the Chicago Matters series on money. I�m hoping I didn�t say anything too humiliating. I guess nothing can be as bad as Amanda�s beer story. Now don�t you want to listen?
I had dinner with a couple of friends from church, one of their moms, a long time family friend, and one of my housemates. They cooked turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, and a salad. Thanksgiving! Lacey and I had to practically roll ourselves home! It was really neat to spend time getting to know them a little better and see their place. The mom is a quilter, and had given several of her quilts to her son, so I also got to ogle them.
Till next time�
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