Selected Actions 2009: Homelessness and Healthcare
In 2008, HOPE research teams investigated and determined what actions are feasible and useful for the spring 2009 Nehemiah Action. HOPE is working to encourage and enable County officials and health care providers to improve low income and homrless people's access to replacement Birth Certificates, State Identification, and a Voice Mail System to enable those in need to secure employment, housing, and other basic needs.
Remembering Khadijah Rivera
It is with great sadness that we must inform the HOPE community that Khadijah Rivera, a female Hispanic Muslim leader in HOPE, passed away from a heart attack on Sunday, November 22nd. If you met Khadijah you would remember her great smile, her strong conviction for justice, and her passion for changing things to end homelessness. She remains an inspiration to live our commitment to justice with passion, righteous anger, and joy! Her laughter will remain. And we remain committed to keep her spirit alive through our work for justice. We also ask for prayers for her community and family as they mourn her passing, for she leaves behind five adult children, two brothers, and a sister.
One of Khadijah’s last gifts to HOPE is the 30-second video above that she created from photos right after our Nov. 9th Convention. We will greatly miss her and all that she still had to offer in bringing justice and fairness to people in Hillsborough County.
Khadijah reminds us to be thankful for people who have touched our lives, and to live life in God to it's fullest. Thanks to all whose lives are committed to justice, fairness, love of neighbor, and the dignity of people.
The Parable of Hope
There once was a great city with a large river running through it. One day the member of a congregation was walking beside the river and heard persons in the middle of the river calling for help. The member dragged many persons to safety before collapsing exhausted on the bank. While the member lay panting upon the bank, many other persons were swept out to the sea and drowned. The member took the tired, wet, and sick persons she had rescued to the congregation where they received much care.
The congregation sent more people down to the river and found that every day persons were falling into the river. The other congregations in the city also helped pull persons from the river. They worked together to care for those rescued. All this took a lot of energy and soon the rescuers and their resources were exhausted.
One day the congregations held a joint meeting to discuss the situation. One of the members said, "We have worked hard and rescued many persons and that has been good. But, it will be an endless task until we go upstream and find out why persons are falling in".
Going upstream to the source of the problem is the task of HOPE!
HOPE's mission is to promote justice, fairness, and the dignity of people, by engaging and training hundreds of people to responsibly and successfully act together to hold officials accountable to improve the systems affecting the quality of life in our communities. We do that by identifying common community problems, researching solutions, and then publicly engaging officials for commitments to implement those solutions.