Ohio Organizing Collaborative Update

MVOC, AMOS, and NOAH and the OOC host Senator Brown in Youngstown and Cleveland
 
On Monday April 13, 2009, Senator Sherrod Brown met with top leaders from the Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative at Union Baptist Church for a an hour and half closed door meeting around health care, vacant properties, and green jobs initiatives.  “He agreed to support us on all three of these key aims and we are now looking forward to a close working relationship with his office,” said Pastor Michael Harrison.  "It is great recognition for us that Senator Brown asked us for the meeting in response to our innovative work and model of community organizing that has brought together faith based groups, grassroots organizations, local elected officials, and foundations in a broad alliance. It shows that a new model of organizing has been long overdue," said Harrison.
 
The meeting was a precursor for a 500 person health care rally that took place this morning that was hosted by the Northeast Ohio Alliance for Hope -- and in partnership with ACORN, SEIU, UFCW, Progress Ohio, AMOS, and MVOC.  Senator Brown has taken the lead on pushing a public health care option -- a key piece of the national policy debate on Health Care Reform.  Pastor John Lentz, Senior Pastor of Forest Hill Presbyterian described the meeting as the most powerful meeting NOAH has had in its history... and credited the NOAH's ability to wield power through its ability to collaborate with other key community organizing networks and labor unions across the state.
 
The Ohio Organizing has now hosted two public meetings with more than 500 people in the last two months around national issues (stimilus funding and health care reform) that have a direct impact on our neighborhoods and constituencies.