National People's Action

10 MVOC Leaders made their way to Washington D.C. Saturday March 21, 2009 to participate in the National People's Action (NPA).

There were over 600 community activists from 20 states in attendance. All of the different organizations and groups are striving to make a difference in their hometown communities, just like MVOC in the Valley. The events focus was two-fold; action and education. 

The action portion included storming the office of former Congressman Ted Doremus, chief lobbyist for Wells Fargo. We went in with the message: "Save our Homes and Hold Banks Accountable." The objective was to get Wells Fargo to develop clear strategies and to repair the damage that has been done by the unfair lending practices. The lobby was a first step success the demands are being taking into consideration by the multi-billion dollar lending conglomerate. 

The education was training, one-to-one interviews with similar grassroots organizations, as well as a legislative briefing on the Community Regeneration Sustainability and Innovation Act. This Act coincides with our Vacant Property Campaign. The basics of the Act are to create green infrastructure in these dilapidated communities, provide federal assistance for the metropolitan areas that have suffered and to 'encourage the strategic use of other Federal, State, local, private, and nonprofit resources not provided under this Act to stabilize and improve neighborhoods not presently experiencing widespread vacancy and abandonment, but whose stability is or may be threatened if current demographic or employment trends continue.'