[Excerpt]

"In 1988, then-East Austin resident Ofelia Zapata was among the first helped by a new group whose mission is to build stronger communities by teaching residents how to organize and leverage their political capital.

Born poor and with visual disabilities, the young widow with three daughters joined Austin Interfaith, a non-denominational, non-partisan umbrella organization of various churches, temples and charitable community groups.

Zapata first got involved when she was a member of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. She wanted to ensure her daughters’ schools provided an education as good as more affluent schools across town, she said. Austin Interfaith members worked to help pass bond propositions to build parks and schools in East Austin, where she lived at the time...."  Click here to read more.

Austin Interfaith Celebrates 30 Years of Building Power, Austin American Statesman [pdf]

Last July, Hidden Valley / High Meadows (mobile home) residents became distressed when lot rents for people on month-to-month leases were raised for the second time within a 12-month period.  New rules mandated improvements and standardizations — adding new costs to residents — including deck and railing upgrades, paint jobs, skirting repair, shed standardization, color control and control over inside window coverings visible from the street.  Families were also asked to demonstrate possession of a drivers' license to drive on the property, impacting hundreds of residents. Many families scrambled to comply; some left.   

Residents reached out to Austin Interfaith and Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) for support and within two months founded their association (Hidden Valley / High Meadows Residents' Association) and signed up over 200 households as members.  

On December 10, the HVHMRA signed a historic accord with their landlord, Scott Roberts of Roberts Communities, locking  in many protections, including the:

• Right to organize residents' associations that represent the interests of mobile home park residents.
• First rent control concession in a mobile home park of Austin, locking in no more than 5% increases through 2017 and rent increase caps in subsequent years.
• Protections for undocumented immigrant residents.  

Minutes before the item came up for discussion, Austin Interfaith leaders shepherded the signing of this agreement between HVHMRA officers and landlord Scott Roberts.  

Through the establishment of a 'mobile home regime', or framework for landlord-resident relations, this important victory sets an unprecedented standard, ensuring that land use decisions on mobile home parks protect the quality of life for existing residents.  

Mobile Home Community Says Affordability Agreement Will Provide New Protection, KXAN

Proprietarios de Casas Móviles Celebran Victoria, Telemundo

City Council: Keep 'Em Waiting, Austin Chronicle 

Mobile Home Rezoning Wins Praise From All Sides, Austin Monitor [pdf]

Mobile Home Park Stokes Hopes and Fears, Austin Monitor [pdf]

Dear Readers,

I am Minister Sandy D. Jones from Mount Olive Baptist Church, a member and supporter of Austin Interfaith.  I learned about what Austin Interfaith has been doing for education and child & youth development through the work of volunteers and leaders from congregations all over our growing city.  Our city is a very multicultural city that needs to provide an education that will reach each and all these cultures of children and adults for productive families and lifestyles.  This will bring peace and prosperity for our schools, communities, cities and state as a whole.

I took an interest in this work in thinking about my grandchildren’s education.  I myself was raised in the south, the state of Alabama, during segregation where we as a black race did not have the privileges that others had.  After over 40 years we can still see the same effect of our kids not having the privileges of others because of their race, and their neighborhoods.  

I sincerely believe that child, and youth development programs are necessarily important to our education system in educating our children and parents. We have a very large number of our children being raised by their grandparents, as I myself was, and often the grandparent themselves do not have a high school diploma.  The child & youth developments programs serve to help educate where the grandparents, parents, and single parents do not have the time, due to working long hours and working two jobs in some cases to meet financial needs, or the education to help with homework that they themselves do not understand. It also helps the parent with their own education when they come and sit in and learn with their child in these development programs, helping with homework and reading. The programs help with structure, create habits in studying, reading, and promote self-esteem.  Austin Interfaith makes these things possible.  

It’s a real need I myself had years ago.  If someone would have asked me what was my biggest problem I had about learning, my answer would have been -- then and today -- to have some place and some one to help me with my homework, and reading so I could be the best I could be and to make better choices for my life and future.

The children we support and serve through the child & development programs are our future generation of doctors, lawyers, judges, bankers, city councilmembers, governors, and more.  

We ask you, our general public, to help and support Austin Interfaith with your generous financial donation, so that we may continue to serve the need that is so needed, through continued advocacy for investments in development programs like Primetime, Victory Tutorial Project, Summer Youth Employment and Capital IDEA.

May God Bless You For Your Donations.

Minister Sandy D. Jones

Mount Olive Baptist Church

1800 E. 11th Street

Austin, Texas  78702