MEMBER ORGANIZATION NEWS

May 2009
Uhcan Ohio: a Night with T.R. Reid

September 2008

E.S.O.P. Save the Date

August 2008

ACLU of Ohio
Adoption Network Cleveland
Cleveland Public Theatre
Domestic Violence Center
Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization
E.S.O.P.
Habitat for Humanity
Jobs with Justice
Living in Cleveland Center
Policy Matters Ohio
Preterm
R.E.A.D.

Adoption Network Cleveland
Honored by Charter One Bank
Adoption Network Cleveland (ANC) has recently been selected by the Champions in Action program, an initiative created by Charter One Bank to reward nonprofit organizations inspiring community change, as its 2008 third quarter winner. Through the program, ANC receives $25,000 in unrestricted funding from Charter One and an impressive amount of publicity, most notably through a FOX 8 news item and public service announcement and ANC posters and brochures placed in Charter One branches. Additionally, ANC receives special recognition on the Charter One website, providing site visitors with links to learn more about ANC, make donations, or become volunteers.
To read more about Adoption Network Cleveland and the Champions in Action program, please visit: http://www.charterone.com/community/champions/default.aspx, or ANC's website at www.adoptionnetwork.org

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Reading Enrichment for Adult Development (R.E.A.D.)
At its annual recognition luncheon on May 17, 2008, R.E.A.D:

• Recognized the 40 tutors that are currently tutoring 41 students.
• Recognized outstanding students.
• Recognized a father/son tutoring team.

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ESOP

Major accomplishments for ESOP in the past year include:

• Saving over 1,600 homes from foreclosure in the Greater Cleveland Area.
• Signing a fair lending agreement with Countrywide Home Loans, which will enable more homeowners to receive fair and reasonable resolutions.
• Beginning a statewide expansion, opening offices in Trumbull, Lorain, and Stark counties to better serve the needs of homeowners in those regions.
• Quadrupling staff and capacity to accommodate the increasing needs of Ohio homeowners.
• Assisting in the passage of HB 545, which will cap payday lending interest rates at 28% APR.
• Receiving extensive media attention from national and international outlets, including CNN, the BBC, the Associated Press, ABC World News, and others.

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Preterm

Last year Preterm:

• Provided the highest level of abortion funding in our history, giving almost $340,000 in financial assistance to 4,527 patients.
• Launched an ambitious four-year plan to become an energy-efficient, sustainable healthcare clinic and achieve LEED-EB certification.
• Created an interfaith sanctuary within our clinic to better address our patients' spiritual needs.
• Began a Pledge-A-Picketer campaign that has raised more than $8,000 to help fund abortions for low-income women.

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Policy Matters Ohio

In June, Governor Strickland signed legislation, passed with broad bipartisan support, to limit interest rates that can be charged for short-term loans to 28% APR, down from the 390% that the industry had typically charged. Policy Matters conducted research that helped spark this reform.

Accountability Amendment - Policy Matters' staff helped add an amendment to the state's economic stimulus plan. The amendment allows the state to set performance and reporting requirements for recipients of assistance under a $400 million portion of the $1.57 billion plan.

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Cleveland Public Theatre

This spring, Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT) presented the powerful In the Continuum, a new work that illustrated the devastating problem of AIDS among African and African-American women. This critically acclaimed production featured two amazing actresses playing dozens of roles. CPT partnered with the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland and performed the production at Kent State University for students and at MetroHealth for an audience of patients, families and medical professionals. CPT also partnered with the Global Campaign for Microbicides and presented a companion exhibition titled Giving Women Power over AIDS in the CPT Bookstore. The exhibit was free and open to the public throughout the run of the production. Throughout the spring, CPT presented Me as I am, Me as I Will Be, an evening of insightful, delightful, and powerfully original works of drama, story, and poetry from the CPT/Elyria YWCA Women's Voices Project, a CPT education program for women residents of the Elyria YWCA in transition from homelessness, domestic violence, and/or drug and alcohol addiction. CPT artists engaged the residents in writing and dramatic activities to verbalize their individual stories and create an original evening of performance. This touching and transformative work was performed at the Elyria YWCA and CPT before touring to area shelters, recovery centers, and prisons.

CPT is full of energy these days, as the 13th annual Student Theatre Enrichment Program (STEP) is in full swing! Dozens of inner-city teens are currently engaged in a rigorous and fun theatrical journey, working hard to create an original performance based on Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children. The STEP performance will tour to a dozen parks in the city of Cleveland starting July 31st! CPT recently closed out the 2007-2008 season with the Ohio premieres of Between Life and Death and The Other Shore, two plays by exiled Chinese writer Gao Xingjian, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2000. Directed by CPT Executive Artistic Director Raymond Bobgan and Holly Holsinger, it was the type of theatre that patrons could only find at CPT! Critics called the production: "A mesmerizing verbal and visual tapestry...a must-see...polished and provocative...visually riveting." The production received national exposure and was presented in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

In June, CPT presented a 4-day workshop presentation of an original CPT work called Cut to Pieces, written by CPT Executive Artistic Director Raymond Bobgan and CPT Education Director Chris Seibert. This ambitious theatrical experience integrates live performance and video projections in an affecting solo show featuring Chris Seibert that explores the dismembering power of sexual violence, love, and self discovery. The work will continue to be developed throughout the next year, culminating in a full production that will premiere at CPT in May of 2009. The students of Brick City Theatre, CPT's education program for children ages 5-12 who are residents of the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA), recently participated in Parade the Circle in University Circle. The children worked with CPT artists to develop self awareness, expressiveness, confidence, social skills, and basic reading and writing skills by creating an original performance. At Parade the Circle, they made their own costumes and had a wonderful time expressing themselves in front of a large crowd. Volunteers are needed for the 2008-2009 season!  Be a part of CPT!  Ushers are needed for every production next season.  Come an hour early to train and assist house managers and patrons, then stay and see that evening's show for free!  Contact Ed Sotelo, Box Office and Patron Services Manager, at esotelo@cptonline.org or 216.631.2727 x 212 for more information or to sign up!

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Domestic Violence Center

Domestic Violence Center (DVC) launched the Latina Domestic Violence Project in 2006 in response to a meeting with local Hispanic Leaders who emphasized the great need for a culturally specific response to the issue of domestic violence in their community. DVC continued to build the program in 2007, receiving a Promising Practices Award from the Ohio Attorney General's Office. This award recognized the effectiveness of the program, its innovative approach, and the great potential for the program to be replicated in other communities. DVC continued to raise awareness of this important issue through the 2007 agency luncheon, featuring Julia Perilla, an internationally known expert on the issue of domestic violence in the Latino Community. Following the Invisible Threat Stalking Awareness Conference in May of 2007, DVC identified that the next logical step in the effort to improve systems response to stalking victims would be the establishment of an area wide task force. The Greater Cleveland Anti-Stalking Task Force was formed in and held its first meeting in July of 2007. Participants from a wide range of law enforcement, justice system, non-profit, and faith-based organizations meet to review local cases, identifying gaps, systems failure, and practical solutions. Two times per year the Task Force meets with leadership from law enforcement and justice system departments to provide feedback and suggestions. The overall goals of the Task Force are to increase victim safety, hold perpetrators accountable, improve the responsiveness of systems, educate the public, and serve as a resource for law enforcement, court personnel, and victim advocates.

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Living in Cleveland Center

During the past year, Living in Cleveland Center:

• Released its most recent Live Cleveland Guide in the spring, distributing over 65,000 copies
• Initiated a business outreach program that connects with the larger employers of Cleveland to share the marketing message for Cleveland livability with new employees.

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ACLU Of Ohio Foundation

My Block: Building bridges between police officers and students, one block at a time

During 2007, the ACLU of Ohio continued its outstanding youth programming with "My Block," a program designed to promote positive communication between Cleveland youth and police through a day-long interactive conference.

The "My Block" Student Conference took place on April 26, 2007. During the conference, students attended workshops designed to help them understand their rights and develop effective communication strategies. Using these workshops as a base, the students then broke down in smaller groups to create an action plan detailing ways to improve relations with the police and encourage civic participation among youth. Since the conference, the buzz about "My Block" has continued. The "My Block" model is being presented as a model for other communities to embrace, and discussions are in the works to duplicate this program eslewhere in Ohio.

Advocating Against the Death Penalty

2007 was an important year for death penalty work. With a new governor in office, there was significant opportunity to advocate for change. Through education initiatives, legal cases, legislative work, and media coverage, the ACLU of Ohio aimed to move Ohio closer towards a moratorium on the death penalty while calling attention to the unfair and discriminatory application of the death penalty.

Education

During the spring, the ACLU of Ohio sponsored an eight-city tour of Lucasville: The Untold Story ofo a Prison Uprising, a moving and powerful theatre presentation based the on the 1993 uprising that rocked the maximum-security prison in Lucasville, Ohio. This tour reached over 600 people and helped the ACLU of Ohio form strategic alliances with activists across the state. Additionally, the ACLU of Ohio sponsored screenings and discussions of the Empty Chair, a documentary film examining different sides of the death penalty issue. The death penalty was the most requested subject for ACLU's Speaker's Bureau, and it was consistently one of the top issues generating hits on ACLU's website.

Legal and Legislative Action

ACLU of Ohio staff had numerous lobby meetings with various government officials throughout the year, leading up the Day of Action against the Death Penalty hosted in Columbus in the fall. ACLU of Ohio lawyers also filed an important legal case, State of Ohio v. Ruben Rivera, aruging Ohio's method of killing via lethal injetion is unconstitutional.

Media

In May of 2007 the ACLU of Ohio hosted a press conference about the botched execution of Chris Newton. This prompted further investigation and a records request.

The teen health guide was recently translated into Spanish, enabling us to do greater outreach into the Spanish-speaking communities across Ohio.

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Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization

In the past year, Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization:

• Worked with Cogswell Hall, Inc. to secure $7 million in financing to renovate and expand their facility.
• Witnesses the commercial revitalization of Detroit Avenue by reintroducing retail shopping to the district.
• Assisted 79 senior citizens, disabled individuals, and very low-income residents with home weatherization to cut utility costs.
• Promoted the Lorain Avenue Antiques District nationally through print advertising in three national design magazines.
• Secured financing for the $6.8 million restoration of the historic Capitol Theatre to begin construction in 2008.
• Fostered the partnership of local students and area professionals for job shadowing and career coaching.
• Created over ¼ acre of community gardens and green space within the neighborhood.

Partnered with 13 Block Clubs on neighborhood improvement, beautification projects, and street festivals.

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Cleveland Jobs with Justice

On April 26, over 20 Cleveland Jobs with Justice (JwJ) activists from Cuyahoga and Lake County held a peaceful and educational protest at an anti-immigration discussion at the Morley Library in Painesville. A panel of local law enforcement officials was assembled by Ohio Jobs and Justice PAC and two other area anti-immigration groups to take questions from the audience. JwJ created and handed out flyers called The Myths and Facts of Immigration. The goal was to make it perfectly clear that Cleveland Jobs with Justice is in no way affiliated with or endorses Ohio Jobs and Justice PAC and its stance on immigration.
On April 30, JwJ showed its solidarity with Communications Workers of America District 4 as they rallied to Fight for Our Future in downtown Cleveland. Their contract with AT&T expires in less than a year and they are preparing to fight for a fair contract for their members.

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Habitat for Humanity

As highlighted in the Plain Dealer June 20, 2008, Custom Builder of Cleveland, LLC (CBC), has partnered with Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity to build two complete homes in Cleveland solely from donations and volunteer labor from the home building industry. CBC gathered the donated materials and secured donated labor and funding to build these two homes in partnership with Habitat for Humanity's Home Builders Blitz 2008. Both houses are located in Cleveland off Woodland on East 110 and East 111 and are part of a collaborative redevelopment effort of the Buckeye Area Development Corporation, Saint Luke's Foundation, Neighborhood Progress Inc., Habitat for Humanity, and the City of Cleveland. The families are very excited to be first-time homeowners.

Read the Article

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September 2007

ESOP schedules press conference on September 26 to launch “Save the American Dream,” a campaign that aims to curb the rising tide of foreclosures. Read the press release. ESOP's high rate of success in securing loan workouts is due to a unique system of signed agreements that ensure consumers' interests. Read the Cleveland Free Times article "Gimme Shelter," September 19, 2007.

Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity issues Environmental Stewardship Statement. As the local community becomes increasingly interested in environmental issues, Habitat is already doing what many folks are just now considering.  Habitat's comprehensive “recycling culture” (page 2) offers ways to practice environmental stewardship in your own organization. Read the statement.

August 2007

The Deaf & Deaf-Blind Committee on Human Rights demand communication with medical providers at Lake Hospital Systems. Read the article.

July 2007

The Youth Committee of the ESOP met with Dr. Eugene Sanders, CEO of the Cleveland Metropolitian School District to address some of their hopes and concerns. It was a great victory, as Dr. Sanders agreed to everything they presented! Read the article.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio applauds the Ohio Supreme Court decision to uphold domestic violence protections. Read the article.

Policy Matters Ohio was quoted in the Wall Street Journal regarding foreclosures in Cuyahoga County. Read the article.

June 2007

Slavic Village Development and the ESOP's efforts have been highlighted in The Free Times. Read the article.

Hard Hatted Women goes statewide! They have been recognized for their work and have been awarded the WANTO grant by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Read more.

The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless's future is uncertain, and they are asking for your support. Read more.

Heights Community Congress has a small discussion group series on race, class and diversity. Read more or look at the HCC's suggestions for creating healthy dialogue.

NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Study: Women Face Hurdles Accessing Emergency Contraception. Read more.

Planned Parenthood of Northeast Ohio Promotes Family and Reproductive Health through the Ohio Prevention First Act. Read more.

News: U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Federal Abortion Ban. Read a response from Planned Parenthood Federation of America, or from NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Foundation, or Editorial Comments in the Akron Beacon Journal.

Housing Research & Advocacy Center found that housing discrimination complaints hit a 17-year high in Northeast Ohio. Read the study: The State of Fair Housing 2007, or read the article in The Plain Dealer.

David Rothstein, Researcher at Policy Matters Ohio, testified before Congress about payday lending. Read his testimony, and the research it was based on.

Carrie Davis, Staff Attorney for the ACLU of Ohio, commented on Title IX on WCPN's "The Sound of Ideas" 3/26/07. Download the broadcast in MP3!

East Side Organizing Project is known for fighting predatory lending practices. Inez Killingsworth, ESOP's President, recently testified before Congress about the devastating effects of predatory home loans on Cleveland's neighborhoods.
Watch ESOP on Fox 8 News
Read about ESOP in the Plain Dealer
See a slideshow of the effects of predatory loans in the New York Times
Read about Inez Killingsworth's testimony in Washington, D.C.

Ohio payday lending locations jumped from 107 to 1,562 in the pastdecade, according to a report issued by Policy Matters Ohio and the Housing Research and Advocacy Center. Read more.

Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization announces plans for $12 million renovation project to use deserted buildings for low income and artist housing. Read more.

Trendy jewelry made of birth control pills sends important message for Planned Parenthood. Read more.

Ohio proposes to ban homosexuals from adopting. Read more about how the LGBT Community Center and ACLU of Ohio are responding.

NY Times publishes an article about foreclosures, predatory lending in Cleveland. Visit Shares members addressing this issue: East Side Organizing Project, Cuyahoga Community Land Trust, Housing Research & Advocacy Center.