OUT OF POVERTY

Society of St. Vincent de Paul Western Region

INFORMATION FROM VOICE OF THE POOR
Year 5, No. 3

MAY 2015
CONTENT

Dear Western Region Vincentians:

The May 2015 issue of OUT OF POVERTY starts, as usual with the Voice
of the Poor Prayer, followed by two spiritual reflections.
A Vincentian response to Baltimore looks at the root-causes of the
recent social turmoil and at the work needed to bring hope and effective
change to alienated communities. Then, two articles discuss the need for
poverty to be a priority in public life. One talks about making poverty a
key issue for debate during the next presidential election. The other
article demonstrates how badly we need to have that priority, considering
the insensitivity of Congress to the plea of the poor in spite of advocacy by
many organizations during the recent federal budget approval process. On
page 8, an infographic by the Federal Reserve Bank well describes the
lifelong consequences of slashing programs for children in poverty.
Then, on page 9, there is a discussion of the spiritual basis of Restorative
Justice in the context of the Jubilee Year of Mercy, followed by mention of
the work of the Society to make Restorative Justice a reality.
On current advocacy efforts, from page 12, articles describe the scourge
of Predatory Lending, what AZ Vincentians did to stop Consumer Flex
Loans for being introduced in the State and the advocacy lessons we
learned while doing it. In Oregon, the current battle is against Wage
Theft.
Systemic Change, Bridges out of Poverty and Getting Ahead in this Just
Getting by World are the subject of several articles , starting on page 14
and describing the experience Vincentians have gained while studying and
implementing the new approach to our Vincentian vocation. We will
discuss this further at the Burbank regional meeting.
From page 18, the newsletter provides information about the Social
Action Summer Institute in Portland, OR (July 19-23), the Western Region
Voice of the Poor website, and the 2015 Western Region Meeting in
Burbank, CA. On May 28, in Burbank, Voice of the Poor and Bridges out
of Poverty will offer a pre-conference seminar, open to all Vincentians.
See you there!

Giulio Grecchi
Tucson Diocesan Council
Voice of the Poor - Western Region Representative
You are receiving OUT OF POVERTY because you expressed interest in the
Society of St. Vincent de Pauls Voice of the Poor. If you no longer wish to
receive OUT OF POVERTY or want to be added to the distribution list,
please e-mail voiceofthepoorwr@cox.net.

SPIRITUALITY
VOICE OF THE POOR PRAYER
IN GODS TIME
CELEBRATIONS

Page 2
Page 2
Page 3

ISSUE DISCUSSION
A VINCENTIAN RESPONSE TO
BALTIMORE
Page
THE U.S. PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION
Page
THE 2016 FEDERAL BUDGET
PASSED BY CONGRESS
Page
THE LIFELONG EFFECTS OF
EARLY CHILDHOOD POVERTY
Page
FRANCIS ANNOUNCES NEW
GLOBAL JUBILEE
Page
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE IN A YEAR
OF MERCY
Page
THE NATIONAL RE-ENTRY
PROGRAM
Page
PROPOSALS TO LIMIT PREDATORY
LENDING
Page
THE ARIZONA BATTLE AGAINST
CONSUMER FLEX LOANS
Page
ACTION ON WAGE THEFT
Page
WHAT SYSTEMIC CHANGE MEANS Page
THOUGHTS ON GETTING AHEAD Page
GETTING AHEAD OVERVIEW
Page
MENTORS NEEDED
Page
SOCIAL ACTION SUMMER
INSTITUTE
Page
SEE YOU IN BURBANK!
Page

4
6
7
8
9
9
11
12
12
14
14
16
17
18
18
19

VOICE OF THE POOR

Voice of the Poor does not take
positions for or against a political
party or individual candidates.
However, Voice of the Poor is
interested in working with those
elected officials of either party, who
support initiatives that will benefit
people in poverty, children, elderly,
immigrants (documented or not),
and all of those that SVdP serves.

VOICE OF THE POOR PRAYER (by Ruth Zemek)

Lord of all people,
During your time on earth you identified with the poor and instructed us to care for one another, for our neighbor
and especially for the least of our brothers and sisters.
Be with us as we advocate for the poor.
Help us to persevere in joy and love on their behalf.
Add your voice to ours as we speak out for those who are not heard in our communities.
Guide us as we work, comfortable in the knowledge that we are doing your will for this day, and time, and place,
and that you will take care of tomorrow.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, his Blessed Mother, our patron St. Vincent and our founder Blessed Frederic.
SPIRITUAL REFLECTION

IN GODS TIME
By M.D. Ridge
In Gods time, joy will return, but until that time, we must comfort those who sorrow
In Gods time, justice will reign, but until that time, we must challenge every tyrant
In Gods time, love will prevail, but until that time, we must love the ones who hate us
In Gods time, we will rise
God will ask us then what weve done to build the kingdom.
In Gods time we will rise!

Do we see building the Kingdom of God as being part of our Vincentian

Vocation?
Do we understand that Catholic Social Teaching is the modern
interpretation of the actions and words of Jesus based on current
circumstances?
Benedict XVI said, "Do not give in charity what you owe in justice"! Do we
limit ourselves to provide direct services, which can create dependency by
enabling people to survive in poverty or do we also strive to change their
circumstances, as Catholic social teaching and our Vincentian tradition tell
us to do?
Do we understand that in a modern democracy, we are all responsible to
ensure that the common good prevails over politics and special interest?
Following the teaching of Jesus is often uncomfortable and lonely for many
of us... Is a continuous conversion part of our faith journey?

CELEBRATIONS
By Jerry Villano, Tucson, Parishioner at St. Cyrils and SVdP Associate member

On Saturday, May 2, I participated in the Celebration of Life for Kayla Mueller at the East
Lawn Cemetery Chapel, by singing as a member of the Sons of Orpheus, Male Choir of
Tucson. We sung the Wayfarin Stranger and Think on Me, at the appropriate time in
the service.
Kayla Mueller, a woman of 26 years of age, left from Prescott, Arizona to Syria where
she worked with refugees displaced by the civil war. On August 4, 2013, terrorists
kidnapped her and bombing in October 2014 ended her life.
Kayla's parents shared that she remained strong and willing to offer compassion to
those suffering under oppression and injustice, even in the most trying circumstances.
In her own words, she said, "I will always seek God, and I find God in suffering, and my
life's work is using my hands as tools to relieve suffering.
At the conclusion of the Celebration of Life, the family gave packets of a North American
Wildflower seeds to those attending, as a symbolic way for them to join in the efforts of
sowing seeds of compassion, kindness and peace. They also requested assistance with
their fundraising effort with contributions to KaylasHands.org, a 501 (c) (3), dedicated
to relieving suffering and promoting peace.
Coincidentally, just before Kaylas celebration, that same evening, I attended Fr. Ed
Pietrucha, CSP's farewell Mass at St. Cyril of Alexandria Parish. Fr. Ed served at St.
Cyrils for 26 years. He enriched and touched the lives of many in the parish community
with his spiritual ministry and his active Christian sharing.
The homily given by Fr. Ed focused on Chapter 15 of St. Johns Gospel "The Vine and the
Branches" with Jesus and His Father as the Vine and the Vine Grower and we as the
Branches. "If we cling to my teachings you will surely live. If you make your home
within me, I will come to dwell within you. You can count on my mercy when you ask for
what you need."
Fr Ed, in his spiritual ministry exemplified the vines branch, bearing much fruit, when
establishing at the parish both the Spanish and the Polish communities, and then
celebrating Masses for each community in their own language. Continuing his example
our parish welcomed still another group, the African Refugee Community.
I feel that the experience of witnessing two forms of Celebration on the same evening
was Divine Providence.
The coincidence of Fr. Ed's homily expressing a parallelism of himself as a branch of the
vine in his Spiritual Ministry, and then Kayla Mueller also a branch of the same vine in
her Ministry of relieving suffering, was to me spiritually impressive and inspired me to
share this experience with you.
3

POVERTY

A Vincentian Response to Baltimore

By Jack Murphy, Atlanta, National Voice of the Poor Chair

Three weeks ago, I flew to Baltimore for a meeting. After

landing, I received a text from our host that Baltimore
was in a state of emergency and we would have to move
our meeting to the Offices of the US Conference of
Catholic Bishops in Washington.

Frederic Ozanam, Ainslie Coates, trans. New York:

Benziger, 1886, pp173).
Just like those days, people are so frustrated by their
inability to thrive that many feel their only alternative is
to take to the streets. Unfortunately, the violence and
destruction by some distracts from the message of the
many. "I'm working but I still can't provide for my family.
I'm not the same color as those in power and I feel I pay
the price at every turn of the law enforcement wheel." "I
made some mistakes when I was younger and now can't
get back on solid footing after serving time in prison."

It wasnt until returning home that I realized just how

explosive the situation was. But I dont believe Baltimore,
or Ferguson are isolated situations. I think that many US
cities are just one incident away from similar explosions.
Like many, Ive read about the growing wealth gap and
the difficulty many citizens in many cities have moving
from one socioeconomic class to another. This is not a
small, nor merely statistical, problem. Drive through the
poor areas of many cities and it is easy to see neglect.
Roads with potholes and boarded up stores are the
symptoms. The real problems are much deeper.

Vincentians hear those messages every time we

encounter need. We see the effects of this widening gap
between the haves and the have less. How do we insert
ourselves between these camps? And why should we be
concerned about people in blighted areas when we have
so much need in our own parish conference?

We have communities that are excluded from

opportunity-jobs have been lost and services drying up
each day-and it is easy to see why people may have given
up hope that their voice will ever be heard. Weve moved
from communities with an opportunity ladder to those
filled with poverty quicksand. Unfortunately, one
incident can be all it takes to mobilize those forgotten
voices in our communitiesto give the disenfranchised
a reason to take to the streets in an effort to be heard.

The Eucharist reminds us that our commitment as

Catholics to work for peace and justice in the world is not
born of some ideology or political platform; rather, it is
born of a person, Jesus Christ. Therefore, our solidarity
with the world of pain is a call to a commitment
expressed in allegiance not to lofty propositions but to
concrete persons in whom we are to see the face of
Christ this solidarity is lived out through the practice of
what the Catechism calls the corporal and spiritual works
of mercy.

This situation is not new to our times:

For if the question which today disturbs the world
around us is neither an individual question nor a question
of political forms, but a social question; if it is the struggle
of those who have nothing with those who have too
much; if it is the violent shock of opulence and of poverty
which makes the soil tremble under our tread-our duty as
Christians is to interpose ourselves between these
irreconcilable enemies, and to bring about that the one
may despoil themselves ... that equality may operate as
much as is possible among men; that voluntary
community may replace taxes and forced loans; that
charity may do that which alas justice knows not how to
do. It is a happy thing, then, to be placed by Providence
on a neutral ground ... to act as mediator. (Letters of

God takes the side of the poor, the oppressed, the

marginalized through the works of mercy, the saints
show us that we too can and must take their side as
well. (Homily by Thomas Wenski, Archbishop of Miami,
Feb. 7, 2015 Catholic Social Ministry Gathering in
Washington, D.C.)
There are certainly times when adding our voice to the
process can be helpful. Speaking with a federal legislator
about the benefits of SNAP (aka food stamps) can bring
a convincing perspective. Our economic status (aka
ability to contribute to campaigns) often gets the
attention of a Congress in a different way. Of course
bringing the stories, as well as someone impacted by
4

poverty, to the conversation still brings the ultimate

power to the conversation.

thats a start). Reinstalling ladders of opportunity will

only begin by real engagement and empathy building.
The haves must discover that all of the have nots
are not cheats and lazy. The have nots must realize
that the haves are not all greedy, uncaring people.
The only way to do that in any lasting way is to treat the
problem in a slightly larger way than our current
modelbring hope to one zip code at a time.

The work we do in our ministry, much like public benefit

programs, makes a huge difference in the lives of
individuals and families. But they can only go so far in
changing communities. For that, we need a different
approach.
It's not a question of just getting more money for public
assistance or redistributing the wealth or telling poor
people to stay together as a family. Our primary
contribution to heal this situation is our spiritual
ministry, drawn from our founders who said that we
must remember there are Christians in both camps and
our job is to get the two camps together.

Let me end with two quotes by ordinary people who did

extraordinary things in their communities:
You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
Mahatma Gandhi
Let us complain less of our times and more of ourselves.
Let us not be discouraged, let us be better. Blessed
Frederic Ozanam (Baunard, Correspondence, p.304)

Bringing hope to alienated communities may seem like a

stretch. But it is the same exercise as the direct service
we bring to every home we visit. It starts with prayer and
the belief that we can help. It then moves to listening and
exploring options. Rather than doing this only with
individuals or families, community change must include
wider audiences. Instead of visiting in pairs, we go as
parishes. Not to bring sandwiches or bottled water, but
to listen with our ears and our heartsto truly insert
ourselves between the two camps. If you want to make
a difference in a community, bring your parish to a
listening session with a group that doesnt look like your
parish. If you are a suburban conference, visit an urban
conference to get to know each other, to walk in each
others shoes. If your conference is in a blighted area,
visit a rural conference to compare notes. If your
Council doesnt have a conference in an area of civic
neglect, then start one.
These are difficult challenges to address. Please dont get
me wrongdisenfranchisement certainly will not be
solved by holding hands and singing Kumbaya (although

Photo by Baltimore Bishop M. Cromartie via

Facebook

PUBLIC LIFE

THE U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Excerpts from article by SVdP U.S. National CEO Dave Barringer, in the Frederic's E-Gazette 4-2-2015

The Society has included the 2016 U.S. Presidential election in its current strategic
plan, and has been working quietly now for several years to prepare for this election
season. How can we do this when we dont yet know the people running for office,
you wonder. Regardless of the personalities, we already know the election timing
and the issues most important to us. Our planning has been to insure that issues
involving our friends in need are at the forefront of the campaign issues and
discussions.
As a nonprofit organization, the Society is not allowed to discuss and/or recommend
candidates. We prefer in fact not even to favor one party over another. We instead
stick to values and to ideas. Our hope is that regardless of which party, which candidate ultimately wins an
election at the federal level (including Senators and Representatives), poverty, and its related issues are part of
the national conversation.
Several years ago, the Society signed on to the Circle of Protection, a Christian coalition of many organizations
that collaborate on keeping poverty high on the national agenda. The Circle sent letters to all prospective
candidates in previous elections asking for their positions through written and video communications that could
be shared with the Circles many coalition memberships and outside interested parties. This activity is planned
to expand for the 2016 elections, and the Society is part of the effort. We will also work closely with the USCCB,
Catholic Charities and others active in the Catholic Social Ministries Gatherings to look at specific issues of
importance to Catholics including not only poverty and systemic change but also of life, religious freedom,
immigration, prison re-entry, marriage and other Catholic social teaching issues. Thats a big plate!
Even within that tight framework and collaborative approach, though, there can be so many hot-topic issues
that it can be difficult to achieve desired focus. Well need to let others carry the ball at times. The Society may
appear to soften its participation in some areas while it strengthens in others. The value of a strategic plan, and
an active national Voice of the Poor committee, is to determine many of these choices before the heat of
campaign battle rhetoric. Our focus on poverty must remain at the forefront of our Societys national
conversations in this election cycle. Too many families depend on our success in achieving platform promises,
funding priorities and economic success measures to improve and stabilize their lives. We must not fail them.
No one in the Society will expect all of our Vincentians to support the same party or the same candidates. Our
work ahead of us must strive for accuracy, fairness and transparency regarding what we think we know about
platforms and ideas throughout the campaign season. Again, we will focus on ideas and national priority areas
that ultimately help our friends in need, and well continue to ask and to demand that all candidates have
poverty issues in their priorities for action if elected. Conservative or Liberal or Moderate, Republican or
Democrat or Independent, we will hold all of them accountable for their role in helping the neediest of our
friends and fellow citizens.
As an individual Vincentian and Conference member, you can be an active participant in insuring that poverty
is a major campaign topic at the local and state level. Such priorities often bubble up from grass roots
6

conversations. It is not too early to get started. We know that many, many other issues, serious and frivolous,
will be vying for candidate and media attention. Part of systemic change is trying to change the larger systems
that can influence whether or not a family stays in or emerges from poverty. It begins with finding the right
people to get it done, and we are blessed to live in a country where the people influence these personnel
decisions through elections. Your voice now, and vote later, can be a huge part of our Societys and our faiths
efforts to help the poor. Let the campaigns begin!
THE 2016 FEDERAL BUDGET PASSED BY CONGRESS - PROGRAMS FOR THE POOR AND VULNERABLE
COMPROMISED
By Giulio Grecchi, Vice of the Poor, Western Region Representative

As readers of this newsletter, you have received the action alert issued on Mach 25, 2015 by our
National President, Sheila Gilbert, asking the Senate to preserve the funding of the programs that
help the people we serve and to oppose amendments that would cut assistance to the poor and
vulnerable at home and abroad.
Sheila echoed the USCCB by reminding the legislators of the three moral criteria that ought to guide
these budgetary decisions:
1. Every budget decision should be assessed by whether it protects or threatens human life and
dignity.
2. A central moral measure of any budget proposal is how it affects the least of these (Matthew
25). The needs of those who are hungry and homeless, without work or living in poverty should
come first.
3. Government and other institutions have a shared responsibility to promote the common good of
all, especially ordinary workers and families who struggle to live in dignity in difficult economic
times.
She went on to say that, our nation has an obligation to
address the impact of deficits on the health of the economy,
but, she added, a just framework for the federal budget
cannot rely on disproportionate cuts in essential services
to poor persons. It requires shared sacrifice by all,
including raising adequate
revenues, eliminating
unnecessary military and other spending, and addressing
the long-term costs of health insurance and retirement
programs fairly.
Other religious and civic organizations sent similar
recommendations to our legislators, the majority of whom, however, decided not to listen and to
balance federal spending by slashing $5 trillion in social, education and health programs over the
next decade (for more information click on: http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-us-republicanspass-3.8-trillion-2016-budget-2015-5#ixzz3aiNUbyde). While the 2016 federal budget, as passed by
Congress, might be largely symbolic, as the President might refuse to sign it, it give us a clear
indication on who is standing for fundamental Catholic principles, such as solidarity, subsidiarity,
and the common good, and who is not.
As Catholics and Vincentians, who strive to help in any way people in poverty, we have a moral
obligation to take exception to this type of policy decisions that undermine the work we do. We need
to hold our legislators accountable for the positions they take and remember at the next elections
that they did not stand for what we believe.
7

THE LIFELONG
EFFECTS OF
EARLY
CHILDHOOD
POVERTY
by WILLIAM DOWLING,
Research Associate,
Community Development Federal Reserve Bank of San
Francisco

Research shows that

poverty in early
childhood can have
detrimental effects on a
range of achievement,
behavior, and health
outcomes in adulthood.
The time between a
childs prenatal year and
5th birthday is
particularly critical, and
incremental increases in
parental income during
this time-period can
have profound and
positive long-term
outcomes.

Washing one's hands

of the conflict
between the powerful
and the powerless
means to side with
the powerful, not to
be neutral.
Paulo Freire

Francis announces new global jubilee, the Holy Year of Mercy

On Friday, March 13, Pope Francis announced a special jubilee year, the Holy Year of Mercy, during a Lenten penitential
service in St. Peter's Basilica.
In announcing the jubilee year, Pope Francis said, "I am convinced that the whole church -- that has much need to receive
mercy because we are sinners will find in this jubilee the joy to rediscover and render fruitful the mercy of God, with
which we are all called to give consolation to every man and woman of our time". "Let us not forget that God pardons and
God pardons always. Let us never tire of asking for forgiveness."

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE IN A YEAR OF MERCY

By Jack Murphy, Atlanta, National Voice of the Poor Chair

It is appropriate that I am writing this piece, on the topic of Restorative Justice, on Mercy Sunday. Just a few days ago,
Pope Francis declared a year of mercy in which he reminded us to use the time to, among other exercises, practice the
Spiritual Works of Mercy, which include comforting the afflicted and forgiving offences.
The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. According to the National Resource Center on Children
and Families of the Incarcerated, on any given day, there are an estimated 2.7 million children in America with at least
one parent in prison or jail. In 2011, 1 in 70 Georgian adults were behind bars-the 4th highest in US.
It is estimated that as much as 20% of the nations poverty is caused by incarceration.
That is not just a single mother, trying to keep her family together while her spouse is in
jail. Once someone is released from prison, the returning citizen can face huge hurdles
in getting a job, a place to live, and the public assistance his family may already be
receiving, such as SNAP (formerly known as food stamps). These challenges to
reentry often contribute to the families poverty or, worse, result in a return to prison.
That is why The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is working for Restorative Justice. Our
work, and our national position paper (http://www.svdpusa.org/members/ProgramsTools/Programs/Voice-of-the-Poor/Position-Papers), is rooted in the churchs history of
Catholic Social Teaching, epitomized in the statement of the US Catholic Bishops in
their 2000 document Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration:
The Catholic community has a tremendous history and capacity to help shape the issues
of crime and criminal justice. Teaching right from wrong, respect for life, forgiveness
and mercy; standing with victims and their families; reaching out to offenders and their
families; building community; advocating policies that offer real alternatives to crime;
and, organizing diocesan consultations.
These are essential elements of restorative justice.
9

Nationally, SVDP has a pilot project in five cities that is helping returning citizens, those who have been incarcerated, get
back on their feet. These projects are in partnership with the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and use a
component of our Systemic Change model to engage people in designing solutions to their challenges. These pilot
projects will help Vincentians experience a model for not only getting people in need on a path to self-sufficiency, but will
also teach us how to help restore dignity to an often forgotten group.
Aside from the very core work we do as Vincentians, I have not seen a greater demonstration of mercy in action than the
way we treat people who have paid their debt to society and are trying to stay on the straight and narrow, to keep from
returning to prison.
While we are not one of the pilot project states, in Georgia we are starting to see some reason to be optimistic about
helping returning citizens stay out of prison.
Our Governor just signed an executive order taking off the box Have you ever been convicted of a crime? from the state
job applicationsoften referred to as a Ban the Box effort. This may seem like a small accomplishment, since it is limited
to state jobs and interviewers are still allowed to ask the question during the interview. However, this small step goes a big
way to restore confidence among ex-offenders as they struggle to get back on their feet.
Our next effort may be around restoring SNAP benefits to convicted drug felons who have served their sentence and
completed probation. Georgia is one of 17 states that has a lifetime ban for
that group of returning citizens. It is just one more hurdle they must endure.
In announcing the Year of Mercy (Face of Mercy, 4/11/15), Pope Francis
reminded us;
It would not be out of place at this point to recall the relationship
between justice and mercy. These are not two contradictory realities,
but two dimensions of a single reality that unfolds progressively until it
culminates in the fullness of love. Mercy is not opposed to justice but
rather expresses Gods way of reaching out to the sinner, offering him
a new chance to look at himself, convert, and believe.
The Pope reminds us of the parable of the ruthless servant, who, called by
his master to return a loan made by the master, begs him on his knees for
mercy. His master cancels his debt. But the servant does not offer the same
forgiveness to a fellow servant who owed him money. When the master
hears of the matter, he brings the first servant back to him, says, Should
you not have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you? (Mt 18:33). Jesus concludes, So also my
heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart (Mt 18:35).
Once someone has paid their debt, we should work to restore their place in society and help remove barriers to selfsufficiency. That is one way to serve during the Year of Mercy.
God is in everyones life. Even if the life of a person has been a disaster, even if it is destroyed by
vices, drugs or anything else God is in this persons life.
~Pope Francis
"Solidarity recognizes that "we are all really responsible for all." Not only are we responsible for the safety
and well-being of our family and our next-door neighbor, but Christian solidarity demands that we work for
justice beyond our boundaries. Christians are asked to see Jesus in the face of everyone, including both
victims and offenders. Through the lens of solidarity, those who commit crimes and are hurt by crime are not
issues or problems; they are sisters and brothers, members of one human family. Solidarity calls us to insist
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
on responsibility and seek alternatives that do not simply punish, but rehabilitate, heal, and restore."
10
~ US Conference of Catholic Bishops

THE NATIONAL RE-ENTRY PROGRAM

The Vincentian Reentry Organizing Project is a partnership between the Catholic Campaign for Human
Development and the National Society of St. Vincent de Paul. We are challenging poverty in America,
by drawing on Catholic Social Teaching and the Gospel message of Love and Justice.
Our vision is to create safer, stronger, and restorative communities through systemic advocacy,
removing barriers to reentry for formerly incarcerated people, dramatically decreasing our prison
populations, and investing in people. We
are organizing to transform communities
and lives. We are bringing together
Vincentians, community organizations,
and returning citizens and formerly
incarcerated people to shift our
incarceration policies, radically.
St. Vincent de Paul has been the
vanguard of addressing peoples basic
needs for over 170 years. We are
committed by our faith to serve. And,
when we see injustice, we unite with
those impacted to create stronger
communities. Mass Incarceration is
breaking families apart, ruining
communities, and leaving us unsafe.
We are organizing ourselves, formerly
incarcerated people and their families,
and
other
Catholic
and
faith
communities to remove barriers to reentry and to promote safer and restorative ways to invest
in people and create safer communities.
Our Hope: Shift the narrative in our cities and states so that a more humane, restorative and dignified system can
emerge.
Our Strategy: Organize and invest in the leadership of returning citizens to identify issues and drive campaigns,
grow solidarity of Vincentians to support organizing efforts and shift mental models, so that we can win on local,
state and national issues.
Click on the link below to see the update on the National Reentry Program given by Paul Graham at the April
2015 Mid-Year meeting:
https://svdpusa.sharefile.com/download.aspx?id=s8c82345ec91424f8
11

PREDATORY LENDING

CFPB CONSIDERING PROPOSALS TO LIMIT PREDATORY

LENDING
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed rules on March 26 to protect Americans
from being caught into a "debt trap" through prevention and protection.
Prevention implies restricting lenders to give loans only to people, who would be able to pay
back on time, without sacrificing food, rent or other necessities. All
it takes is to require lender to verify borrowers' incomes before
approving a loan.
Protection would require lenders to offer affordable repayment
options with a longer due date, eliminating the need to roll over
the loan several times, each time charging a fee.
As four out of five borrowers roll over the loan or take out new
loans at maturity, verifying the borrowers ability to repay could
drastically reduce the number of loans and the related abuse.
The rules would apply not only to payday loans but also to vehicle
title loans -- in which a car is used as collateral -- and other forms
of high-cost lending. A panel of small business representatives and
other stakeholders will review the rules before the bureau will make
them available for public comments and then finalizes them.

Photo from:
http://chieforganizer.org/wpcontent/uploads/2013/09/predatorylending-abusive-lenders.gif

According to an analysis of Census data by the Urban Institute, a Washington-based

think tank, roughly 2.5 million households received a payday loan in 2013, an increase
of 19% over 2011.
The Associated Press reported a typical story of how people in poverty become victims of loan
sharks: Wynette Pleas of Oakland, California, says she endured a nightmare after taking out a
payday loan in late 2012. A 44-year-old mother of three, including a blind son, Pleas borrowed
$255 to buy groceries and pay the electricity bill.
But as a part-time nursing assistant, she worked only limited hours. Pleas told her lender she'd
be unable to meet the loan's two-week deadline. The lender then tried to withdraw the
repayment straight from her bank account even though Pleas lacked the funds. The result: A
$35 overdraft fee and a bounced check. After the incident was repeated five more times, Pleas
said the bank closed her account.
Collection agencies began phoning Pleas and her family. The, she learned that the $255 loan had
ballooned to a debt of $8,400. At that point, she faced the possibility of jail. "It's not even worth
it," said Pleas, who is trying to rebuild her finances and her life.
THE ARIZONA BATTLE AGAINST CONSUMER FLEX LOANS
By Kathy Jorgensen, Voice of the Poor, Phoenix Diocesan Council

The Voice of the Poor Committee (VOP) in the Diocese of Phoenix has a very long history with advocacy
regarding Predatory Lending. It was one of the first issues I worked on, when I joined VOP many years ago.
At that time, the most common type of Predatory Lending in Arizona were the infamous Pay Day Loans.
Prior to 2008, the Pay Day Loan industry operated in a separate carved-out section of the Arizona Statutes,
which was created by the Arizona Legislature as a trial measure with a 10 year sunset provision, which would
run out in 2008, with the anticipation that a future legislature would be willing to allow the program to continue
indefinitely.
12

In 2007, a bill (SB 1446) was introduced to eliminate the sunset provision. Following a lengthy battle by SVDP,
in partnership with a significant number of other Health and Human Services (HHS) Non-Profits, SB 1446 did
not pass.
But anyone, who ever dealt with this industry, knew that they were down, but surely not defeated. In 2008, the
industry gathered enough signatures to get the issue on the ballot. SVDP and its HHS NP partners swung
back into action to defeat Prop 200. The result of our work was amazing. Prop 200 was overwhelmingly
defeated 1,271,717 to 860,607. On July 1, 2009, the legislation, allowing Pay Day Loans, expired and most
Arizonans thought we were done with Pay Day Loans. Instead, over the next few years, Arizona was
invaded by a variety of other Predatory products including title and signature loans, which although
predatory were relatively insignificant when compared to Pay Day Loans.
In 2015, a new bill, HB 2611, was introduced in the Arizona legislature, under the name of Consumer Flex
Loans, attempting to authorize a new product, which was actually much worse than a Pay Day Loan. With
current Arizona law limiting interest rates at 35%, the new product was set-up as an open-ended line of credit
with huge fees, such as the daily fee of of 1% calculated daily, among others. This would have resulted in a
cost for the borrower in excess of 215% of the original loan amount.
Both the Phoenix and Tucson Diocesan Councils worked together with their respective allies in an allout effort to defeat the bill. They experienced an initial setback, when the bill passed the House of
Representative by one vote. But, our coalition did not give up and continued to bring the fight to the
Senate where the bill was eventually pulled from the last committee scheduled to hear the matter. This
effort included regular Action Alerts by both Councils asking our members to call/meet the
representatives of their district and especially to contact personally the key decision makers. We
believe that that the bill was pulled when the sponsors became aware that they did not have the votes
necessary to forward the matter to the Senate, as a whole.
Although the Arizona Legislature has adjourned for this session, we anticipate that some form of Predatory
Lending will be introduced again when the legislature comes back in January 2016. We are not waiting for the
legislature to reconvene, but we are already meeting and making plans to be ready to defeat any predatory
loan product, which might be introduced.
The Phoenix VOP Committee has advocated with other HHS Non-Profits for years. Many of the people who
come to SVDP for assistance also access other agencies for services. Our partners included Arizona
Association of Food Banks, Arizona Community Action Alliance, Arizona Interfaith Council, Catholic Charities,
Childrens Action Alliance, Protecting Arizonas Family Coalition, Southwest Center for Economic Integrity and
many more. We have learned that truly there is strength in numbers. The strategy paid off. For HB 2611, we
learned that legislators were inundated with calls and e-mails from Vincentians and members of our partners.

The battle against HB2611 confirmed the best strategy to follow with our advocacy
By Giulio Grecchi, Voice of the Poor, Western Region Representative

Fight only for issues covered by one of a SVdP position paper

Fight only for issues that truly affect the people we serve
Research the issue and assess the probability of success
Understand the legislative process
Identify who are the key decision makers in the legislature
Identify the most effective timing for action
Identify Vincentians with a strong relationship with legislators, who have a good chance to influence them
Develop an articulated strategy, including Action Alerts, Legislative Visits, Op-eds, Press conferences, etc.
In advocacy large numbers matter get many Vincentians to write to their legislators
Collaborate and coordinate with like-minded organizations

13

WAGES

ACTION ON WAGE THEFT

By Maureen Sloan, Voice of the Poor, Portland, OR

Chuck Sheketoff, the executive director of the Oregon Center for Public Policy writes that Oregons
minimum wage falls far short of giving working families economic security, so imagine the difficulties
workers face when they are not even paid the minimum.
A recent U.S Department of Labor study reported that minimum wage violations a form of wage
theft push families into poverty and create costs for the public, due to the connection between
violations of the minimum wage and increased use of public assistance programs, such as SNAP.
One in four claims filed with the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries are for violations of minimum
wage law. These are only the tip of the iceberg, because many workers, who suffer wage violations,
do not complain for fear of losing their job. Complaints are filed mostly by workers in restaurants and
bars and in the business services industry office cleaning and staffing agencies.
The Oregon legislature has now the opportunity to put in place stronger rules to make sure that
workers receive at least the minimum wage, by enacting The Fair Wage Recovery Act, SB 718.
As Voice of the Poor, we are following this legislation on Wage Theft. Recently we heard that Bill 718
was stuck in a Senate Committee and needed some action to get it to the floor for a vote.
We had a list of eight key Senators to contact. I sent out the alert to our VOP members and asked
them to let me know if they had taken action. Not all responded, but I do know that Vincentian
members of VOP had contacted at least seven of the eight.
In addition, our Archdiocesan Trustee, Stan Miller, took the issue to a recent meeting of the Portland
Archdiocesan Council and all members present were supportive of our action on this issue. As soon
as I get contact information from Stan, I will send them the information I have on this issue and ask
them to spread it further through their District Councils.
SYSTEMIC CHANGE

WHAT SYSTEMIC CHANGE MEANS TO ME

By Tom Jefferson, Tucson, Getting Ahead Team Leader

Ever since becoming a young adult, I have been blessed with faith, and have taken seriously Matthew 22:
37 You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
38 This is the greatest and the first commandment.
39 The second is similar: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
For years, I sensed that I was called to a higher standard. There was a desire to live up to what my beliefs required, but I
also felt that my personal efforts were hopelessly inadequate. What was needed was transformation, which could only
come with grace and time. My efforts always seemed insignificant and ineffective when measured against the need. A
little over a year ago, my wife and I went to Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago. I began the pilgrimage with few
expectations other than to experience Spain and to spend time being with Jan, but the pilgrimage turned out to be a
grace-filled time. I took a copy of Evangelii Gaudium for reading and reflection. It seemed to bring the pieces of the
puzzle together, making me see the whole picture. Each passage struck me with power and inspiration, but one stood
out: 47. But the Church is not a tollhouse; it is the house of the Father, where there is a place for everyone, with all their
problems.
48. If the whole Church takes up this missionary impulse, she has to go forth to everyone without exception. But to whom
should she go first? When we read the Gospel we find a clear indication: not so much our friends and wealthy neighbors,
14

but above all the poor and the sick, those who are usually despised and overlooked, those who cannot repay you (Lk
14:14). There can be no room for doubt or for explanations, which weaken so clear a message. Today and always, the
poor are the privileged recipients of the Gospel, and the fact that it is freely preached to them is a sign of the kingdom
that Jesus came to establish. We have to state, without mincing words, that there is an inseparable bond between our
faith and the poor. May we never abandon them. Evangelii Gaudium
By the time I returned home, I was convinced that as a Church we needed to heed
the instructions in Joy of the Gospel, and to take them on as the mission of our
parishes to come together in joy, and to work together to both grow in love and to
bring the love of Christ to those, who most need that love, those who cant repay
you. I believed that this mission of service would show young people that faith
does make a difference and that this common purpose of bringing the love of Christ
to the poor would bring joy and unity to our parishes.
However, while the above made sense to me, I still had problems connecting the
desire to serve, and connecting with the poor in a practical way of doing just that. I
had been a Vincentian for over 4 years doing home visits, and some of the friends
we served I had known for years, yet I was discouraged at how little difference we
made in the lives of those we were trying to serve. It seemed that both the material
aid and personal connection was quite limited.
Then in July, I attended with other Voice of the Poor Vincentians the SVDP Hope in
Action Systemic Change Workshop in Los Angeles that provided additional answers
on how we could be more effective in serving the poor. The workshop introduced
me to the Bridges out of Poverty constructs, which helped me to understand
poverty, to understand the causes of poverty, and to understand that our perspective of the world is greatly influenced
by the lens of class. The workshop also convinced me that the only way we are going to enable change in individuals,
institutions, and communities was through relationships of mutual respect where all members and classes in the
community work together to empower the individual and create community changes that allow all citizens to develop
their human potential. The program made use of all the resources available to make the necessary changes and
investments to build individual and community resources.
The comprehensiveness of the program was daunting. What could just one or two, or three do to bring such a
comprehensive program to Tucson? However, I was encouraged and excited by several considerations:
First, the program seemed to be a perfect match with the Societys Vincentian spirituality, which in turn meshed
with Pope Francis encouragement to engage in a renewed evangelization and mission of parishes for the
preferential option for the poor. It provided a path for individual spiritual conversion coupled with action.
Second, the understanding of poverty, middle class and wealth through the hidden rules of class, helped to break
down barriers to significant relationships of mutual respect across class. This not only, enabled relationships
between individuals in poverty to mentors in middle class, but understanding the hidden rules of class brings
about an appreciation that everyone sees the world through a unique lens determined by our experience. This
understanding helps individuals from all sectors of the community to form the network of relationships necessary
to create and build opportunity for all.
Third, the bridges constructs applied at any scale. Just one individual applying the Bridges constructs could benefit
from their own spiritual growth and from the relationships with others in the community. Even so, the benefits
of the Bridges constructs increase proportionally as the community adopts them, and once the benefits of the
Bridges constructs begin to be recognized, they generate additional growth.
Finally, it was clear that Bridges was just a tool that made use of the latest social science addressing the causes of
poverty and the obstacles to climbing out of poverty. As such, it was easily adaptable to new research and was
complimented by other programs bringing similar understanding to the community. The Bridges constructs are
just a tool to give motivated individuals who are trying to live the gospel values, the understanding needed to
15

connect with others to bring the love of Christ to all of the community, but especially to those caught in the cycle
of poverty.
Returning to Tucson from the LA workshop, together with the VOP team, I worked to bring the Societys Initiative to end
poverty through systemic change to the Tucson Council of SVDP that serves Southern Arizona.
With the understanding and enthusiasm gained by a few of us who attended the LA workshop, we began our efforts to
form a systemic change startup community. In a few months, we deepened our understanding of the Systemic Change
Initiative. Our startup group grew to over 15 people, who worked together growing in knowledge of the Bridges construct
and in enthusiasm for the program. For the first time, members of five parishes are working together to implement the
many parts of the initiative. It did not take long to begin making contacts in the broader community who, already, was
independently interested in the Bridges model as a strategy for addressing poverty issues. The Tucson Council of SVdP
approved $8,000, which along with some additional contributions, is funding the first Getting Ahead Workshop, which
started the end of March. We are currently, recruiting mentors to walk with the future graduates from the Getting Ahead
Workshop and we are making final preparations for completing the mentor training. At the same time, we have prepared
and given presentations to introduce the SVdP Systemic Change Initiative to faith communities.
As I look back on the progress we have made over the past 10 months since the LA workshop, the progress has far
exceeded expectations. The initiative seems to have taken on a life of its own and we are encouraged by its enormous
potential for connecting motivated, under resourced, individuals with mentors to journey with them to a better future.

SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT GETTING AHEAD

By Giulio Grecchi, Voice of the Poor, Western Region Representative

The Tucsons Getting Ahead program, based on the Bridges out of Poverty construct, is in its 9th week. Of the initial 15
investigators, 12 are still in the program. The class is mixed. A number of participants are Native Americans. All
Investigators are showing a deep gratitude for the support that they receive.
Our role as Vincentians has been so far to provide meals, babysitting and security, plus stipends in the form of supermarket
cards and bus passes. We will then all become mentors for the graduates at the end of the program. To respect the privacy
of the investigators, we never go into the room where the work takes place, unless invited by the Facilitator.
For instance, the Facilitator invited me to give a brief talk about predatory lending, when they arrived at the pages of the
workbook, which explain Exploitation as one of the causes of poverty. I described the issue with a story, recommended
that they never go to those businesses, explained how Voice of the Poor advocated in the last few months against the reintroduction of Predatory lending in Arizona (because of the opposition by SVdP and our allies, the proposal was pulled
from the legislative agenda, at least for this year). Then, I indicated that they would be much better advocates that any
of us could ever be on this issue. They were keen to discuss this last point, which the Facilitator reinforced by stating
that it is their right to have a voice. I could not believe how responsive and engaged the Investigators were, recognizing
immediately in predatory lending a problem that either themselves or a neighbor encountered, asking very real questions,
adding other examples and at the end seeming ready to march with me to the legislature. Overall, I was amazed and
edified by their reaction. I can easily see how some of them will become future advocates and leaders in their community.
In another experience, I went on a home visit with another Vincentian,
who had been bringing help to an Investigator for a number of months.
The Investigator recognized me from the talk on predatory lending.
That gave me the opportunity to ask about the program. The response
was that, after having gone from emergency to emergency for years,
for the first time the Getting Ahead program gave her the ability to
examine her situation as if through a window, from the outside looking
in. That response confirmed what we hoped for, i.e. that they are able
to do some abstract thinking about poverty and their situation.

16

And, here is an e-mail from an Investigator, participating in Getting Ahead for the second time: I would love to share how
GA has helped me on my path out of poverty. There is a lot of work to do still, but I have learned many things from the GA
group. The second time around is even better. I have actually seen how much I have grown and can see the tools that I
have learned in the first class and how I have put them to use in my life. I have learned things that have definitively helped
me. For one, I learned to advocate for myself and that I AM SOMEBODY and that, no matter what background I may have
come from, that I am deserving and that I am just like everyone else, only at a different level.
We found that rebuilding self-esteem is really something that they need, probably more than anything else is.
Just as the program is changing life for the Investigators, it has begun to change our Council.
Our conferences have the tendency to do their good work on their own. The fact that Vincentians from five conferences
are working together to organize the program can only bring more cooperation in the future.
We have briefly presented the Getting Ahead program to several conferences, inviting Vincentians to be part of the effort.
We noticed that just mentioning the program creates the opportunity to have a discussion within the conference. I think
that the internal debate is healthy for our conferences. We noticed that new members or younger members are the most
interested in the program and want to be part of it. We invite conferences to serve a meal to the Investigators at one of
the sessions, so that they can get a feel of what is happening. Several have done so. Members of one conference were so
impressed with what they saw when they served the meal to the Investigators that they decided to bring two more.

Getting Ahead Brief Overview

By Rose Tederous, Tucson, Facilitator of the Getting Ahead program sponsored by SVdP (now at its 7th week)

Getting Ahead is a program that brings people who are under-resourced together to examine the impact poverty has on
the community, as well as, how poverty affects individuals personally.
Individual investigators come together once a week to develop resources, create personal plans, (using the S.M.A.R.T
goal formula) and work towards developing their social capital and building resources.
This work is done using a workbook book called Getting Ahead in a Just Getting
by World by Phil Duval and through intense and enlightening conversation with
the co-investigator/facilitator and others in the workshop. The Getting Ahead
model uses 50% bookwork activities and 50% of sharing stories, giving feedback
and expressing ideas with other investigators. The model is a peer learning
process where everyone is a teacher and the co-investigator / facilitator is only
there to guide the group through the process.
This is an empowerment model, looking at the strength of people who are
under-resourced and building on those strengths. Although much of the work
in the Getting Ahead workshops are about the individual, there are three other
areas identified as the cause of poverty: Lack of Community Supports due to
absence of Human and Social Capital, Exploitation and Unjust Political/
Economics. The investigators examines these other areas to understand the
many reasons one may be in poverty. The last component is preparing the
investigators to become community activists and to advocate and speak-out
on these very important issues.

17

HELLO TUCSON:
JOIN US IN OUR MISSION TO EMPOWER THE POOR

MENTORS NEEDED
Mentors training on Saturday, June 13
At the Council Office of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul
829 South 6th Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85701

For more information, contact Ann Myers @ 520-548-3187

SOCIAL
ACTION
SUMMER
INSTITUTE

Voice of the Poor Western

Region

JULY 1923, 2015

PORTLAND,
OREGON

For Information on Voice of the Poor,

Visit Our Website by Clicking on: www.wrvop.Org

CHERISHING CREATION: CALLED TO THE

COMMON GOOD

Then, find the information you need by clicking on the Tabs

on the left rail

WHAT IS IT?
The 29th Annual Social Action Summer Institute is a
national and local conference that offers grounding in
Catholic social teaching, biblical theology, the spirituality
of social justice and practical parish and diocesan skills.
Attendees can learn about the Biblical foundations of
justice and the Theological foundations of catholic
social teaching Or explore the Catholic teachings
on ecology through the lenses of
Pope Francis's impending social encyclical
The Theology of Ecology
International Perspectives from Catholic Relief
Services
The Human Side of Ecology
Thursdays workshops will help you build your ministry skills in
Social media, Grant writing for parishes, Building capacity
(doing more with less), Advocating for Ecological Concerns,
Advocating from your parish, Building a parish community.

18

SEE YOU IN BURBANK!

On May 28, 2015, Voice of the Poor and Bridges out of Poverty will offer a pre-conference seminar, open to
all Vincentians. We will hold the seminar at the Burbank Holiday Inn, in proximity of the registration desk.
During the seminar, Western Region Vincentians involved with Voice of the Poor and Bridges out of
Poverty will share their experiences and their plans. Voice of the Poor and Bridges out of Poverty are both
part of the SVdP National Strategic Goal #4, each addressing Poverty with its own specific strategy.
If you would like to hear what Voice of the Poor and Bridges out of Poverty could do at your Council or
Conference, please join us!
The seminar will start at 4:00PM and last about 1 hour, so that everyone will have time to get ready for the
Regional Meeting Opening Reception.
Please plan to arrive at the hotel by early afternoon, so that you can participate to the pre-conference
seminar. Many thanks!

19