Ministries: Advocacy and Community Organizing, Urban Ministries
Results
Bellarmine Dismantling Racism Team (BDRT) (Cincinnati, OH)
The BDRT team studies, discusses and discerns ways to overcome racism and racial injustice, while helping the parish become an even more welcoming, inclusive and multi-cultural community of faith.
Center for Equity and Excellence in English Learner Education and Research (Los Angeles, CA)
The Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL) was established in 2006, with support from Bank of America, for the purpose of improving educational outcomes of English Learners (ELs). The Center's research and professional development agendas will inform leadership and instructional practices for the state's 1.5 million English Learners and the nation’s 3.5 million English Learners. CEEL’s mission is to pursue equity and excellence in the education of English Learners by transforming schools and educational systems through the Center's research and professional development agendas. An integral component of this work is the development of advocacy-oriented leadership. Educators who utilize students' cultural and language resources while developing students’ academic competencies have the potential to significantly transform schools and educational systems.
Center for Latino Studies in the Americas (San Francisco, CA)
The Center for Latino Studies in the Americas contributes to the understanding of Latin@ communities in the United States and throughout Latin America and promotes scholarly communication across national boundaries. CELASA fosters the interdisciplinary analysis of the social, economic, political, and cultural realities of Latin Americans and of Latin@s in the United States.
sans-serif">CELASA bridges USF's academic, community, and international programs focused on Latin America and Latin@s in the United States. It supports research, teaching, and service opportunities for faculty, students, community members, and visiting scholars. It functions as a central coordinating unit for academic majors and minors, study abroad and international exchanges, a visiting scholars program, student organizations, faculty research initiatives, and the Pan-American Society. CELASA connects USF to the San Francisco Bay Area community and to Jesuit networks throughout Latin America.
Centro Altagracia de Fe y Justicia (New York, NY)
The Centro Altagracia is dedicated to faith in action; promoting social justice through active collaboration with parishes, community organizations, and individuals and through initiatives that serve the needs of the community as those needs have been identified by the Hispanic community of northern Manhattan. We seek to awaken awareness within individuals of how their Catholic, Christian faith calls them to be aware of the issues impacting their community and to be engaged in action to address these issues. Among the Centro's programs are: Social/Pastoral Ministry Teams that serve as coordinators and catalysts for social awareness and action within parishes; H.E.L.P. (Hispanic Evangelization Leadership Program) that trains young adults for leadership roles within their parishes; and G.R.A.C.E. (Gaining Respect and Awareness through Community Education) which addresses the issue of domestic violence. The Centro also maintains a library of books and DVDs for community use.
The Dominican Outreach Center or Centro Altagracia de Fe y Justicia (Altagracia Center for Faith and Justice) was formed by the New York Province of the Society of Jesus in response to the unmet needs of the Dominican community of the Washington Heights area. In a period of slightly more than one year the Centro Altagracia has been able to make incredible strides in establishing itself in the community through its work with the ten parishes of the North Manhattan vicariate, various community organizations, and elected officials.
Comunidades en Movimiento(CEM) (Los Angeles, CA)
Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice (Bronx, NY)
The Center for Service and Justice (CSJ) offers a variety of opportunities for students to learn from, engage in and reflect on service and social justice.
Volunteer Opportunities- CSJ works with community partners near the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses to place students in a variety of service environments:
Volunteer Opportunities -Rose Hill
Volunteer Opportunities - Lincoln Center
Service Learning- CSJ helps students connect academics to volunteers experiences in the community through the Service Learning Program.
Service Learning Program
Internship Opportunities- Students can obtain paid and unpaid internship opportunities through CSJ, working in a variety of social service environments.
Internship Opportunities
Post-Graduate Vocational Discernment- CSJ helps connect students to long-term volunteer opportunities after graduation, as well as nonprofit careers in the New York area.
Post Graduate Opportunities
Integrated Service-learning Community- CSJ has developed an Integrated Serivce-Learning Community located in the Belmont neighborhood in the Bronx where students committ to ongoing volunteering during the year and participate in weekly reflection and community building activities.
Integrated Service-Learning Community
Gesu Parish Direct Service (Milwaukee, WI)
The social ministries are active year-round and open to all parishioners to join in making the social mission of the church the essential and central mission of the parish. Examples of ministries include: parish twinning with St Jude's parish in Haiti, ongoing social justice eduation programs, and fair trade coffee sales.
Gesu Social Concerns Committee oversees a number of programs to the homeless including a regular Saturday meal program, Sunday breakfast bags. Gesu parishioners also partner with downtown congregations offering shelter and day programs to the homeless individuals and families and Gesu parishioners were instrumental in the establishment of a Milwaukee Housing Trust Fund
Hollywood Interfaith Sponsoring Committee (Hollywood, CA)
Hollywood Interfaith Sponsoring Committee, a community organization in the PICO network (www.piconetwork.org) which facilitates empowerment activities, leadership training and community organizing in conjunction with Sacred Heart Parish.
Ignatian Social Justice (St. Ignatius Loyola Church NYC) (New York, USA)
The Ignatian Social Justice is a group at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola made up of parishioners committed to raising awareness of current Catholic social teaching and addressing timely social justice issues. The volunteer group embraces the responsibility not only to act, but also to help inform parishioners and engage them in constructive change to promote peace and social justice
IMPACTO (Imaginado Mañana Pico Aliso Community Team Outreach) (Los Angeles, CA)
IMPACTO (Imaginando Mañana Pico Aliso Community Team Outreach) is an after-school academic enrichment program serving at-risk youth ages 6-18 in the Boyle Heights community. In an area plagued with poverty, a suffering public education system, and the threat of gang violence, the youth served by the IMPACTO program are provided with more than merely an after school program; they are given hope, encouragement, alternatives and a safe haven. The goal of IMPACTO is to motivate and inspire youth of Boyle Heights to develop as leaders in pursuit of education. Additionally, recognizing the importance of parent support to ensure our students complete high school and go on to college, IMPACTO provides personalized assistance for parents so that they are better equipped to deal with the often daunting educational system.
Marquette Common Ground (Milwaukee, WI)
Marquette Common Ground is a community organizing group affiliated with Common Ground of SE Wisconsin, an IAF affiliate. Common Ground exists to build and support an organization to address Greater
Milwaukee’s critical social issues in an effective, non-partisan way. The organization prioritizes health care, education, jobs and economic development, crime, mental health, youth activities, immigration and housing. It also conducts Leadership Institutes to teach volunteers the basics of organizing.
Milwaukee Inner-city Congregations Allied for Hope (MICAH) (Milwaukee, WI)
MICAH organizes/advocates around issues such as neighborhood drug trafficking, urban schools, drug punishment and rehabilitation, affordable housing, and urban sprawl. This church-based organization is grounded in the principles of empowerment through the Gospel, education, advocacy and action. The Gesu MICAH Core Team leads parish actions in this interfaith, multi-racial organization to empower people to achieve structural change for justice and peace in the innercity.
Proyecto Pastoral (Los Angeles, CA)
Proyecto Pastoral at Dolores Mission was founded in 1986 by community residents and the California Province of Jesuits. It has grown into a highly effective community - building organization. Proyecto Pastoral is committed to involving local community members in the planning, design and implementation of its programs. One third of the Proyecto Pastoral Board of Directors is comprised by local community residents responding to community identified needs enabling Proyecto Pastoral to make a significant impact in the lives of local families. Anticipating the needs of the community enables Proyecto Pastoral in being an ever evolving organization that whose success lies not only in being dynamic but understanding the real issues. Proyecto Pastoral serves over 2,500 children, youth and families annually through its five programs.
Proyecto Pastoral at Dolores Mission is a community building organization whose mission is to provide training, education and social services with the Pico- Aliso/Boyle Heights district of East Los Angeles. Proyecto Pastoral coordinates five community based programs.
St. Vincent DePaul of St. Ignatius Loyola NY, NY (New York, USA)
The St Lawrence O’Toole Conference of the St Vincent de Paul Society is one of the oldest conferences in the United States. Our conference has been active since it was formed in 1865.
We are a group of parishioners joined by the common goal of making life better for those among us in need. We share a desire to ease the pain of poverty, loneliness, hunger, homelessness, and financial desperation.
The AMOS Project - Bellarmine Core Team (Cincinnati, OH)
Parishioners participate in this congregational coalition in the Greater Cincinnati (Ohio) area, witnessing to faith and justice through public action and grassroots and lower-income faith-based leadership development on issues of economic and racial justice.
