wfn.org | NCC Part of Drive to Activate Two Million New Low-Income Voters

["Carol Fouke" <cfouke@ncccusa.org>]

For Immediate Release

NCC PART OF DRIVE TO ACTIVATE TWO MILLION NEW LOW-INCOME VOTERS

January 14, 2004, WASHINGTON, D.C. - Convinced that a key to ending U.S.
poverty is for low-income citizens to be fully engaged in the political
process, a coalition of grassroots and faith-based groups today announced a
campaign to activate more than two million new low-income voters in 2004.

"The voice of the poor must be heard, loudly and clearly," said the Rev. Dr.
Bob Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches U.S.A., at a
news conference to unveil the $15 million get-out-the-vote effort.  "The
ballot box provides that voice."

"As a person of faith," he said, "I am less interested in the degree of piety
that the candidates exhibit and more interested in seeing that broad
religious principles related to poverty become part of our national debate. 

"Christianity, Judaism, Islam and other faiths all teach that God holds
society accountable for the plight of people living in poverty. This is a
theme that could unite our nation if we took it seriously, while a narrow
emphasis on candidates' religious affiliation could divide us," Dr. Edgar
said. 

Today's news conference was called by the Center for Community Change, a
national non-profit organization that provides technical assistance, training
and policy support to low-income community groups.  Other groups present
included the Gamaliel Foundation, the Northern Plains Tribal Voter Education
Project and the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now
(ACORN).

Deepak Bhargava, Executive Director of the Center for Community Change, said,
"Paid ads won't do the job.  Working with these organizations that are deeply
entrenched within the community will help mobilize voters."  

Bhargava said the Center for Community Change will work "with organizations
with deep roots in the community to help organize voter mobilization" and
other work "on a wide range of issues that matter for people," such as health
care, jobs, education, adequate wage, child care and transportation.  

The voter mobilization campaign will be launched formally in Columbia, S.C.,
on January 30 at a televised "Presidential Candidate Dialog with America's
Families," sponsored by the Center for Community Change.  

Low-income families will directly pose questions to the candidates, marking
the first time a dialog with candidates will be held directly with working
poor people.  The dialog will be followed by thousands of people from South
Carolina and other states boarding buses for a massive door-knocking get out
the vote and voter education campaign throughout the state.

The National Council of Churches will be present for the candidates' forum,
then convene faith-based people on Saturday, January 31, for planning around
ending U.S. poverty.  Bridging the two events will be an interfaith worship
service the evening of January 30.

-end-

National Council of Churches U.S.A.
475 Riverside Drive, New York 
New York 10115-0050
Media Contact: 212-870-2227
www.ncccusa.org

---
Send E-mail address changes to: nccc_usa@ncccusa.org