Call Legislators Now To Increase VOCA Funding

Lift Every Voice Family and Community Development Project Cares
About Survivors of Violent Crimes

The bill (S. 1340 / H.R. 3402) would provide for significant,
predictable increases in funding for the next five years, releasing more
money from the Fund while preserving a balance that ensures its
sustainability. It is sponsored by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and
Mike Crapo (R-ID), and by Representatives Jim Costa (D-CA) and Ted Poe
(R-TX). Visit www.ncvc.org/policy for copies of the bills as well as a
handout and fact sheet.

Contact members of Congress NOW and ask them to cosponsor the Crime
Victims Fund Preservation Act of 2009, S. 1340/H.R. 3402. Your call will
help create the momentum for enough cosponsors to move the bill when
Congress reconvenes in September.

If you don't know how to reach your Senator or Representative, visit
www.senate.gov or www.house.gov , or call the Capitol switchboard at
(202) 225-3121.

Tell your Senators and Representative:

1) Who you are and why you care about VOCA funding. Say you are
calling/writing to urge the Senator or Representative to co-sponsor the
Crime Victims Fund Preservation Act of 2009, S. 1340/H.R. 3402.

2) Why VOCA funding is so important to your community. Include
information on local programs that rely on VOCA funds to meet the needs
of victims of crime.

3) That VOCA funding comes from fines on criminal defendants, not
taxpayers, and that this bill will release more of that money to support
local victim services.

If you have any questions, please contact Susan Howley, the National
Center's public policy director, at 202-467-8722 or showley@ncvc.org .

THANK YOU!

Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month Observances

Friendship West Baptist Church, National Alliance on Mental Illness and

LIft Every Voice Family and Community Development Project

Observes

BEBE MOORE CAMPBELL NATIONAL MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

Dallas, Texas - Friendship Wst Baptist Church, the Southern Sector affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Lift Every Voice Family and Community Development Project, will sponsor: Bridging the Gap between Illness and Resilience 25 July 2009 from 9:00 am tdo 1:00 pm in observance of Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month to raise awareness about severe mental illness in diverse communities. Keynote adress will be given by Dr. Ouida Lee, Senior Pastor Church of the Disiple, Cedar Hill, Texas.

The purpose of this event is to help families and communities become familiar with the scope of the challanges faced by minority adolescents and college students, the enormity of the chasm they must traverse and how together we can help them bridge the gap 'From Ilness to Resilience'.

"Unfortunately, disparities in mental health care still prevent people in diverse communities from getting the treatment that they need," said Marian Hubbard Jefferson of Lift "Our goal is to educate people about mental illness, treatment and research, and to eliminate stigma. All people deserve access to quality mental health services."

Mental illness affects one in four American families and people in diverse communities are no exception The U.S. Surgeon General reports that minorities:

• are less likely to recieve diagnosis and treatment for their mental illness
• have less access to and availability of mental health services
• often recieve a poorer quality of mental health care
• are underrepresented in mental health research

For additional information about National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, and to access resources and suggested activities, visit: www.nami.org/minoritymentalhealthmonth.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness, http://www.namie.org/, is the nation's largest grassroots mental helath organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness

How Can I LIFT You Up?

Somewhere between the arguments that normally take place with my 12 and 18 year old girls, playing ref, house and peace-maker, I forgot that mydolescents need even more encouragement in this stage of life than at any other tis because it can literally be life to them when they are older and perhaps separated by distance and just the regular drifting about that sometimes occurs when trying to make your own mark on this world. LIFTing these kids may mean the difference between preventing life-long maladaptive behaviors, chronic depressive symptomology, harmful relationships etc., etc. The professionals call it, building up protective factors. Doing this must be intentional and it is the responsibility of not only parents but the collective community or 'village'.

This week, my son is off to see the world on a mission's trip in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The work he is doing is work that he has been involved in here also in the US, work I intentionally put him in the way of because I wanted him to know that power of ONE. The ONE I speak of is not he, but God who is the greatest protective factor any child could ever be introduced to.

While things in our America are fast changing (evidenced by our president's declaration that America can no longer be considered a Christian nation) and things change drastically, so change our children. They are more self-centered, filled with hopelessness, despair, anger, malice, and just down right fool heartiness. We have forgotten collectively that we are not here to become the next millionaire but we were put here for each other and we need each other to survive. If we really came to believe this, I believe we would see a decrease in crime, less depression and dating violence in teens and adults and just a greater sense of all around self-efficacy. So what about it, is there someone you know that could use a LIFT? With the future in mind and an opportunity to positively impact someone for the rest of their lives, just ask them; "How can I LIFT you up?" Point them to Jesus and if need be, LIFT them up and take them personally; challenging them to then GO MAD! Go Make A Difference here and in the uttermost parts of this world.

Step Forward for Children

Call Now to Help Texas Children Get Health Care They Need

Until today, both Senator Averitt and Rep. Coleman were optimistic that SB 841 would get a floor vote before the Tuesday midnight House deadline. Today, that confidence is no longer there.

The House and Senate each passed strong (and very similar) CHIP bills (SB 841 and HB 2962). Each is close to final passage, but the battles around other issues threaten to kill this bill to cover an estimated 80,000 uninsured children.

What You Can Do
Call Lt. Governor Dewhurst’s and Speaker Straus’ offices now and tell them:
"We are counting on your leadership to make sure one of these bills passes both houses and becomes law. This legislation has bipartisan authors and support, and we call on the leaders of each body to do what it takes to save this important legislation to help Texas kids."

Lt. Governor Dewhurst’s office: (512) 463-0001
Speaker Straus’ office: (512) 463-1000

Background
The House is involved in a slow-down to try to prevent consideration of a controversial voter ID bill. Some of the House Democrats are using rules to slow the process, and some of the House Republicans are refusing to let any bills – no matter how important – be voted on “out of order” before the voter ID bill.

There are a number of ways the bill could be saved. The CHIP bills have bipartisan authors and sponsors and received strong bipartisan support. Both versions of the bill are good and any compromise bill will be even better. Here are several options:
The House could vote to allow the Senate CHIP bill (SB 841) to be heard “out of order.”
Senator Ogden could allow HB 2962 to be voted out of Senate Finance committee and on to the Senate floor. The House and Senate could each suspend their usual rules to continue to consider this bill (and other major bills) after the current deadlines, if needed.
No matter what the approach, the leadership of the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House is needed. Please call today.


Anne Dunkelberg Center for Public Policy Priorities
900 Lydia Street Austin, TX 78702 512 320-0222 X102

Get Connected to Health Reform! Learn more at: http://www.texasvoiceforhealthreform.org/
Visit www.cppp.org for more information, to sign up for our free email updates, to order publications, or to make a tax-deductible donation to our work.

VAWA

Dear Partners,
Thank you for the important work you do for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault,
trafficking, and related crimes. Your work and experiences on the field are necessary and crucial to informing the policy debate around VAWA (Violence Against Women Act). VAWA is scheduled for reauthorization in 2011 and discussions are underway on what should be in VAWA IV. We are trying to identify legislative reforms that impact immigrant survivors. Help shape the discussion and VAWA IV by sharing your knowledge and experience. Together, we can shape VAWA IV to better enable survivors to access safety and justice.

We need your input! Here is how you can participate in the process:
Send us your ideas on what needs to be changed or improved. Specifically include the following:
any particular statutes that need to be changed, deleted, or supplemented and how; and
the impact of this change or why the current provisions of law are inadequate to protect immigrant victims.

Please note that you may be encountering problems in your work with immigrant survivors or as a survivor yourself that may or may not be solved by a change in legislation. For example, there are laws that have not been implemented and it is that implementation that is required. On other occasions, there might be an administrative or legislative change needed or both. If you are not sure if there is a legislative solution, err on making your list as comprehensive as possible and we will sort them out.

While it might appear early to start working on this, it will be a long process. There are occasionally times in which we can add to our wish list later in the process but later additions are always much harder to have included in the final legislation. As such, it is critical that you all take some time now to think about your wish list. VAWA is only reauthorized every five years and if a provision does not get included in VAWA IV, it will be a long wait…

Please respond to marian@evenme.org with your thoughts and ideas by 6 May 09.
Thank you.

Mission Trip – June 5-13

Mission Trip – June 5-13 Dominican Republic & Haiti

This is an exciting opportunity to travel to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and meet our COCH Family in the Caribbean. After three days of VBS, Evangelism Outreach and Worship Services, we will travel to Port-au-Prince, Haiti. There we will also participate in three days of VBS, Evangelism Outreach, Worship Services, Youth Conference, Women’s Conference and Pastors/Leaders Conference.

Living accommodations will NOT include electricity, running water or air conditioning. Meals will be limited. This trip is not for persons with medical conditions or special needs. Will require long periods of standing. This team will be limited to a small group due to accommodations and travel between countries.

Lillian Rivera Brown, Field Superintendent, Caribbean, Central & South American, WMB
P O Box 2128
Madison MS 39130-2128
Phone: 601-613-7144
E-mail: lillibro6@aol.com

A Valentine for Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Survivors

Lift Every Voice thanks all Advocates participating in Capitol Day in Austin, TX. on the 11th and those who could not make it but serve faithfully in the field of battle every day. Because of the need to excise wasteful spending, Texas Legislators have an uneviable job ahead of them this session. Please pray for God's wisdom as they deal with funding issues related to Violence; Sexual and Domestic. The following is a link from the Statesman showing a Survivor of Domestic Violence sharing her story. Please remember that we have all been affected by violence; it's just that some of us don't know it yet. Tell the secrets! Break the cycle! Become the GRIOT!
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid5286282001/bctid11747044001

Senate Passes the Economic Recovery Bill

Editorial Note:
While there is much to celebrate in the passage of this bill, we should continue also to be vigilant at state and local levels where massive budget shortfalls still threaten to bring an end to programs vital to the goal of bringing an end to violence; sexual and domestic. It is amazing to me what we are able to accomplish on shoestring budgets, but more needs to be done to bring people in and help them see that they too must have ownership of this cause. We have all been affected by violence; it's just that some of us don't know it yet and I am alive today because of advocates like you. "Never give up! Never! Never! Never give up!"

Senate Passes the Economic Recovery Bill
The Senate version includes $300 million for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), specifically for Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors (STOP) state formula grants; out of which, $50 million will be allocated to the VAWA Transitional Housing program; and $100 million for the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA).
All Democratic Senators along with three Republican Senators: Susan Collins (ME), Olympia Snowe (ME) and Arlen Specter (PA) voted in favor of the bill. We encourage you to call your Senators and thank them for their vote in favor of the Economic Recovery bill.

Next Steps
The Senate-House will form a conference committee to reconcile the differences in the bill. Stay tuned for updates, including an action alert with talking points. While we have overcome a major obstacle in the Senate, we will still need your support during the Conference Committee process, when the House conferees scrutinize the bill. Stay tuned for updates and an action alert with talking points. http://www.nnedv.org/actionalerts.html The National Network to End Domestic Violence.