First
Fruits for California's Working Poor?
California Council of Churches offers Congregational Study
Guide on the next five years of CalWORKs
With the status of social programs the primary news in
California's budget crisis, California Council of Churches
has prepared a new congregational study guide that will
unite the factual issues in the federal and state 'welfare-to-work'
programs with faith principles concerning care for the poor.
The guide is the outgrowth of a collaborative project between
the Council and California Catholic Charities. The project
goal is to bring greater awareness to people of faith about
the lives and conditions of those receiving federal Temporary
Aid to Needy Families (TANF) through the state's CalWORKs
(California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids)
programs.
Created and written by CCC Associate Director Rev. Kathy
Cooper-Ledesma, the guide offers six study sessions ranging
from the exploration of personal values concerning work,
learning, dependence, and other issues that affect public
policy followed by a review of theological teachings on
those same issues. Participants will learn how TANF participants
live, how much money they receive, how much they need to
work, what survival strategies they must make, whether they
can receive training and education, how their children fare
while parents work and go to school
The guide will look at the current status of TANF and CalWORKs
and proposals for change at both federal and state levels
that threaten to reduce educational opportunities and eliminate
benefits for both adults and children. The link between
those who are blessed with material comfort and
those who have little or none is examined in light of heological
precepts that are the core of our faith traditions. Finally,
practical suggestions for congregations as to how to help
the growing numbers in need are offered.
Designed in part to be used as a Lenten study session,
the guide may also be used in various other settings, in
compressed numbers of workshops, or divided into more lessons.
The creation and distribution of First Fruits for California's
Working Poor? has been made possible by a grant from the
California Wellness Foundation.
In order to make the guide most useful, in February the
California Council of Churches is offering "train the
trainers" sessions around the state.
For dates and locations of training sessions, or to register
for a workshop, click here.
For more information, call our office at: 916-442-5447
or call Kathy Cooper-Ledesma at: 323-256-3162
Dowload the Study Guide!!!
Complete the Online Evaluation Form!!!
* Some of the files on this page are PDF documents. An Adobe
Acrobat Reader is required to view them. If you do not have
a Reader, you can download the program for free from Adobe.
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