JONAH and the Affordable Housing Coalition will continue a previous public discussion of poverty and homelessness at a 6:30 p.m. forum on Monday at the First Congregational UCC, 310 Broadway St. in Eau Claire.
The event is a follow-up to a Feb. 26 public forum that attracted some 60 people to discuss the complex issues related to those topics. Panelists that evening sketched a picture of Eau Claire County poverty that frequently goes unrecognized, and stressed the need for many more affordable housing units than are now available.
The public is invited to attend Monday’s forum. JONAH (Joining Our Neighbors, Advancing Hope) is a grassroots organization made up primarily of local faith communities and focused on various aspects of social justice.
Paul Savides, a long-time JONAH member who organized the February program, challenged that audience to come to Monday’s forum ready to get involved. He suggested that people identify activities they are willing to work on as part of a community-wide effort to combat poverty and homelessness.
Publicity for the upcoming Monday program said that attendees will learn about some current initiatives that deal with affordable housing issues in the Chippewa Valley. The session will also involve brainstorming potential new strategies to ensure that all local residents are able to find safe and affordable housing.
The 90-minute discussion will include representatives from Western Dairyland Community Action Agency, PORCH, Sojourner House, Family Promise and the Eau Claire City-County Health Department. Further information is available from Savides by email at psavides@wwt.net or by calling him at 715-875-4203.