Pilot City: Cedar Rapids, IA -- Strategies

Strategies:
A) Determine contact person in the community of interest:
African-American -- Bishop Paul Beets, Gospel Tabernacle;
Hispanic -- Fr. Christopher Podajsky, Immaculate Conception Church;
Initial meeting held; wanted more Faith in Action brochures to distribute to test for
congregational interest; follow-up phone call needed
Hindu -- Mr. Ashok Chawla, Hindu Temple Assn;
American Indian -- Ms. Nancy Rhodes, Osage Nation, Mt. Mercy College;
Initial meeting held. Nancy will adapt training materials for American Indians as part of her
training effort.
Jewish -- Rabbi Aaron Sherman, Temple Judah;
Initial meeting held; wants informational meeting around Rosh Hoshanah
Arab-American -- Muslim American Society Iowa Chapter, Imam Ahmed Elkhaldy, President;
Informational meeting set up for end of Ramadan;
would like to offer training with Jewish group.
Working Poor -- Pastor Jonathan Offt, Trinity Lutheran Church.
Initial meeting held; somewhat reticent;
emailed op-ed on poverty and census numbers;
need to follow up with a phone call

B) Set up a meeting with the contact person to cover:
1) This is RESULTS
a) personal story
b) RESULTS activities locally and nationally
c) RESULTS campaigns for 2008

2) Intent of Diversity Task Force
Cedar Rapids is a pilot city. We want to make the Cedar Rapids RESULTS group look like Cedar Rapids.

3) What I need from you (the contact person):
a) What do I need to know about your community? citizenship, culture, economics, language, literacy, transportation
b) Can you help me set up an informational meeting? Identify people who might be interested, invite the wider community

C) Hold informational meeting
1) Use Compassion and Empowerment presentation; Everyday Heroes DVD; testimonial from RESULTS activist; depending on literacy and citizenship of group, write letters to MoC or LTEs.
2) Collect contact information from interested people.
3) Set up training sessions.