Forty OTOC leaders participated in a  candidate forum sponsored by the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance (IMA)  Monday, October 20 at 6:30 pm at the MCC Fort Omaha Campus. IMA asked members of OTOC’s Immigration Action Team to ask candidates for US Senate and House a question about immigration. Action Team Leader Dave Pedersen asked candidates what they would do to push for comprehensive immigration reform if they were elected to Congress. He also asked that if substantial reform appears to be impossible in a gridlocked Congress, whether they would support Executive Action by the Administration to extend deferred action to adults with long history of living in the US without legal problems and with many ties to the community.

  Other Topics raised by members of the audience included:

  • Economic Justice       Health Care         Restorative Justice         Immigration        Renewable Energy

 

 

Poverty Forum

On November 8, from 8:00 am to Noon at First UMC (7020 Cass), OTOC leaders are also encouraged to attend an engaging  forum sponsored by the Poverty Education and Action Team of First United Methodist Church.

The goals of the event are: 1. To raise awareness of challenges and opportunities of people struggling in poverty in our
community and 2.  Identify concrete action steps people of faith can do to “Bring Forth the Kingdom”. The forum features 5 local speakers with experience working with families caught in the devastating grip of poverty:
  • Ben Gray,Omaha City Councilman

 

  • Carolina Quezada,Executive Director,Latino Center of the Midlands

 

  • Aubrey Mancuso,Voices for Children in Nebraska

 

With two featured speakers,   Robert Bligh,   researcher and author about the impact of poverty on education and James Goddard, Attorney and Health Access and Economic Justice Program Dirctor for Nebraska Appleseed. The program is free, but registration by Monday, October 27th is requested by sending an email to this address:  [email protected]