- Ashley Mumm, Oregon Food Bank, 971.517.6208, amumm@oregonfoodbank.org
- Thomas Young, Sierra Club, 719-393-2354, thomas.young@sierraclub.org
- Kelly Hogan, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, 920.562.4076, khogan@emoregon.org
- Joel Iboa, Oregon Just Transition Alliance, 541-514-7270 joel@ojta.org
OREGON CITY, OR — With a congressional vote expected in the coming days, local community and faith leaders will join together on Thursday, November 18 at 10:00am outside of the office of U.S. Representative Kurt Schrader to urge passage of the Build Back Better Act. Schrader and several colleagues issued a joint statement promising support for the legislation no later than this week. This is our opportunity to get this legislation done, and we are counting on the 5th District congressman to not waver and keep his commitment. Constituents are formally calling on Schrader to “keep your word to help Oregon build back better.”
The Build Back Better Act represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address our region’s greatest challenges — from hunger and poverty to housing access and climate change. With one vote, Congress can ensure universal access to school meals, preschool, food assistance, and more, ensuring no family has to make the impossible choice between essential needs. Representing a wide range of impacted constituents, leaders are urging Schrader to deliver on his commitment to support the policies and investments our communities need to emerge stronger from the crises we face.
WHO:
- Joel Iboa, Oregon Just Transition Alliance
- Matt Newell-Ching (he/him), Oregon Food Bank
- Fatima Preciado, Causa Oregon
- Laura Stevens (she/her), Sierra Club
- Andrea Cano, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon
- Concerned community and faith leaders
WHAT: Community and faith leaders gather to call on U.S. Rep Schrader to keep his word and vote ‘yes’ to Build Back Better
WHEN: Thursday, November 18 at 10:00AM PST. Remarks from community leaders, followed by an opportunity for questions
WHERE: Outside the office of U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader. 621 High Street — Oregon City, OR 97045
“This vote will determine whether or not millions of people have a safe place to live, food on the table and breathable air — and there’s no time to waste,” said Joel Iboa, Executive Director of the Oregon Just Transition Alliance. “Our message to Representative Schrader is simple: ‘Keep your word to help Oregon build back better.’”
Concerned constituents are urged to call (503) 557-1324 or visit bit.ly/KeepYourWordOR to make their voices heard.
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.
About Oregon Food Bank
At Oregon Food Bank, we believe that food and health are basic human rights for all. We know that hunger is not just an individual experience; it is also a community-wide symptom of barriers to employment, education, housing and health care. That’s why we work on two fronts in our mission to end hunger in Oregon: we build community connections to help people access nutritious, affordable food today; and we build community power to eliminate the root causes of hunger for good. For more information, visit oregonfoodbank.org.
About Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon
Committed to mutual respect and understanding, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) brings together communities of faith to learn, serve, and advocate for justice, peace and the integrity of creation. Through a membership of 15 denominations and over 150 congregations, organizations, and interfaith partners, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) serves hundreds of thousands of diverse members of the faith community all across the state. For more information, visit https://emoregon.org.
About Causa
Causa works to improve the lives of Latinx immigrants and their families in Oregon through advocacy, coalition building, leadership development, and civic engagement. Latinx immigrants and their families are the heart of Causa and inspire, implement, and champion our work. For more information, visit https://causaoregon.org/
About Oregon Just Transition Alliance
The Oregon Just Transition Alliance (OJTA) is a movement of communities facing environmental racism, climate change, and economic exploitation – the frontlines of injustice and the frontlines of change. We bring together organizations committed to base-building in frontline communities. We gather to create ownership over our collective future and move Oregon toward an economy that is rooted in our shared values, the principles of a Just Transition. For more information, visit https://www.ojta.org/
About PCUN
PCUN’s mission is to empower farmworkers and working Latinx families in Oregon by building community, increasing Latinx representation in elections, and policy advocacy on both the national and state levels. PCUN is focused on building a stronger voice for all Latinx working families in Oregon, from farmworkers to young folks, so that we can collectively improve their well-being and increase prosperity for all. For more information, visit pcun.org.
About Oregon League of Conservation Voters
The Oregon League of Conservation Voters is a non-partisan organization with a simple mission: To pass laws that protect Oregon’s environmental legacy, elect pro-environment candidates to office, and hold all of our elected officials accountable. For more information, visit OLCV.org.