[Excerpts]
Hundreds of Valley residents gathered in Phoenix Thursday night, calling on political candidates and public figures to take concrete action on issues affecting Arizona families ahead of the November midterm elections.
The nonpartisan gathering, organized by Valley Interfaith Project (VIP), brought together faith leaders, community members and political candidates at Saint Francis Xavier's Anderson Hall in Phoenix.
The goal was to move beyond campaign promises and secure public commitments on issues ranging from housing affordability and healthcare access to immigration enforcement, neighborhood safety and economic opportunity.
Pastor Anna Rieke of Christ the Lord Lutheran Church in Carefree says VIP is hearing growing concerns about public safety and economic stability in communities across Maricopa County.
"The hot ones right now are around neighborhood safety, like things like shootings in neighborhoods around the 27th and 19th Avenue corridors," Pastor Rieke said. "Economic investment, so opportunities for people to make a wage and support their families."...
Healthcare access was another major issue raised during the gathering.
"I'm a medical social worker, and I deal with people who don't have access to healthcare or have lost it through cancer or other illnesses," Marie Fowler, a Tempe resident and VIP volunteer, said….
Organizers say they have built a constituency of approximately 3,000 voters united around what VIP calls its Human Development Agenda, rather than a particular political party or candidate…
Community leaders asked candidates and public officials to make public commitments to addressing the issues raised by residents…
Members say those continued conversations are central to their strategy of building relationships with elected officials that extend beyond a single election cycle.
"Because our work is not just about one election. We want a sustained relationship to make lasting change on issues," Rieke said. "So we want to show a kind of politics that listens, that shows respect, that is honest about the things affecting our families."
Hundreds of Valley residents press political candidates for action ahead of midterm elections, ABC15 Arizona [video] [pdf]
This Arizona Pastor Wants us to Love our Neighbors Again, The Copper Courier [video]
This Arizona Pastor Keeps Hearing the Same Concern, The Copper Courier [video]