NorCalUrban

What I'm doing these days...

2008-07-11T17:13:00.000-07:00

Two words: GOLF TOURNAMENT at Poppy Ridge Golf Course in Livermore, CA. This is NCUD's biggest event for the year. We're only one week away, the tournament is next Friday, the 18th.

We're still looking for some golfers and sponsors. If you're interested, please let me know.

For more information you can check out our website: here.

This year we have some wonderful major sponsors including Community Trust Credit Union, Woodruff Sawyer, Paul Hastings LLP, DLA Piper LLP, Plant A Seed Foundation and Highway Community.

Our friends at Miner Family Vineyards in Napa Valley has really stepped up to the plate. They will be doing wine tasting on the course along with the wonderful wines from Spring Mountain Vineyards.

Please be sure to recognize and support our sponsors.

That said, my blogging will be somewhat limited until after next Friday.

My Politics - Some Newt Wisdom

2008-07-08T11:22:00.001-07:00

Those of you who know me or read this blog often will hopefully see my political stance - which I classify as a center to left leaning independent. I'm concerned about the poor and justice issues - but also value self determination and enterprise. Honestly - most of the time both parties frustrate me and confirm my aversion to party politics.

However, when someone speaks logically about a subject I have to take notice. While not a huge fan of his, I ran across this video on You Tube where Newt Gingrich lays out a three pronged approach to current energy crisis including releasing funds from the strategic petroleum reserve, drilling and using domestic oil and aggressively pursuing alternative fuel sources.

I like most folks hate paying almost $5.00 a gallon for gas - but in many ways we have caused our own problems by poor choices of automobiles, illogical environmental policies and a lack of aggressive alternative research (that arguably has been blocked by oil and auto companies).

However, we need to move forward logically while caring for the environment. As with most things - the extremes usually miss the point and the correct path requires some compromises - from all parties.

Check out Newt's thoughts. How would you respond?

Not been posting much

2008-06-30T16:13:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. I've been slow in posting. It's been a wacky - crazy month with travels and such. One short update: Melissa and I went to see Robert Plant / Alison Krauss at one of my favorite place, the Greek Theatre on the Berkeley campus. This was truly an amazing and inspiring show. Alison could be one of the best female singers I've ever seen live. And what can you say about Robert Plant? He did a couple of reworked Led Zeppelin songs that were nothing short of brilliant. The musical chemistry between Robert and Alison was obvious. Who would have ever thought the 'rock god' Robert Plant would be singing Gospel bluegrass songs about Jesus. Wonder if anyone will play those backwards?

Drummer Jay Bellerose was perhaps one of the most intriguing drummers I've seen in a long time. He's different and plays a strange looking vintage kit. He was the backbone of the whole event.

If you were at the show and took some other video PLEASE post it on YouTube!!!

As a side benefit T-Bone Burnett and Buddy Miller backed them. Buddy is one of my favorite guitarists. T-Bone is a producer extraordinaire. It was a wonderful show and a unforgettable evening. Here's a video from the event:

Here's a video of them singing "The Battle of Evermore" from another show. Although it's a different show - they sang this in Berkeley.

Finally - here's Alison singing, "Down in the River to Pray".

In Dallas

2008-06-11T21:40:00.000-07:00

Just arrived in Dallas. I'm here for the National Federation of Community Development Credit Union's annual conference. I arrived late, so I had to grab a bite to eat in the lounge before crashing. It's in the same hotel the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) conference was at a few years ago. We attended that conference with the Bayshore Christian Ministries staff. I still remember the BCM folks playing broom hockey at the rink nearby.

It's good to be here. "The Federation" provided us council and assistance as we organized the partnership that brought about Community Trust Credit Union of East Palo Alto. I hear Juan Hernandez will be here tomorrow. I hope to connect with him. Juan spoke at the CCDA conference a few years ago also.

I do a workshop tomorrow afternoon then jump on a late flight back. In the last six weeks I've been in NYC, LA (twice), Chicago and now Dallas. As much as I like to travel, I'm ready to be home for a spell.

I'll post an update soon. In the mean time check out Crissy Brooks' post on Jeremy Del Rio's website. Crissy is a great friend and colleague who leads MIKA Community Development Corporation in So Cal. I was honored to visit her and her staff when I was in LA last week. She has a great young team that are doing excellent work in the poor areas of Orange County (yes, there is poverty in 'the OC').

Samuel Liotti TV Interview about Obama's Nomination

2008-06-04T20:58:00.000-07:00

Check this out this link!

Samuel, his best friend Malik and other students at East Palo Alto Academy were interviewed on TV where they were asked about their views on Obama.

The students has some interesting and revealing comments. With all the politics, it may be easy for some to overlook the significance and importance of the first truly viable African-American candidate for president. Obama's nomination to especially many young people in our community speaks volumes about who they are and what they can become. This is an exciting and important time in our history.

Please join me in praying for both our candidates, but especially Obama. I've felt impressed that I should pray specifically for his safety during the next months.

Follow the link and check out the interview!

What about you? How significant do you feel is Obama's nomination?

Yes we can!

2008-06-03T10:53:00.001-07:00

Obama fan or not - this is a moving piece and shows off Obama's oratory skills. Whomever wins this November - this is a timeless message of hope and potential. For all my cynicism, I believe that in the middle of the mortgage meltdown, soaring gas prices and a seeminly endless war in Iraq and Afganistan, a message of hope and healing is important.

Thanks to Will I. Am from the Black Eyed Peas for this...

Q. What do you think? Is this the right message for today?

Self Sufficiency Standards in San Mateo County

2008-06-02T10:58:00.000-07:00

Some interesting information about self sufficiency in San Mateo county. Short story: a single mom with an infant and school age child needs to make $67,617.00 to live. That equals four minimum wage jobs. Check out the Insight website for more information.

Some other facts about basic costs in San Mateo County (not including rising gasoline prices which is further straining families):

Food costs have gone up 15%.
Health care costs have climbed significantly, up 30%.
Since 2003, the rise in costs resulted in an increase in the Self-Sufficiency Standard of $10,116 to $67,617 a year for a family consisting of one adult, a preschooler, and a school-age child.

Walk Off... Go Home... It's Over!

2008-05-28T21:35:00.000-07:00

Today was the last game for the mighty East Palo Alto Kubs, Sam's baseball team. They were playing for 2nd place in the league against Lodge, their rivals. The winner would have sole possession of 2nd place and receive a trophy (which each kid coveted greatly).

It was a tough game. Lodge came out hard and behind their great pitching remained in front through six innings. But behind the Kubs solid defence (led by their catcher, Sam) they kept the score close. Being the home team they had the last at bat.

In the bottom of the 6th (ending) inning, the Kubs were trailing by one run. The bottom of the order was batting. Jasmine, our rookie was up. For whatever reason Lodge pulled their pitcher and replaced him with a closer.

After going to a full count Jasmine walked and was replaced with a pinch runner, Jason. Next up was another rookie, Andre who also reached base on balls. The leadoff hitter, Samuel Liotti, was up. On the first pitch, Sam crushed an 'against the fence' 'walk off' double scoring Jason and Andre.

Sam walked off the field the hero, winning his team the second place trophy and the game ball for himself!

As a bonus, Sam was voted team MVP and made the league all star team as a catcher. It's been fun to watch him use his leadership skills to work with the pitchers and infield players. After reluctantly taking his place behind 'the dish' this year, he found a home following in Yogi Berra's, Jorge Posada's and Johnny's Bench's footsteps!

Yea, I'm a little proud of him, just a little;)

Empowerment and Mental Functions - Cognitive Disenhancement

2008-05-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting article from Economist.com.

As you know we've been mulling over Bob Lupton's "Betterment vs. Empowerment" concepts as we approach our mission to relieve poverty. Lupton suggests that empowerment is a dignity building activity where betterment (giving without accountability) can create dependence and reliance on the giver thereby robbing dignity. It's important to note the Lupton distinguishes between crisis (i.e. Katrina, the earthquake in China) needs and chronic needs that seem to always be present.

The Economist recently reported the following:

New drugs may help to enhance people's mental powers. But a study carried out by Pamela Smith, of Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands, and her colleagues suggests a less pharmacological approach can be taken, too. Their work, just published in Psychological Science, argues that simply putting someone into a weak social position impairs his cognitive function. Conversely, “empowering” him, in the dread jargon of sociology, sharpens up his mind.

Dr Smith focused on those cognitive processes that help people maintain and pursue their goals in difficult and distracting situations. She suspected that a lack of social power may reduce someone's ability to keep track of information and make plans to achieve his goals.

To explore this theory, she carried out three tests on memory, concentration and planning.

In the first, participants were divided at random into groups of superiors and subordinates. They were told that the superiors would direct and evaluate the subordinates and that this evaluation would determine the subordinates' payment for the experiment. Superiors were paid a fixed amount. The subordinates were then divided into two further groups: powerless and empowered. A sense of powerlessness was instilled, the researchers hoped, by having participants write for several minutes about a time when they were powerless or by asking them to unscramble sets of words including “obey”, “subordinate” and so on to form sentences. The empowered, by contrast, were asked to write about when they had been on top, or to form sentences including “authority”, “dominate” and similar words.

In all three tests Dr Smith found that low-power participants made 2-5% more errors than their high-power counterparts. She argues that these results were not caused by the low-power volunteers being less motivated, as they had the same financial incentive as the high-power volunteers to do well. Instead, she suspects that those lacking in power suffered adverse cognitive effects from that very lack, and thus had difficulty maintaining their focus on the tasks. (emphasis mine)

If what the data is suggesting is true, and if empowerment activities promote better self esteem, cognitive functions and well being, then should we engage in those activities over ones that create dependence and reliance?

In some cases it's simply easier to give and not look at longer-term engagement with those we're trying to serve. This is especially true in the high powered Silicon Valley where return on investment and a focus on the 'new and innovative idea' prevails. Or at times our actions are tainted by patronage, where we give because it makes us feel good, not thinking about the implications on the poor.

The welfare state created in the 1960's is a fine example of the failure of dignity robbing activities. We certainly are called to serve and love the 'least of these' - but, as Lupton would suggest our first task is to, "do no harm", whether long term or short.

I'm not at all suggesting we should limit or restrict our giving. On the contrary, as Ron Sider's book is aptly titled we are, "Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger" we should give more and more. As believers in Christ we have that Biblical mandate. I am however suggesting we think before we give, and do so in a way that is generous, life affirming and dignity building toward those we are serving.

Inflation Hits Wheel of Fortune

2008-05-22T09:13:00.001-07:00

Think gas prices are high? Check out this report from The Onion.

'Wheel Of Fortune' Contestants Hit Hard As Vowel Prices Skyrocket

LOS ANGELES—Contestants on the television game show Wheel Of Fortune have been hit especially hard at the podiums in recent months due to skyrocketing vowel prices, which reached a record $600 last week. "I remember a time when you could get an 'e' for $250," 46-year-old contestant Samantha Means said after a Wednesday taping. "But as Wheel contestants, we've become so dependent on vowels to solve puzzles that the producers can get away with jacking up prices because they know we'll pay them. We need a legitimate vowel alternative, but I don't think we're ready for that. I know I'm not." According to Wheel Of Fortune show runner Charlie Clark, vowel prices are not likely to come down anytime soon unless America improves its standing in the Middle East.

Short update - sitting in O'Hare...

2008-05-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been extremely busy - evidenced by my lack of blogging. As I write this I'm on the way home from the CCDA board meeting - of which I recently became a member. I got to O'Hare somewhat early and after a short nap on the floor - felt ready to post an update. (I'm sure I'm quite the sight as I snore away in a corner... )It's an honor to serve CCDA and Noel Castellanos - the new CEO. While I've enjoyed getting to know all the members, it's been a particular joy to spend time with Dr. Louis Carlo from (where else...) NYC. Dr. Carlo is a wonderful, fun, brilliant and warm man.

Last weekend we attended another amazing Urban Youth Workers Institute in Los Angeles. It was a special honor to have my son Samuel do a workshop with me. We spoke on " What Do You Do When The Community You Serve Doesn't Look Like You?" Sam did a great job. He had the chance to speak about his life and experiences growing up in East Palo Alto.

A couple of weeks ago Sam and I went to NYC for a few days. I'll shortly post some pictures and thoughts about the trip. Thanks for being patient with my inconsistent blogging - I'll shortly get back to form. Here's a rather poor picture of me that I just took - in case you forgot how beautiful I am!

I'll write more soon...

Update coming - but in the mean time... Redemption Song

2008-05-14T15:25:00.000-07:00

In NYC

2008-05-06T12:59:00.000-07:00

Samuel and I took off for a few days of fun and baseball in the Big Apple last sunday. Pictures and and update when we return later this week.

Go Yankees!

CCDA Institute Recap

2008-04-28T21:50:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend!

Last Friday and Saturday we were honored to co-host the Christian Community Development Association's (CCDA) Institute at our church (St. Samuel's). On Friday Noel Castellanos taught the class, "The Church's Role in Community Development" and on Saturday Bob Lupton taught on "Empowerment". Both classes seemed appropiate for what God is doing in East Palo Alto and the Bay Area.

We had an intimate group for both days which made the class interactive and fun. On Thursday night Melissa and I got to spend some time with Noel, and had a great dinner at Palace Barbaque in Sunnyvale. Noel is on a no-carb diet - and there is no better place to eat meat than Palace!

I had a major grant application due Friday, so I was in and out for Noel's class - but the couple of hours I spent there were rich. I was able to attend all of Bob's teaching on Saturday. This is my second time through this class - and it seems to get better each time. Bob has been a major influence on us as we've crafted the vision for NCUD.

One thing that particularly stuck me about Bob's words is his "Principles for Helpers". In his section on "lending is better than giving" he states:

Give once and you elicit appreciation;
Give twice and you create anticipation;
Give three times and you create expectation;
Give four times and it becomes entitlement;
Give five times and you establish dependency.
Lending, on the other hand, establishes a mutually beneficial relationship characterized by responsibility, accountability, and respect. It is legitimate exchange that requires the lender to be responsible for assessing the risk while leaving the dignity of the borrower intact. Lending, done well, builds mutual trust and respect.

Bob is advocating that we look at a different paradigm for urban mininstry - one that builds dignity and capacity and in the communites we serve, other than creating dependancy through simply giving goods and services away. Good stuff!

I encourage you to pick up Bob's book Compassion Justice and the Christian Life. It's an amazing book that's been challenging my thoughts about ministry to the poor.

Thanks to Noel, Bob and CCDA for an excellent two days of training.

CCDA Institute this Weekend!

2008-04-24T08:07:00.000-07:00

Join us for the the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) Institute this Friday and Saturday. You can read more here.

On Friday Noel Castellanos will be speaking on 'The Church's Role in Changing Communities" and on Saturday Bob Lupton will be speaking on "Empowerment".

Classes are from 9 to 4 each day and are located at St. Samuel at 1199 E. Bayshore Rd. in East Palo Alto.

Call our office at 650-328-1890 for more information.

Baseball - The Mighty Kubs - One East Palo Alto

2008-04-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

This year is Samuel's last year in little league. It seems like yesterday he began playing in the Junior Giants program in Jack Farrell Park in EPA. This year, after some coaxing from his head coach Bruce, I decided to be an assistant coach. The last time I coached was when Sam was in pitching machine league about three years ago. I've been pleasantly surprised how much fun this has been. The Ravenswood Kubs have a real shot at the league championship this year, after struggling over the last few years. They are a great group of kids.

Samuel has been on a tear in his hitting lately. He's batting lead off and for the last three games has been smoking the ball. Yesterday he batted three times, with a single, double and his first home run in little league. (In pitching machine league he once hit for the 'cycle'.) But this home run was no cheap shot - it cleared the center field fence in the deepest part of the yard. Thanks to Coach Bruce and others for searching for the ball. Samuel's the starting catcher this year and occasional first baseman. He'd love to pitch, but he hurt his arm in winter ball, so he's had to let that go for now.

Baseball has been fun this year. If you're in EPA on a Saturday, come by MLK park and catch a game. Of course, you must root for the Kubs!

I had to leave an excellent board retreat for One East Palo Alto to attend the game yesterday. I agreed to serve on the OEPA board earlier this year. The board is a group of passionate EPA residents who work tirelessly to serve the community. I'm honored to serve with them. While I hated to leave the retreat - I'm glad I got to coach the Kubs and see Sam swing for the fences!

Warm Weekend

2008-04-14T08:50:00.000-07:00

It was an unusually warm weekend around the Bay this weekend. When it would usually be 65 degrees, it was around 90 in EPA. As many Bay folks do - when it gets above 75 we all start whining and head to the beach. What a beautiful beach day! Being true city lovers, Sam Melissa and I went to Ocean Beach in San Francisco. Parts of it is beautiful black sand beach. The beach was packed, lots of folks, lots of sights. It's an odd day in San Fran when it's 80 degrees at the beach.

After the beach we drove down the coast to Half Moon Bay arriving at one of our favorite restaurants the Flying Fish Grill. If you're ever in the area, check them out. It's a bit of a 'hole in the wall' place - but it has great, cheap seafood. I had the chioppino (a San Francisco creation - it's a Italian Seafood soup in a tomato base) and Sam and Melissa had their amazing fish and chips. (I loved the chioppino, but it was a little heavy on the calamari this time). If you're going to the grill - note that they close early - 8:00 pm.

We even ran into some old friends there, Ben and Lucy Rodriguez. Kind of funny - since we introduced them to the place a number of years ago!

To Live and Fight in East Palo Alto

2008-04-13T22:53:00.001-07:00

Charisse Domingo's (from YUCA) photos, thoughts and work about the violence in 2007.

Dirty Red Sox Fan Tries to Jinx the Yankees

2008-04-13T21:47:00.000-07:00

The Redsox are foiled again! CNNSI Reports:

NEW YORK (AP) -A construction worker's bid to curse the Yankees by planting a Red Sox jersey in their new stadium was foiled Sunday when the team removed the offending shirt from its burial spot in the ballpark.

After locating the shirt in a service corridor behind what will be a restaurant in the new Yankee Stadium, construction workers jackhammered through the remaining concrete Sunday and pulled it out.

The team learned that a Sox-rooting construction worker had buried a shirt in the stadium from a report in the New York Post on Friday, team officials said.

Yankees President Randy Levine said the team at first considered leaving the shirt.

"The first thought was, you know, it's never a good thing to be buried in cement when you're in New York,'' Levine said. "But then we decided, 'Why reward somebody who had really bad motives and was trying to do a really bad thing?'''

The worker had buried a Boston jersey under a locker room in the new stadium, which will open next year across the street from the current ballpark, team officials said.

Levine said that area had been well supervised. "Obviously it was in a different location,'' he said.

On Saturday, construction workers who remembered the employee - Gino Castignoli - phoned in tips about the shirt's location.

"We had anonymous people come tell us where it was and we were able to find it,'' said Frank Gramarossa, a project executive with Turner Construction, the general contractor on the site.

It took about five hours of drilling Saturday to locate the shirt under 2 feet of concrete, he said.

On Sunday, Levine and Yankees Chief Operating Officer Lonn Trost watched as Gramarossa and foreman Rich Corrado finished the job and pulled the shirt from the rubble.

Now in shreds from the jackhammers, the shirt still bore "Red Sox'' on the front. It was a David Ortiz jersey, No. 34.

Trost said the Yankees had discussed possible criminal charges against Castignoli with the district attorney's office. "We will take appropriate action since fortunately we do know the name of the individual,'' he said.

A woman who answered the phone at Castignoli's home in the Bronx said he was not there.

A spokesman for Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson did not immediately return a telephone message Sunday.

Levine said the shirt would be cleaned up and sent to the Jimmy Fund, a charity affiliated with Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

"Hopefully the Jimmy Fund will auction it off and we'll take the act that was a very, very bad act and turn it into something beautiful,'' Levine said.

Just like the Red Sox! No matter how hard the Sox try (Steve, I'm looking at you) they will never have the class, the championships and the history of the Yankees! What class the Yankees have by donating the shirt back to a Boston area charity. That's why the Yanks are the best ever!

Rubber check fees and why you should move your accounts to a credit union

2008-04-08T08:48:00.001-07:00

CNN.com recently had a article on the fees in banking, credit card and cell phones. It showed how these fees are boosting profits and becoming a key part of profit margins for these companies. I would like to highlight the overdraft fee issue. The article states:

- In '07, consumers paid $63 billion in credit card fees, over - $38 billion in bank fees (overdraft and other fees)
- Credit unions often have lower fees than banks
- Being late with credit card bill can trigger fee of up to $35
- Credit card cash advance can carry 23 percent interest, plus fee

It began with a story about a pizza:

Terri Lovin and her husband, Harold, may have had the world's most expensive pizza ... at $117 a pie. No, it's not gourmet dining. A cashier charged the couple twice for the $22.50 pizza. That caused the Lovins, who live in Hawaii on a fixed income, to be overdrawn on their bank account by less than a dollar. And that resulted in multiple banking overdraft fees of $24 each.

And that's money the Lovins didn't have. So, the couple had to take out a payday loan to cover these fees.

"It was the most irritating, most expensive pizza I've had," says Terri. "I was in tears for days."

In many business transactions, such fees have become customary. And as the fees grow, so does consumer frustration.

"People are pissed," says Ira Rheingold of the nonprofit National Association of Consumer Advocates. "But they have no idea what to do. It's everywhere. It's become an everyday part of life."

Here's how it works: Most banks, when presented with overdraft items will pay the largest items first, then domino the whole account. An example would be if you have $100.00 in your account and write three checks: one for $5.00, one for $1.00 and one for $101.00. The bank would process the $101 item first, (most likely) pay and charge you an overdraft item fee. Then they would process the $5.00 check (producing the second overdraft fee) then the $1.00 check (third overdraft fee).

If, like some banks can be, your fees are $34.00 than the total fees would be $102.00.

Community Trust Credit Union (as do many) would process the smaller items first, the $1.00 and $5.00 items (which would clear without an issue). We would then process the $101.00 item (which would be charged an over draft fee). Our fee is currently $18.00. So, your small mistake would cost you $18.00, not $102.00.

(However, check with the CTCU agreements and staff to confirm. I'm speaking merely as a 'citizen' here and not as a employee of CTCU - since I'm not.)

One thing to also note: when you use your Visa or Mastercard debit card as a credit card, it's the same as writing a check. The above example would also apply to those types of transactions (where you don't actually write a check).

This sounds like a predatory practice to me! To me, this clearly articulates just one more reason why you should have your banking relationship at a member owned, non-profit, deposit insured credit union!

Why do banks do this? Because they made almost $40 billion last year on fees! The trend is for fees to continue to rise as banks try to recover their recent losses due to the sub prime market debacle.

ATM Availability
While I'm ranting about the subject of banking - let me say one thing about ATM availability since it seems to come up all the time. Most credit unions are part of the 'co-op network' meaning you can do your business at most credit union ATM machines without cost. This includes withdrawals and deposits. You can also do your banking at most 7-11 stores free of charge. Also - Community Trust has a relationship with Bank of the West - so we can use any of their ATM machines. This literally increases our ATM availability into the thousands of machines nationwide!

Q. So - when will you change your account to Community Trust or another credit union???

Even if you never bounce a check - wouldn't you rather be a part of an institution who's bottom line is the well being of it's members, other than making stock holders happy and fat?

Bay Area Gangs Headed to Central Valley

2008-04-02T11:44:00.000-07:00

TRACY (CBS 5) ― As families from Oakland, San Francisco and East Palo Alto migrate to places such as Tracy and Stockton, police in the Central Valley say they are bringing in more young people with problems to the area.

The gang graffiti that litters an otherwise well-kept city park in Tracy is a symbol of the growing pains now tormenting Central Valley communities. And police say the very children whose parents might have crossed the Altamont Pass to escape the streets of Oakland, San Francisco or East Palo Alto are driving the trouble.

For law enforcement agencies such as the Tracy Police Department, the crime fight becomes even more complex because gangs are commuting to and from the Bay Area to commit crimes.

See the video here.

Mustard Seed Faith

2008-04-01T08:56:00.000-07:00

Rudy at Urban Onramps recently posted this link. What an amazing article on the Pope's call to a faith filled response to the conflict with Islam. It calls us back to a faith filled response to our current challenge. This article resonated with my feelings about the church. I believe that in our country the Church has been all to connected to a political worldview. Our strength lies with our ability to be the subversive underground Kingdom that is governed by a different set of values. When the Church is the Church, separate from the State, we have authority and the world is forced to notice. The article states:

A self-described revolution in world affairs has begun in the heart of one man. He is the Italian journalist and author Magdi Cristiano Allam, whom Pope Benedict XVI baptized during the Easter Vigil at St Peter's. Allam's renunciation of Islam as a religion of violence and his embrace of Christianity denotes the point at which the so-called global "war on terror" becomes a divergence of two irreconcilable modes of life: the Western way of faith supported by reason, against the Muslim world of fatalism and submission.

Pope Benedict calls for a clear understanding of the conflict:

The West is not fighting individual criminals, as the left insists; it is not fighting a Soviet-style state, as the Iraqi disaster makes clear; nor is it fighting a political movement. It is fighting a religion, specifically a religion that arose in enraged reaction to the West. None of the political leaders of the West, and few of the West's opinion leaders, comprehends this. We are left with the anomaly that the only effective leader of the West is a man wholly averse to war, a pope who took his name from the Benedict who interceded for peace during World War I. Benedict XVI, alone among the leaders of the Christian world, challenges Islam as a religion, as he did in his September 2006 Regensburg address.

The article expounds on the Pope's thoughts:

One does not fight a religion with guns (at least not only with guns) but with love, although sometimes it is sadly necessary to love one's enemies only after they are dead. The Church has lacked both the will to evangelize Muslims as well as the missionaries to undertake the task. Benedict XVI, the former Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, has thought about the conversion of the Muslims for years, as I reported just before his election in 2005 (The crescent and the conclave, Asia Times Online, April 19, 2005). Where will the Pope find the sandals on the ground in this new religious war? From the ranks of the Muslims themselves, evidently. Magdi Allam is just one convert, but he has a big voice. If the Church fights for the safety of converts, they will emerge from the nooks and crannies of Muslim communities in Europe.

Read the article here.

Recent Press Release

2008-03-25T15:53:00.000-07:00

CUs NATIONWIDE COME TOGETHER TO OPEN CU BRANCH IN UNDERSERVED AREA OF EAST PALO ALTO
Branch Is First Credit Union in Area Currently Served By One Community Bank, Several Check-Cashing and Payday Lending Establishments

March 21, 2008

From coast to coast, several credit unions have banded together to help Community Trust Credit Union in Modesto, CA open up a branch in East Palo Alto.

The community of more than 40,000 residents, mostly low-income and Latino, is currently served by one small community bank as well as a number of check-cashing and payday lending establishments. Many banks left the 2.5-square-mile city in the 1980s. On March 15, Community Trust Credit Union of East Palo Alto held its grand opening celebration with more than 150 members, community and credit unions leaders, residents, and legislative officials in attendance.
Palo Alto, CA-based Stanford Federal Credit Union and Addison Avenue Federal Credit Union, and San Francisco-based Patelco Federal Credit Union joined up to serve as the mentor credit unions and underwriters of the branch, officially called Community Trust Credit Union of East Palo Alto. Each, along with the Northern California Urban Development (NCUD)—a non-profit organization that works on economic empowerment and community development in East Palo Alto—contributed a total of $120,000 in initial capital. And the three credit unions have pledged to contribute interest-free deposits of $100,000 for the next three years. Each also provided staff, resources, and worked to raise capital from other credit unions and affiliated organizations.

So far, 10 credit unions and credit union affiliates from throughout the country—including Bellco CU in Colorado, Bethpage CU in New York, NuUnion CU in Michigan, University FCU in Texas, and PSCU Financial Services, a St. Petersburg, Fl.-based credit union service organization that serves more than 1,100 financial institutions nationwide—have contributed $100,000 each in interest-free CDs. Contributing California credit unions include LBS FCU in Long Beach, Orange County’s CU in Santa Ana, KeyPointCU in Santa Clara, Meriwest CU in San Jose, and Star One CU in Sunnyvale.

“This is a unique collaboration of credit unions helping each other to try to bring services to an underserved community,” said Joe Duran, Community Trust Credit Union CEO.

“We couldn’t have opened up the branch without the support of both the community and these credit unions,” said Sandy Smith, Community Trust Credit Union vice president of branch development.
The need for more financial institutions in the East Palo Alto community led NCUD founder John Liotti to seek out Duran and his credit union three years ago for assistance. Community Trust Credit Union, a designed community development financial institution since 2002, has served its membership, which include low-income, Latino populations in the Central Valley. Liotti wanted to use Community Trust’s model to start a credit union in the city. But upon finding out that would take too long, it was decided to open a Community Trust CU branch instead.

Duran credits three people in particular for their assistance during the process: Stu Fisher, vice president of business development and retail sales for Addison Avenue FCU; Anita Macias, senior vice president of corporate planning and communications for Patelco FCU; and Keith Troup, vice president of branch operations for Stanford FCU.

“Addison Avenue believes in economic empowerment; we wanted to do something in this space that showed leadership in the community. The support we’ve given to the community of East Palo Alto is one of the many ways Addison Avenue goes the extra distance to demonstrate this,” Fisher said. He has been deeply involved in the development of the institution and served as its interim CEO for a time.
“It's a pleasure for Patelco to partner with these credit unions to help bring needed financial services to the residents of EPA, this venture is truly representative of the cooperative sprint of credit unions,” said Andy Hunter, Patelco Federal Credit Union president and CEO.

Stanford Federal Credit Union CEO John R. Davis said: “We know that many people are 'unbanked' and lack access to money for purchasing a home or car. People who live in a cash society cannot get credit and they often pay outrageous fees just to cash paychecks. This community needed a credit union that understands its needs, and that's what they got.”

Since the branch’s soft opening in December, Duran, Smith, and other CTCU staff have made the three-hour round-trip trek (double if there’s traffic) to East Palo Alto at least once a week. For the first month and a half, other employees traveled to the Bay Area city to provide training. The branch—currently opened four days a week—is staffed with two employees, both hired from the local area. It has now opened more than 150 accounts, mostly through word of mouth, according to Duran.

Gordon McDonald on Retooling the Church in the Starbuck's Model

2008-03-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

Here's a great quote from Gordon McDonald at the Leadership Journal website where he discusses some recent retooling the Starbuck's organization and how it relates to the way we 'do church'.

Gordon States:

I believe that the evangelical movement—in which I've invested my life—has been pretty much hijacked away from its original identity as Jesus-proclaimers and changed into a political movement. Ask any five people on the street what an evangelical is, and I bet four of them will offer a political (not a faith-based) answer. Remember: we are named by those who are not of us; we do not name ourselves.

He goes on to state:

Perhaps a door-closed session might provide an opportunity for us to ask ourselves if we are really caring about (and speaking into) the most important things that challenge our world and, close-in, our own society. I for one don't think so. Is it possible (to borrow a word-picture once ascribed to D.L. Moody) that we are too often haggling amongst ourselves about where to hang pictures while all around us the building we are in is burning.

Join the discussion here.

CU Grand Opening Recap - NCUD Update

2008-03-18T11:57:00.000-07:00

Dear NCUD Friends,

Recap of Grand Opening
Last Saturday we had a wonderful grand opening celebration. Many leaders, well wishers and friends from the East Palo Alto (EPA) and surrounding community attended. This included State Assemblyman Ira Ruskin, East Palo Alto Mayor Pat Foster, City Council members David Woods, Ruben Abrica and Pete Evans, members of the national, regional and local credit union community and church leaders from EPA and surrounding communities. We also had a special presentation of a flag that was flown over the Capitol in Washington D.C. from Congresswoman Anna Eshoo given to us by State Congressman Ira Ruskin.

This was a wonderful, joyous celebration where we culminated over 3/1/2 years of work, planning, praying and organizing. I know many of our friends were able to stop by, thank you for celebrating with us. I will shortly post pictures of the event on our website at www.norcaludc.org. I have also attached an article that was in the Palo Alto Daily News last Saturday.

Many of you have played a part in this project throughout. I wanted to say thank you. We're here because so many helped and believed in us along the way. East Palo Alto now has it's own credit union, and an alternative to hi-cost predatory lenders and check cashers. You've been a big part of that.

What is NCUD Doing Now?
NCUD is now turned it's focus on three main endeavors: supporting the credit union's activities in the community, youth (and eventually adult) financial literacy training and micro-finance lending.

Our youth programs, including our 'Economis' token economy program and our Basic Financial Literacy Training is currently working with 135 students weekly and having great results. We have begun the research and development process to identify and implement a micro loan program using best practices from around the country. This will be implemented with our partner organizations in the community in the upcoming months. More great news is certainly to come!

Getting Involved
Your continued support is critical right now as we build upon our success. If you'd like to make a donation, volunteer in our youth programs or simply hear more about our efforts please don't hesitate to contact me. Donation can be made through out web site or by mailing a check to the address below. All donations are tax deductible.

If you'd like to volunteer to teach a class, help with random tasks in the office or any number of activities, please contact me. A current needs and opportunity list is on our website.

Golf Tournament on July 18th
You can also support us by sponsoring or playing in our Third Annual Golf Classic on July 18th. More information is on our website at: www.norcaludc.org. This event benefits our youth financial literacy programs. We're looking for major sponsors ($1500.00 and above), hole sponsors ($300.00), raffle and auction items and willing golfers!

Again, thank you for your encouragement, support, prayers and good will over the past years. We expect great things for East Palo Alto and Northern California!