Our Team

Some of the representatives of the Faith Leaders Advisory Board at recent meeting.

Our team consists of the individuals seeking to advocate with a faith-based perspective who participate on the Task Force and Working Group level, Task Force and Working Group co-chairs, the Steering Committee, and the Faith Leaders Advisory Board.  We work in partnership with close to 50 faith organizations and several organizations that share our goals.

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee is made up of representatives from each task force and working group, the Faith Leaders Advisory Board and key partners. After studying and discussing an issue, the Task Forces recommend ACTION to the Steering Committee. It plans and coordinates how and when the Coalition acts includes taking a position for or against legislation, testifying before a local elected body or a committee of the California Legislature, meeting with elected officials or asking advocates on the email distribution list to call or write a policy maker. All advocacy is to address the root causes of poverty though policy change.

Task Forces and Working Group

The Multi-faith ACTION Coalition has three task forces: Housing & Shelter, Food Security and Health, and a Racial Justice working group that involves all Task Forces. The Task Forces represent five areas that have been identified as the five pillars of success that must be addressed if we are to eliminate or reduce poverty.  As the task forces evolved, and our understanding of the root causes of poverty grew, we saw that attention needed to be paid to the racial injustices that impact all barriers to self-sufficiency, so we established a working group that involves all of the Task Forces.

Faith Leaders Advisory Board

A forum for faith leaders within Contra Costa County to support the Multi-Faith ACTION Coalition by providing strategic input, direction, guidance, and engagement in action to address the root causes of poverty through advocacy.

Partners

Ensuring Opportunity to End Poverty in Contra Costa County, the #OneContraCosta Coalition, the CalFresh Partnership, numerous non-profit organizations and faith based organizations

Organizations

We are grateful to the members from these organizations that have participated in our efforts.

Antioch Christian Center Christ the King Church* Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church* Community Presbyterian Church of Pittsburg
Concord United Methodist Church Congregation B’nai Shalom Congregation Beth Chaim Congregation B’nai Tikvah
Danville Congregational Church First Presbyterian Church of Concord Grace Presbyterian Church Hillcrest Congregational Church*
Lafayette Christian Church* Lafayette Orinda Presbyterian Church Lafayette United Methodist Church Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church*
Orinda Community Church (UCC) Our Savior’s Lutheran Church Peace Lutheran Church Pittsburg United Methodist Church
San Ramon Valley Islamic Center San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church Shell Ridge Community Church St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church
St. Bonaventure Catholic Community St. Catherine of Siena Parish St. Ignatius of Antioch Church St. Isidore Catholic Church
St. John Vianney Catholic Church St. John’s Episcopal Church St. Michael’s Episcopal Church St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
St. Perpetua Catholic Community St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church Sufism Reoriented Temple Beth Hillel
Temple Isaiah* The Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County (ICCCC)* Unity of Walnut Creek* Walnut Creek Islamic Center
Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church Walnut Creek United Methodist Church* Ygnacio Valley Presbyterian Church

*Congregations and organizations that have members on the Multi-Faith ACTION Coalition Faith Leaders Advisory Board