Nov

24

In The News – November 2010

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ALCOHOL | ADDICTION

BUDGET

CHILDREN

CHURCH/STATE

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

EDUCATION

ENVIRONMENT

GAMBLING

HEALTH

HUNGER & POVERTY

IMMIGRATION

PAYDAY LENDING

Nov

24

ISAAC Updates – November 2010

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IMMIGRATION IN TEXAS BY THE NUMBERS
The ISAAC Project’s mission includes an education component.  Texas Baptists must have facts about immigration, both documented and undocumented, in their possession. In this issue we offer important data on immigration in the State of Texas. The Migration Policy Institute has recently released a report on Texas Social & Demographic Characteristics (2010).  Although the data reported here is from 2008, the report is the most recent study.

Here are some of the highlights:

  • About 16% of the total population in Texas is foreign-born (3.87 million), compared to 13.9% in 2000.  At the national level, the foreign-born population represented 12.5% of the total population.  Around 1 in 3 are undocumented immigrants.
  • The top three countries of birth of the foreign-born in Texas are Mexico (61.6%), El Salvador (4.2%) and Vietnam (3.7%).  At the national level, the top three countries of birth in 2008 were Mexico (30.1%), the Philippines (4.4%) and India (4.3%).
  • 52.3% of the immigrant population is male and 47.7% female, compared to 50.1% male and 49.9% female at the national level.
  • Almost 1 in 3 immigrants are naturalized U.S. citizens (31.4%).  Naturalized citizens make up 7.4% of those eligible to vote in Texas.
  • Almost 1 in 3 children in Texas belong to immigrant families (32.8%).  Of all children with immigrant parents in Texas, 85.6% were U.S. citizens by birth.
  • 45% of all children in low-income families are children of immigrants (1,322,109 residing in families with income below 200% of the federal poverty threshold in Texas).
  • According to data from the Pew Hispanic Center in 2009, the most popular boy’s name for Texas-born babies, for ten years running, is José.

Here are some data regarding unauthorized immigration:

  • About 50% of all undocumented immigrants live in 4 states:  California, Texas, New York and Florida.
  • Approximately 1.45 million undocumented immigrants currently reside in Texas.
  • About 1 in 10 students in K through 12th grade have parents who are undocumented immigrants.
  • Almost 1 in 10 workers in Texas are undocumented immigrants.
  • Undocumented immigrants work primarily in jobs that are low-skilled, physically demanding and low-paying, such as farming, building, groundskeeping and maintenance, construction, food preparation and serving, production, transportation and material moving.

A 2006 study by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts yielded the following data on the economic impact of undocumented immigrants in Texas: The absence of an estimated 1.45 million undocumented immigrants in 2005 would have represented a loss to the Texas economy along the lines of…

  • 17.7 Billion in Gross State Product (productive economic activity in Texas)
  • 424.l7 Million in Net State Revenue ($1.15 Billion in costs, $1.58 Billion in state taxes)

According to a document titled Immigration Trends in Texas, published by Valley Interfaith in Weslaco, Texas, the findings of the Texas Comptroller Office “are consistent with economic studies indicating that undocumented immigrants bring a net benefit to the national economy and budget.  There is widespread recognition that states generally bear the brunt of immigration costs without the full benefit of immigrant revenue.  Texas, however, is an exception; its budget relies mostly on sales and property taxes –mostly inescapable by state residents”.

Our hope and prayer is that spreading these facts will help Texas Baptists separate truth from myth in regards to immigration issues.  This will enable us to minister more efficiently to the immigrants in our midst.

Nov

24

Good News Goods – November 2010

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Americans love the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays because of all the excitement and cheer they bring, the gathering of family and friends, the gifts we get to give and receive, the traditions we keep, the special memories we make, and of course, the FOOD we eat.   While most of us this year will sit comfortably in warm homes surrounded by family, dear friends, and a feast of food, many people will go hungry around the world, in the United States, and yes, even in our beloved state of Texas (which is the #1 state in terms of food-insecurity for children).

That is why the Christian Life Commission is working so diligently through its World Hunger Offering, The Texas Hunger Initiative, Bike Out Hunger, Good News Goods (affiliate of World Hunger Offering), and many other ministries in order to make sure people are being fed—physically, emotional, and spiritually.

So this year during the holiday season, as we sit down with our family and friends, may we remember the blessing of food that fills us, nourishes us, and reminds us to not only pray for those who are hungry, thirsty, broken, and poor, but also to love the “least of these” (Matt 25:31-46) in “deed and truth”
(1 John 3:17-18).

One easy way to do this is through the new Good News Goods program called Hungry for Change, which is designed to give you a simple way to redirect your normal spending dollars to fairly traded food products on a monthly basis.  This way, you receive delicious, high quality food items while also engaging in the redemptive practice of buying and eating food grown by people who are treated with dignity and paid a fair wage, so that they too may have food on their table, provide for their family, send their children to school, invest into their community’s development, and experience the love of God in a holistic manner.

SIGN UP to get involved in Hungry for Change and change the world with every bite!

Interested in hosting a Fair Trade market at your church, school, or organization?  Contact Us

Nov

24

Public Policy Update – November 2010

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Texas Faith for Fair Lending

The Christian Life Commission, alongside Texas Impact and the Texas Catholic Conference, has established a faith-based coalition to fight predatory lending practices in Texas. The coalition is unique in that it is a grassroots effort by people of faith to change these horrible practices in our state.

Currently, almost all payday and auto title lenders operate in a loophole in state law that sets no limits on the rates and fees they can charge Texans on small dollar, short term loans. It is common for the rates and fees charged to be the equivalent of 500% APR.  These high cost loans are hurting Texas families. They are immoral, unethical and in direct contradiction of the religious values that most Texans hold.

Individuals, congregations, and other groups of faithful Texans are joining together as Texas Faith for Fair Lending to urge the State Legislature to close this loophole. We demand these lenders operate within the Texas Finance Code and stop taking advantage of our neighbors.

For more information, please visit the Texas Faith for Fair Lending website at http://www.texasfaithforfairlending.org.

To sign the petition supporting fair lending laws in Texas, please visit the Take Action portion of the webiste.

Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force

On November 17, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, along with local law enforcement agency representatives, prosecuting attorneys and non-profit organizations, met to discuss human trafficking prevention in Texas, including efforts during the 2011 Super Bowl to be held in Arlington.

This Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force was formed as a part of a legislatively mandated study of human trafficking in Texas. The study also resulted in a report from the Office of the Attorney General which included 21 recommendations intended to reduce human trafficking and improve services for victims.

Christian Life Commission Director Suzii Paynter serves on the legislative study group for the Human Trafficking Task Force, and brought her expertise to Arlington for the November 17 meeting. The Christian Life Commission actively supports legislation that will protect and care for human trafficking victims, as well as legislation that will support law enforcement in pursuit of those who trade in and profit from human trafficking. It is estimated that between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked in the United States each year. One in five of those victims are trafficked through Texas on the I-10 corridor. The Christian Life Commission is dedicated to educating the public about this tragic issue through its fair trade initiative Good News Goods, and by working with other groups to develop the necessary laws that help end trafficking in Texas.

Texas Faces Major Budget Deficit in 2011 Session

As Texas heads into the 2011 legislative session, it faces an incredibly large budget deficit, ranging anywhere from $18-25 billion. The true number will be revealed when the state Comptroller’s office issues their report in January. This is significant because Texas must have a balanced budget for each biennium, meaning state spending must be balanced with state revenue intake. State legislators are calling for necessary cuts to be made from all state agencies to help create this balance. Unfortunately, many agencies help those in need, including CHIP and Medicaid services. Public education was thought to be immune from cuts, but many legislators and stakeholders estimate that is no longer the case.

While some legislators call for a cuts-only approach to off-set this budget deficit, others support raising revenue in addition to cutting agency budgets as needed. The Christian Life Commission supports a balanced approach to balancing the budget, including legislation that will help raise revenue from sources that will grow along with the growth in need for public services. There will be pressure to raise revenue through gambling, which the Christian Life Commission will vehemently oppose, as it has in years past.

If you would like to read more on the budget deficit the state currently faces, check out the following news stories:
KXAN News
Texas Colleges and Universities Bracing for Deep Budget Cuts
County Hospital: Anticipated State Cuts Don’t Bode Well

President Obama’s executive order reforms the faith-based office

From the Baptist Joint Committee: President Barack Obama issued an executive order Wednesday implementing many of the recommendations of a diverse advisory council designed, in part, to advise and reform the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

The executive order amends one issued by President George W. Bush in 2002 and clarifies some of the rules governing partnerships between the government and faith-based and community-based social service groups.

Among the changes are provisions that ensure compliance with constitutional standards prohibiting government-funded religion and protect the beneficiaries of federally funded social services. Specifically, organizations are forbidden from engaging in “explicitly religious” activities in the course of a program that receives direct federal financial assistance.

The amended order also directs agencies that award government aid to establish procedures to ensure that beneficiaries can receive benefits from an alternative provider if the beneficiary objects to the religious character of the organization. Each participating organization is responsible for responding to objections and providing referrals to other programs, as well as timely notice of these options for program beneficiaries.  This provision replaces and expands upon a weaker provision that was often criticized as blurring constitutional boundaries.

The executive order maintains protection of the character of faith-based organizations, allowing them to compete and participate in federal funding programs without varying their autonomy, expression or religious character. In addition, the organizations will not be forced to remove or cover religious symbols or icons, as long as they do not use direct government funds to implement an explicitly religious program.

In February, a task force of religious and secular leaders charged with reforming the White House faith-based office, including BJC Executive Director J. Brent Walker and chaired by former BJC General Council Melissa Rogers, presented 12 recommendations to President Obama’s 25-member Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The recommendations were made to strengthen the constitutional and legal footing of public-private partnerships. The recommendations ask the administration to clarify the prohibited uses of direct financial assistance, provide guidance on the protection of religious identity while providing social services and assure the religious liberty rights of clients and beneficiaries of federal social service funds.

Overall, Walker was pleased with the executive order, as well as the deliberations of the task force and advisory council that led to it.

Nov

24

Substance Abuse – November 2010

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An interesting article came out this past week …One in Four High School Students and Young Adults Report Binge Drinking.

Sixty percent of high school students who drink, binge drink. When high school students are combined with adults between the ages of 18 and 34, more than one in four engaged in binge drinking during the past month, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Binge drinking is defined as having four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men over a short period of time, usually a couple of hours. The report states that levels of binge drinking have not declined during the past 15 years.
CDC scientists analyzed data on self-reports of binge drinking within the past 30 days for about 412,000 U.S. adults aged 18 years and older from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and for approximately 16,000 U.S. high school students from the 2009 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

We need to continue our efforts to change the way young people and college students view alcohol and encourage changes in behavior that are reflective of their faith.

WHAT is Binge Drinking

Binge drinking is a common pattern of excessive alcohol use in the United States. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above. This typically happens when men consume 5 or more drinks, and when women consume 4 or more drinks, in about 2 hours.

Most people who binge drink are not alcohol dependent.

According to national surveys…

  • Approximately 92% of U.S. adults who drink excessively report binge drinking in the past 30 days.
  • Although college students commonly binge drink, 70% of binge drinking episodes involve adults age 26 years and older.
  • The prevalence of binge drinking among men is higher than the prevalence among women.
  • Binge drinkers are 14 times more likely to report alcohol-impaired driving than non-binge drinkers.
  • About 90% of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 in the United States is in the form of binge drinks.
  • About 75% of the alcohol consumed by adults in the United States is in the form of binge drinks.
  • The proportion of current drinkers that binge is highest in the 18- to 20-year-old group (51%).

Binge drinking is associated with many health problems, including—

  • Unintentional injuries (e.g., car crashes, falls, burns, drowning).
  • Intentional injuries (e.g., firearm injuries, sexual assault, domestic violence).
  • Alcohol poisoning.
  • Sexually transmitted diseases.
  • Unintended pregnancy.
  • Children born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.
  • High blood pressure, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases.
  • Liver disease.
  • Neurological damage.
  • Sexual dysfunction.
  • Poor control of diabetes.

Evidence-based interventions to prevent binge drinking and related harms include

  • Increasing alcoholic beverage costs and excise taxes.
  • Limiting the number of retail alcohol outlets that sell alcoholic beverages in a given area.
  • Consistent enforcement of laws against underage drinking and alcohol-impaired driving.
  • Screening and counseling for alcohol misuse.

Check out the Addiction Ministry Education Network page on Facebook.
Become a fan and you will receive updates about events and links to important news articles.
CLC Substance Abuse Ministry Podcasts
Pathways to Prevention:  A Substance Abuse Resource
www.hazelden.org

We value your input and suggestions.
Your comments and recommended resources are welcome in the comments box below.

Nov

24

A Word From Suzii – November 2010

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On Nov 15th, Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon , released the Economic Research Report on Household Food Security. The report Food Security in the United States 2009 (pdf) found that 17.4 million households in America had difficulty providing enough food due to a lack of resources, about the same as in 2008. The report supports the conclusion that that federal nutrition assistance food programs are providing a valuable safety net to the most vulnerable Americans. These programs are designed to respond rapidly and automatically to emerging needs in times of economic change and will expand and contract with the economy. We anticipate that food security will improve as the economy improves but in the near-term, without these benefits, many families would face far more severe problems getting the nutritious food they need.

Texas grew hungrier and according to the report showed an increase in food insecurity.  Of Texas households, 17.4 percent of Texas were at risk of hunger between 2007and 2009, up 1.1 percent from the prior three-year period. Nationally, 14.7% of households were deemed “food insecure” in 2009 – essentially unchanged from 2008 and the highest number on record. Food insecurity was more common in large cities and rural areas, and rates were substantially higher than the national average among households with incomes near or below the Federal poverty line, households with children headed by single parents, and African-American and Hispanic households.

Unsatisfied with Texas ranking, Texas Baptists and other leaders were in Washington to discuss efforts to improve food security. Jeremy Everett, Director of the Texas Hunger Initiative, Baylor University School of Social Work ,and Suzii Paynter, Director of Advocacy and Care for Texas Baptists met with Undersecretary Concannon and USDA officials to report on the major elements of a statewide effort to address hunger.

“The reported numbers of food insecure families is a wake-up call for Texas,” said JC Dwyer, State Policy Director for the Texas Food Bank Network. A partnership of state leaders, including Texas Baptists, are awake; they are not sitting on the sidelines

Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Todd Staples, is challenging Texas Mayors to end hunger in their cities and is resourcing healthier meals for kids and local programs like Texans Feeding Texans.
The Texas Food Bank Network, one of the strongest in the US,  is sharing best practices and taking on new outreach efforts to enroll  eligible Texans for SNAP ( Supplemental Nutrition).

Led by regional USDA officials, Texas state agencies that administer more than 15 food programs now collaborate in a State Operations Team, for problem solving and efficiency.

Baylor School of Social Work’s Texas Hunger Initiative is helping communities, counties and councils of governments identify and change the profile of the hungry, whether in urban or rural settings.

Hundreds of Texas Baptist congregations are feeding their neighbors and generously serving up summer meals to hungry kids, including thousands of meals provided through Angel Food at the BGCT Annual Meeting in McAllen.

The Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission is a convener of the Texas Food Policy Roundtable working on improving policies for access and effectiveness of feeding programs and healthy food in Texas.

Public private partnerships, like the recent cooperation of Pepsico with Central Dallas Ministries, are multiplying capacity to provide thousands, not hundreds, of meals.

Outstanding community leaders like Carol Heibert, Southland Baptist Church in San Angelo , led her city to increase feeding from 1000 to 28,000 in summer 2010.

Leaders in Washington and Texas agree that if communities and congregations promote awareness of hunger, commit to concrete solutions, and measure the progress then the face of hunger in Texas will change.

Nov

24

Ethics In Action – November 2010

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COME TO THE TABLE …and meet Charlie and Jo Ann Whiteside.

What motivates a successful businessman, in his golden years, preparing for retirement and the good life, to care so much about hungry people he will never meet?

Charles Whiteside…Charlie to friends and family…graduated from Texas A&M with great curiosity.  Ever the scientist, he aspired to have his own business someday but knew there were steps he must first take to get there.  After marrying his sweetheart, Jo Ann Youngblood, and bringing her back to Texas to teach Chemistry at Kilgore College, he began testing feed and forage in a make-shift building in his back yard on nights and weekends.

Ana-Lab, Charlie’s environmental testing laboratory, was born.  Gradually, the demand to test water, soil, waste, and even air grew to the point that Charlie built a thriving business, now 45 years strong, where samples arrive from all over the world to be tested because of Ana-Lab’s impeccable reputation for quality.

About ten years ago while serving on the BGCT Executive Board, Charlie picked up a copy of the Baptist Standard to read the front-page article about the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger and its $700,000 budget for that year.
“At first”, Charlie thought, “that sounded like a lot of money…until I did the math. When I divided that number by the number of Texas Baptists, it figured to be about .30 per Baptist.  Pretty pitiful!”

“I had heard somewhere that 40,000 children were starving to death every day in places all over the world, and I thought ‘surely Baptists can feed hungry children a lot cheaper than the government can’!  We need to do more for hungry kids!”

Then and there, Charlie became an outspoken advocate for hungry children…talking about the subject wherever he went.  He formed a group called “Hunger Hounds”…with the tag line, “Dogging the Demons of Dietary Deprivation”!  He made it clear that the recipient of his donations and hard work would be the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger because “they tell me where my money is going”.

“I was the first of what is now a growing grassroots group of Texas Baptists, hunger advocates they’re called, who are raising awareness about hunger in their area of Texas as well as around the world.  The Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger is feeding many people but also helping them learn to feed themselves.  As a result, many are coming to know Christ and learning of His love for them.”

“God has blessed me and my business.  I began several years ago selling portions of it, allocating certain amounts of the sale to World Hunger.”

Jo Ann has been in total agreement with Charlie’s decision to entrust the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger with generous portions of their hard-earned resources.  “We know it is going where the Christian Life Commission says it is going,” she has said.

Charlie has taken his message all around East Texas…the message that if East Texas Baptist churches will raise at least $4,000 for the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger, he will match it dollar for dollar with no cap.  He is saying that he wants the money he gives to work harder, to be an encouragement for others to experience the blessings he has received by giving in abundance.

“Empty stomachs have no ears to hear, “Charlie has said many times.  “We must feed them first, then we have the opportunity to tell them about Jesus.”

Texas Baptist World Hunger Offering
Donate now!

Nov

24

Living the Christian Life – November 2010

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Hunger Offering branches out in Latin America

A group of Texas Baptists met Belter in the open, upstairs room of a community center in Guatemala.  He smiled brightly, his eyes sparkled, and he spoke clearly to the group of gathered Americans. Something, however, did not seem right. He had the look of a 12-year-old boy, but his words conveyed more maturity.

“I want to make something of myself,” Belter said.

It turned out, he was 16 years old. His body, now well nourished, was trying to catch up to his age. But it wasn’t just his body, it was his mind, as well. Belter’s parents had not been able to provide for his education, and the 16-year-old had just completed the second grade. He was obviously bright and in

quisitive, and the world of possibilities was finally opening before him.
Belter is one of many children and youth benefiting from one of Buckner International’s Community Transformation Centers in Guatemala, and the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger is helping expand the model to the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean.

The CTC model that Buckner has developed is built with local leadership and alliances. The CTCs connect people in poverty with a wide array of services, such as childhood education, nutritious meals, drug and alcohol education, medical and dental care, Bible classes, and whatever else is needed. Each CTC has a trained case worker to help determine community, family and individual needs, but the CTC does not try to provide all needed services. It connects people with already available services and fills in with other services as needed. Therefore, each CTC may look a little different though built on a consistent model.

Now Buckner is expanding to the Dominican Republic, and the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger is a major financial supporter of this new effort.

The house that is being converted to a CTC in the Pedro Brand community near Santo Domingo sits on high ground in the midst of the neighborhood. The building literally sits where the street pavement comes to an end. A rock road leads further downward.

“It gets tougher down the hill,” said Buckner’s Russ Dilday.

The location of the CTC was chosen because of the lack of services and education, as well as difficult living conditions, which include contaminated “dark waters” in the low areas. It is common in the area for girls to go off with boyfriends at age 13, become pregnant and then be left alone to fend for themselves and their newborn. There is little education because the poor cannot afford the books and are unable to get to the schools. And the lack of education eventually makes it impossible for them to get jobs in the nearby city.

The CTC, led by the local case worker, will help change this by bringing a social services model to bear on the situation. But it is not alone. There is a church nearby that is intent on reaching the community, and the church has a school packed with eager children. The CLC is part of a broader community and Christian effort.

The Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger is working with another Texas partner in the Dominican Republic, as well – South Texas Children’s Home Ministries. STCHM has been working in the DR for several years, coming alongside a church to support its far flung ministries across the country. Hunger Offering leaders became aware of this vital ministry, and the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission chose to support this ministry, which involves a number of Texas Baptist churches.

”The hunger needs are great throughout the world, and the Hunger Offering cannot meet all of them,” said Ferrell Foster, offering coordinator. “But what we can do is partner with Baptist entities that are committed to meeting both the physical and spiritual needs of hurting people.”

The Hunger Offering “enables Texas Baptists to focus their resources on specific, well-directed efforts that both feed hungry people and help them to develop means of climbing out of poverty,” Foster said. “And all of this is done in a context of Christ’s love for people as expressed through His church.

“Jesus is at the heart of all we do through the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger. It’s His love working through us as we give; it’s His example that leads us to serve; and it’s His Spirit that is empowering this work throughout Texas and the world.”