SACRAMENTO AREA CONGREGATIONS TOGETHER

At the center of our model of congregation-based community organizing is a belief in the potential for transformation - of people, institutions, and our larger culture. This belief stems directly from ACT's roots in faith communities, and radiates throughout the organization, influencing the way ACT relates to public officials, to community members, and to one another.

Our vision is for a Sacramento made up of thriving neighborhoods in which residents can work, go to school, shop and have opportunities for recreation. Neighborhoods are connected to each other and the urban core through excellent and affordable public transit.

Sacramento ACT is committed to voter education and outreach, particularly among low-propensity voters. In 2019, we will be working to educate voters in Sacramento County on the new voting system which impacts all voters and register new voters to gear up for the 2020 election. We will also hold candidate forums to hear candidates' views on issues of concern to the community. We will help employ between 10-20 job seekers through our phone banking program. We will host various door to door volunteer canvassing in low-propensity voting areas.

We are collaborating with faith institutions, affordable housing providers, schools, and probation, to create a multi-faceted practice which engages youth and draws solutions from the varied perspectives of the stakeholders. Just as with adults, we work directly with youth who have been impacted by the criminal justice system, both those youth currently in detention and those who have been released, to develop an agenda for change.

In our immigration work we work to protect our immigrant neighbors, including the undocumented. In response to the new federal policies which threaten undocumented immigrants, we are working to distribute "Know Your Rights" information, to develop Sanctuary congregations that will offer shelter and protection to those under threat of deportation, and to stand with those who are threatened. We are working to end the Sheriff Department's contract with ICE which incentivizes incarcerating the undocumented. We also work on expanding health care coverage for undocumented residents.

Our education organizing is focusing on increasing the use of Restorative Justice practices in schools as well as expanding social emotional learning resources and training in the Sacramento City Unified School District.

In 2019 we will be working to address the housing crisis in Sacramento, researching and advocating for options to increase our stock of affordable housing.

Sacramento ACT’s members include over 56 congregations, schools and neighborhood groups, representing 60,000 families in Sacramento County.

In 2018 we accomplished the following:
Sheriff’s Contract with ICE ACT successfully advocates for the end of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s contract with ICE.

Healthy Partners ACT wins an expansion and lifting of the age cap of the Healthy Partners program granting access to healthcare to 1000 additional undocumented immigrants and allowing elders over 65 to enroll in the program.

Voter Outreach ACT reaches out to 21,000 Sacramento County voters in the primary season to educate them on the role of the DA and Sheriff in the criminal justice system.

Healing Circles ACT co-creates and offers community Healing Circles in response to the trauma of the killing of Stephon Clark and leads Healing Circles for youth in juvenile attention.

Priority Worker Program ACT wins a Priority Apprentice program and Community Workforce Training ordinance in the City of Sacramento

Rapid Response Network ACT continue to build the Rapid Response Network to support undocumented immigrants, provide information to the undocumented immigrant community, adding 150 more legal observers, distributing Know Your Rights information, and accompanying immigrants under threat of detention.

As we look forward to the next 5 years, we are committed to building power to ensure that these community priorities become our city and county and regional priorities. We are committed to equity in systems, policy, and resource allocation.

Understanding that people lead intersectional lives, each of our local organizing committees (LOC) looks at the ways that their issue areas intersect with the biggest challenges facing our region: homelessness and housing, mental health and health care, public safety, children and youth, immigration. This will inform how we choose to focus strategy and specific issue campaigns.

ACT recognizes our niche as bridge builders. We are committed to bringing people together to find solutions to the challenges that face us, and to encourage unlikely partners to work together with common purpose.

We will continue to work with congregations to bring the voices of the faith community into public discourse, to shape a moral vision and calls to action based on our shared faith values.

Recognizing that we do not touch every impacted community, we are committed to ensuring that community partners have a better understanding of how organizing can be a tool for structural change, and how we can work together for the change we seek. We will share our expertise in organizing as allies to community partners.

We continue our work in civic engagement, encouraging voter registration, educating voters on local and state issues, and working to Get Out the Vote.