The Jewish Voice & Herald
COMMUNITY www.jvhri.org
JANUARY 18, 2013
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ANNUAL vigil unites faith leaders in shared commitments to address poverty From Page 2 tions and ideas from the Coalition. Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts, who co-chaired the 2011 Food Stamp Challenge that was sponsored by the Coalition, also greeted the crowd. Thanking all the participants for bringing their advocacy to the Statehouse, she added, “All your voices and values are special.” Among the crowd were more than a dozen members of the General Assembly. Christelle Maisthe Innocent, a 16-year-old Cranston High School East student and a native of Haiti, described her life of poverty before settling in Rhode Island, where she lives with her aunt and uncle. During the last six years, she had moved back and forth to and from Haiti, living in several states, she said, before settling in Cranston in 2010. Lauding her aunt and uncle, she explained that they had encouraged her to join programs that could lead her to “get involved and make changes,” such as the Rhode Island Community & Justice’s Youth Action Council, whose mission is to fight prejudice and racism. Now the treasurer for the Youth Action Council, she runs workshops and committee meetings and works to get other youngsters involved in such activities. “Some people let poverty define who they are,” she said to the crowd, “and that’s why they give up on life. Everyone deserves a chance to dream and to work hard and make their
dom.” More than 25 members of the clergy – Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and others – participated in the reading.
PHIL EIL
A group of interfaith anti-poverty advocates march from the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church to the Statehouse on Jan. 2. dreams real.” She concluded with a quote from Nelson Mandela, who said, “Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice.” The Rev. Linda Watkins, associate minister at Calvary Baptist Church, gave the keynote address, in which she challenged Rhode Island and its leaders to help families and children who, she said, “are tumbling down Rhode Island’s fiscal cliff.” Our leaders, she said, “have forgotten why they were elected, which is to take care of all the people.” Fixing the fiscal health of the state is fine, but people need help today, she said. Referring to the yearlong series on Rhode Island’s economy, published in The Provi-
dence Journal, Rev. Watkins noted that conversations about reinventing Rhode Island have focused on how to attract businesses, create jobs and improve education over the long term, but there’s been too little conversation about the thousands of Rhode Islanders who need help today. She challenged all the legislators to ask themselves, “What will your legacy be? [Will it] be deeper poverty or recovery for all Rhode Islanders?” T he c eremony c onclude d with the reading of the names of Rhode Island’s elected leaders, including Governor Chafee and all members of the General Assembly, asking that they govern Rhode Island this year with “compassion and wis-
JONATHAN STANZLER, a member of the CRC and the editorial board of The Voice & Herald, is a lawyer in private practice: jonstanzler@gmail.com.