Focus Areas > Social Justice > Community Against Poverty       

           

CAP Coalition

Mission Statement of CAP

CAP Volunteer Fair

The Community Against Poverty (CAP) coalition was convened by the  Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) in early 2008 as an outgrowth of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs “There Shall Be No Needy Among You” initiative.

Mission Statement of CAP:

Community Against Poverty (CAP) is a broad-based coalition of St. Louis area interfaith and civic organizations coordinated by the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC). The problems of poverty run deep in our nation. Poverty impacts the ability of individuals and families to live their lives with dignity. Poverty impacts the ability of individuals to obtain quality education for their children; to meet basic needs for food, clothing and shelter; to find living wage jobs; to live in a safe and healthy environment; and to access quality, affordable healthcare.

CAP is dedicated to combating poverty through education, advocacy and service.

Currently, the following organizations are members of the CAP Coalition, in addition to the JCRC:

Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of St. Louis
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Missouri
International Institute
Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis
Jewish Family & Children’s Service
Lutheran Family & Children’s Service
Missouri Association for Social Welfare|
National Council of Jewish Women-St. Louis Section
Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy
Ready Readers
St. Louis Clergy Coalition
Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice

CAP VOLUNTEER FAIR

About 200 people turned out for the Fourth Annual Community Against Poverty (CAP) Volunteer Fair on Sunday September 18. Those attending visited with 33 agencies that help people living in poverty and signed up to volunteer.

The program began with a keynote address from Bridget Flood, Executive Director of the Incarnate Word Foundation. “Small things make a difference,” Flood said. “ If you heal a broken world, you can change society in the process. This is the most satisfying part of volunteering.”

The CAP Coalition, convened and coordinated by the JCRC, works to reduce poverty through education, service and advocacy. Co-sponsors of this year’s Volunteer Fair included Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Missouri, International Institute, Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis, jewishinstlouis.org, Jewish Family & Children’s Service, Missouri Association for Social Welfare, National Council of Jewish Women-St. Louis Section, St. Louis Metropolitan Clergy Coalition and Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice.

Contact Information for Agencies Attending the 2011 CAP Volunteer Fair - See pictures below from this year's event:

              
2011 CAP Fair Co-Chair Martha Scharff with                   Martha Scharff with Rev. Noella Buchanan and keynote speaker Bridget Flood of Incarnate                  Earl Strauther, Jr. of St. James AME Church.
Word Foundation                                                       Rev. Buchanan welcomed the audience on                                                                                behalf of co-sponsor Metropolitan St. Louis
                                                                               Clergy Coalition

         
Members of Forest Park Community College          Potential volunteers learn more about Casa de
Student Government talk with Jeremy Leib of         Salud, which provides medical care to those who
of Big Brothers and Sisters of Eastern Missouri        are uninsured or underinsured  

 

For information about  CAP, contact Gail Wechsler at 314-442-3894 or gwechsler@jcrcstl.org