1. Weathering the Economic Storm

2. Scripture Systemic response to crisis Nehemiah 4:13-14....After I looked these things over, I stood up and said…”Do not be afraid of them. Remember the LORD, who is great and awesome, and fight for your kin, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your homes.” Exodus 14:13-14 But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the LORD will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.” Genesis 41:25-45 Let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and lay up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and them keep it. That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine…so that the land may not perish through the famine. [INSERT]

3. 2008… JOBS: 2.6 million jobs lost (worst since 1945) 1 HOUSING: 2.3 million foreclosures 2 HEALTH CARE: 5.9 million people estimated to have lost employer coverage 3 Sources 1 Bureau of Labor Statistics www.bls.govwww.bls.gov 2 RealtyTrac Inc. 3 John Holahan & A. Bowen Garrett, Rising Unemployment, Medicaid and the Uninsured, The Urban Institute, Jan. 2009

4. [Insert LOCAL and or State data] [Unemployment] [Foreclosures] [Uninsured]

5. Jobs, housing and health care are interconnected

6. The trends if we don’t take action to make the economy work for families….

7. Unemployment is expected to increase in 2009

8. Projected number of foreclosures over the next four years with or without action to stop preventable foreclosures Source: Credit Suisse, Foreclosure Update: over 8 million foreclosures expected, December 4, 2008 3.9 million preventable foreclosures!

9. The impact of foreclosures is nationwide but concentrated

10. If unemployment reaches 10% 13.2 million people could lose their Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance (ESI) ‏ Source: John Holahan & A. Bowen Garrett, Rising Unemployment, Medicaid and the Uninsured, The Urban Institute, Jan. 2009

11. How is the economic crisis impacting you and your family? What are you hearing from your friends, neighbors and others in your congregation?

12. Where can people go for help in our community? What resources are available?

13. What can we do together?

14. Breaking the cycle! Irresponsible Lending (one of many factors…)‏

15. Why breaking the cycle is harder now

16. Cities cut their budgets in recessions States cut their budgets in recessions Only the Feds can spend to stimulate the economy

17. Some of the things in the proposed economic stimulus bill… Community Development Block Grants Renovation of vacant foreclosure homes Community Health Centers Community Policing Green jobs Improving teacher quality Job training Home weatherization

18. We can help break the cycle and come out stronger at the end, if we work together in our cities and counties, states and nationally.

19. PICO’s Equitable Economic Recovery Strategy

20. What can our cities and counties do?

21. Big local question What big project would your organization like to see funded in your city?

22. What can our states do?

23. What can the federal government do?

24. Key next steps

25. Together our faith communities can be powerful bridges to jobs, housing, health care and other important needs at a time of crisis.

26. If we do this we can not only ease the pain, but we can end up on the path to rebuilding the middle class in the United States