HOPE
Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality
Contact us - Tampa, Florida - (813) 221-4673
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HOPE Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality Contact us - Tampa, Florida - (813) 221-4673 |
Diverse
Congregations and Other Organizations
Working
Together
For Fairness, Justice and Dignity
This web site reports on HOPE's mission, goals, members, historical actions and current issues and activities.
Upcoming
2009 Nehemiah Action
Monday,
April 27 Sign in 6:30 PM
Nativity
Catholic Church Sanctuary
705
E. Brandon Boulevard, Brandon, FL 33511
(South
side of Brandon
Blvd, just east of Bryan)
Recent
Actions and Assemblies
|
Nehemiah Action Assembly April 23, 2007 |
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HOPE 2006 Convention and Decisions - Sunday, November 19th, 2006
Issues of Concern currently (not all actionable) - From Problem Assembly Nov 10, 2005
Historical
Actions and Assemblies:
Some Effects of Historical Actions (Major accomplishments that result from HOPE actions)
| Action March, 2004 - Many take part - Commissioner Pat Frank Urges HOPE members to keep fighting for Justice. |
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Action 2003 - 600 take part. |
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Blind Willie, former Schoolmate of Ray Charles performs |
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HOPE Convention 2002 (Photos from this gathering. |
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Members and Organizational Structure (Those who comprise HOPE)
The Parable of HOPE
There once was a great city with a large river running through it. One day the member of a congregation was walking beside the river and heard persons in the middle of the river calling for help. The member dragged many persons to safety before collapsing exhausted on the bank. While the member lay panting upon the bank, many other persons were swept out to the sea and drowned. The member took the tired, wet, and sick persons she had rescued to the congregation where they received much care.
The congregation sent more people down to the river and found that every day persons were falling into the river. The other congregations in the city also helped pull persons from the river. They worked together to care for those rescued. All this took a lot of energy and soon the rescuers and their resources were exhausted.
One day the congregations held a joint meeting to discuss the situation. One of the members said, "We have worked hard and rescued many persons and that has been good. But, it will be an endless task until we go upstream and find out why persons are falling in".
Going upstream
to the source of the problem
is the task of HOPE!
The Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality (HOPE) consisting of multi-racial and interfaith congregations is committed to winning a greater degree of justice in Hillsborough County through the power of a united voice.
Based on the spiritual values of justice, fairness, and dignity of persons, HOPE’s primary mission is to empower low to moderate income persons to identify community problems and effectively encourage public officials to take action to resolve those problems.
HOPE's long range goals are to:
1. Successfully address community problems identified by the members
through relationship building processes.
2. Strengthen the member congregations and their ability to influence
the quality of life in the community.
3. Enhance the public skills of members to publicly hold accountable
the political and economic systems responsible for ensuring justice and
fairness.
4. Reduce the effects of historic racial and economic discrimination.
5. Correct inequities in education, public services, neighborhood
infrastructure, housing, employment, health care, police protection,
and traffic safety.
Effects of HOPE's Historical Actions
Initally created in 1988, HOPE has effected significant positive change in Hillsborough for the betterment of the community. Below, listed by area, are the results of several of these actions.
EDUCATION REFORM
Reading:
Helped win $7.25 million in state funding for Direct Instruction (DI)
phonics-based reading program, with $921,000 for Hillsborough Schools
to implement DI in 10 elementary schools. HOPE and the School
Superintendent visited Wesley Elementary in Texas to observe DI
successfully used to teach low-income children to read. In 2004,
Hillsborough County Schools successfully implemented DI in Exceptional
Student Education (ESE), and the documented success of this program has
prompted increased use for the 2005-06 year.
Suspensions: Won and saved a district wide Alternative To Out-of-School Suspension (ATOSS) program, supervising & protecting GPAs of tens of thousands of suspended children. Won commitment not to suspend children out of school for tardiness.
PreK Language Instruction: HOPE and other sister organizations obtained statements from state officials that the universal PreK program would provide more than mere day care with the inclusion of explicit language instruction that will enhance all childrens' likelihood of success in schools. This has not yet fully materialized, however.
Minority
Teachers: Won employment of
Minority Teacher Recruiter by the School District to increase
percentage of Black and Hispanic teachers.
HEALTH
CARE
Behavioral Health:
Won expansion of substance abuse treatment and mental health treatment
for the poor, at an initial start-up cost of $2 million in Hillsborough
County HealthCare Plan.
NEIGHBORHOOD
IMPROVEMENT
South County Housing
- Low-wage workers in South Hillsborough County, Florida were provided
with assistance to obtain housing. However, several cases of shoddy
workmanship as shown by leaking roofs in 2-year-old houses, and
unexpected increases in monthly payments cause difficulties for these
families. HOPE managed to help this situation and the poor contractor
was not retained.
Rezoning:
Reclaimed Dobyville, a historic residential African American
neighborhood, by reversing the 1950 Industrial Zoning to Residential
and Mixed Use Zoning, leading to the development of new and old
housing.
Demolition: Successfully encouraged the Tampa Mayor to demolish and
clean up the abandoned Belmont Heights Lumber Company, a dangerous
community health, safety, and fire hazard.
Sidewalks: Won construction of a 1.2 mile sidewalk on 22nd Street in East Tampa at a cost of $65,000 to City of Tampa, leading to construction of many other sidewalks.
Code Enforcement: Successfully
got the Tampa City Council to rehabilitate or demolish 200 condemned
buildings and cut over 100 gravely overgrown empty lots, helping gain a
50% increase in Tampa Code Enforcement Budget. Infrastructure: Won
traffic signs, street repair, drainage, and upgraded street lighting in
Belmont Heights, Ybor City, Tampa Heights and Jackson Heights from
Tampa’s Department of Public Works.
EMPLOYMENT
Jobs:
Helped win Tampa City Women/Minority Business Enterprise Ordinance.
Researching and developing proposals to gain jobs and livable wages for
low-wage workers contracted with or working for government.
CRIME
PREVENTION
Hotspots:
Initiated Anti-Drug HOTSPOTS Campaign that holds law enforcement
accountable to confront specific illegal drug activity at locations
anonymously identified by residents, with reports to HOPE.
Prostitution:
Code Enforcement, Tampa Police Department and City Council cleaned up
the prostitution and illegal drug activity on and around a Hispanic
congregation on Nebraska Avenue and reported to HOPE.
LEADERSHIP
DEVELOPMENT
Training:
Hundreds of individual members have attended local and national
training workshops to develop important skills related to leadership,
issue development, and community organization.
BUS
ROUTE EXTENSION
As a
result of the
2006 Action, bus service has been extended to midnight during the week
and two
extra hours on weekends on 9 bus routes in FY 2007. Began on November
9th 2006.
“What
does God desire of you,
but to do justice, love mercy, and
walk humbly with your God.”
The Prophet Micah
ALL
SAINTS LUTHERN CHURCH
APOSTLES
LUTHERAN CHURCH
CHRIST
THE KING CATHOLIC CHURCH
FIRST
BAPTIST CHURCH OF COLLEGE HILL
FIRST UNITED
CHURCH OF TAMPA
FIRST UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH
IMMACULATE
CONCEPTION HAITIAN CATHOLIC
MISSION
ISLAMIC
COMMUNITY OF TAMPA
JOHN CALVIN
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
LUTHERN
CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOR
MT.
SINAI AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
NEW
GREATER FRIENDSHIP MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
NEW
LIFE
PENTECOSTAL CHURCH OF GOD
NEW SMYRNA FULL GOSPEL WORSHIP CATHEDRAL
RESURRECTION
CATHOLIC CHURCH
ST
ANDREWS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
ST.
JAMES HOUSE OF PRAYER EPISCOPAL CHURCH
ST
PETER CLAVER CATHOLIC
CHURCH
TAMPA
FRIENDS MEETING
(QUAKERS)
THIRTY-FOURTH
STREET CHURCH OF GOD
TRINITY CHRISTIAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST
CHURCH OF TAMPA
HOPE’s membership, currently comprised of 17 member groups,
comes from all over Hillsborough County and represents a diverse mix of
race, culture, and religious traditions. Our most recent member is
Carpenter's Local 140, which was approved for membership at the recent March
11, 2004 Unity Assembly and Rally.
Member congregations typically represent low to moderate income
communities who work together to take direct action on member
identified community problems. Indeed, HOPE unites persons of different
backgrounds like no other organization in Hillsborough County, since
members work side-by-side as equals to find long term solutions to
community problems of common concern.
HOPE's Organizational Structure and Funding
HOPE MEMBERSHIP: Open to organizations, except politically partisan groups, which will act on HOPE's mission and goals. All member applicants must be approved at a HOPE Unity Assembly and give an annual membership dues based on membership size.
BIENNIAL CONVENTION:
Brings
hundreds of delegates together from member groups to elect the Board of
Directors, authorize action agenda, make necessary changes to the
Constitution & By-Laws, and celebrate the life of HOPE.
UNITY ASSEMBLY: Quarterly
membership meetings sanction the work of committees, approve and commit
to implement action recommendations, approve applications for
membership, and build relationships among members.
BOARD
OF DIRECTORS:
Individual
members elected or appointed by member groups. The board meets monthly
to develop and implement policy decisions, authorize and review
budgets, and oversee activities between Assemblies.
RESEARCH/PLANNING
COMMITTEES:
Persons
interested in a specific problem meet to research and develop action
recommendations to address the root causes of that problem.
HOPE STAFF
work
with members to carry out the activities of HOPE and are accountable to
HOPE's Board of Directors.
HOPE
is
affiliated with the D.A.R.T.
Network (Direct
Action & Research Training Center) in Miami, FL, and is a
member of the F.D.O.F. (Federation
of DART Organizations, Florida).
You
are the
visitor to this site since 9/2003.
HOPE
5103 N. Central Avenue
Tampa, FL 33603
(813) 221-4673
Web site created and mainted by Ted Micceri