Hello again all! I am much more comfortable with this first paragraph of our vision/mission statement. Maybe this is our mission!?
We are > a collaborative of caring people, rooted in a spirit of compassionate justice and service, committed to overcoming poverty by empowering people. I think the first paragraph defines our vision/mission very well. To be realistic, I might suggest a substitute for the word ‘overcoming”—like facing, confronting, or changing poverty. These following paragraphs refer more to strategies and activities—part three of our process? Maybe someone should remind me of what a vision statement is, what a mission statement is, and how or if our strategies appear with or beside those statements. I recall be, have, do from Justin’s first introductions to this process. One was who we are, one was how we want to effect our community through the values we hold, and the third was the actual ways we would act/serve/respond to issues of poverty. Not sure if I am remembering this correctly? ACTION - Participants in the Roundtable will collaborate with each other and with others in the community to establish access to a network of resources to assist the poor. Through mentoring programs, the Roundtable will empower the poor to regain control of their lives, and will give all members of the Winona community the opportunity to reach out in service to those in need. IDEAL/VALUE - The Poverty Roundtable does not accept the inevitability of poverty in Winona.(this is a vision or mission statement – ties in to overcoming poverty.) ACTION - Participants will advocate for the cause of the poor, and will work actively to remove obstacles to their efforts to improve their circumstances. I would try to streamline the language of our possible actions: * We will establish a network of resources accessible to the poor. * We will empower the poor through mentoring relationships. * We will actively seek to engage our community to reach out to serve the needs of the poor. * We will advocate for change in systems contributing to the presence of poverty in our world today. * We will raise consciousness (through education, public awareness, etc.) about issues of poverty that are present in the lives of all people. Jean Lauer
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