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Bexar County Sheriff Assures COPS/Metro that Sheriff's Dept. Will Recognize Parish IDs, Works to Allay Deportation Anxieties

February 05, 2025

In front of an assembly of 1,500 COPS/Metro leaders, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar committed to recognizing parish identification cards (developed in collaboration with the Archdiocese of San Antonio and other COPS/Metro congregations) as well as training deputies to ensure their recognition.     [Photo...

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COPS/Metro Turns Up the Heat on Marvel Debate at Eastside Town Hall

January 25, 2025

[Excerpt from San Antonio Report] “We were told there will be jobs for the communities, hotels, restaurants, stores — empty promises,” said Darius Lemelle, a leader with St. Paul United Methodist Church - COPS/Metro. “That we see leaders continue to allow these developers to take...

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COPS/Metro Pioneering of Modern Faith-Based Organizing Laid Foundation for West/Southwest IAF

January 13, 2025

[Excerpt] In December, more than 1,000 people packed an athletic arena at St. Mary’s University to launch a yearlong celebration of the organization’s 50-year history — and to plan for its future. Sitting with their churches amid the electric energy of a political rally,...

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COPS/Metro Launches 50th Anniversary, and Says No to Public Money for Private Development

December 18, 2024

[Excerpt] "More than 1,100 community leaders of COPS/Metro gathered at St. Mary’s University’s Bill Greehey Arena on Sunday afternoon to celebrate the launch of its 50th anniversary celebration, and to chart a path forward for their organizing plans for the coming year to invest in job training, quality...

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COPS/Metro: "Immigrants are not a Danger. These Are our Neighbors"

November 13, 2024

[Excerpt] "Josephine López Paul is a lead organizer with Communities Organized for Public Service, or COPS/Metro Alliance, in San Antonio. Her organization is expecting 1,000 community members at an event on Dec. 8. “There’s division and trauma everywhere, so we’re hoping this gathering will...

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COPS/Metro Leader Father Jimmy Drennan Braces Community Amid Growing Fears of Mass Deportations

November 08, 2024

[Excerpt] "Father Jimmy Drennan, pastor of St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church on the city’s Southeast Side, is a longtime leader in COPS Metro Alliance, a grass-roots advocacy organization marking its 50th year. For COPS Metro, the work remains the same. “We rise against any...

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SA Leaders Recognize Project QUEST for Highest Earnings Impact in U.S. at COPS/Metro Press Conference

November 07, 2024

On October 30th, city officials and business leaders gathered at COPS/Metro's press conference to celebrate the results of a new study showing Project Quest to have “the longest sustained earnings impacts ever found in a U.S. workforce development program,” according to study author Mark...

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COPS/Metro Leaders Share Stories and West Side Parish History at St. Mary's University

October 22, 2024

On October 4th, current and former COPS/Metro leaders shared stories and history from Westside parishes as part of an event at St. Mary's University sponsored by the St. Mary's University Center for Catholic Studies and the O'Connor Chair for the History of Hispanic Texas...

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Independent Study Documents 'Remarkable Gains' by Grads of Project QUEST

October 16, 2024

[Excerpts] Project QUEST has had the ongoing political and community backing of COPS/Metro Alliance... that helped launch the program in 1992 and worked to ensure that Project QUEST has ongoing financial support. Project QUEST’s strategies can and have been replicated in other communities. The...

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St. Margaret Mary, COPS/Metro Leverage Commitments on Police Substation

September 15, 2024

After organizing the vote in 2022 to secure the funds necessary to build a new police substation in southeast San Antonio, COPS/Metro leaders at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church hosted a community feedback meeting and leveraged commitments to address homelessness, mental health services, and neighborhood services....

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