Great News: COPS/Metro and the WSW IAF Reunite with Pope Francis
October 06, 2023
“Creating a culture of solidarity” is how Pope Francis described our work of organizing when he met with our COPS/Metro delegation together with our sister organizations in the West/Southwest IAF on Thursday, September 14. Traducción en español abajo COPS/Metro leaders Sonia Rodriguez, Fr. David...
Read MoreUSCCB: Pope Meets US Leaders Patiently Building 'Culture of Solidarity'
September 17, 2023
[Excerpt] When Pope Francis told a group of U.S. community organizers that their work was "atomic," Jorge Montiel said, "I thought, 'Oh, you mean we blow things up?'" But instead, the pope spoke about how the groups associated with the West/Southwest Industrial Areas Foundation...
Read MoreCOPS/Metro Featured on San Antonio Talk Show Food for Thought
August 31, 2023
In August, COPS/Metro leaders Lorraine Gonzales, Mark Wittig, and Sr. Pearl Ceasar, as well as lead organizer Josephine Lopez Paul, were invited by Father Jim Schellenberg to a two part discussion on his talk show "Food for Thought". The conversation centered around COPS/Metro's efforts...
Read MoreAs Ready to Work is Set to Graduate Hundreds, COPS/Metro Presses for Hiring
June 30, 2023
[Excerpt] COPS/Metro Alliance, the longtime coalition that advocates for working families and is in many ways responsible for the program’s existence, continues to raise concerns.
Read MoreIn Wake of Legislature's Failure on Gun Safety, COPS/Metro Organizes for Local Reform
May 22, 2023
[Excerpt] "Our state legislators cannot muster the courage to act on the will of the people. Why? They fear the vocal minorities who have made gun possession an idol worthy of greater reverence than the lives of our fellow citizens. This is an abomination...
Read MoreTexas IAF: Allow Gun 'Raise the Age' Bill to Be Heard on House Floor
May 10, 2023
Less than a day after a bill that would raise the age to legally purchase semi-automatic rifles unexpectedly passed through Committee, Texas IAF leaders learned that Representative Guillen (from Rio Grande City) appeared to be actively suppressing House Bill 2744 from being heard on...
Read MoreCOPS/Metro Leaders Press Candidates of District 3 and 5 for Commitments to Improve Quality of Life of Constituents
May 02, 2023
On May 2nd, COPS/Metro held an accountability session with candidates form district 3 and 5 along with 120 attendees. During the session, COPS/Metro sought commitments from the candidates to meet with leaders two weeks following the election to address issues surrounding quality of life...
Read MoreCOPS/Metro Leaders Press City Leadership on SA Ready to Work and Gun Safety
April 30, 2023
On April 30th, COPS/Metro convened 200 leaders to press Mayor Ron Nirenberg and City Manager Erik Walsh on improving accountability for San Antonio's Ready to Work program by putting jobs on the table, improving the recruitment of quality participants, and holding contractors accountable who...
Read MoreBuilding on Momentum of RTS Convocation, COPS/Metro Prepares 200+ Leaders from 41 Parishes
April 14, 2023
On Saturday April 15th, over 200 people from 41 institutions and 6 deaneries participated in 'Recognizing the Stranger' parish leadership training in collaboration with the Archdiocese of San Antonio. The session was conducted in English and in Spanish, and included 15 clergy and two...
Read MoreTexas IAF Rally Takes On "Vampire" Chapter 313 Legislation
April 03, 2023
[Excerpt] A surprising legislative success in 2021 is on track to be undone in 2023, unless a grass roots left-right coalition can block legislation and the forces behind it that are trying to go backward.... In the name of jobs and economic development, a...
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