An update from the Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy, an independent research project
of the Rockefeller Institute of Government. The public policy research arm of the State University of New York.

New! An Interview with Jay Hein, Former White House Faith-Based Director

Jay Hein was director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives for two years,
from August 2006-August 2008. He was the third director since the Office was created by President George
W. Bush in 2001 to foster greater partnerships between government and faith-based and community
organizations to deliver social services. He spoke with the Roundtable on Aug. 28, the day before his last
day at the White House, about the federal Faith-Based and Community Initiative.

Click here to read the interview.

New! Medefind to Lead White House Faith-Based Office Through Bush Term

Jedd Medefind has been named acting director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community
Initiatives to succeed Jay Hein. Medefind, 34, will oversee operations of the Office until the end of President
George W. Bush's term in January. "He is well prepared to lead the federal effort to support America's armies
of compassion," Hein said last week in an announcement about Medefind's appointment.

Medefind has been special assistant to the President and deputy director of the Office since mid-2007. Prior
to joining the White House, Medefind was director of the Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Center at the
U.S. Department of Labor. He has also served as chief of staff and communications director for the California
State Legislature and held communication jobs with several national and international organizations, including
the C.S. Lewis Foundation and PriceWaterhouse in Moscow.

In 2000, Medefind co-founded and co-directed the California Community Renewal Project, which provides training
and resources to groups revitalizing inner-city communities. Medefind has spent time in more than 25 countries,
and has served with development organizations in Guatemala, Bangladesh, the Kingdom of Lesotho and other
nations. He is the author of two books: Four Souls, exploring faith, community, and purpose during his journey
around the globe, and The Revolutionary Communicator, exploring Jesus' approach to communication and leadership.

New! Financial Catastrophe Looms for Interfaith Disaster Recovery Group

New York Disaster Interfaith Services was created in response to the needs of New Yorkers following
 the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The nonprofit was formed in 2003, following on the work of an
interfaith task force, to train religious leaders in disaster mitigation and preparedness, and to establish
a communication network among faith-based organizations. In the five years since NYDIS’ inception, it
has brought together minority faith communities that were at first distrustful of each other, funded religious
organizations that provide disaster recovery services, trained congregations in issues like disaster
preparedness, and developed interfaith curricula for areas like chaplaincy training.

Today, however, NYDIS stands on the brink of insolvency, burdened by the very innovation that its leaders
thought might ensure its survival.

Click here to read more by Roundtable Correspondent Claire Hughes.

Click here for a Roundtable Resource Page on Faith-Based Organizations in Disaster Response.

New! Florida Voters Will Not Vote on School Voucher Amendments

The Florida Supreme Court, reversing a lower court order, has ruled that two proposed constitutional
amendments intended to make school voucher programs legal may not be placed before voters on the
November ballot. The court issued its brief order on Sept. 3, saying it will issue an opinion in the future.
Church-state separationist groups and educators’ associations had challenged the proposals, questioning
the jurisdiction of the commission that proposed them and saying that the language in one of the
amendments was misleading.

The proposals involved two provisions in the Florida Constitution that courts previously cited in striking
down a controversial school voucher program heralded by former Gov. Jeb Bush. The first, Ballot Initiative
No. 7, would have removed a prohibition against public funding to religious entities in the Florida Constitution's
so-called "no-aid" provision and add language preventing the state from using religion as a basis for excluding
organizations from providing public programs. The second, Ballot Initiative No. 9, involved the Constitution's "
education provision," which requires the state to provide a "uniform ... and high quality system of free public schools."

Click here for a previous Roundtable article on this issue.

Click here for a Roundtable Resource Page on Vouchers and Indirect Financing of Faith-Based Social Services.

New! Faith Coalition Urges Next President to Confront Poverty

A coalition of 21 national faith groups on Tuesday kicked off a week-long "call to action" to challenge the
2008 presidential candidates and elected officials to address the issue of poverty in America. The group
urged candidates to outline what they will do in the first 100 days in office and promised to hold the
candidates responsible for their commitment after the election, Rabbi Steve Gutow, executive director
of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said in a Sept. 9 conference call with hundreds of religious leaders
from diverse faiths. The week of action corresponds with the Muslim celebration of Ramadan and precedes
the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, culminating on Sept. 16 with a prayer vigil on Capitol Hill. "We're
doing this because we are religious people who believe that God calls on us to do all we can to stop or
lessen poverty," Gutow said.

Hundreds of religious people have signed on to make poverty a campaign issue during the week.
In Nashville, faith communities are partnering with the mayor's office and local government agencies to
hold a citywide poverty symposium with local and national elected officials. In Birmingham, the faith
community is hosting a panel discussion on the community responses to poverty and petitioning
congressional representatives to set a national goal to cut poverty in half. And in Rhode Island, a new
interfaith anti-poverty coalition launched to oppose state budget cuts to human services has started a
letter-writing campaign to candidates and elected officials statewide. In 19 cities nationwide, Islamic
relief organizations are holding "Days of Dignity" to assist thousands of people in need during Ramadan.

Click here for a previous Roundtable interview with Rabbi Gutow about this effort.

Weekly Digest of Federal Grants with Faith-Based and Community
Organization Eligibility

The grant opportunities this week for community and faith-based organizations are through
programs administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Agency
for International Development.

Potential applicants should be aware that some grant programs require specific technical expertise,
or experience in particular foreign countries.

Click here for the grants digest.

Roundtable Digest of Current Faith-Based News Stories

Demand Is Up At Homeless Shelters
James Thalman

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8758

Teen Sisters Find Zambia A Voyage Of Faith; Wesleyan Team Learns Of Needs Firsthand
Buffalo News (New York)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8759

Acting Director Named to White House Faith-Based Office
Religion News Service

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8760

Nonprofit Seeks Back-To-School Clothing
delawareonline.com

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8761

County Jail Inmates Have Ministry Available To Them
Picayune Item (Mississippi)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8762

Interfaith Group Welcomes San Leandro's Homeless
Contra Costa Times (California)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8763

Chain Saws May Be Church Symbol of Gustav; Religious Groups Active in Cleanup That Already Differs From Katrina
The Advocate

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8764

Providing Hope for Single Moms
Intelligencer Journal/New Era (Lancaster, Pennsylvania)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8765

'Be Ready' is Theme; Campaign Enlists Churches in Preparing For Disasters
The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8766

Gov. Jindal: La. Supplies Running Low After Gustav
The Associated Press

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8767

Palin Used State Funds in Traveling to Speech Before Evangelical Students
Anchorage Daily News (Alaska)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8768

Aid Reaches Needy
Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, Louisiana)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8769

Faith-Based Groups Join Relief Effort to Help Residents Hit By Hurricane Gustav
Religion & Ethics Newsweekly

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8770

Group to Donate Food, Medical Care; 'Blessing' For Local Community
The Washington Times

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8771

Catholic Charities' Pilot Program Aims to Help Hurricane Victims
Catholic News Service

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8772

Florida Supreme Court Strikes Down Vote On Faith-Based Programs
Catholic News Service

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8773

Iowa Workforce Development: Community and Faith-Based Organizations Sought to Enhance Program
IowaPolitics.com

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8774

Florida Court Tosses Challenge to Religious Funding Ban
Ethics Daily

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8775

Faith-Based Initiative Aims To Salvage Marriages
Observer-Reporter.com

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8776

Faith-Based Community Organizers Upset By Palin Putdown
Rueters

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8777

Mentoring Program Helps At-Risk Children; Life Coaches For Kids Breaks Absentee Cycle
Times-Picayune (New Orleans)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8778

Katrina To Gustav: Faith-Based Groups Play Familiar Role
Clarion Ledger (Mississippi)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8779

Christian Charities Say Poverty Should Be Priority For Washington
Religion News Service

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8780

Faith-Based Local Programs Target Marriage, Family
South Bend Tribune

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8782

Church Warehouse Aids Evacuees
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8783

Organization Wants Meeting With Police On Immigration Issues
The Kansas City Star

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8784

Faith-Based Program to Help Homeless
Knoxville News-Sentinel (Tennessee)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8785

U.S. Muslims Celebrate Holy Month With Charity Projects
USA TODAY

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8786

Project Hope Opens a Soup Kitchen
Tampa Tribune (Florida)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8787

Faith-Based Groups Needed To Help People Getting Out Of Jail
Vindy.com (Ohio)

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=8781

Weekly Opinion Roundup - 9/9/2008
The Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/news_opinion_9_9_08.cfm