I had the pleasure the other afternoon of being included in the advance screening of an incredible film about a project that the Margarite Casey Foundation has been supporting and involved in over the last two years. The Equal Voice for America's Families Coalition is a campaign to "lay the groundwork for a family led movement to improve the economic well-being of families", according to their website.
The film followed five poor, working class people of all ethnic backgrounds as they became engaged in the project - from their personal economic and family lives to the local and regional conferences where hundreds of people from poor, working families, including High School students. They gathered together to figure out what issues most impacted their lives and what needed to change to make life better. In the process, they really saw how much they had in common. We then got to see these same five individuals, along with their family members, as they continued down a path that brought them all together in large regional conferences in Chicago, LA and Birmington, Mississippi to present a plan for revamping the country by changing attitudes and policies that impact poor and working families.
So, here was a group of empowered poor and working folks coming up with a very real and realistic plan for what we need to do in this country to make it livable again for all of us. It was inspiring and heartwarming to watch. I'm guessing there was not a dry eye in the small theatre where a few dozen folks previewed the film. The film itself won't be available for another month or two and I don't know what their plans are for distribution. In the meantime, here is a video-clip with a few minutes of what this project is all about:
If you want to find out more, head over to the Margarite Casey Foundation blogsite. When I know where folks can view the actual film, I'll let you know.
The film followed five poor, working class people of all ethnic backgrounds as they became engaged in the project - from their personal economic and family lives to the local and regional conferences where hundreds of people from poor, working families, including High School students. They gathered together to figure out what issues most impacted their lives and what needed to change to make life better. In the process, they really saw how much they had in common. We then got to see these same five individuals, along with their family members, as they continued down a path that brought them all together in large regional conferences in Chicago, LA and Birmington, Mississippi to present a plan for revamping the country by changing attitudes and policies that impact poor and working families.
So, here was a group of empowered poor and working folks coming up with a very real and realistic plan for what we need to do in this country to make it livable again for all of us. It was inspiring and heartwarming to watch. I'm guessing there was not a dry eye in the small theatre where a few dozen folks previewed the film. The film itself won't be available for another month or two and I don't know what their plans are for distribution. In the meantime, here is a video-clip with a few minutes of what this project is all about:
If you want to find out more, head over to the Margarite Casey Foundation blogsite. When I know where folks can view the actual film, I'll let you know.
