Self-Sufficiency: Practice and Policy

First Congregational United Church of Christ (through Mind and Soul), the OUR Center and the Colorado Center on Law and Policy hosted this event to educate the community on the Self-Sufficiency Standard.

The event took place in Fellowship Hall from 8:30 am – 3:00 pm, on October 28. The Self-Sufficiency Standard defines the amount of income necessary to meet basic needs (including taxes) without public subsidies and without private/informal assistance according to geographic region. It is a measure that provided realistic and detailed data on what clients individually needed to be self-sufficient and is a realistic measure counter to the federal poverty level.

Morning and afternoon Presentations by Dr. Diana Pearce, the developer of the Self-Sufficiency Standard and current Director of the Center for Women’s Welfare at the University of Washington School of Social Work, focused on practical uses of the Standard as well as launch the Colorado-specific Standard for 2011. An advocacy session by the Colorado Center on Law and Policy will wrap up the day. Free lunch provided. Please phone Edwina Salazar at 303-772-5529 for questions. See Self-Sufficiency Conference for more information.

Mind & Soul Series

The name has changed; the missions has not. For more than 40 years, nationally recognized speakers, programs, and exhibits came to Longmont through what was formerly known as the Lay-Clergy Institute, impacting lives and serving as a mechanism for change. Sponsored by the First Congregational United Church of Christ and provided at no charge to the community, the "Mind and Soul" offerings provide opportunities to consider, discuss, and act on a wide array of philosophical and social issues.

The Traveling Vietnam Wall and its presentations healed decades of misunderstanding and hurt. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross spoke "On Death and Dying" and caused Boulder County Hospice to become a nationally known community resource. After Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller's presentation, people were moved to build Habitat homes in our community. Other notables include: Jim Wallis (Editor of Sojourners Magazine), Rabbi Harold Kushner (author of "Why Bad Things Happen to Good People"), Temple Grandin (Living with Autism), and Scott Peck (author of "The Road Less Travelled").

2010 Mind and Soul series - Digital Parenting