Kansas Congregations Urge Rep. Dennis Moore to Fight for Families

January 26, 2010

On January 25, over 250 people crossed county and state lines to pack the sanctuary of St. Peter, CME Church in Kansas City, KS to urge Congressman Dennis Moore to keep fighting for comprehensive health care reform legislation and stepped up efforts to fight foreclosures and keep families in their homes.

The town hall meeting, organized by the Kansas congregations of PICO affiliate Communities Creating Opportunity, came out of conversations with hundreds of families in Wyandotte County.

"We are divided by county lines, "said Rev. Stevie Wakes, from Olivet Institutional Baptist, "But we are not divided when it comes to our common civil right to quality, affordable, accessible and sustainable health care.  We are not divided when it comes to our right to quality, and non-predatory financial products and ethical business practices within our communities." 

Monica Tyrell, a CCO leader and teacher, told a story of one of her young students who exclaimed that,"somebody stole our house."

"Her tiny voice pierced my heart," Tyrell told the audience. "Because I knew her home had been foreclosed.

CCO asked Congressman Moore to help keep families in their homes by urging Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to strengthen the enforcement of the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP).  While mortgage servicers have begun to increase the number of trial loan modifications made under HAMP, the numbers continue to lag far behind what's needed to stem the tide of foreclosures.

Congressman Moore agreed to write a letter to Treasury Secretary Geithner and said he would also ask his colleagues on the House Financial Services Committee to sign on.

CCO also asked Congressman Moore to help provide assistance for unemployed homeowners by asking the Treasury and the President Obama Administration to swiftly create a program that will prevent unemployed homeowners from going into foreclosure.

Congressman Moore agreed, saying  "This foreclosure crisis that we're in right now not only hurts the banks, it hurts the people, it hurts our country,  it hurts our neighborhoods, as you just heard from the testimony here."

CCO asked Congressman Dennis Moore to support health care reform  by voting "yes" on a health care reform bill, like the one passed by the House, which promises greater access and affordability.

Congressman Moore agreed, saying "I've told people (that) congress should have done something about this 40 years ago. We can't change what didn't happen for 40 years, but I'm hopeful we'll get something passed this year."

For more information on Communities Creating Opportunity, visit www.cco.org