By Carson Shea, WIBW
Topeka JUMP brought its coalition together for the Nehemiah Action Assembly at Washburn’s White Concert Hall.
It’s a yearly meeting to review work and look forward to long-term goals.
33 faith communities worked in unison to find solutions to the capital city’s biggest issues.
“We have people on every level of concern, and we come together as one to show you that we are united,” Topeka JUMP co-chair Melodene Byrd said. “We can care about everyone in community, we’re not just caring about ours.”
“We’ll bring people together and let the public officials know how concerned we are about these particular campaign issues,” Topeka JUMP co-chair Lorna Boden said. “Some of them we’ve been working on for a long time. Others are fairly new. But we want to see those who have no voice – we can be their voice.”
Affordable housing was at the forefront of today’s meeting.
The city of Topeka recently moved toward activating a housing trust fund JUMP has campaigned the city to use, but the group has more in mind.
“What we’re asking the city is for a dedicated revenue,” Byrd said. “Because that money, the trust fund, will be gone before you know it. So we’d like a regular, dedicated revenue for the years to come. For the people to be able to have safe affordable housing.”
Topeka JUMP also collaborates with other housing coalitions, including All Hands on Deck.
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