Alliance to Develop Power Secures Commitments from Elected Officials for Social Justice; Holding Convention Oct. 16th

Springfield, MA - The headlines are familiar: The economy is fragile, Economists meeting in Denver share gloom as they consider next step, unemployment is high: one in 10 Americans is unemployed - not counting the people whose unemployment benefits ran out - and in communities of color, the unemployment rate is higher. We turn on the TV and see images of fear and anger that fan the politics of division.

We at the Alliance to Develop Power, however, also see a different story, one where solutions are being shaped by the people most affected by policies created to benefit the minority of wealthy institutions and people. Where respect, dignity and shared prosperity are valued. Where everyday people are coming together to build vibrant sustainable communities. Where all people are valued and participating fully in our democracy. This version of the story may not make it into the headlines at FOX news, but it will be front and center at our ADP Convention 2010 on Oct. 16.

More than 700 community delegates will be in attendance to continue to move forward our vision and to celebrate our many gains of the last year, including:

* We were instrumental in informing Sen. Scott Brown, R-MA, that voting Yes for financial reform was the right choice. More than 100 of us visited his office in Washington, DC, to remind him that our values must be represented by him. And he listened.

* We worked with Gov. Deval Patrick to support his push for full integration of new immigrants into our Commonwealth, recognizing their contributions to the fabric of our community and to health of our economy. Because as long as one group of people are being preyed upon with low wages, all of us are at risk of having wages dragged down.
* We joined together -- workers and small businesses, organized labor and low wage workers -- winning back hundreds of thousands of dollars in worker wages that had been stolen by unscrupulous employers through the ADP Workers Center/Casa Obrera legal clinic.
* We expanded our network of community-owned businesses, growing the value of our assets to over $80 million and employing over 100 people in career ladder living wage jobs. And we grew our community base to 10,000 members statewide, all working together to take back our democracy and return it to the hands of the people.
* Every day, people are standing up against corporate greed. It is an ancient story of David vs Goliath, of everyday people rising against policies that work against them.

We are making our vision real to create a better world by working with the full spectrum of policy makers, from those whose platform is pro-business at all costs to those whose voices we join at social change conventions nationwide.

We are pushing for banks to clean up the mess they made, for politicians to shape policies based on what their constituents want, for community members to be part of the change they seek. Together, we are calling on our elected and public officials to stand with us -- everyday people -- not the big banks and corporations that created this economic crisis.

We look forward to seeing old friends and greeting new ones at the ADP Convention 2010: Real People. Real Solutions. Real Power. The convention will start at 1 p.m. at Centro Cristiano Nación de Jesús, 124 Sumner Ave, Springfield, MA.

For more info on the ADP Convention, click here.