PACT

PACT is People Acting in Community Together, a Santa Clara County coalition of 20 congregations working to improve the health, education and safety of our communities. Trinity's PACT Local Organizing Committee usually meets on the fourth Thursdays in the Great Hall at 6:30 p.m. If you're interested in learning more, please join us for a meeting or contact Alicia Ross at aross@pacbell.net.

Recent activities

Trinity PACT Committee Researches Homeless Issues: Members of Trinity's PACT Local Organizing Committee are meeting with city officials to learn more about homeless issues in our community and determine ways that Trinity may want to get involved in advocating for change. In August, members met with Ray Tovar, San Jose's homeless coordinator, and learned about city programs and the new "Housing First" initiative. In September, we met and interviewed two sources — Nancy Pena, the county's director of mental health services, and the Santa Clara County Sheriff (in conjunction with Grace Baptist Church). Soon we will be meeting with downtown councilwoman and probably mayoral candidate Cindy Chavez.

In learning more about homeless issues and policies, the Trinity committee hopes to find opportunities for our congregation to work with public officials to improve policies and services. If you are interested in joining our committee to learn more and work to better understand and benefit our community's homeless residents, please attend any of the PACT meetings published in the weekly bulletin or on the Web site calendar. Trinity's PACT committee usually meets in the hall on fourth Thursdays each month. (Nov. 2005)

Listening Campaign 2005 Report

The Listening Campaign is Trinity’s first activity as a member of the organization PACT, since joining last fall. PACT stands for People Acting in Community Together, and includes 19 other congregations representing over 30,000 people in Santa Clara County. PACT is a faith-based, grassroots organization that seeks to improve the health, education safety and general well being of people in Santa Clara County.

What were the goals of the Listening Campaign?

• To build and strengthen relationships in the church
• To hear the hopes and concerns members have about the church
• To identify a community problem Trinity’s PACT Committee will work to solve
• To find new leaders in the church

What was the process of the Listening Campaign?

• 15 Volunteer listeners trained by PACT to do 30 minute, face-to-face visits
• 65 Members of Trinity contacted for visits
• 25 Face-to-face, thirty minute visits were completed over the last few months

(Though the Listening Campaign is officially completed, Trinity members involved in PACT will continue to do listening visits as part of PACT’s ongoing effort to strengthen relationships in the church)

What are the results of the Listening Campaign?
1. Listeners developed new relationships or strengthened existing relationships with fellow church members
2. Listeners heard that, in general, members of Trinity appreciate:

• The welcoming, friendly atmosphere and fellowship at Trinity
• The leadership of the Dean
• The music from the choir
• The increase in the attendance of young families at the church and the increased focus on families

3. Listeners heard that, in general, members of Trinity would like to see:

• More opportunities to connect to one another on a more meaningful level, leading to a stronger culture of connectedness
• Trinity more engaged with the larger community downtown

4. Listeners heard that, in general, the issues in the larger San Jose community Trinity should be addressing are:

• Homelessness
• Improving education
• Senior citizen concerns

Conclusion

The feedback heard through this campaign will be brought to the Vestry and to the Dean, but it is the responsibility of the whole congregation to create new ways to strengthen the fellowship in this church and to become more engaged in the larger community.

Trinity is now forming a PACT Local Organizing Committee which will meet monthly to work on addressing the community issues identified in the campaign, such as homelessness, education reform, and senior citizen concerns. If you would like to see Trinity become a strong voice for change in the community around these issues, please attend Trinity’s PACT Committee meeting. For more information, please contact PACT Organizer Alicia Ross (408) 910-6309.

who we are . worship services . iglesia de guadalupe . ministries . children & families
calendar . news . sermons & ideas . join us . sitemap . home

Trinity Episcopal Cathedral
81 North Second Street, San Jose, California 95113 . 408-293-7953
trinicat@pacbell.net . www.trinitysj.org