More than 500 delegates from religious congregations, neighborhood associations, and non-profit organizations will participate in the inaugural public meeting of the Forsyth IAF in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The event, taking place on Sunday, June 14, will mark the official launch of this new community coalition. During the meeting, the organization will present a Shared Agenda for Social and Economic Change.
The initiative seeks to strengthen civic participation and promote collective solutions to the main challenges facing the community.
The organization was envisioned and funded by the Congress of Latino Organizations of North Carolina to grow the collective power of our community, build allies, and ensure that Forsyth County families have an organized and influential voice in decisions that affect their lives.
Collaborative and community agenda
The agenda was developed based on input from more than 1,100 residents of Forsyth County.
“The African American Church taught me that I have a voice and that people of faith and conscience can build power together to create change,” said Joneice Pledger, leader of Emmanuel Baptist Church and co-chair of the Forsyth IAF Education Team, in a press release.
“Addressing common challenges in education, housing and mental health "It's part of who we are," he stated.
Furthermore, Pledger highlighted that with Forsyth IAF, they have worked tirelessly to reach June 14th and publicize the prepared agenda.
The meeting will take place at Emmanuel Baptist Church, 1075 Shalimar Drive, Winston-Salem, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Leadership tools
Elected officials and representatives from the education, health, and business sectors will participate in the Assembly to respond to the agenda presented by Forsyth IAF.
The meeting aims to promote open dialogue and ensure that community priorities are translated into concrete actions, organizers said.
“Forsyth IAF provides communities with the leadership and organizing tools needed to create lasting change,” said Tonya Sheffield.
Sheffield, president of the Happy Hill Neighborhood Association (HHNA) and co-chair of the Forsyth IAF Affordable Housing Team, referred to the development vision of this issue.
“Our community is driving a shared vision to develop affordable housing, actively participating in decisions that affect its future.”
“Today we are working towards a model of affordable housing “led by the community, instead of accepting decisions made without our participation,” he said.
An inclusive organization
For Reverend Daniel Sostaita, pastor of Christian Church Without Borders and co-chair of the Forsyth IAF Mental Health Team, organizing with Forsyth IAF offers an opportunity for immigrant communities to build power together with their U.S.-born neighbors.
“Our church’s involvement in the community led us to deeper conversations with diverse colleagues,” he said.
“We understand that we need each other to build the power necessary to transform our community,” he added.
He maintained that together they had come a long way to bring the Forsyth County IAF to life.
“Today we can proudly say that we are an inclusive organization that represents all the residents of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County,” he said.
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A year ago, Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina. The Latino community responded with something stronger than the storm: solidarity.
🎧 In this episode, learn how Latino organizations transformed crisis into resilience.
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