GBIO

Mission

The Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO) is a broad-based organization that works to coalesce, train, and organize the communities of Greater Boston across all religious, racial, ethnic, class, and neighborhood lines for the public good. The primary goal is to develop local leadership and organized power to fight for social justice, to hold both public and private power holders accountable for their public responsibilities, and to initiate actions and programs of our own to solve community and economic problems.

History

GBIO was founded by a group of 45 clergy and community leaders who began meeting in January of 1996. Presently, there are 70 member institutions representing about 50,000 people from Boston and surrounding communities including religious congregations, community development corporations, unions and other civic organizations. These member institutions represent a diverse mix — economically, racially, geographically and otherwise.

Two years ago, Temple Shir Tikvah and ten other congregations in Arlington, Cambridge, Belmont, and Winchester joined GBIO, constituting an expansion of GBIO into the northwest suburbs. In the fall of 2005, after hundreds of one-to-one interviews, house meetings and surveys, these new congregations identified three initial core issues: elder care, after-school care, and health care.

For a full list of the member organizations, past achievements and ongoing initiatives, and more information, visit the GBIO web site.

Greater Boston Interfaith Organization U.S. Senatorial candidate action on November 15, 2009 received major media attention - and Shir Tikvah was there!

The four Democrats running for the US Senate met with almost 800 members from Boston area congregations, who demanded they commit to a platform of actions. To learn more about this event, see these links:

Voters press Senate candidates at interfaith forum, Boston Globe

'Not your typical forum' for Democratic Senate candidates, NECN

We are extremely proud to be one of 55 congregations that make up GBIO. Why?

Because GBIO is an organization whose sole purpose is to work for social and economic justice based on the moral imperatives of the various faith traditions.

Because an organized group of citizens has the power:

to bring four candidates together for the first time in the campaign

to say to the candidates — this is not about us (citizens) listening to you, this is about you (candidates) listening to us.

to say to the candidates — you will not engage in a dialogue with the other candidates, you will engage in a dialogue with us, about the issues that are important to OUR members.

Mastering the Student Loan Landscape: Monday, April 26, 2010 from 7–9 PM at Temple Shir Tikvah.

College expenses have become so astronomical that the financial burden is now impacting even middle to upper-middle class families. We take on large debts to fill the gap between the infamous "expected family contribution" and the real cost. We worry if our children who are graduating from college will find a job, or a job that pays enough to cover monthly loan payments. And yet, up till now, each of us has struggled with this alone.

On April 26 we will have the opportunity to start a conversation on this tough issue and get some information from a panel of professionals in the field of college access:

Christine Mcguire, Exec. Director of Financial Assistance at B.U.

Deanne Loonin of the National Consumer Law Center and sister of a temple member)

Kathy Anderson of MEFA

At this forum we will:

Learn from them and from each other about successes and challenges of navigating financial aid world

Learn how to analyze financial aid packages

Find out what can and cannot be done about unaffordable debt

Learn more about the financial aid industry

Find out what GBIO and other organizations are doing to produce a fairer loan environment

Please RSVP to contact person indicated on members' calendar, accessible via the Members' Page, so we can be prepared for the number of people attending.


	GBIO Greater Boston Interfaith Organization at Temple Shir Tikvah


Lobbying for Health Reform	Reverend Herman Hamilton, President of GBIO