PATH September Newsletter
We’re taking action at the county and state level this fall! Here’s a recap of our recent work and a look ahead:
PATH Countywide Meeting (Oct 1)
Statewide Action (November 17)
Staff Updates
Summer Training Series Recap
PATH Countywide Meeting
Join us for our PATH Countywide Meeting on Tuesday, October 1st!
Help shape our statewide agenda on attainable housing and climate equity, and plan for our statewide action in November.
Turn-out: At least 3-5 people from each member congregation or organization.
Tuesday, Oct. 1st, 7:00–8:30 pm
Owen Brown Interfaith Center, 7246 Cradlerock Way, Columbia
2. Statewide Action November 17
Save the date for our Statewide Action on November 17th from 3:00–5:00 pm, at Wilde Lake Interfaith Center in Columbia!
Together as ACT, AIM, and PATH, we are bringing 500-600 people to meet with our state legislators, Maryland Secretary of Housing, Comptroller, and more to put forth our agenda for the 2025 legislative session. We'll call on our state leaders to help us achieve our priorities, including:
Diverse, attainable housing options
Renters' rights
Clean energy for healthy communities
Pre-K for every child
Help us show our power to make change statewide!
Please register here and invite your congregation or community:
3. Staff Updates
Takeiya Smith is no longer working with PATH. We wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors, and in the get-out-the-vote work she will be doing for the upcoming presidential election!
Katie DiSalvo-Thronson will be joining our staff part-time. Many of you may know her from her work in Howard County with the library system, the Horizon Foundation, and as a leader from St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church and member of the PATH Board of Directors. At the Horizon Foundation, she worked closely with PATH to improve walkability and pedestrian safety near First Baptist Church of Guilford, and to improve school food. She also interned with us when she was in graduate school and started an aging in place campaign team and helped PATH focus in on Medicaid vouchers, which PATH was able to expand by more than $11M in the state budget. She can organize in both English and Spanish. We look forward to working with her!
4. Summer Training Series Recap
Our Summer Training Series, “Building Diverse Teams for Justice,” was a success! Leaders across ACT, PATH, and AIM learned how to organize core teams in their congregations and communities.
A total of 199 people from PATH, ACT, and AIM registered to attend at least one of the 6 sessions between June and September. We had fun together and connected with each other between and across organizations through one-on-one and small group conversations. Together, we explored:
How core teams make up the key power base of our organizations.
How to hold listening sessions and one-on-one meetings to build relational power.
How to create and strengthen our core teams.
How we experience the divine as we work in community.
How to use communications to strengthen our teams.
As a result of the series, many leaders said they feel equipped to build stronger teams in their congregations, host listening sessions, and more. Stacy Burvant, an ACT leader who attended, says, “I am now more optimistic than ever in our potential to form core teams in the near future!” This power within our member organizations will be crucial as we act together at the state and county levels this year.
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