Aneesa Matt ISAIAH

One of the many ways we both experience God in the deepest sense is at the intersections between the pain of the world and the hope of our faith. It was during deep conversations around these questions about organizing, justice, pain and hope that we grew to love each other.

Both of us have been transformed by relationships and actions we experienced with other ISAIAH leaders. ISAIAH leaders are creating the healthy communities that we hope for in our life together in North Minneapolis. Examples include:

• After a five year campaign by ISAIAH leaders, the Minnesota Department of Transportation agreed to use ½ of 1% federal highway funds to train and provide apprenticeships to low-income people, people of color and women.
• ISAIAH leaders stood in solidarity with thousands of poor people in Minnesota this winter as we worked to save General Assistance Medical Care, a program that provides medical care for extremely poor and extremely sick Minnesotans. While working on the campaign at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church we realized how many of our friends were connected to this issue in some way. The picture above is from a cold December day when 33 groups of people stood on a street corners around the state and read the names of those who would lose their health care coverage.
• ISAIAH churches in North and South Minneapolis are holding conversations about equity in math education in Minneapolis Public Schools because of the importance of math skills to financial stability.

There is more information about the organization at www.gamaliel.org/ISAIAH/default.htm