Making Tempe safe and free...

From my friends in the Resistance - every community needs to be doing this. It's stuff like this that builds community, sometimes, forcing us to stretch together in ways we never dreamed of...all to bring about a world that some say isn't possible.

I know that another world is possible...and already in the making:

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Rally in Tempe against SB 1070!

Thursday, June 24, 2010
7:00pm - 8:30pm

Tempe City Hall, 31 East Fifth Street (between Mill and College)
lower level below the upside-down pyramid building

31 East Fifth St.
Tempe, AZ

View Map

Come down to Tempe this Thursday and show support for Tempe residents organizing against SB 1070 (the "show me your papers" law)! There will be a rally outside of the Tempe city hall during the city council meeting, this is a protest and opportunity for residents and supporters to speak out against enforcement of this unjust and racist law.

This event is family friendly, so invite your friends, family, and neighbors who also oppose SB 1070. Let's show the city council that Tempe residents, along with supporters from across the valley, want a safe and free Tempe for everyone!

This one is in the evening, but make sure to bring plenty of water as well.

Tumbleweeds: Youth Homelessness Prevention

This looks like it has some potential:
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Youth center gets Tempe grant to fight homelessness
By: Nicole Gilbert
Published On: Friday, September 18, 2009

The Tempe City Council on Thursday approved a $200,000 one-year contract for Tumbleweed Center for Youth Development, for homeless prevention and rapid rehousing services.

Tumbleweed will use the funds to invest in property that will immediately house young adults and provide support services, said Dick Geasland, Tumbleweed’s executive director.

The center has housing in Phoenix but not in Tempe, Geasland said. With this new funding, it will work with Tempe Youth Resource Center on Sixth Street and Mill Avenue to create housing.

“[It] will provide housing and case management for young adults 18 to 26,” he said, adding that the goal is getting people off the street immediately.

The rapid rehousing services will allow the partnership to invest in three to eight Tempe apartments. Geasland said this is a start, but the Tempe homeless population far outnumbers any available housing.

“Homelessness is expanding everywhere,” he said.

The funds will be used to provide support services for young adults.

These services will aid homeless young adults in learning the skills necessary to take care of an apartment, find a job, succeed in education and support themselves, Geasland said.

“They need some support services for them to be successful to be off on their own,” he said.

The current Tumbleweed Phoenix location and the Tempe Center for Youth Development work to provide basic services to young homeless people, he said. They supply computers, phones, job resources and basic necessities to those who have nowhere to go.

“We need to expand — we don’t have enough room,” Geasland said. “We’re really looking for another place in the downtown [Phoenix] area.”

The Tempe City Council approved Tumbleweed’s request for funding unanimously.

Reach the reporter at ndgilber@asu.edu.