March and Rally Will Highlight Issues of Jobs, Housing, and Services; Coalition is Registering Thousands of Low-income and Homeless Persons

Monday, September 22
March - Broad St. and Fairmount Ave., 1:00 p.m.
Rally - LOVE Park, 2:00 p.m.

[PHILADELPHIA] In their quest for the White House, are Senators John McCain and Barack Obama addressing the critical issues facing millions of Americans who are low-income or homeless? That question is being raised by a coalition of Philadelphians who are mobilizing during this election year.

The nonpartisan Vote for Homes! coalition will host a March and Rally this Monday, September 22, calling on the major presidential candidates not to ignore persons who are homeless, low-income, disabled, or ex-offenders. The group will gather at Broad Street and Fairmount Avenue at 1:00 p.m. and march down Broad Street to Center City. At 2:00 p.m., hundreds of persons – mostly low-income and homeless – are expected to arrive for a rally at LOVE Park, 15th Street and JFK Boulevard. Speakers at the rally will include Mayor Michael Nutter, homeless advocate Sister Mary Scullion, and several Philadelphians who themselves struggle with homelessness and poverty – including veterans.

Vote for Homes! is a nonpartisan advocacy effort focused on the issues of affordable housing, living-wage jobs, and quality services in local, state, and federal elections. Committed to cutting poverty and promoting leadership accountability, the coalition advocates opportunities for all Americans, not just those above the poverty level. Vote For Homes! has been registering and educating thousands of low-income and homeless Philadelphians during this election year.

“I help others like me get involved in the political process so we can make sure that the issues of housing, jobs, and services are addressed in this election,” said Connie Naylor, a long-time Vote for Homes! volunteer and resident of Travelers Aid Society of Philadelphia. “We might be homeless, but we are not vote-less.”

The Vote for Homes! rally is part of National Homeless and Low-Income Voter Registration Week. Later in the week, on Friday, September 26, Vote For Homes! is inviting low-income and homeless persons as well as supporters to join together to watch the first National Presidential Debate together and develop talking points that candidates Barack Obama and John McCain should address in their debate for economic reform.

Vote for Homes! is a nonpartisan advocacy coalition that focuses on the issues of affordable housing, living wage jobs, and quality services in elections. Since 1999, the coalition has registered more than 12,600 homeless and low-income voters, convened several candidates’ forums, hosted over one hundred voter education events, and distributed over 25,000 Voters Guides annually. As many as 60 different organizations have participated in the Vote for Homes! coalition. For more information on Vote for Homes! contact Jennine Miller at 215-232-7272, ext. 3042 or jenninemiller@projecthome.org.

AchieveAbility • ACORN-Philadelphia • Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Zeta Omicron Lambda Chapter • American Friends Service Committee • Arch Street United Methodist Church • Bethesda Project • Catholic Social Services • Church of the Advocate • Civic House, University of Pennsylvania • Coalition Ingenue • Dignity Housing • Disabled in Action • Drueding Center Project Rainbow• Episcopal Community Services • Ex-Offenders Association of PA • Family Shelter Support Team • Homeless Advocacy Project • Horizon House • Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania • Impact Services Corporation • Institute for the Study of Civic Values • Interfaith Advocates • League of Women Voters-Philadelphia • Liberty Resources, Inc. • Lutheran Settlement House • Mental Health Association of Southeastern PA • Mercy Hospice • My Place Germantown • New Kensington CDC • Northwest Philadelphia Interfaith Hospitality Network • PathWaysPA • Pennsylvania Prison Society • People's Emergency Center • Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations • Philadelphia Beauty Showcase National Historic Museum • Philadelphia Health Management Corporation • Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development (PHENND) • Philadelphia Senior Center • Prevention Point Philadelphia • Project H.O.M.E. • Ready, Willing, and Able • Resources for Human Development • RHD-Ridge Center • SELF Inc. • SHARE • St. John's Hospice • Temple Center for Nonprofits • Tenant Union Representative Network • The Salvation Army • The Time is Now to Make a Change • Travelers Aid Philadelphia • United Communities Southeast Philadelphia • United Way Southeastern Pennsylvania • Visitation Homes • Women of Hope-Lombard • Women of Hope-Vine • Women's Community Revitalization Project • Women's Law Project • WOMEN'S WAY • WomenVote PA • X-Offenders for Community Empowerment • Young Involved Philadelphia (To sign-on to the Vote for Homes! Coalition, please contact Jennine Miller at jenninemiller@projecthome.org.)