Faith-based responses to social crises

Wednesday December 8, 9:00 – 10:30 AM
Street Saints: Renewing America’s Cities: A breakfast and book discussion with Sagamore associate fellow Barbara Elliott
Sagamore Institute, 5395 Emerson Way Indianapolis

The product of eight years of hands-on experience with grassroots practitioners and more than 300 interviews, Barbara Elliott’s Street Saints details how people of faith are working to change lives in neighborhoods, communities, and cities throughout the United States. These unsung heroes range from grade school dropouts to PhDs, from former prostitutes to business executives, from ex-gang members to preachers. They are black, white, Latino, Baptist, Catholic, Pentecostal, and Presbyterian. But the convictions of this diverse group transcend denominational, racial, cultural, and political boundaries; street saints share a commitment to helping others turn their lives around. Street Saints profiles these motivated people, the programs they are running, the lives they are changing, and the communities they are renewing. It chronicles their practices, their track records and their successes. Elliott is the founder of the Center for Renewal in Houston, which serves faith-based organizations, particularly those working in the inner city. President George W. Bush presented her with the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human rights in 2001, honoring her work with refugees and the poor. A former international correspondent for PBS, she is the author of Candles Behind the Wall: Heroes of the Peaceful Revolution that Shattered Communism, and scores of articles on civic renewal. She is a philanthropic advisor with the Legacy Group and an Associate Fellow with the Sagamore Institute for Policy Research.

Please respond (acceptances only) by December 3 to Maureen Lee at (317) 549-4111 or maureen@sipr.org. There will be a charge of $20 for this event. Copies of Elliott’s book will also be available for purchase.