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Valley Interfaith will hold an accountability session with candidates for the City of Pharr Commission and Mayor. The meeting will take place on Sunday, April 26, at 3:30PM at St Francis Xavier Cabrini Catholic Church, 8001 S. Cage Blvd., Pharr. All candidates for mayor and commissioners have been invited and have agreed to participate in the forum.
“This session gives the community an opportunity to practice the true art of politics;” said Mr. Eddie Anaya, leader with Valley Interfaith and parishioner at St. Francis Cabrini Catholic Church. “The community will present to the candidates issues that have been identified after a year of one to one conversations and small group meetings. The candidates will have an opportunity to say where they stand on these issues.”
Ms. Lorena Singh, a longtime Las Milpas resident and Valley Interfaith leader added: “These are basic needs for Pharr and especially for Las Milpas, a community of 40.000, almost half the population of Pharr. These needs include a public library/resource center, a bridge/walkway that will connect the community to our only park, continued funding for project VIDA, paving of streets that are in poor condition, curtailing predatory lending and access to public transportation.”
“We want people to participate,” Said Fr. Atangana, Pastor at St. Francis Xavier Cabrini Catholic Church. “It is part of our Christian responsibility to participate in the life of the community; we do this by participating in small group meetings with our neighbors to identify issues of common concern and by voting”. He added, “When we are faithful to responsibility as citizens, City Hall knows that we exist. The best way to say we exist is to participate in the democratic process. When we go out and vote, we exert significant influence.”
Valley Interfaith is a non-profit, institutionally based community organization, composed of twenty five member institutions from across the Valley. The purpose of the organization is the development of leaders that work with their communities to identify issues that affect the welfare of the neighborhoods. Valley Interfaith is non-partisan and does not endorse candidates, political parties or political philosophies. Valley Interfaith leaders initiate discussions and encourage active participation necessary to exercise our birthright as citizens in a democratic society.
