Idaho may seem like an unlikely place for ACORN - the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now - to take root. But the Idaho branch of the national social and economic justice organization has been in southwestern Idaho since last summer and is raising its profile. ACORN's Idaho office is a five-minute walk from my house, but I wasn't aware of that until last month, when Idaho ACORN moved into bigger quarters in the same building and hung out these bright red banners. I finally noticed and stopped in this week to say hi.
ACORN's Idaho office is staffed by head organizer Nakita Santiago (center) and organizer Hannah Vinson (at right), pictured here with volunteer Nichole Watson. ACORN Idaho has two projects in the Treasure Valley: one in the Vista area of the Boise Bench and another in Garden City. ACORN is a membership organization for low- and moderate-income families. Neighbors are encouraged to make a financial commitment (I signed on for $10 a month); in turn, ACORN advocates for a wide range of issues that are important to working families and individuals. About 250 households have joined ACORN in Idaho so far.
Nationally, ACORN is especially well known for its work on living wages and the housing foreclosure crisis. The Idaho office plans to set up a meeting with Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden to learn what the state is doing to curb foreclosures and how ACORN might help. Clean water and better public transportation are other issues on the local office's radar. ACORN Idaho also offers free tax and benefit assistance to help people file their tax returns, claim the Earned Income Tax Credit, and more.
Want to learn more about ACORN? There's a meeting at 7 tonight (Thursday, March 27) at 5108 Alworth St., Garden City (just north of Chinden via 50th Street, then left on Alworth). Or stop by the office at 1310 S. Vista Ave., Suite 4, Boise; call 424-0210, or send them an email at idacorn at acorn dot org. Tax and benefits assistance is available from 4 to 9 p.m. weekday evenings. Call the number above to make an appointment.
ACORN stole my vote in 2008 - ACORN is marxist thug organization which will only be happy when there are millions of skulls - like the killing fields of cambodia
Posted by: robertotron | July 10, 2009 at 01:36 PM