ACORN Hosts Biennial Conference

DETROIT, Mich. - ACORN members from around the country began arriving in Detroit Friday, June 20, for the organization's biennial convention at Cobo Hall. You can join us LIVE online for former Sen. John Edwards, on Monday 23, 10 am EST .

If you were unable to join us in Detroit this year, you can still participate online in many ways. We have online videos of all the speakers and open sessions. We are featuring members stories, photographs, and blogs. Check back often as we have some exciting activities yet to be announced and the site is being updated often.

This year's convention theme, "Building Dreams Across America," reflects on ACORN's major campaigns of stemming the foreclosure crisis, ending poverty, winning immigration reform, fighting for health care for all and rebuilding New Orleans.

Detroit was chosen because Michigan is among the top 10 states with the highest foreclosure rates. Thousands of ACORN members and ACORN Housing counselors canvassed distressed Detroit neighborhoods Sunday, reaching out to troubled borrowers and offering on-the-spot counseling and assistance.

"We believe that change is on the horizon and that change will build the dreams that have too long eluded low- and moderate-income Americans," said ACORN President Maude Hurd.

About 2,000 ACORN members have arrived for a weekend of planning, action, and celebration of ACORN's 38 years of winning victories for low-income Americans.

Hear speeches by going to the ACORN website from Edwards, who is working with ACORN on the new "Half in Ten" campaign to cut poverty in half in 10 years; Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.); Rep. Carolyn Cheeks-Kilpatrick (D-Mich.); Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners; Maria Elena Durazo, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor; Rep. John Conyars (D-Mich.) and other progressive leaders.

The ACORN National Convention is one of the best opportunities to see and feel the impact of the organization's success in winning change for low- and moderate-income people. Since the 2006 convention, which focused on Raising the Minimum Wage, ACORN-backed ballot initiatives passed in Arizona, Colorado, Ohio and Missouri, raising the state minimum wage by $1.35 or more - delivering raises to 1.5 million workers.