Forum helps faith-
based groups

Various government agencies are
backing the isle conference

Federal, state and city agencies are supporting the first Faith-Based and Community Initiatives conference to be held in Hawaii.

The conference will be Oct. 17 at the Neal Blaisdell Center and will feature opening remarks by Gov. Linda Lingle and a video address by President Bush.

Justin Menolascino, with the state Labor Department's Office of Community Services, is organizing the conference.

"We will have five workshops in three tracks covering a range of issues that affect Hawaii and that all community organizations deal with, such as at-risk youth, homeless and hungry, substance abuse, job training and elder care," Menolascino said.

The conference comes from the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives that would "provide a place where faith-based organizations can compete equally with other groups to provide government or privately funded services," according to the federal office.

Menolascino expects about 700 attendees. Representatives of various city, state and federal agencies will be at the conference to explain how faith-based groups can get federal grants for community projects.

Sam Aiona, director of the state Labor Department's Office of Community Services, estimated that the conference will cost about $40,000, with the funds coming from the federal government.

Some of the agencies supporting the conference include city Department of Community Services, state Executive Office on Aging, the University of Hawaii Center on the Family, and UH Center on Aging.

"All it is, is an initiative to level the playing field between community and faith-based organizations to give them equal access to money," Menolascino said. "Faith-based organizations have always been getting money, such as Catholic Charities and the YMCA. It is not new; it is just to make sure that all organizations have a chance for the money if they want it."

Others, however, caution that while faith-based institutions provide important services in the community, there are problems mixing government aid with religious groups.

"The concern we have with President Bush's faith-based initiatives is the increasing blurring of church and state," said the Rev. Sam Cox, spokesperson for Interfaith Alliance Hawaii.

"There is a real danger that some faith groups may misuse these funds for evangelism and proselytizing," he said. "We need to strengthen the guidelines for civil rights protection and maintain appropriate lines between church and state."