Green Party of Utah Joins Call to Greens for Collection Effort for Homeless

MEDIA RELEASE – GREEN PARTY OF UTAH

PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATING CONVENTION TO HIGHLIGHT HEALTH CARE, HOMELESSNESS, ENVIRONMENT, DRUG REFORM, IRAQ WAR

COLLECTION EFFORT FOR UTAH SHELTERS AND FOOD BANKS WILL BE HELD LOCALLY

Contact information: Deanna Taylor, 801.631.2998, gpu@gput.org

Green Party of Utah Delegate to Attend National Meeting in Chicago; Food and Clothing collection efforts will take place in Chicago and Utah; Presidential Candidate to be nominated

06.25.07 Salt Lake City – The Green Party of the United States Annual National Meeting, “Live Green Vote Green”, will be held in Chicago July 10 – 13, where the candidate for President for the GPUS will be chosen. The convention will serve as a public forum for discussion on a variety of major issues including nuclear power, single payer health insurance, homelessness, the war on drugs and the Iraq War.

Moab Green Party Local Member Harold Shepherd will be representing the Green Party of Utah at the Convention. “I am very excited to be a representative for the GPUT,” says Shepherd, a consultant for Red Rock Forests in Moab and Executive Director for the Center for Water Advocacy. “Utah is one of the states that is being hit most directly with climate change, energy development, water conflicts and other environmental and social justice issues and is far behind most other states in addressing these issues. I think the GPUT and the National Green party have a chance to be leaders in going beyond mere talk and actually reversing the tide of the social and environmental crises in the West.” Shepherd has over 25 years working with Indian Tribes, conservation organizations and activists on water and natural resources related topics.

Pat LaMarche of Maine, 2004 Green Party Vice Presidential Candidate and 2006 Candidate for Governor of Maine is launching a collection effort for homeless shelters during the National Convention for Chicago shelters. Utah will join that effort locally.

“Political parties have a tendency to drop into a location for a gathering or convention, occupy some of the more affluent areas of the city and completely overlook the constituency in that area that most needs a better government. I’m proud that every time I’ve put out the call to my Green counterparts around this country to help others in need; they have responded quickly and generously. I can’t thank the Greens of Utah enough for answering this call,” says LaMarche, author of Left Out in America: The State of Homelessness in the United States, which tells the stories of many homeless Americans during her 14-day journey in homeless shelters throughout the country where she witnessed firsthand the condition of the homelessness crisis.

“Homelessness effects everyone,” states Deanna Taylor, Co-Coordinator of the GPUT. “The National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates approximately 600,000 families and 1.35 million children experience homelessness in the U.S., making up about 50 % of the homeless population,” explains Taylor. “According to its 2007 report, The Road Home, Utah’s largest homeless shelter, all shelters served an unduplicated 3, 862 individuals for a total 222,581 nights of shelter last year. The total number of shelter nights is up by 8,207 from last year.” Taylor further adds, “There is no reason why anyone should be without food, clothing and shelter. This is not only a problem, it’s an epidemic that must be addressed by our leaders, our communities, and our citizens taking action to demand a system where homelessness becomes an issue of the past.”

The GPUT is joining the national collection effort to collect items for local shelters and food banks by asking Utahns to bring clothing, personal and food items in labeled bags or boxes during July to The Free Speech Zone, 411 South 800 East, Salt Lake City or The Utah Peace House Project, West Jordan (call ahead – 801.631.2998) or arrange a drop off/pick up by calling 801.209.0219 or 801.631.2998 or writing to gpu@gput.org

2008 Green National Convention: Live Green, Vote Green http://www.greenparty2008.org

Green Party News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml

Green Party of Utah http://www.gput.org, http://www.desertgreens.org

Contact: Utah: Deanna Taylor, 801.631.2998, gpu@gput.org

Maine: Pat LaMarche, 207.671.0190, patlamarche@hotmail.com