Interfaith Action Records

The Interfaith Action Records, 1965-2011, comprise corporate documents, financial records, correspondence, public actions and initiatives, and photographs documenting the organization’s operational materials and projects created to improve the quality of local neighborhoods.

Corporate documents are composed of mission statements, goals, meeting minutes, by-laws, and several papers concerning staff development, such as training leaders from participating congregations and the community using the Pacific Institute for Community Organizing (PICO) model. Additionally, this series contains staff reports, yearly achievements, and Interfaith Action’s annual breakfasts.

Financial records include tax returns, financial statements, and several documents concerning funding, including research, proposals, and grants awarded and denied.

Correspondence, arranged chronologically, encompasses a range of topics including meeting announcements, follow-ups to public actions, employment postings, and communication between Interfaith Action and city officials and the community.

Public actions and initiatives, comprising an array of materials, includes research, proposals, petitions, questionnaires, meeting minutes, calling scripts, reports, and outcomes documenting several projects by Interfaith Action to improve local communities. One of their prime actions, Raise a Roof! Initiative, was created to revitalize neighborhoods on Rochester’s west side. Through partnerships with the City of Rochester, local congregations, businesses, and the community, they were successful in reviving commercial districts, increasing homeownership, and beautifying neighborhoods through street cleanups, landscaping, and rehabilitation or demolition of abandoned properties. Some projects under this initiative included a 7.5 million-reconstruction development of Chili Avenue; a cleanup and redesign for abandoned Sebastian Park; and a renewal of Historic Jones Square and surrounding neighborhoods. Among several other projects, the public actions and initiatives series also includes documents concerning Interfaith Action’s efforts to create a property management database, and the development of a Neighborhood Trust Fund, established to create affordable housing for families, seniors, and disabled individuals.

Photographs capture numerous Interfaith Action public actions and initiatives including the Peace Makers Garden, various neighborhood cleanups, property demolitions, housing summits, and Chili Avenue and Jones Square Park revitalizations. Also included are images from the organization's annual breakfasts.