Monday, January 18, 2016

9:30 – 10:30  CULTURES, CLANS, AND COMMUNITIES

Ending Homelessness: 
Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative

Speaker: Lee Blons, Executive Director, Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative

Beacon is a collaborative of over 70 congregations committed to ending homelessness through shelter, advocacy, and housing. It has developed or preserved nearly 500 units of affordable, supportive housing located in 15 properties across the metro area. Blons will share how Beacon is working to end homelessness and reaching its goal of providing 1,000 homes by 2020.

10:45 – 11:45 HEALTH

Diabetes Update: Prevention and Treatment Strategies

Speaker: Nancy Cooper, Registered Dietitian, Diabetes Nutrition Specialist, International Diabetes Center, Minneapolis

What is diabetes and what are different treatment options? How can developing diabetes be prevented or delayed? Risk factors, food plan basics, new medication options, and other lifestyle tips to help manage this chronic condition will be discussed.

11:45 – Noon ANNOUNCEMENTS
12:00 – 1:15 LUNCHEON

1:15 – 2:15 AUTHOR, AUTHOR

On Being a Playwright

Speaker: Kathryn Haddad, Lebanese American Playwright and Teacher

Who is Zafira, the Olive Warrior? Why are Ahmed and Khairy on a road trip from New Jersey to Wisconsin? What is an Arab doing in someone’s head, and who is sending love from Ramallah? Haddad will answer these questions and tell us why she founded Mizna, the only journal of Arab-American literature in the United States.