With the launch of a new Web site, increased demand for its educational program and an upcoming legislative session, Alabama Citizens Action Program (ALCAP) Executive Director Dan Ireland believes the organization is well positioned to continue its work as “Alabama’s moral compass” long into the future.
“As we look ahead, we’re hoping to expand our efforts to keep people updated on the programs and activities of ALCAP and to provide research and other resource information on the various moral issues we track,” Ireland said.
While ALCAP may be in the middle of a transition period, the organization’s commitment to its mission is as strong as ever. On May 31, 2008, Ireland will retire after serving 30 years at the helm of the ministry that has as its goal providing a voice for the faith community in Alabama. Joe Godfrey, current associate executive director, will assume the executive director position in June.
The Web site, www.alcaponline.org, is something Godfrey has been working on since he started with ALCAP in April. He believes the site will allow the organization to make people aware of legislative issues in a more cost effective and timely way.
“Through the Web site, we can get more information out for less expense than mailouts,” Godfrey said. “ALCAP is an information organization, and we needed to make the information we have accessible to pastors and church leaders around the state.”
He hopes the information provided on the site, including links to government Web sites, the names and addresses of legislators and articles on current issues, will be useful to those concerned about moral issues in the state, especially when the 2008 legislative session begins.
While the Legislature is in session, Godfrey plans to update the Web site with daily summaries of the bills ALCAP is monitoring. He also hopes to send e-mail alerts about pending legislation to encourage people to contact their legislators.
Ireland anticipates a busy session as usual next year. He hopes to continue the organization’s work toward passage of a clean air bill that will prohibit smoking in all enclosed areas. ALCAP also will continue to fight efforts to expand gambling and liquor sales in Alabama, as well as efforts to raise the alcohol level in beer from 6 percent to 14.9 percent per volume.
“We feel this is certainly detrimental, and we’re going to be working hard against it,” Ireland said regarding the beer issue. “Beer is the beverage of choice for teenagers who drink and the most popular alcoholic beverage sold in this country among adults and teenagers.”
When the legislative session begins in February, ALCAP will continue to host a prayer breakfast every Wednesday during the session. Ireland said the weekly breakfast brings members of all three branches of state government together for a time of prayer and fellowship with different pastors coming in to bring the message.
“[T]he prayer breakfast is something that a lot of the government people look forward to,” he said.
In addition to legislative affairs, ALCAP continues to focus on education. According to Godfrey, ALCAP speakers made 1,885 presentations to public and private schools, detention centers, boot camps and alternative programs during the 2006–2007 school year on topics such as suicide prevention, violence prevention, anger management and drug awareness.
“That translates into over 96,000 students who heard about the value of abstinence concerning alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and a positive, healthy, drug-free lifestyle,” he said.
More details about the educational ministry, as well as a form to request an ALCAP speaker, are available on the Web site.
Since ALCAP is an agency that depends on contributions from churches and individuals, Ireland said he is grateful for the financial support it receives but additional offerings and volunteers are always welcomed.
“We don’t direct charge for any of the services we render,” Ireland said. “We do all that we can with the resources that we have. If every church in the convention gave $1 a year for each resident member, it would allow ALCAP to miraculously do more than what we’ve done to promote moral issues in Alabama.”
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