The support of Alabama Baptists allows Alabama Citizens Action Program (ALCAP) to continue its effort of being Alabama’s moral compass, ALCAP Executive Director Joe Godfrey told state convention messengers during his report Nov. 18.
With Bill Day, ALCAP education director, by his side, Godfrey pointed out the three principles ALCAP embraces: legislation, consultation and education.
According to the Book of Reports, ALCAP monitored 116 out of 1,106 bills during the 2008 legislative session. Of the 116 bills, 30 dealt with sexual crimes, 15 with gambling expansion, 50 with alcohol and drugs and 21 with other issues such as tobacco and pro-life. Each of the 15 gambling bills was stopped, Godfrey said, noting that one alcohol bill did make it through the Alabama House of Representatives.
“But not in the Senate,” he said, noting ALCAP’s presence and work to fight the bill. “That’s why we need you to contact your legislators and tell them, ‘We’re tired of all these alcohol and gambling bills and we want you to say no.’”
Regarding consultation, Godfrey said ALCAP had opportunity to help keep three Alabama counties dry following the Nov. 4 election.
Consultation has also been available for people in areas dealing with “bingo-cinos” as Godfrey has labeled electronic bingo gambling facilities.
“We’re trying to find ways to solve this issue, and we need your prayers and continued encouragement and support.”
“Every teacher could tell you about experiences they had that spoke to them about the importance of what we do,” Day said as he shared a story about a young man who had been kicked out of school and was serving time in a juvenile detention center. The boy had accepted Christ during his time there and was getting ready to be transferred to spend the remainder of his sentence as an adult in prison.
“This was a young man who knew Jesus. I reached out to take his hand, then he reached out and gave me a hug,” Day recalled. “These things do not happen every day. But if they only happen once in a lifetime, it’s worth it.
“And as you support what we do,” Day explained to messengers, “you make that a reality.”
The Book of Reports states in the 2007–2008 school year, 34 ALCAP volunteers made 2,221 presentations to 700 schools, impacting more than 108,000 students. Those presentations deal with drug and alcohol abstinence, dealing with bullies, etc., and include two new topics — gambling prevention and skills for real life.
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