This past Saturday Aug 11, Jonestown, PA, was declared the very first “City of ONE” in Pennsylvania!
The community came together for the Annual Spirit of Jonestown Parade and Picnic where ONE supporters hosted a float in the parade and a table where people could join the campaign at the picnic. At the picnic, Jonestown Mayor George Kaufman signed the “City of ONE” Proclamation and State Representative RoseMarie Swanger presented the volunteers with a “Certificate of Recognition” from the State house.
ONE member and Jonestown resident Brian Sweeney headed the effort to secure the proclamation and have a float for ONE in the parade. “I have learned through my volunteering with ONE what I can do as an average citizen to make a difference in fighting extreme poverty around the world. Turns out, there’s a lot I can do,” explains Sweeney. “I can ask my mayor to make my hometown a City of ONE, I can ask my Governor to declare my state a State of ONE, and I can call on my representatives in Congress to make the right decisions for the world’s poorest people.”
Jonestown ONE members worked for months, meeting with the mayor, planning for the float, and recruiting more volunteers to help them out on this special day! All in all it was a great success and Mayor Kaufman said it best during the proclamation signing, “I am proud that Jonestown is Pennsylvania’s first City of ONE. Each of us has a responsibility to help others in an emergency. When people are dying from diseases that can be easily cured or treated, I consider that an emergency. With the Jonestown residents, this is something I can do to help. We need to acknowledge the problems, learn about the issues and take action with the ONE Campaign.”
Jonestown joins 109 cities, 10 states and three colleges that have been declared Cities, States and Colleges of ONE across the country. Find more information on how to get your city declared a “City of ONE” here.
-Kim Smith, Regional Field Organizer
They say you can’t fight City Hall, and I agree. That’s why I asked City Hall to join me in a fight – a fight to rid the world of extreme poverty. Mayor Donnie Brown happily agreed and signed a proclamation today to make New Madrid a City of ONE. By doing so, he has given Missouri its first City of ONE and has officially joined an effort to end extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.
Members of the community stood with me on Friday to watch as Mayor Brown signed the proclamation. As parents, nurses, business leaders and people of faith, we feel the need to do more around the world.
I look forward to working with others around the state to spread the message. So far, I’ve signed up 100 people after New Madrid’s City of ONE announcement. Missourians are beginning to see that we can get involved and save lives right here at home. I hope to see more Cities of ONE pop up around the state because this is a great way to get involved and shine light on important issues.
New Madrid now joins 109 cities, 10 states and three colleges that have been declared Cities, States and Colleges of ONE across the country. I want what Mayor Donnie Brown started to continue across the state – let’s lead the country with Cities of ONE!
-Cheryl White, CEO Semo Health Network
