Communities Organized for Public Service (COPS) is an organization of 26 parishes in the predominantly Hispanic, low-income West Side and South Side of San Antonio. Founded in 1974, it is the oldest of the Interfaith Area Foundation (IAF) organizations in Texas and, indeed, in the entire national network. The Metro Alliance, which shares office space and many resources with C.O.P.S., formed in 1989 through a merger of the East Side Alliance, composed of African American and Hispanic low- and lower-middle income churches, and the Metropolitan Congregational Alliance. The latter organized in 1982 and included South, Central, and Northwest area Anglo and Hispanic Protestant lower-middle and middle-income churches.
C.O.P.S. and Metro Alliance are a coalition of over 70 congregations, schools, and unions coming together so that we can effectively act on behalf of families. C.O.P.S. and Metro Alliance work within each of these institutions to identify a diverse, broad-based leadership that can connect to each other in new ways in order to act effectively on behalf of children, families, and neighborhoods. By learning to work together for the public good, C.O.P.S. and Metro Alliance leaders are able to work with the business community and elected officials to make San Antonio a better place for families. The relationships that leaders develop and foster within their institutions and among leaders from the racially, ethnically, and religiously diverse institutions that comprise these organizations are the foundation of broad-based community organizing.
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After-School Challenge Program: Securing over $15.6 million in city funding for after-school enrichment programs throughout the city since 1992. The program is presently available in eight school districts at 161 schools and serves 34,000 children.
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San Antonio Education Partnership: Collaborating with businesses, communities, school districts, and universities, scholarships are awarded to public high school students who graduate with at least a B average and 95% attendance record. Over 4,500 graduates from fifteen area highs schools have received scholarships, nearly 1,000 of whom have completed B.A. or B.S. degrees at this time.
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Project QUEST: Developed and continue to place unemployed and underemployed high school graduates in a supportive, long-term job training program for high-skill, high-wage jobs available in San Antonio. Over 1,000 participants since 1991.
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Alliance Schools: Working to improve student achievement and engage parents and community members in public education in 15 public schools in three districts.
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Living Wages: Changed the city's tax abatement policy to require corporate abatement recipients to pay living wages (nearly $10.00/hour) to at least 70% of employees. Also worked with elected officials and administrators to pay living wages (minimum $8.75/hour) to City of San Antonio, Bexar County, hospital district, and school district employees.
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Infrastructure: Directed over $25 million of federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to critical street, drainage and housing needs in the central, southern and eastern areas of the city.
C.O.P.S. and Metro Alliance leaders work with elected officials to ensure that promised services are delivered through regular meetings and accountability sessions. The organizations also meet regularly with business leaders, city staff, and other decision makers throughout the city and state.
Sources: Duesterhoeft, Diane. The Metro Alliance: Together working for a better community ., prepared March 2004. The bulk of this background information can be found at: Metro Alliance, http://www.uusat.org/?page_id=138. and Communities Organized for Public Service, USA - http://www.iisd.org/50comm/commdb/list/c19.htm
From the guide to the C. O. P. S. /Metro Alliance Records MS 346., 1954-2009, (The University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.)
