POOR PEOPLE’S ADVOCATE CHERI HONKALA ANNOUNCING RUN FOR PHILADELPHIA SHERIFF ON A PLATFORM OF NO EVICTIONS

Cheri Honkala vows to serve the interests of the people instead of the interests of the banks by “Keeping Families in Their Homes” until the economic climate in Philadelphia changes.

PHILADELPHIA

Formerly homeless mother and National Director of the Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign Cheri Honkala is challenging the banks and the way in which the Office of the Sheriff runs by joining the race to become the next Sheriff of Philadelphia. “I’m running for Sheriff because something needs to be done to address the plague of home evictions being faced by too many poor and working families in Philadelphia.” Honkala said. The official tagline for the Honkala campaign for Sheriff is: “Keeping Families In Their Homes.”

Honkala is a tireless advocate for the nation’s poor and homeless. She founded the local Kensington Welfare Rights Union (KWRU) and the national Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC), who work to help people who cannot get help through bureaucratic channels find solutions to their housing crises. Honkala was included in Philadelphia Magazine’s list of 100 Most Powerful Philadelphians and was named Philadelphia Weekly’s “Woman of the Year” in 1997.

Honkala will announce her run as a Green Party candidate for Philadelphia Sheriff at a Press Conference on Thursday, February 17 at 10AM at 718 Market Street. She will also be announcing the launch of the campaign’s website CheriHonkala.com.

Cheri Honkala’s run for Sheriff comes as a last resort to help people and families who have nowhere to turn after a corrupt Sheriff’s Office still can’t come up with millions of dollars worth of real-estate auction receipts. It has been reported that the current Office of the Sheriff has kept an unknown amount of money from Philadelphia residents after their foreclosed homes were sold and back taxes and utility bills were paid. Honkala vows to fight for the working class homeowner who has been left to live in the streets after the Wall Street financial class was bailed out.

Speakers endorsing Honkala at the Press Conference include CEO of Liberty Resources Tom Earle, former President of District Council 47 Tom Paine Cronin, and Sister Margaret McKenna from New Jerusalem. Jim Moran Director Emeritus of Philaposh* and 16 year Chair of the Philadelphia Labor Day Parade Committee will be speaking in support of Honkala and will also be announcing his role as her Campaign Manager. Reverend Robert Johnson will be speaking on behalf of Philadelphians who have been made homeless through mismanaged Sheriff sales, and Hugh Giordano will be speaking on behalf of the Green Party.

Honkala is also the mother of writer/director/actor/activist Mark Webber (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Snow Day) who grew up surviving the harsh Philadelphia winters in abandoned houses and buildings while his mother began to organize with other impoverished and homeless families. Webber shot his film that put a spotlight on poverty and the failure of the healthcare system entitled “Explicit Ills” (Rosario Dawson, Francisco Burgos) in Philadelphia. The film was released in 2008, and won several awards at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival.

“Our politicians aren’t doing anything about the foreclosure issue. There isn’t a moratorium, and there needs to be, so I have no other choice than to step forward and to choose to stop throwing families out of their homes by becoming the Philadelphia Sheriff.” Honkala says. “When one in five families is at risk of foreclosure in this country, something is really wrong.”

“I want to encourage people across the country that can’t keep families in homes to run for Sheriff as well and refuse to throw families out on the street.”

To learn more about the Cheri Honkala for Sheriff Campaign, please visit http://www.CheriHonkala.com.

Find the Cheri Honkala for Sheriff Campaign on Twitter @Cheri4Sheriff.