We believe in the power of organized people… to build stronger communities where justice and fairness are a reality for everyone.

Everyone is invited to the Nehemiah Action!!!

Please join us on Monday May 8th at 630 pm at Harvest United Methodist Church (14305 Covenant Way, Lakewood Ranch FL).

STREAM and community members from all of Manatee County are invited to this event.

STREAM leaders will ask elected officials to agree to take specific actions to address our community’s Affordable Housing and Criminal Justice Reform needs.

We need your help to drive an impressive turnout that shows the officials that our community wants and needs these reforms!

We will also share announcements and celebrate successes.

Feel free to contact us for questions or additional information.

More than 100 people attended our April 24 Rally… We are ready (and fired up) for the Nehemiah Action!!!

Manatee County will implement an adult pre-arrest diversion (APAD) program !!!

The Manatee County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) is implementing an APAD program (as requested by STREAM)!!! See the Herald-Tribune article and Tampa Bay news coverage for more details!

The program does not include minor traffic infractions as STREAM had hoped, but will still help many adults who commit minor offenses stay out of jail.

We thank Sheriff Wells and our law enforcement agencies for their partnership on this important issue.

STREAM will celebrate this accomplishment at the May 8 Nehemiah Action and continue to advocate for criminal justice reform in Manatee County.

Our Affordable Housing (AH) team had a strong turnout at the March 21 Manatee Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) special work session!!!

The Florida Housing Coalition provided great information including recommendations to address homelessness and affordable housing issues in Manatee County.

Stay tuned for more details about BOCC implementation of the recommendations.

You can review the agenda items here.

You can also watch the work session on YouTube.

But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
- Amos 5:24

Our March 9th Candelight/Prayer Vigil was a success!!!

More than 50 clergy and lay leaders came to pray in front of the Sheriff's office. In response to our prayers, Sheriff Wells has now agreed to meet with STREAM about the Adult Pre-Arrest Diversion program. Stay tuned for more details!

The event also received media coverage from multiple outlets. See what Channel 10 Tampa Bay and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune had to say…

“The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.” - Proverbs 29:7

About Us

Many of us want to “do something” to solve problems in our community, but often lack an effective vehicle to do so. We work to address this gap and invite you to join us.

STREAM (Stronger Together Reaching Equality Across Manatee) is a nonpartisan, grassroots organizing group uniting faith communities to answer the call to seek justice and solve critical community problems in Manatee County. Our name STREAM reflects our vision of a community where justice flows like a never-failing stream (Amos 5:24). We believe “loving our neighbor” means standing up and acting to provide fairness and justice for all.

Unique to our approach is a focus on direct action to address the root causes of problems. We do not provide charitable services (often a temporary fix). STREAM works to create long-term solutions by changing problematic policies and systems that are significant drivers of poverty and injustice. Our current priority issues are affordable housing and criminal justice reform.

We currently have 15 member congregations with diverse religious, socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds and who come from all parts of Manatee County. We are actively seeking new member congregations (and individual members).

But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
- Amos 5:24 — But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. - Amos 5:24

I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.
- Amos 5:24 — I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living. - Amos 5:24

Do you know what I want? I want justice – oceans of it. I want fairness – rivers of it. That’s what I want. That’s all I want.
- Amos 5:24 — Do you know what I want? I want justice – oceans of it. I want fairness – rivers of it. That’s what I want. That’s all I want. - Amos 5:24

But let justice and fairness flow like a river that never runs dry.
- Amos 5:24 — But let justice and fairness flow like a river that never runs dry. - Amos 5:24

No, no, we are not satisfied and will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.
- Amos 5:24 — No, no, we are not satisfied and will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream. - Amos 5:24

Interested in joining us?

We would love to have you on our team and there are many ways to get involved. Whether you’re more comfortable contributing time to help advocate for our goals, money to help us grow, or energy to expand our membership, we need your help. Every member counts and makes creating change in our community possible!
Although our membership is rooted in faith-based institutions, our mission is not to push religious doctrine. Anyone who shares our values of justice and fairness is welcome to get involved. We set aside labels like red/blue or conservative/liberal that divide a community so we can work together on practical solutions for our common good.

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“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” — Archbishop Desmond Tutu

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