SOLIDARITY LOWELL RAPID RESPONSE TEAM ACTION LIST FOR 5/17/19

Local

Solidarity Lowell May Meeting

Sunday, May 19th, 5:30pm, Christ Church United (UCC), 1 Bartlett Street, Lowell

Join us for the monthly general meeting of Solidarity Lowell! Featuring: a speaker from the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP), group updates and announcements, updates from subcommittees…and more! All are welcome!

More information: https://www.facebook.com/events/2376071762628964/

Help Staff the Solidarity Lowell Table at Pride

Saturday, June 1st, 11am-5pm, Downtown Lowell

We’re looking for folks to join us in representing Solidarity Lowell at Lowell Pride! March with us in the parade, help set up, staff the table, and/or help pack up after the event. Use the form at the link below to let us know what you’re able to help with!

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/QyUQKDW2NyYVwvj18

 

Meet with Senator Ed Kennedy about the Progressive Mass Agenda

Tuesday, May 28th, 5:30pm, Coffee and Cotton, Mill No. 5, 250 Jackson St, 4th Floor, Lowell

Join us in convincing Senator Ed Kennedy to co-sponsor the bills in the Progressive Massachusetts agenda, including the Fair Share Amendment, the Promise Act, Debt-Free College, Affordable Child Care, Medicare for All, the Safe Communities Act, the HOMES Act, and more!

More information and to RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/2313472005588230/

Join the Affordable Housing Subcommittee

As a result of our recent Strengthening Our Cities workshop series and activities at meetings, Solidarity Lowell is creating a subcommittee that will focus on the topic of affordable housing. If you are interested in joining, sign up using the form below.

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/RcDDqskH7bsurq4D9

 

Join the Elections Subcommittee

The time has come to get our endorsements survey ready for the Lowell City Council and School Committee elections this fall. We’re looking for folks who are interested in helping put together the survey, get it out to those running for office, and compile the results for our members.

If you’re interested, please email lynne@solidaritylowell.com

Take the Solidarity Lowell Meeting Day/Time Survey

Our group has been meeting at 5:30pm on Sundays for quite some time, and we want to make sure that this is still the best day/time for our members. Please take this quick, one-question survey to let us know what days/times work best for you!

Click here: https://forms.gle/3cD4fCzgTTqMPuNs7

POC and Interested in Becoming a Teacher? Attend an Informational Session!

Thursday, May 16, 3:30 to 5 p.m., Wang Middle School, 365 W Meadow Rd, Lowell

To foster a more diverse teaching staff, the school department is looking to its own backyard. These sessions come amid a call from parents and officials for a teaching staff that better reflects the district’s majority non-white student body. A recent workforce report showed 91 percent of teachers in the district are white.

More information and additional sessions: http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_32592209/lowell-launches-effort-recruit-teachers#ixzz5m9GAJ1Hf

 

Chocolate Lovers Night – Benefit for Justice For Our Neighbors

Saturday, May 18th, 6:30-8:30pm, West Chelmsford United Methodist Church, 242 Main Street, North Chelmsford

All proceeds for Justice For Our Neighbors. Taste lots of chocolate and listen to the Living Stones Band. Only $8 for age 10 and up.

More information: https://www.facebook.com/events/2222662864713963/
 

Chelms-FED Up Postcarding

Every Tuesday, 9:30-11:30am, The Java Room, 14 Littleton Rd, Chelmsford

Fed up in Chelmsford? Come join us at The Java Room! We will be writing postcards for upcoming municipal elections! Information, addresses, and supplies provided, but feel free to bring your own supplies and info as well. See you there!

For more information, contact Hope at hope@solidaritylowell.com

Thursday Postcarding

Every Thursday, 9-11am, Panera Bread, 2 Cornerstone Square, Westford

Join your postcarding friends from Indivisible Westford Progressive Massachusetts and Solidarity Lowell to write issue-based postcards to our reps and write directly to voters for an upcoming election! Join us every Thursday!

For more information, contact Hope at hope@solidaritylowell.com

 

Help Marius Cover His Lawyer’s Fees and Stay in the Country

Marius is a Togolese asylum-seeker, who has recently moved to Lowell to fight for asylum in the Boston federal immigration courts. Marius comes from a family of political dissidents fighting for greater democracy, and was forced to flee his country after his parents were murdered by the government. He has been threatened everywhere he’s tried to rebuild his life, and last year decided to journey across South and North America to seek asylum in the United States. But Marius cannot do it alone. The Merrimack Valley Interfaith Sanctuary Network is providing housing for him, but he also needs funds for legal, medical and living expenses. We need to raise $500/month for his living expenses, plus at least $2000 in lawyer’s fees so any amount you can donate is greatly appreciated.

Donate here: http://www.merrimackvalleyproject.org/donate-1/ (please write “asylum” in the “special notes” part of the donation form).

More information: https://www.gofundme.com/help-marius-stay-and-fight-for-asylum-in-the-usa?fbclid=IwAR3LDRCxbnncLMXBTul7dhAS73nc7mQHoNSMxrh8FfkYVdKlqs2Kp129liU

Help with Sanctuary

Assisting our immigrant community is one of the most important things you can possibly do. Solidarity Lowell is part of the Merrimack Valley Interfaith Sanctuary Network, which helps provide a place to stay for immigrants at immediate risk of deportation. If you are interested in helping out with local sanctuary efforts, either with accompaniment, food, laundry, or otherwise, please email Solidarity Lowell’s Volunteer Coordinator at marissa@solidaritylowell.com. Training is provided. You can also donate to the cause here: http://www.merrimackvalleyproject.org/donate-1/ (please write “sanctuary” in the “special notes” part of the donation form). Also, since the sanctuary space was empty for so long, the MVISN decided to open it up to asylum-seekers, and we have a guest there currently. If you’d like to help with his living expenses, please donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/help-marius-stay-and-fight-for-asylum-in-the-usa?fbclid=IwAR3LDRCxbnncLMXBTul7dhAS73nc7mQHoNSMxrh8FfkYVdKlqs2Kp129liU

More information and to sign up for training: marissa@solidaritylowell.com

 

State

Through Migrant’s Eyes: The United States-Mexican Border

Sunday, May 19th, 3-5pm, Kerem Shalom, 659 Elm St, Concord, MA

Laurie Van Loon and some of her colleagues will speak about their recent experiences and observations at the US-Mexican border through Border Links.

RSVP here: Rosalie@keremshalom.org

Ranked Choice Voting Bill and Hearing Training

Sunday, May 19th, 2-4pm, Copper House Tavern, 380 Winter Street, Waltham

Make sure you’ve marked your calendar for Sunday, May 19th — we’re convening a statewide power team of activists and volunteers for a crucial training on bill hearings and lobby days. You don’t want to miss this opportunity!

More information and to RSVP: https://www.voterchoicema.org/statewide_may19

May Jericho Walk at Burlington ICE Office

Tuesday, May 21st, 1-2pm, 1000 District Ave, Burlington

Join us for our monthly Jericho Walk at the ICE office in Burlington, MA. The Jericho Walk is a silent interfaith prayer and act of solidarity. The walk draws inspiration from the Battle of Jericho, in which the community marched around the city of Jericho seven times, causing the city walls to fall. The Jericho Walk of today is a silent, peaceful, and prayerful walk to bring down the walls of our unjust immigration system and is open to people of all or no faiths. Please bring signs calling for just treatment of those who are caught in our broken immigration system.

More information: https://www.facebook.com/events/644715932641194/

Women’s Advocacy Day

Tuesday, May 21st, 5-9pm, Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St, Boston

Women’s Advocacy Day at the MA State House organized by The Massachusetts State Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW). Join us on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at the Great Hall of the Massachusetts State House for our 2019 Women’s Advocacy Day. Hear from elected officials and MSCW Commissioners, visit state Legislators, and make your voice heard!

More information: https://www.facebook.com/events/2808716699352519/

Safe Communities Act Lobby Day

Wednesday, May 22nd, 10am-noon, Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St, Boston

When immigrant rights are under attack, what do we do?  Stand up, fight back! The Safe Communities Act (S.1401/H.3573) will create a stronger Commonwealth by protecting immigrants’ rights and keeping law enforcement focused on public safety.  Join us for an exciting lobby day to push our legislators forward on this bill. Even if your legislator is an SCA co-sponsor, they still need to hear from you to keep this bill a priority.  We’ll start together with an overview of the SCA and how it would help our state, then split up to meet with our legislators and share our urgency with them. All are welcome!

More information: https://www.facebook.com/events/2337488646528004/

Support 2020 Census and Citizenship Funding

Please contact your state senator (find yours here https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator):

Sen. Edward Kennedy 617-722-1630
Sen. Michael Barrett 617-722-1572
Sen. Barry Finegold 617-722-1612
Sen. Jamie Eldridge 617-722-1120

Sample Script: “Hi, I’m [Name] from [Address] and Solidarity Lowell. Please support  Sen. Sal DiDomenico’s Amendment #14, which would establish a $5 million Census Complete Count Fund to support outreach to historically undercounted communities for the 2020 Census. Billions of dollars in federal funds and our political representation hang in the balance. Please also support Sen. Bruce Tarr’s Amendment #452 (Sen Tarr), which would fund the Citizenship for New Americans Program (CNAP) at $1 million, making the benefits of citizenship accessible to thousands more immigrants who can’t afford the cost and enabling providers to expand their outreach to new regions. Thank you!”

More information: https://www.tsne.org/blog/massachusetts-call-your-senators-today-support-census

Support Raising New Revenue and Investing in Our Students

Please contact your state senator (find yours here https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator):

Sen. Edward Kennedy 617-722-1630
Sen. Michael Barrett 617-722-1572
Sen. Barry Finegold 617-722-1612
Sen. Jamie Eldridge 617-722-1120

Sample Script: “Hi, I’m [Name] from [Address] and Solidarity Lowell. Please support these amendments: Statutory Charter Tuition Reimbursement (Chang-Diaz, #323), which would invest an additional $90 million in struggling school districts that are losing money due to charter school growth by closing corporate tax loopholes. Funding Low-Income Student Undercount (Chang-Diaz, #320), which would add more money for struggling school districts that have been shortchanged due to a flawed methodology for counting the low-income student population. Corporate Tax Rate Restoration (Rausch, #53), which would raise the corporate income tax back up to 9.5%, raising $375 million in additional revenue. Aircraft Prats (Eldridge, #46), which would close an absurd tax exemption for sales of luxury planes, raising $21 million in additional revenue. And Single Sales Factor (Eldridge, #37), which would close a corporate tax loophole that lets corporations get away with not paying taxes on property and payroll, raising $143 million in additional revenue. Thank you!”

More information: https://malegislature.gov/Budget/FY2020/SenateDebate