The RRT (Rapid Response Team) Action List compiles action items from the week and upcoming events into one place. If you would like to add anything to the weekly update, please send it to Dee Halzack at dee@solidaritylowell.com.

Solidarity Lowell Events and Actions

Save the Date: Solidarity Lowell February General Meeting

Sunday February 27 at 5:30pm, on Zoom
Speaker: Alexander Chandler, Policy Advocate for Elections and Voting Rights at Protect Democracy (former Naval Intelligence Officer and primary candidate for the Third Congressional District)

Assistance urgently needed for our asylum-seeker

From: Merrimack Valley Interfaith Sanctuary Network (MVISN)

Asylum-Seeker Marius now has employment, but is having issues with his employer and is struggling to pay the rent. MVISN may need to extend assistance through Feb or March. Any amount will be gratefully accepted.

Donations via:
CashApp – $gollygee17
Venmo – @owlnerd
Please put “Marius” in the notes

For more information, email marissa@solidaritylowell.com

Other Events

Fair Share Amendment Actionar

February 12, 2022, 11:00am-12:00pm
To register: https://350mass.betterfutureproject.org/fsa_actionar

Do you want to join the fight for better public education and transit?

Mark your calendars! Join us for an Actionar to help promote the Fair Share Amendment.

In the Actionar, after a brief introduction and Q&A, each of us will reach out via phone calls, text messages, or social media posts/messages to 10 of our family, friends, colleagues and neighbors to help spread the word and build an effective grass-roots campaign.

Vigils For Racial Justice

Sunday, February 27
March 27
April 24
2 to 3 PM

Littleton Common & First Baptist Church
Sponsored by The Greater Littleton Interfaith Council
If the wind chill factor is below 32 degrees, this event will be canceled.

State-Level Actions

Progressive Mass and the Governor and Lt. Governor races

The Governor and Lt. Governor’s races offer Massachusetts an opportunity to shift course from the complacency and conservatism of the Baker-Polito administration. We must make sure that our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic puts our commonwealth on a more equitable foundation, one that does right by workers, local businesses, and historically disenfranchised communities; one that provides our teachers and students the resources they need to thrive; and one that is rooted in an understanding of the importance of investing in our future, from child care to public education to public transit and beyond. Massachusetts also must address long-standing crises of medical debt, student loan debt, housing instability, runaway climate change, and systemic racism. We have a lot to do, and we need proactive leaders, backed by an engaged public, to do it.

Progressive Massachusetts reached out to all announced and likely-to-announce candidates in December 2021, inviting them to fill out our comprehensive questionnaire about their policies, priorities, and leadership style. We view these questionnaires as a vital opportunity to educate candidates about issues that matter to progressive voters, get candidates on record, and create a more informed and engaged electorate.

Our Endorsement Process
As a membership organization, we put major decisions like endorsements before our members. All candidates who submitted a questionnaire are eligible for consideration for endorsement, although candidates must pass a 60% threshold in our member ballot to be endorsed by Progressive Mass.

Anyone who has donated at least $5 to Progressive Mass over the past year counts as a dues-paying member, and we will be sending out our member ballot on Friday, February 11.

Not sure if you are a member? You can check your membership status, renew your membership, or join for the first time here! https://tinyurl.com/ybxc3kfp

Gubernatorial Questionnaires Submitted
Danielle Allen
Sonia Chang-Díaz

Lt. Governor Questionnaires Submitted
Bret Bero
Kim Driscoll
Tami Gouveia
Adam Hinds

View all of them here. https://tinyurl.com/37upckxn

Submitted by Jonathan Cohn, Progressive Massachusetts

Action in support of Work and Family Mobility Act

Merrimack Valley Project received word that the Joint Committee on Transportation has granted an extension for the Work and Family Mobility Act to March 4th. That gives us just under a month to generate overwhelming public support for the bill to advance out of committee and onto the floor for a vote this session. To help generate this support, MVP is asking folks to email all 18 members of the committee, using the preformatted link below:

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/email-the-joint-transportation-committee?source=twitter&

The email can be edited. You are encouraged to add a bit about how and why the bill is important to you personally.

Our State Legislators’ Info

House Speaker Ronald Mariano: Ronald.Mariano@mahouse.gov 617-722-2500
Senate President: Karen E. Spilka: Karen.Spilka@masenate.gov 617-722-1500
Rep. Thomas Golden Thomas.Golden@mahouse.gov  617-722-2263
Rep. Vanna Howard Vanna.Howard@mahouse.gov  617-722-2800 x7302 / Google Voice: 978-272-9078
Rep. Rady Mom Rady.Mom@mahouse.gov 617-722-2460
Rep. Colleen Garry Colleen.Garry@mahouse.gov 617-722-2380
Rep. Tram Nguyen tram.nguyen@mahouse.gov 617-722-2425
Sen. Edward Kennedy edward.kennedy@masenate.gov 617-722-1630
Sen. Michael Barrett Mike.Barrett@masenate.gov 617-722-1572
Sen. Jamie Eldridge James.Eldridge@masenate.gov 617-722-1120
Sen. Barry Finegold Barry.Finegold@masenate.gov 617-722-1612
(… or find yours here: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator)

Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02133

National Actions

Call your members of Congress today and advocate for an Afghan Adjustment Act

We have a real opportunity to make an impact in the lives of tens of thousands of Afghans evacuated to the United States. Call your members of Congress and ask them to create for these Afghans a clear pathway to permanent legal status.

So many of us have donated resources, clothes, furniture, and food, or helped find housing and given our time to support our new Afghan neighbors. An Afghan Adjustment Act will be critical in their being able to make the United States their home for years to come.

Click here for instructions to make your call. https://tinyurl.com/43vy4tt9
The website has an automatic call-in tool, a script, and instructions.

Submitted by HIAS

Our Federal Legislators’ Info

Senator Elizabeth Warren: 617-565-3170
309 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
https://www.warren.senate.gov/contact/shareyouropinion

Senator Edward Markey: 617-565-8519
255 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
https://www.markey.senate.gov/contact/share-your-opinion

Representative Lori Trahan: 978-459-0101 / 202-225-3411
https://trahan.house.gov/contact/write-your-rep.htm

Representative Seth Moulton: 978-531-1669 / 202-225-8020
https://moulton.house.gov/contact

Solidarity Lowell is a volunteer group of community members of Greater Lowell working toward social justice by defending the human rights, dignity, and equality of all persons against all forms of hate and discrimination.
 

Visit the Solidarity Lowell website: http://solidaritylowell.com

For more events not listed here, visit the full Events calendar: https://solidaritylowell.com/events/

January meeting notes:
https://tinyurl.com/39mkh38f

January meeting recording:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXXvIypE9Zc

See recordings of past Solidarity Lowell meetings on our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCohwMIkVdabQdDHsVTLIGsQ

For positive news visit Solidarity Lowell Upbeat on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/326202548419687

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Solidarity Lowell is a chapter of Progressive Massachusetts. Click here to join: https://www.progressivemass.com/contribute