Volunteer at the Lowell Transitional Living Center

Solidarity Lowell Events and Actions

Next Solidarity Lowell Hybrid Meeting
Sunday, May 21, 5:30-7pm (NOTE date change due to Memorial Day)
In person at Christ Church United, 10 Arlington St, Dracut
Online link to be announced

Hear the latest news regarding our petition for better treatment of Lowell’s unhoused population, which was presented to the City Council at the April 11 meeting. We will also hear from Mark Martinez, Housing Attorney for the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute.

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Support for Asylum-Seeker Marius
Marius is an asylum-seeker from Togo who we have assisted since he arrived here in 2018.He and Lillian, an asylum-seeker from the Dominican Republic, had a baby last year. The baby, Yayrah, is in need of gift cards and monetary donations.

Gift cards can be given to Marissa Dupont.
Email marissa@solidaritylowell.com to coordinate drop-off

Cash donations may be made through GoFundMe.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/47gvz-marius
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Lowell Events & Actions

Next City Council Meeting
Tuesday, May 2 at 6:30pm, at City Hall and online

Meetings are held weekly in Council Chamber Tuesdays at 6:30pm with public welcome. Attend in person or by using remote participation as follows: Members of the public may view the meeting via LTC.Org (Online; Live Streaming; Or Local Cable Channel 99).

See agenda for details:
https://www.lowellma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04252023-2706?html=true

Items of interest
Due to the cyberattack last week, the agenda is very short.

Motion 6.1.
C. Gitschier – Req. City Mgr. Have The Law Department Prepare A Vote To Place An Non-Binding Referendum Ballot Question Regarding Zoning For Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) For Upcoming Election.

To speak, you must register by 4pm the day of the meeting. Those wishing to speak regarding a specific agenda item must register to speak in advance of the meeting by sending an email to the City Clerk indicating the agenda item and a phone number to call so that you may be issued a Zoom link to the meeting if you wish to speak remotely. Email Address is MGEARY@LOWELLMA.GOV. If you have no access to email you may contact the City Clerk at 978-674-4161.

To contact any City Councilor, or the City Manager, by email, use this webform
https://www.lowellma.gov/formcenter/contact-the-city-council-5/city-council-contact-form-45
and check off who you’re writing to.

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Volunteer Opportunities at Lowell Transitional Living Center
The LTLC is in need of volunteers. This is another venue where Solidarity Lowell members can show their support for our unhoused neighbors.

From Tyler Bastysk, Volunteer Coordinator, “I believe that our collaboration can bring about meaningful change and benefit those in need… I am more than happy to provide further information about volunteering opportunities, answer any questions, or provide any assistance needed.”

Please contact Tyler at tbastys @ ltlc.org or (774)509-9901

Click here to donate to LTLC:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=TT9PEP2KDCZPC

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Lowell Litter Krewe
LLK is in the running for an award from the We Share a Common Thread Foundation.
Once a quarter, the Foundation donates $1500 to a worthy area non-profit as voted by the community. Whoever receives the most votes via their Give a Click site wins. Please vote, once, before June 30.
https://www.jdcu.org/community-about/our-foundation/give-a-click/?#gf_33

Meanwhile, the LLK has begun their regular cleanups.
To connect with them: https://linktr.ee/lowelllitterkrewe
Sign up to volunteer, check out their schedule and more.

Next events
Spring Cleanup and Concert Series
Saturday, May13, 9:00am-12:00pm
MacPherson Park, Meet at 980 Bridge St, Centralville
1:00pm Tee & the Gents with Camelia Latin Dance Band and Salsa

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Lowell Fall Election

Campaign Treasurers Needed
Several progressive campaigns are seeking experienced treasurers.
If interested, please email Lisa Arnold at likarnold @ gmail.com (delete spaces when using emails cited)

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Solidarity Lowell’s Election Subcommittee gearing up
If you are interested in helping to elect/re-elect progressive candidates for Lowell City CouncilCouncl and School Committee, please email Lisa Arnold (likarnold @ gmail.com) or Dee Halzack (dee.halz @ ix.netcom.com) (delete spaces when using emails cited)

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Other Events

Higher Ed for All Speakout
Wednesday, May 3, 12 pm
at the State House
RSVP: https://www.mobilize.us/massteacher/event/558053

Celebrate graduates and ensure that debt-free public higher ed is an option for future generations! The Massachusetts State House will soon be considering the Cherish Act (S.816;H.1260) and Debt-Free Bill (S.823;H.1265). Collectively, these bills call for debt-free public higher education, increased student supports, better wages and working conditions, and green/healthy buildings.

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Mass-Care Lobby Day
Thursday, May 4, 10 am
at the State House
RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeyZpL_B16ShQdCEmDPbPRW5cB4uXlqLIJnniZZOKrx3bqUtA/viewform

Join activists from across the state in meeting with legislators about truly achieving health care for all.

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Media and Democracy Project and Prof. Bob McChesney
Tuesday, May 9, 7pm

Thought leader and inspiring Professor Bob McChesney will speak with the Media and Democracy Project! Professor McChesney authored “Rich Media Poor Democracy”. He is an expert on media and democracy issues – we will discuss with him his proposed solution to the “local journalism crisis” called the Local Journalism Initiative. We will ask him to discuss the impacts of Fox and NewsCorp on American media and democracy.

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A Community Forum with Senator Ed Kennedy
Discussing An Act to Promote Racially Inclusive Curriculum in Schools (S.288/H.542)
Monday, May 15, 6:30-8:00pm
To register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIod-6rrDguHtR4Smshd_Bd448Jea3akvXZ

The bill seeks to promote racial and ethnic diversity, equity, and inclusion in K-12 public schools by requiring the inclusion of a racially inclusive curriculum in history and social studies classes. This legislation is an important step towards creating a more equitable education system for all.

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Grassroots Campaign Training
Saturday/Sunday, May 20-21, 2023
Will be held on Zoom.
Organizer: Mass Alliance

Cost: $90 (Sliding scale and scholarships are available. You can also pay it forward for someone else to attend.)
Sign up at: http://www.tinyurl.com/grassrootstraining2023

This intensive two-day training introduces future campaign leaders, activists, and candidates to the theory and practice behind successful grassroots campaigning.

Campaign workers with all levels of experience and potential candidates for any level of government and at any stage in the process (from curious to ready to take the plunge) are welcome.

Attendees will learn from some of the best progressive campaign operatives in Massachusetts. Sessions will include field organizing, message development, working with the press, and other time-tested tactics for winning campaigns.

The workshop is great training for full-time paid work on campaigns, people wanting to volunteer for campaigns, leaders thinking of running for office, or issue and neighborhood activists who are hoping to enhance their understanding of how to influence the outcome of campaigns.

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Grassroots Training Academy
8 sessions, select Mondays and Wednesdays from May 15-June 14

Mass legislature, messaging, campaign planning, social media, press, lobbying, fundraising and more. For more details, and to apply to attend, see http://tinyurl.com/2023AdvocacyTrainingSeries
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State Level Actions

Urge your legislators to pass worker-friendly legislation this session
In observance of May Day, a day for recognizing worker solidarity around the world, Progressive Massachusetts Policy Director Jonathan Cohn urges us to write our legislators and ask them to pass worker-supportive legislation.

Here are just a few things the Massachusetts Legislature could do this session to strengthen workers’ rights:Raising the minimum wage to $20 per hour to bring it closer to a living wage, and then indexing it to inflation so that its value doesn’t erode over time
Strengthening enforcement of wage theft laws and holding companies accountable for wage theft committed by subcontractors
Extending collecting bargaining rights to State House staff
Requiring employers to publicly report their wage data, to provide information essential to measuring our progress toward racial and gender wage equity
See here for an editable email to send:
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/may-day-2023/

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Week of Action to Stop the New Women’s Prison
http://bit.ly/HDRweekofaction
Families for Justice as Healing is leading a week of action to demand a stop to the women’s prison project. Please take a few moments every day this week to make calls and emails to apply pressure to key decision makers! Check this link every day for scripts and action steps:

Monday – Call and Email HDR
Tuesday – Call and Email EOPSS
Wednesday – Social Media Storm
Thursday- Stay tuned
Friday – Call your legislators to Pass the Prison Moratorium

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Ask your Legislators to Restore Voting Rights to Prisoners Incarcerated for Felonies
Did you know that felony prisoners used to be able to vote in Massachusetts? That right should not have been taken away. It needs to be restored, via a constitutional amendment. Keeping prisoners engaged with their communities contributes to rehabilitation.

Use this handy form to write your legislators. (Rep. Howard is already a co-sponsor.)
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/democracy-behind-bars

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Protect new Fair Share Amendment and state revenue in the FY24 Budget
Our state reps voted to support the proposed tax cuts for the wealthy. Our senators have not yet voted.

Write to your state senator: Let them know that it’s not okay to undermine Fair Share by giving big tax cuts to the rich. Massachusetts voters were clear: we want the rich to pay their fair share so that we can invest in public education and infrastructure. The Fair Share amendment was intended to raise additional revenue in order to bring our schools and transportation up to standard, not to replace revenue taken away by a tax cut.

You can specifically ask them to:

TARGET any estate tax reform exclusively to moderate estates, with no tax breaks to large multi-million-dollar estates;
REJECT the proposed cut to the short-term capital gains tax that would overwhelmingly benefit wealthy investors;
REJECT expanding the ‘single sales factor apportionment’ that would give a massive tax break to large, profitable multi-state corporations;
USE THOSE SAVINGS to invest in affordable housing, childcare, and reliable transportation.
Contact information appears at the end of this section. Follow up your call with an email for maximum effect.
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To Contact the Governor
Governor’s Office of Constituent Services (617) 725-4005
Call between 9am and 5pm and leave a message.
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Our State Legislators’ Info
Speaker Ronald Mariano Ronald.Mariano@mahouse.gov | 617-722-2500 | Rm 356
Senate President Karen Spilka Karen.Spilka@masenate.gov | 617-722-1500 | Rm 332
Rep. Rodney Elliott Rodney.Elliott@ma.house.gov | 617-722-2000 x7313 | Rm B1
Rep. Vanna Howard Vanna.Howard@mahouse.gov | 617-722-2060 | Rm 33
Local office: 25 Central Street, ground floor, Lowell
Rep. Rady Mom Rady.Mom@mahouse.gov | 617-722-2637 | Rm 544
Rep. Colleen Garry Colleen.Garry@mahouse.gov | 617-722-2380 | Rm 238
Senator Edward Kennedy edward.kennedy@masenate.gov | 617-722-1630 | Rm 109-E
Senator Michael Barrett Mike.Barrett@masenate.gov | 617-722-1572 | Rm 109-D
Senator Jamie Eldridge James.Eldridge@masenate.gov | 617-722-1120 | Rm 511-C
Senator Barry Finegold Barry.Finegold@masenate.gov | 617-722-1612 | Rm 511A
(… or find yours here: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator)

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

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National Actions

Looking for someone who’s trying to do something about gun violence?
Check out Everytown for Gun Safety
https://www.everytown.org/actions/

Join a local chapter, donate, help elect candidates who WILL work for sensible gun safety measures.
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Our Federal Legislators’ Info

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Representative Lori Trahan
https://trahan.house.gov/contact/write-your-rep.htm
2439 Rayburn HOB | Washington, DC 20515 | 202-225-3411
126 John Street | Lowell, MA 01852 | 978-459-0101

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