Neighborly actions this week-ish, starting TODAY
Fund doulas and counselors, not cops! Amp up protections for queer and trans tenants! Step out with PVD students to demand safe schools! Plant trees! ...Start a business?...and more
Good morning, everyone. Here are a few things to do with and for our neighbors this week, starting today.
TODAY, 4/26, BY 1pm, remotely: Let’s get birth doula services covered by health insurance in RI. Send written testimony explaining how this would save and improve lives to jplume@rilegislature.gov, with the subject line,"Budget Article 12 Section 8D related to perinatal doula services.” If you need some points to add, there are so many here!
TODAY, 4/26, BY4pm (to sign up) / TOMORROW, 4/27, 4pm (to testify), remotely: The RI House Committee on Finance is hearing a part of the state budget that would assign $35 MILLION to the police for new barracks. Sign up here to testify, or send written testimony to HouseFinance@rilegislature.gov by 3pm TOMORROW. A fun thing to do would be to tell the committee about a genuine public good that could be accomplished with $35M and the resources, contracts, etc. that RI has!
TODAY, 4/26, BY4pm (to sign up) / TOMORROW, 4/27, 4pm (to testify), remotely: RI House Bill 6215 makes it harder for landlords to discriminate against potential tenants based on their (assumed) sexual orientation, and removes some homophobic and transphobic language (the crossed-out red part on pages 3, 8 and 10). This isn’t just gestural—it has potential material consequences (especially the part on p10) and would give people some recourse if a landlord violated this law, so let’s tell the committee we’d like to see it pass. Written testimony on this should go to HouseJudiciary@rilegislature.gov by 3pm TOMORROW.
4/29 and 4/30, 12pm (both days), Kennedy Plaza, Providence: Providence students are walking out to demand Counselors Not Cops and a safe learning environment for youth of color! People of any age can join them to show support and solidarity. (See last week’s email for other ways to support.)
4/30, starting 10am, Southside/by CCRI, Providence: Plant trees with your neighbors! Details at the link, where you can also sign up. Rain or shine! Wear your mask and bring your own tools (if you have them) and your kids (if you have them)! My friend Cassie, who sent me this tip, wrote:
“When we plant trees together we:
INSTALL GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
INCREASE TREE EQUITY IN OUR CITY
ADD SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL AND ALIVE TO OUR STREETS
GIVE OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN THE CHANCE TO BREATHE CLEAN AIR
CULTIVATE BIODIVERSITY & HABITAT FOR LIVING THINGS
MEET OUR NEIGHBORS
LOWER OUR FUTURE UTILITY BILLS
GET OUR HANDS IN THE DIRT TOGETHER”
5/1, starting 9:30am, West End and Washington Park, Providence: Another tree-planting session! Again, sign up, get details and ask questions here.
5/1, 10am-2pm, Kennedy Plaza, Providence: Join our neighbors for a food, clothing, toothbrush/toothpaste/soap, bedding & harm reduction drive! Bring what you can share and/or take what you need.
Anytime this week: Spend a moment looking at the many pieces of this effort to end solitary confinement in Rhode Island and choose one that you can do. There is a press conference about this TOMORROW, 4/27, 3pm, and it would be good to go, but any of these actions would be good to do.
Anytime this week (to sign up), starting 5/11: Rhode Island is offering a FREE 8-week course for people who want to start or improve a small business. If that describes you or you think it could describe you, why not check it out? Or pass it on to family or friends who’ve been thinking about this possibility! 8 evenings at 6pm, running 5/11-6/29. Thank you to Deb for the tip!
With love,
Kate