Neighborly actions this weekend/next week
A used car for Joe'l, money for social workers not SROs, less pollution for Providence, less pollution for all of us, & more.
Hi, everyone. Here are some things we can do with and for our neighbors in the coming week. ALSO: There is some extra-spiteful anti-trans legislation coming down the pike, part of a national push by assholes and furthered by local assholes, so we should hold ourselves in readiness to block it. I found this Twitter thread helpful for sources and talking points.
ASAP, remotely: Joe'l needs a car so she can get to work and move to a better home! She works long hours far from where she lives, and puts in time to support fellow refugees too. A relatively small donation could go a long way here--let's help Joe'l get set up for safety and success.
3/22 BY 4pm (to sign up) and 3/23 starting around 4pm (to testify): RI House Bill 6029 gets rid of SRO salary reimbursements for school districts & allocates $2,000,000 to hire school social workers. RI House Bill 5367 renews that reimbursement indefinitely. Sign up BY 4pm MONDAY 3/22 to testify for 6029 & against 5367! Sign up to provide verbal testimony here. You will need to fill out the form twice, once for each bill (make sure you click “Support” for 6029 and “Oppose” for 5367, god, it’s worse than standardized tests). You can also send written testimony to housefinance@rilegislature.gov. Here’s the agenda in case that’s helpful, and info from the Counselors Not Cops Campaign to provide some reasons.
3/25, 4:15-5:15pm, 434 Allens Ave, Providence: The scrapyard explosion and fire last week showed that while we’re pushing for the state to declare and fund green justice zones, we also can’t wait to shut polluting industries down—all that thick smoke is in people’s lungs now. Join Southside residents outside RI Recycled Metals, where the fire started, to demand that this repeat polluter close their doors. If you want to support environmental justice on the legislation/policy front, there’s a general meeting with Renew New England at 6pm on 3/24; write to aj@renewnewengland.org if you want details.
3/26, 2-4pm, Bank of America, Kennedy Plaza, Providence: Continue to oppose land-destroying, climate-warming & genocidal Line 3 by standing with the FANG Collective in front of one of its funders. Again, while Line 3 is located elsewhere, its effects will reach everywhere. If you bank with Bank of America, FANG can help you switch your accounts if you reach out to them on Facebook; if you don’t use FB, let me know and I can put you in touch with someone.
Anytime this coming week: Douglas Snoopy Rogers, who has been advocating for and organizing with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people for a long time, is going in for surgery soon and raising money for medical equipment that his insurance may not cover. It looks like he’s met his initial goal, but a little cushion for the unexpected is always welcome.
Expect more things in the coming week. Here is a picture of snow, because its season is almost over, and spring is coming to meet us.
With love,
Kate