Windham County Action Network (WeCAN)

Weekly Email Update 7.10.17

Posted by July 09, 2017 9:29 AM

Weekly Email Update 7.10.17

"Activism, not Slacktivism:
We don't want you to only give 5 minutes. We want you to always give five minutes."
The DailyGrabBack.com


With so many days of action, marches, and planned protests happening every day we at weCAN wanted to give you a few more resources (besides this email) to find  events that may interest you both in our region and nationally. Here's a few of our favorites:


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HAPPENING THIS WEEK MONDAY JULY 10TH, 2017 - SUNDAY JULY 16TH, 2017

Lost River, BLM-South, and POC Caucus Regular Meeting
Monday, June 10th, 2017 at The Root Social Justice Center (The Whetstone Studio of the Arts, 28 Williams Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301) on the First Floor. 
6pm-8pm. Childcare provided. Fragrance & nut free space.  


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Public Video/Telephone Call on Healthcare Reform in Vermont
Tuesday, July 11th, 2017. Online at www.zoom.us. 6:00pm.
Register for link/call for information.To get the call/video links, reply to https://zoom.us/meeting/register/8f2b6eb1f60998add746f627e8486654 
Whether it's Medicaid cuts, attempts to privatize the Veteran's Administration, defunding Planned Parenthood, or unconscionable rate hikes on the individual ("exchange") plans, we are all affected by a system that treats our health as a commodity. Join this call to learn about the healthcare landscape in Vermont, the upcoming Green Mountain Care Board hearings, and the movement to fully implement Act 48.

 

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Community Potluck and Dance Performance
sponsored by Edible Brattleboro and Southern Vermont Dance Festival 
Thursday, July 13th, 2017 at the Harmony Lot (Elliot Street, Brattleboro ,VT, 05301). 6:30pm-9:00pm.
Please bring a dish to share along with serving utensils. We also need some help with setup at 4:30, and someone who can pick up tables and/or food during the afternoon on Thursday. 

community



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The Southern Vermont Dance Festival 
Thursday, July 13th, 2017 - Sunday, June 16th, 2017. 
Locations and times vary.

Southern Vermont Dance Festival celebrates it’s fifth season from July 13th - July 16th of 2017.  With an exciting round of classes, performances and community events SVDF has an incredible selection of offerings for its fifth season.  Perhaps you love to watch dance, there are Gala’s galore.  Maybe you have never walked into a studio in your life, but, you would really love to learn, we have classes for you.  If you are a dance professional or dance student there is a wealth of works to see and classes to take.   With four days of ticketed and free performance, over 113 classes and a strong focus on community, this year’s festival is sure to deliver!
The festival boasts faculty and choreographers at the top of their field with a unique ability to serve all levels of dance from the dance enthusiast to the dance professional and everything in between.  For the fifth year in a row the festival will host some major players in the dance world.  The theme this season is diversity with a social justice community event, a performance about Harriet Tubman at the Latchis, and a strong focus on dance from around the world and different cultures.  They are highlighting the beauty in our difference and the strength in celebrating diversity.
Everything from the Thursday Gala which shows diverse Genres and the FridayGala that show works about the resistance movement, the boarder wall and a work inspired by MLK to the community events shows the theme Diversity and we hope you will take a look at what we have to offer.  
SVDF began 5 years ago as an economic driver for the community, following the fire in the Brooks House and the floods of Tropical Storm Irene.  What better way to make our community thrive then to bring in the joy of movement!  SVDF currently seeks sponsors, volunteer and host families for artists and faculty.  To purchase tickets, support or donate, please go to www.southernvermontdancefestival.com  or email [email protected]
Come to the One and Only Brattleboro as the streets come alive with Movement!



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Vigil at TD Bank in Montpelier
sponsored by the Upper Valley Affinity Group
Thursday, July 13th, 2017 at the Corner of State and Main Streets in Montpelier, VT. 
11:30am-1pm.
Ride share from Exit 5 off I91N. Departs at 10am. Contact Tim at 802.869.2141or bereal@vermontel,net.]
Come and stay as long as you can to peacefully protest TDBank’s huge investments in climate and water destroying pipeline infrastructure.Urge the State of Vermont and other depositors to close their TDBank accounts.Support moving swiftly to 100% renewable energy and a state bank for Vermont.\
We will be bearing witness and distributing fact sheets about TD's extensive financial support for pipelines.
Bring a sign, bring your friends, bring your neighbors, bring your lunch or just come and join us by yourself.
For more information contact Duncan Nichols at 802.281.2692 or [email protected].


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Protest Vigils at TD Bank
sponsored by Post Oil Solutions
Brattleboro
Friday, July 14, 2017 (and every Friday) in front of TD Bank Brattleboro (215 Main St, Brattleboro, VT 05301). Noon-1pm. Signs will be provided.

Bellows Falls
Friday, July 14 (and every Friday) in front of the TD Bank Bellows Falls (2 Church St, Bellows Falls, VT 05101). 1pm-2pm. Please bring your own signs.
TD is a major investor in Tar Sands. TD helps to fund the Dakota Access Pipeline. The State of Vermont Keeps Most of Our Cash in TD.
What You Can You Do (besides attending the vigils):
If you’re a TD depositor, change banks!
If you’re a Vermonter, demand that state funds not be deposited with a bank investing in fossil fuels.
Contact your state legislators to support the bills in the House & Senate calling for a commission to explore the possibility of a State Bank. 
Founded in 2005, Post Oil Solutions is a 501c3 community organizing project in Southeastern Vermont whose mission is to help empower the people of the Central Connecticut River Valley bioregion to develop sustainable, resilient , collaborative, and socially just communities leading to a self- and community-sufficient post petroleum society. For more information please contact[email protected] or 802.869.2141

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Volunteer Baking Opportunity with Brattleboro Senior Meals
Friday, July 14th, 2017 at the Brattleboro Senior Center (207 Main St, Brattleboro, VT 05301). 12pm. (Homemade goods must be received at the center by the above date and time.)
Calling all bakers! Brattleboro Senior Meals will be doing a fundraiser at the Welcome Center in Guilford on Saturday, July 15th, 2017 and we still need your help with baked good donations. Muffins, scones, cookies, brownies, whatever is your specialty! Not a baker yourself? Help us by sharing this post with your network! Please call the center (802) 257-1236 or message us here to let us know what you will be baking and how to get in touch with you. All donations will need to be dropped off to the Brattleboro Senior Center by 12pm on Friday, July 14th, 2017.



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Social Justice/Resistance Promenade Performance 
Saturday, July 15th in Downtown Brattleboro from 10am to 1pm.  
Pick up maps at the Robert H. Gibson River Garden (157 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301).
Experience the walking tour at your leisure throughout the morning. This performance will show multiple works of live music and dance that explore  ideas of Social Justice and Resistance.  Performers will do their work every 15 minutes throughout the three hours.  We will see you Saturday Morning to begin your tour.  For More information go to southernvermontdancefestival.com.


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Sister Moses: The Story of Harriet Tubman 
sponsored by the Southern Vermont Dance Festival
Saturday, July 15th, 2017 at the Latchis Theatre (50 Main Street, 
Brattleboro, VT 05301). 1pm-1:45pm. Entry by donation.  
Sister Moses: The Story of Harriet Tubman is a beautiful story of a courageous woman’s determination to free her people from slavery through the Underground Railroad. She was one of America’s first liberated women of color, who fought against all odds for the sake of freedom and equality. Our goal in producing this program is to bring light to the incredible accomplishments of the anti-slavery activist, Harriet Tubman.  For more information go here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1914798998801024/?ref=br_rs.


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“Share the Harvest” Stand 
Sunday, July 16th, 2017 at the Elliott Street Park from 11am-2pm.
Edible Brattleboro is launching its weekly “Share the Harvest” Stand on Sunday, July 16. In addition to produce from our gardens, we are accepting donations of fresh produce from local gardeners and farmers. The stand will be set up at the Elliott Street Park from11am-2pm. Everything is available to the community at no cost. Please drop off your surplus to our stand as close to 11am as possible.

share the harvest


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UPCOMING EVENTS


Youth4Change Regular Meeting
Monday, July 17th, 2017 at The Root Social Justice Center (28 Williams Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). First Floor.  
5:30pm-8:30pm. The space opens at 5:30pm for arts and hang-out time. 6:30pm is when food arrives, and the group meeting/activity is from 7:00pm-8:30pm. For more info contact [email protected].
Youth4Change (Y4C), a project of the Root Social Justice Center, is a place where young people's voices and actions for social justice are represented, empowered and supported. Y4C uses the arts and education as a foundation in building towards action of all kinds on social, racial, economic, indigenous, immigrant, queer/trans, gender, and environmental justice issues. Our goals are to create youth-run events, actions and campaigns, while being engaged with state and national solidarity movements.


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Windham County VT Workers' Center Regular Meeting
Tuesday, July 18th, 2017 at The Root Social Justice Center (28 Williams Street, Brattleboro, The Root Social Justice Center (28 Williams Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). First Floor.6pm-8pm.
The Vermont Workers' Center is a democratic, member-run organization dedicated to organizing for the human rights of the people in Vermont. We seek an economically just and democratic Vermont in which all residents can meet their human needs and enjoy their human rights, including dignified work, universal healthcare, housing, education, childcare, transportation and a healthy environment.
At the Windham County Organizing Committee's regular meeting, we will be finalizing our plans to travel to Montpelier to give testimony at the Green Mountain Care Board's insurance rate-hike hearings, and also presenting material on leadership development from our Regional Assembly and Coordinating Committee.


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Green Mountain Care Board - Insurance Rate Hike Hearing
Thursday, July 20th, 2017 at City Center, (89 Main Street, Montpelier, VT). 9:00am.
For rides and car-shares From Brattleboro, contact the Windham County VT Workers' Center here.
Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of Vermont has requested a 12.7% average premium hike for next year's Vermont Health Connect plans. While many of us are focused on the draconian healthcare legislation proposed by the Republicans in Washington, these hikes are imminent and will affect over 70,000 people in Vermont.
The Vermont Workers' Center's Healthcare Is A Human Right campaign is organizing resistance to these rate hikes. This is the time to make your voice heard! If you are on one of these plans, you can tell the GMCB how the premium hikes affect you and your family. Any Vermont resident can submit testimony, so even if you are not on a Health Connect plan you can tell the GMCB to say no to the rate hikes. You can also voice your support for universal healthcare as the solution that would transform our healthcare system by putting people before profit.
To sign up to go to the hearings, and get information on giving/getting rides: [email protected]
To submit testimony online: http://www.workerscenter.org/healthcare/share-your-story



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Windham County Fights Back Forum
sponsored by the VPIRG (Vermont Public Interest Research Group)
Thursday, July 20th, 2017 at The Putney Public Library (55 Main Street, Putney, VT, 05346).  6:30pm-8pm.
Join us to collaborate with your neighbors in Windham County on how to resist the Trump administration, work with VPIRG staff on our various issue areas, and gain the skills necessary to engage with media and legislators on the local and state level!


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Rights & Democracy Mass Statewide Canvass (all across Vermont)
Saturday, July 22nd, 2017. 


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SAVE THE DATE


Upcoming Local Love Brigade Gatherings
-Wednesday, July 19th, 2017 at 10am at Bradley House (65 Harris Ave, Brattleboro, VT 05301)
-Sunday, August 13th, 11:30am - 1:30pm at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center (10 Vernon St, Brattleboro, VT 05301)
In the meantime, we'll keep sending out postcards to folks that need it. Here are the addresses from past week's incidents. Let's keep the love flowing.(If you missed the great article in the Commons about the impact the Love Brigade is having, you can check it out here.)


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Racial Justice Fundraiser 
Saturday, July 29th, 2017 at Superfresh Organic Cafe (30 Main St. Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 6:30pm-8:30pm. 
Live music by 11:11. 



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ONGOING SUMMER EVENTS

 

SPIKE THE HIKE! Submit Testimony Online to the Green Mountain Care Board
Now until July 28th, 2017. Online at link below. 
Also, get on the July 11th, 2017 statewide call and come to the Board hearings on July 20th, 2017 - both events are listed on this calendar. Contact [email protected] for more info on everything.
Add your voice in objecting to the insurance rate hikes the GMCB is considering. (Blue Cross Blue Shield is asking for an average 12.7% hike in their rates!!) This is an opportunity to speak out about the need for universal health care in Vermont, and any capitulation to the insurance companies as a dereliction of the Board's legislated mission to move health care toward being a public good. You can submit your testimony here:https://www.workerscenter.org/healthcare/share-your-story


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Vigil at TD Bank in Montpelier
sponsored by the Upper Valley Affinity Group
The Second Thursday of Each Month Through the Summer and Fall. At the Corner of State and Main Streets in Montpelier, VT. 
11:30am-1pm.
Ride share from Exit 5 off I91N. Departs at 10am. Contact Tim at 802.869.2141or bereal@vermontel,net.]
Come and stay as long as you can to peacefully protest TDBank’s huge investments in climate and water destroying pipeline infrastructure.Urge the State of Vermont and other depositors to close their TDBank accounts.Support moving swiftly to 100% renewable energy and a state bank for Vermont.\
We will be bearing witness and distributing fact sheets about TD's extensive financial support for pipelines.
Bring a sign, bring your friends, bring your neighbors, bring your lunch or just come and join us by yourself.
For more information contact Duncan Nichols at 802.281.2692 or [email protected].


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STANDING REGULAR MEETINGS

 

350Brattleboro Regular Meetings
1st and 3rd Wednesdays (Leadership Team) in the Brattleboro Food Co-op Community Room (1 Canal Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301).6pm-8pm.


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Lost River Racial Justice, Black Lives Matter-South, and People Of Color Caucus Regular Meetings
Reoccurring racial justice organizing meetings every 2nd Monday at The Root Social Justice Center (The Whetstone Studio of the Arts, 28 Williams Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301) on the First Floor. 
6pm-8pm. Childcare provided. Fragrance & nut free space.  


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SKILLED VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY


Childcare as a Radical Act: Sign up to Provide Childcare! 
The Family Solidarity Action Network is moving forward with their next big effort to support families in local activism: a collective of folks to provide childcare for local activist meetings or events. If you or someone you know would be able and willing to offer childcare (as a volunteer, or paid) for meetings and events please fill out this spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YGVI8wECe4ZDdghtAG147j7ktwgB_J5ZoWUPkwGrOhM/edit#gid=0
We are looking for people young and old with varying degrees of experience.  Having a large pool of people to call on will make it much easier for organizers to arrange childcare for meetings, allowing for more voices of families with young children to participate in local activism!  We will then be making this list available to other local organizations so we can be sure that childcare doesn't have to be a barrier to participation for anyone. 


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VOLUNTEER AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT OPPORTUNITIES

 

Sister District 
SisterDisrict is an organization that connects you with your local home district team to work on Sister Races in Virginia, Washington State, and Georgia. The goal? To turn Red states Blue. Support these critical races by donating to them and sharing about them on social media.  Or, get in on the fun by joining your local district team for even more action items! 
Here is an update from the Vermont district team:
SisterDistrict Soup
We have made a few changes to our SisterDistrict Soup project and will be offering a monthly soup subscription to benefit either SisterDistrict directly or our current candidate (subscriber's choice). 
Please help us by sharing this link with friends and family who may be interested in subscribing or volunteering to help make or sell soup:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfU1Vv1oJRgTBATJ8TTp8vHUaGFIz0coVCVe28gYVOrK9K-BQ/viewform?c=0&w=1 (NOTE: for more information please email [email protected])
In addition to raising money to help get our nation onto a better trajectory, we are also committed to providing you the most delicious and locally-sourced soup that we can. Vegetarian, gluten- and dairy-free options will be available. There is no reason that you can't eat well and resist at the same time!


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Exchange Student Hosts Wanted

PAX (Program of Academic Exchange Vermont) is looking for families who are interested in hosting a high school exchange student for Brattleboro HS and Bellows Falls for the upcoming school year.  Clara is one such student, a 15 year old girl from Spin whose interests include skiing, scouting and gymnastics.  Could you open your home to one of these students?
Host families come in all shapes and sizes - they represent the diversity of American culture, with varied economic, religious and racial backgrounds. Among those who truly enjoy the exchange experience are parents looking to give their families a glimpse of the world and introduce them to new customs and cultures, without having to travel the globe.
Many of our host families do not have high school age children, while others have adult children who no longer live at home. They say that hosting an exchange student gives them an opportunity to enrich their own lives and connect with their community in a whole new way.
If you've considered hosting but have questions, please contact Kimberly at [email protected] or 802-824-3792.

 

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ONGOING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING


Indigo Radio
Sundays at 12pm on Brattleboro Community Radio 107.7FM
To stream live: Visit www.wvew.org 
Indigo Radio, deepening understanding and making connections!
IndigoRadio is a group of area educators seeking to learn through engaging with others in our community and throughout the world. We will be talking about educational and social issues both globally and locally and connecting them to our lives and Brattleboro community.
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/indigoradiowvew/
For archive recordings of past shows: https://soundcloud.com/user-654648353



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UPCOMING STUDY GROUP

Naomi Klein Study/Action Group
2nd Study/Action Group is Being Organized 
Because the 1st group is filled, and additional people have expressed interest, Post Oil Solutions is considering a 2nd study/action group on Naomi Klein’s latest book No Is Not Enough: Resisting Trump's Shock Politics and Winning the World We Need, that was just published onJune 13.
We will need a few more people to be able to do this. I’m looking for no more than 12 participants.The study/action group will begin in September so as to avoid the inevitable interruptions of the summer months.
NOTE: This is not a book club; rather this group is intended for people who are already engaged in or wish to seriously address the climate, political, economic, and social issues of our time, and will use the latest book by respected activist and author, Naomi Klein, to both inspire and advance their activism. If you are interested, contact Tim: [email protected]
A website for No Is Not Enough says the book “reveals, among other things, how Trump's election was not a peaceful transition, but a corporate takeover, one using deliberate shock tactics to generate wave after wave of crises and force through radical policies that will destroy people, the environment, the economy, and national security. This book is the toolkit for shock resistance, showing all of us how we can break Trump's spell and win the world we need.”


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Thank you, Community Member, for the time and effort you give freely every week. We appreciate all that you do and we look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

Your Friendly WeCAN Admins, 
Ann and Joanna


http://www.wecantogether.net/