Other Local Opportunities

Virginia Organizing will be posting weekly suggestions for ways people can take action.  http://www.virginia-organizing.org/take-action/act-now/

Common Ground, a wellness studio that provides services to, among others, underserved populations such as the elderly and incarcerated women, can use donations: www.commongroundcville.org.

Just World Educational is dedicated to building a more just and peaceful world by conducting love, educational events all around the United States to discuss the vitally important issues of war, peace, justice, and the Middle East… and by running a website dedicated to these issues, too. Friends can learn more about JWE at the website: http://justworldeducational.org/. Information on how to donate is prominently posted on the website, too.

Listed below, are available to help members of the Charlottesville community who are facing immigration and Customs Enforcement Challenges:

Detention Center visits:  [https://www.detentionwatchnetwork.org/]  Recently, it has been made possible to carry out visits to the Detention Center in Farmville for the purpose of extending friendship to those folks detained due to immigration issues.  If interested in making such visits, please contact Gene Locke [ lockegene@gmail.com ].

 Many folks in the community are challenged by an increased sense of fear that can mean avoiding driving.  Others have other reasons for needing help in getting around to errands.  In any event, there is a need for volunteer drivers.  If interested in being placed on a list of volunteer drivers, please contact Mark Heisey [mfheisey@gmail.com]

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The library has created a Special Collection of books pertaining to Quaker political action.   See the complete list of books under LibraryNews on its webpage.

Here are links to three articles from Issac, and one from Joanna on the topic of immigration:

1. Within the past few days it seems that the government has launched a wave of immigration raids.  This new policy perhaps gives a certain urgency to considering the matter of sanctuary.

 2. This New York Times Editorial Board article on the new threat of deportation for many immigrants is useful. It highlights the recent deportation of Guadalupe García de Rayos, a 35 year old women who was deported after 21 years of living in the United States. Rayos had to do yearly check-in with immigration services because she was arrested in 2008 for the crime of trying to get a job with a false social security number. This year because of one of Trumps executive orders she was detained and deported during the check-in because of this prior “criminal background.”

3. Here is an article published by the AFSC on Denver Quakers offering sanctuary to a family.

4. I just saw this article about sanctuary for undocumented immigrants in the Washington Post, which might be of interest to Friends in light of our recent discussions. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/02/15/this-undocumented-immigrant-just-announced-shes-seeking-sanctuary-at-a-church-now-she-waits/?utm_term=.5a47ea4bc617

Make your voice heard! There are many issues on the table that affect members of our community in one way or another. If you feel moved to engage in civic life here is the contact information for our U.S. Senators and U.S. Congress representatives :

US Senator Mark Warner
475 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2023

US Senator Tim Kaine
231 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4024

US Congressman TBD

In order to find the State legislators that correspond to your specific address please go here: http://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/
there you can find contact information.

Please bring any cancelled stamps from your mail (they do not need to be unique stamps) and place them in the large brown envelope on the bulletin board in the foyer. They will be collected and eventually come to support “Right Sharing of World Resources.” to support women’s businesses in developing countries.