Keep On Keepin' On!

Happy Tuesday, Activists!

"Patriotism is loving your country all of the time and supporting your government when it deserves it."  ~  Mark Twain

We hope you had a lovely holiday weekend and found a way to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Leah Greenberg, Co-Director of Indivisible, released a post yesterday, to honor the life and work of Dr. King.  It was a thoughtful and inspiring message that we think you'll find is well worth reading.  It is at this link.

You can check out more calls to action from last week at this link.  

SUPPORT GROUPS DOING GOOD WORK IN MINNEAPOLIS

If you'd like to send help for Minneapolis to organizations doing good work to support their community, you can go to this link to donate.  The group was vetted by Indivisibles on the ground out there and it has many options for where you want your donation to go.  Their advice is to prioritize schools, as they have become big targets and are trying to find funds to feed kids who can’t risk coming in.  Thank you. 

THANK YOU FOR WORKING AT SHARE YESTERDAY!

 Yesterday our volunteers spent a few hours packing 800 (!) boxes with food at SHARE Food Program for a day of service.  It was a great way to honor the work of Dr. King and spend some time with each other!

PHOTOS FROM SEN. HAYWOOD'S MLK DAY MARCH

Yesterday, State Senator Art Haywood led a march along with faith leaders to ICE offices to protest ICE operations here.  And even on that very cold day, it was huge!  You can see photos, video and the story here.

CALLS TO ACTION

After watching what ICE is doing in our area and around the country, particularly now in Minneapolis, we're sick of their terror tactics. Fortunately, we have a moment now to flex some power because of the funding bill coming up by the end of the month.  

1.  Keep at it - Dems have an opportunity to pull their funding through NO votes on a bill coming up to fund Homeland Security.  We need to call our senators and House members and demand they refuse to vote for ICE funding unless the bill strengthens restrictions on ICE and Border Patrol’s ability to violate the law, use terror tactics, and march into our cities causing chaos. Contact info is below.

2.  Join Indivisible's phone bank TOMORROW to call voters in key states and encourage them to call their Senators to demand they rein in ICE's terror tactics. 

When: Wednesday, January 21st at 1:00 ET.

Sign up here.

3.  ACA Subsidies:  House Democrats and a handful of Republicans forced a successful vote on restoring the ACA tax credits. Now the Senate must act before it’s too late.

As usual, Senate Republicans are trying to insert a backdoor ban on abortion coverage and add other restrictions so fewer people can qualify for premium assistance. Call our senators and demand they vote YES on a bill to restore ACA subsidies with no poison pills.  

Here are the contacts to call and write:

Rep. Evans – D.C. 202-225-4001; Phila. office (215) 276-0340; email link

Rep. Boyle – D.C. office 202-225-6111; Phila office 215-335-3355; email link

Rep. Scanlon -- D.C. office 202-225-2011; Chester office (610) 626-2020; email link

Outside Philadelphia?  Find your Representative here.

Sen. McCormick – Phila office 215-405-9660; D.C. office 202-224-6324; email link

Sen. Fetterman – Phila office 215-241-1090; D.C. 202-224-4254; email link

For outside PA:  Find your senators’ phone numbers and emails at this link.

NOT SURE WHAT A COMMITTEE PERSON DOES?

LEARN ALL ABOUT IT AT THIS TRAINING!

Have you ever wondered what a Committee Person does?  Or how to become one?  Or whether it's right for you?  Or maybe you've always wanted to be a Committee Person.  Now, here's your chance to learn, so you can decide if you would want to do it.

We're holding a training for how to run for Democratic Committee Person this year.  Yes, Committee People appear on the ballot and are elected every four years; and this is the year!  Come and find out all about it and then decide if it's right for you.

When: THIS THURSDAY, January 22nd, 7:30 PM

Where:  Zoom

Sign up here.

PROTEST CITIZENS BANK

We have exciting news!  This coming Saturday will be a huge regional protest as a coalition of several states with Citizens branches all protest on the same day!  At least 35 groups around the region will protest at their local Citizens Bank branches.  It's Pennsylvania Indivisibles and more from Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island - so far.  We are bringing more states on board to swing into action for the next one!  This is exciting, because we'll get national media attention to put Citizens on notice more broadly.  Also, we will start writing letters to their national and regional offices soon too.

BACKGROUND:  Citizens Bank has long financed private prison and detention facility companies like GEO Group and Core Civic, even though there have been years of evidence of forced labor, healthcare neglect, and other abuses in their facilities.

In Pennsylvania, GEO operates the cruel and inhumane Moshannon Valley Processing Center, one of the largest ICE detention facilities in the Northeast.  It is where most of our neighbors are taken after ICE abducts them off the street.

Join us this Saturday at one of the two locations below!  

When:  Saturday, January 24th, 10:30AM to 11:30AM

Where: Two locations for you to choose from - 

1515 Market Street - Sign up here

900 South Street (near Whole Foods) - Sign up here

WRITE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

We have a lot to talk about!

Join this fantastic team and learn the best techniques for getting your views published.  Three more of our LTE writers just had their letters published.  Congratulations to Karel, Gary and Tom! 

We'll give you topical ideas and tips to effectively send your thoughts to folks willing to consider another point of view.  The team is getting so many letters published!

Even if you're just not sure if you want to join, you can sign up and find out more to make your decision.  Sign up here.  

Or just get answers to your questions by emailing us here. 

MORE PROTESTS YOU CAN JOIN

1.  Springfield protest - Every Saturday, 1:00 - 2:00 at the intersection of Baltimore Pike and PA Route 320.  Bring your signs on your favorite topic!  

2. Tesla Takedown Protest - Every Saturday - 11:00 - Noon

Tesla Takedown Devon - At the Tesla showroom, 470 Lancaster Ave, Devon, PA 

3. Every Friday -- 11:15 am- Join Fridays@Fetterman's for the weekly Friday vigil for peace in Gaza/Palestine outside of Senator John Fetterman's office at 200 Chestnut Street from 11:15 am to 12:15 pm. Register here  

4.  Fitz Friday - 4:00 - 5:00 pm -- Protest at Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick's office at One Summit Square, Langhorne, PA. Bring signs about whatever you want. There's a lot to complain about!

5. Every Wednesday 5:30 - 6:30 pm -- Join this resistance group at #WeThePeopleWednesdays for Singing for Sanity at Unitarian Universalist Church, 6900 Stenton Avenue.  More information is here.

6.  Every Wednesday at noon - Outside the Philadelphia ICE Office, 114 N. 8th Street.   Sponsored by New Sanctuary Movement.  This is a 40-week series of Interfaith Prayer Vigils.  

7. Every Monday at Noon - Monday at McCormick's -- Join our friends at Peace, Justice, Sustainability NOW for Monday's at McCormick's, in front of Senator McCormick's office at 20th and Market Streets.

8.  Every Monday at 11:00 AM - Vigil outside the ICE office, 114 North 8th Street, Phila. sponsored by State Senator Art Haywood and led by local clergy.

9. Are you outside the Philadelphia area?  You can see all the protests planned by Indivisibles in your area at this link. 

And One More Thing:

We can send you our No Kings t-shirt!  First, make a donation of $35 . Then, check out the t-shirts, sign up for your choice and we'll send it to you to wear any time! 

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