Weekly Action | 11/1/21 – 11/7/21

Monday, 11/1

Cook and deliver a meal for 25 people to St John of the Cross Catholic Worker House in Cedar Rapids between 7 am and 5 pm. Please call Larissa at 319-362-9041 with any questions.

11 am: Linn County Board of Supervisors Work Session Formal Board Room—Jean Oxley Public Service Center 935 2nd St. SW, CR
View the agenda.

12 pm: What’s Happening | Worker rights on the (picket) line

3:30 pm: Iowa City Climate Action Commission Meeting– Emma J Harvat Hall, City Hall, 410 E. Washington St.
View the agenda.

4-6 pm:DHS Community Integration Town Hall, Hosted by #UpgradeMedicaid

4–6 pm: Volunteer with Feed Iowa First at the shop (1506 10th St SE, CR)

4–5:30 pm: Collins Aerospace Garden Volunteer Night

6:30–7 pm: Faithful Conversations about The 1619 Project

6:30–7:30 pm: Organizing for Change Workshop: Handling Difficult Conversations

View the agenda.

Tuesday, 11/2

Cook a meal for guests, families, and caregivers at The Bird House – Hospice Home of Johnson County (6 adults). Deliver to 8 Lime Kiln Lane in Iowa City, preferably by 5pm. Call 319–499–1882 when you arrive, and they will
come out to get it. If you want to cook but cannot deliver, please reply to this email. We can probably arrange pick up and drop off, if needed.

COOK a meal for families staying at Ronald McDonald House of Iowa City.

11 am–3 pm: College of Public Health Blood Drive

12:30–3:15 pm: Linn County Food Bank Volunteers needed

4 pm: Marion City Council Work Session– City Hall, 1225 6th Avenue
View the agenda.
Zoom Viewing Meeting ID# 827 0679 6061

4 pm: Iowa City Council Work Session– Iowa City Senior Center (28 S. Linn Street). Use the Washington Street entrance to access it.
View the agenda.

5:30 pm: Humans For Racial Justice Gathering. Contact jstax@jonnystax.com for information.

6 pm: Iowa City Council Meeting– Iowa City Senior Center (28 S. Linn Street). Use the Washington Street entrance to access it.
View the agenda.

7 pm: Tiffin City Council Meeting– 300 Railroad St.
View the agenda.

Wednesday, 11/3

9:00am: Johnson County Board of Supervisors Work Session
Second Floor Boardroom, Johnson County Administration Building, 913 South Dubuque Street, IC
View the agenda.

Cook and deliver a meal for 25 people to St John of the Cross Catholic Worker House in Cedar Rapids between 7 am and 5 pm. Please call Larissa at 319–362–9041 with any questions.

11 am–2 pm: Caribbean Kitchen Food Truck – Fundraiser for DVIP and Shelter House at Carver College of Medicine (451 Newton Rd., IC)

6 pm: Marion Civil Rights Commission Meeting
View the agenda.

6:30–7:30 pm: Anti-Racist Educators Collaborative Group meeting

8-9 pm Orientation for Prospective Foster/Adoptive Parents: online or by phone

Thursday,11/4

9 am: Johnson County Board of Supervisors Formal Meeting Johnson County Administration Building, 913 South Dubuque Street, IC
View the agenda.

10:30 am-2 pm: Volunteers needed to help Iowa City Free Lunch with meal prep, service, and cleaning

COOK a meal for families staying at Ronald McDonald House of Iowa City.

12:30-3:15 pm: Linn County Food Bank Volunteers needed.

2 pm: Harm Reduction and Racial Justice: Discussing the Intersections to Create Avenues to Equitable Syringe Services Programs

5-7 pm: Group Volunteer Hours with Houses Into Homes

5:30 pm: Marion City Council Meeting
View the agenda.

7 pm: Iowa City Ad Hoc Truth & Reconciliation Commission meeting
View the agenda.

Friday, 11/5

COOK a meal for families staying at Ronald McDonald House of Iowa City.

12–1 pm: Intersections | Mental Health Access Center: How we got here and what we’re doing

12–1 pm: Lunch & Learn with Iowa Chapter Sierra Club on Facebook Live

12:00–1:00pm: 1st Fridays with Iowa MMJ: Polk County Community ID

12:30–3:15 pm: Linn County Food Bank Volunteers needed

12:30–3:30 pm: Adventure Prairie Seed Harvest Event with Johnson County Conservation Society

3:30–4:30 pm: Rally for Peace on the East side of the Pentacrest with Iowa Veterans for Peace & Peace Iowa
Bring a sign, a lawn chair, and an umbrella if you wish. Signs and handouts will be available.
PLEASE WEAR A MASK.

Saturday, 11/6

10:30am: Protest with Poetry Workshop with Caleb ‘The Negro Artist’ Rainey

1 pm: Iowa Humane Alliance Volunteer Orientation

1–3 pm: 6th–12th Grade Black youth and Black community members: Join Black Lives Matter at School–Iowa for Black History Saturday School every First Saturday of the month. Each month will feature a different topic and Black educator from Iowa. Registration is free. Allies who would like to sponsor prizes and resources for Saturday School with BLM at School–Iowa can reach out to blmatschooliowa@gmail.com or donate to their CashApp.

4–7 pm: Open Volunteer Hours with Iowa City Catholic Worker. Call (515) 729–6482 to inquire

Sunday, 11/7

9 am–12 pm: Prairie Seed Harvest with Johnson County Conservation Society 

COOK a meal for families staying at Ronald McDonald House of Iowa City.

12–4 pm: InfoSec Skillshare with Iowa City Mutual Aid Collective– IC Public Library Room E

12–4 pm: Open Volunteer Hours with Iowa City Catholic Worker. Call (515) 729–6482 to inquire

3 pm: October Peace Walk: Cultivating Peace For The Long Haul

All Week

• Volunteer to help us get the motorhome ready to serve as a Free Mobile Clothing Closet!  (Tue-Sun)
• Together We Achieve in Cedar Rapids need volunteers at the resource center Monday through Saturday
• CommUnity Crisis Services and Food Bank in Iowa City needs help Monday through Saturday.
  • Pantry (Mon-Sat)
  • Drivers (Thur)
• Houses into Homes needs volunteers Monday through Friday.
• Petition the Iowa legislature to repeal anti-voter sections of Senate Files 413 and 568, which were signed into law in 2021. Sign the League of Women Voters of Iowa’s petition.
• Sign up to volunteer to provide support to incoming refugee and Afghan families by filling out Catherine McAuley Center’s interest survey.
• Apply to volunteer with Domestic Violence Intervention Program.
• Donate to The Institute of Aspiring Abolitionists, a new project created by the cofounder of the Humanize My Hoodie Movement, that will “provide political education for community members and practitioners to learn effective ways to improve relationships and reduce harm through courses, workshops, trainings, and coaching.” Learn more and back the Kickstarter.
• Call Governor Reynolds at 515-281-5211, email her, and tell her that Iowa needs $20 million of ARP money to be diverted to victim
  services. Mention the following facts:
  • Violent crimes in Iowa have skyrocketed and gun related homicides are rising consistently in Iowa.
  • In the next two years, 28,000 fewer crime victims will receive services in Iowa.
  • Covid-19 pandemic increased need for services yet victim services are experiencing a 37% cut in federal funding.
  • See the following scripts from Iowa Domestic Violence Coalition, which can be adjusted for individuals as
    needed.
    • SAMPLE PHONE CALL TO GOVERNOR
      (it’s okay and encouraged to leave a voice message!)
      I am [name, organization, where you are from]. Our program provides support and services to crime victims in
      [city/area of the state your program serves]. Due to budget cuts, fewer crime victims in Iowa are being served
      by programs like mine even as the number of victims needing help continue to surge. Crime victims need
      support and there is money available to support them. I’m calling today to ask Gov. Reynolds to immediately
      allocate $20 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State and Fiscal Recovery funds to Iowa’s Crime
      Victim Assistance Division (CVAD) to support agencies providing vital services to crime victims. Gov. Reynolds
      must seize the rare opportunity ARPA funds provide to address this crisis for victims. I can be reached at [work
      phone number or email, if applicable] should Gov. Reynolds or her staff have any questions.
    • SAMPLE EMAIL TO GOVERNOR
      I am [name, organization, where you are from]. Our program provides support and services to individuals,
      families, and communities impacted by violent crime [where]. Please allocate $20 million in American Rescue
      Plan Act (ARPA) State and Local Recovery Funds to support crime victim service provider agencies like mine
      assisting families impacted by homicide; survivors of domestic and sexual violence; and survivors of human
      trafficking.
    • This year, a catastrophic cut in federal funds to Iowa for crime victim services hit at the same time our budgets
      were depleted from the increased costs of providing services during the pandemic, and now, demand for
      services is surging. Budget cuts mean fewer staff. We cannot absorb this loss in funds and continue to meet
      the needs of our community.
    • [personalize w specific impact, e.g, what is impact on your job, or on victims (or story of one you serve), or your
      program, i.e. fewer victims served, disproportionate impact in your area (rural, underserved) or reduction in
      certain services, (housing, transportation, court advocacy, etc.]