Register for A4D’s January 25 Meeting
Registration is open for A4D’s January monthly meeting, which will take place on Tuesday, January 25, at 5:00pm via Zoom. Here’s the link. Portland City Commissioner Dan Ryan will be our guest. More details in next week’s newsletter.
Charter Chat
The City Club of Portland is hosting an interactive conversation with Charter Commissioners Melanie Billings Yun and Vadim Mozyrsky tomorrow, Tuesday, January 11, from noon to 1:00pm. Find out what’s going in Portland’s charter review process that is currently underway, ask questions of the commissioners, and discuss with fellow Portlanders in breakout rooms. The commissioners seek citizen input to help shape the future of our city's governance. Register here to attend.
Webinar on the Status of Local Afghan Refugees
Lutheran Community Services Northwest is offering an online webinar to update interested community members about their efforts to assist Afghan refugees adapt to their new home in the area. The webinar will take place on Thursday, January 13, from 5:00-6:00pm. CEO and president David Duea, Salah Ansary, Director of Multicultural Community Services Programs and former presenter at a recent A4D meeting, and others will speak. Please RSVP here to join in.
Remembering January 6 Our Democracy in Jeopardy
A4D members joined a virtual event hosted by Indivisible Sisters marking the first anniversary of January 6. Speakers included Jamie McLeod-Skinner, who shared movingly of her experiences in countries in which democracy and the rule of law are not firmly established. Participants committed themselves to defending our democracy by advocating for the passage of the four voting rights/election bills that have passed the House and are now stalled in the Senate by calling their members of Congress. These bills are the Freedom to Vote Act, Protecting Our Democracy Act, John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and the Washington, DC statehood bill, which would finally give residents of our nation’s capital the right to vote. You can watch a video recording of the event here. To check out books, articles, and videos dealing with the challenges our democracy is facing that Indivisible Sisters assembled, go here. And to read the letter that A4D and other progressive organizations sent to Senate Majority Leader Schumer, visit this link.
Help the Jamie McLeod-Skinner Campaign
Jamie McLeod-Skinner is running for Congress in newly-redrawn District 5. Her opponent is incumbent Representative Kurt Schrader. A4D wholeheartedly endorses Jamie, and she’ll need our help to succeed. One of the many ways to get involved is by helping to raise awareness of Jamie’s campaign and why Schrader should be replaced, and you can do that by writing letters to the editors of your local newspapers. Volunteer here and you will receive all the help and facts you need to write an effective, compelling letter to the editor. For those of you who prefer to write postcards, you will also receive the support and guidance you need from the campaign.