Tired of the Nightly News on Gun Violence .. Wondering What You Can Do? Then this meetings for YOU!
Packed House for August Meeting
Natelie Warren Introduces the Guest Speaker
Thursday, September 17th,
6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
@ The Corner Bakery Café (Arlington Heights, IL)
Northpoint Shopping Center, 470 East Rand Road
(private meeting room to the left when entering)
The GVP Issues Team has been working for the past two years to keep the conversation about gun violence prevention going forward and to take action to change our laws with the goal of creating safer communities for everyone in our state and our nation. We hold 60 to 90 minute meetings typically (some exceptions) on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm. If you are interested in working to reduce gun violence in America, we invite you to join us at our next meeting.
At the last meeting (August) everyone attending also got a packet of information and a short training session about ways to plan and conduct meetings with local elected officials to seek support for this legislation. At this meeting on September 17th we will review the materials/training information and make plans to contact and meet with mayors and other elected officials. Everyone is welcome to attend the September 17th meeting, whether or not you were able to attend the previous one. It is very exciting to see a path to action taking shape!
We will continue to have our on-going discussion about the economic costs of gun violence for our society along side of tragedy of loss of life and the moment people’s lives are altered forever at our monthly meetings. These human and economic costs are very high, billions and billions of dollars a year. Several groups that we have partnered with are beginning to talk about this issue. It is sad to say but sometimes it’s the economic costs that gain more traction than other arguments.
Open to College Students and High School Students that are approaching the decisions on which college to attend and the issues that you are interested in and those you would like to get involved in.
Notes from our last meeting, What people agreed to do before the next meeting:
Review of media and messages for posting to the OFA social media,
A look at “Ivory Tower”, the documentary about why college costs so much.
Research on scholarships and grants
Information about free college program requirements both in the city and suburbs
Update on Harper so students whose interests match ours know how they can join our teams for action, and spearhead the effort for the November volunteer fair table.
Announcement from the OFA COI HQ: OFA campus organizing summit, OFA headquarters downtown Chicago, Oct. 2-3
“NWSOFA & OFA stands with women-from expanding women’s leadership and economic security to protecting health care choices.”
The organization August meeting had a well organized agenda focused on the key SWW Issues this last month. For the month of September, Among the key topics: Economic Security, Equal Pay, Raising the Minimum Wage, Paid Leave and the conservatives attack on Planned Parenthood.
The gap between white men and everybody else in tech starts in high school. Teens of all stripes are glued to their smartphones, but, per a new study .. click on the title above to see the rest of the story.
September Meeting TBD
NWSOFA SEPTEMBER CHAPTER
MEETING FOCUSING ON DIVERSITY AND IMMIGRATION REFORM
CIR / Diversity Outreach Steering Group August Meeting
Diversity Outreach “Taste of Diversity” Held in July
September 28th @ the Schaumburg Library
130 S Roselle Rd, Schaumburg, Il 7 pm – 9 pm
Featuring updates from all 9 NWSOFA Progressive Issue teams: ACA – Healthcare, CIR – Immigration Reform, Climate Change, Fiscal and Economic Issue Group, Stand With Women (on equal pay), Gun Violence Prevention, Marriage Equality, the new Diversity Outreach and College Outreach Teams.
A major focus of the September meeting will be to update all attendees on the current status of Immigration Reform and present facts not broad attacks about this important American Heritage – Immigration.
Unique to NWSOFA is the close bond of our new 2015 Diversity Outreach with the Immigration Reform Team. Updates on both fronts.
Learn what you can do to be part of process and create clarity in the way America views our immigrants.
If you have an issue you feel strongly about, NWSOFA most likely has a group for you to be involved in.
In 2015 OFA have not only found their voices, we have amplified them and are now partnering with groups to build larger coalitions. Learn what you can do to amplify and focus the NWSOFA Voice in 2015
Get involved, attend, participate. and learn what you can do to be part of Change.
Northwest Suburbs Climate Change Coalition Events & Meetings for September / October 2015
By Joe Salvato,
In the NW Suburbs there are several climate change events in September and October and a few are listed below. As many of you already know many environmental groups and faith organizations are partnering in the NW Suburbs so our collective voice can be heard.
For those who are current leaders of existing groups, or would like to be core team members of any of these groups, please consider attending the NWS Coalition leaders planning meeting on Wednesday, September 9.
These groups include Organizing from Action, Sierra Northwest Cook County Group, Northwest Suburban Interfaith Environmental Group, Faith in Place, Community Renewal Society, Congregations of Faith, Climate Reality Project, Cool Cities, Illinois Solar Energy Association, Go Green Northbrook, as well as others.
The Sierra Northwest Cook County Group September newsletter is also below.
Upcoming events:
NWS Coalition Group leaders planning meeting:
Global Day of Action
Wednesday October 14 partnership event in downtown Arlington Heights (time to be determined): Many of the groups that organized the People’s Climate March are planning a national day of action on October 14 to build momentum leading into the Paris Climate Talks. Groups are encouraged to come together to plan events in their communities that can have a local, national, and/or international focus.
NWSOFA CC Night at the Movies: Date, time and location to be determined
OFA’s COI Has Great Organizing Training Coming up in the next few Months.
October 2-4 – Campus Organizing Summit
Join OFA at our Campus Organizing Summit to learn how to effectively make a difference on your campus on the issues you care about. You’ll learn the skills you need to move your issue forward– and get other students involved, too!
NWSOFA’s Fiscal and Economic Issues Discussion Group
This last Thursday Night the Group meet at the AHML
Click on Image for Larger View
Click on Image for Larger View
Great Discussions Into the Facts about the Economic Recovery and Illinois Proposed Budget this last Thursday evening..
The discussion was centered around everything that is (NOT) going on with our state budget negotiations for the fiscal year that began July 1st, and the (LACK OF) progress on the federal appropriations for the fiscal year beginning October 1st.
As always, we had a detailed update on the August US jobs numbers that came out last Friday from the Bureau of Labor Statics (BLS) and the July IL numbers published late last month. As most of you probably saw, the second quarter GDP growth was revised up to a 3.7% annual rate. Some new participants attended so we did some deep dives into the BLS report on the unemployment 5.1% rate and the U-6 10% rate and the number of people that represents.
In January 2013 we started as a gathering of friends and neighbors from the NW Suburbs who wanted to continue to have impact on the progressive issues we voted for in 2012.This grassroots, bottom up movement spread across the country and sparked the creation of Organizing for Action, OFA National which now has Chapters all over the country. This is a non-partisan, volunteer organization that focuses on progressive issues we are committed to taking Action on to make a difference locally, statewide and nationally.
NWSOFA’s 1st Issue Team was right after the tragedy at Sandy Hook. The Gun Violence Prevention (GVP) team felt we needed accurate information and facts, events to teach others and actions we could take to make a difference on pushing for common sense gun violence prevention. That has been our basic format as new issues arose and team developed. We now have the GVP, ACA/Obamacare, Climate Change,Fiscal Issues and Stand with Women Issue Teams.Check out their individual pages to see all the events they have scheduled and to join the teams you want to make a difference with. Other teams are developing such as for Comprehensive Immigration Reform.
OFA National coordinates “Days of Action” that Chapters across the country will all do on the same day. Each team also has local events and may work with affiliate organizations i.e. Sierra Club, Al Gore Reality Project, etc. to combine like-minded groups on a local, state or national event.
In this type of organization there are numerous ways you can be involved with the teams and in other roles.We were looking for ways to get our events out and now have a Twitter Master, Kathy,and Press Lead, Kym.
Two new initiatives were introduced in January 2015 from OFA. The first one is to get more young people involved in progressives issues. We prioritized working with colleges to reach out to them. One of the major benefits of joining us is learning to be a community organizer. These skills can be beneficial for a lifetime. The second initiative is working with under served populations that traditionally have not a voice on issues that are crucial for them. If either of these sound like something you would be interested in helping to develop, please let us know.
Maybe you have a special skill we haven’t even thought about give us a call we’re always open to new ideas and teams.
Thanks for stopping and hope you’ll stay and join us.
NWSOFA is a whole, diverse wonderful family of people who want to do more than talk about the social issues. We explore and dig deep on the facts and decide what actions we can take that can have an impact locally and nationally. NWSOFA members not only “talk the talk”, but we “walk the walk”.
All our teams have numerous events that will enlighten and inspire you and yes, challenge you to make the effort to make a difference.
We invite you to join us!
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September Events ..
NWSOFA in Photos
NWSOFA Fiscal & Economics Discussion Group Meeting September 10th
August Events ..
NWSOFA in Photos
NWSOFA Diversity and Immigration Reform Planning Meeting August 28th
NWSOFA GVP Issue Teams Presentation from People for a Safer Society August 20th
US Leads in Homicides by firearm per 1,000 population .. by a BUNCH
NWSOFA CC Issue Teams Meets to Chart the Future August 19th
Dan Huntsha – Named NWSOFA Climate Change Lead
NWSOFA Attends the OFA COI “The Empowerment Project” August 12th
NWSOFA Gun Violence Lead Presents to at the UUCC morning Group August 9th
NWSOFA Holds 2nd Annual Picnic on Lake Terramere in Arlington Hieghts
NWSOFA SWW Holds Organizing Meeting August 4th
It’s time to Act .. It Is Time To Get Involved
Over the years the American Citizens have lost their voices, believing that we can not make a difference. We have been beat down by the constant droning noise of the conservative right. This onslaught has made us like sheep .. afraid to express our views. Not anymore! OFA gives us back our voices and by working together we are making change one issue at a time. Together we can and will make a difference.
Thank You to our NWSOFA Issue Leads in 2015
Dan Huntsha Climate
Nikki Gundimeda Stand w/Women
Just Click on the Photo to link the NWSOFA e-magazines daily & archived articles
In January 2013 we started as a gathering of friends and neighbors from the NW Suburbs who wanted to continue to have impact on the progressive issues we voted for in 2012.This grassroots, bottom up movement spread across the country and sparked the creation of Organizing for Action, OFA National which now has Chapters all over the country. This is a non-partisan, volunteer organization that focuses on progressive issues we are committed to taking Action on to make a difference locally, statewide and nationally.
