October Meeting Minutes

October 10, 2017 Action Team Meeting

The purpose of our group is to mobilize a well organized, visible group of people to act responsively and proactively on issues that matter most to the vulnerable members of our community.  We want to maintain a long term task force that can act and respond to issues threatening the safety or rights of our community members as needed.

 

 

• Recent Events

 

1. 1. 1. 9/26/17: National Voter Registration Day
      2. 9/27/17: Letter to the Editor workshop canceled

 

• Upcoming Events

 

1. 1. 1. 11/19/17: November 19 – First Anniversary Beloit Together Solidarity Gathering
         1. Start at Horace White Park with music
         2. Walk to First Congregational Church – other notes attached.
         3. Invitations going out this week
   2. Integrated Voter Engagement – JOB
      1. Collected volunteer information and sent it to Ruth and Wayne

 

• LGBTQ Honor Roll of Businesses – Tes Slominski – In Progress

• Rock County Unidos Website – ICE Response Updates

 

1. 1. 1. Bill Conover volunteered to head this up

 

• Local Elections

 

1. 1. 1. Contact Clint Anderson at clintonanderson17@yahoo.com if you or anyone you know is interested in running for local office.  Clint has resources and encouragement for you.

 

• Open Discussion

 

1. 1. Susan brought up the huge problems we have with Beloit law enforcement and lack of advocacy regarding domestic violence.  This will be a main topic at our next meeting
   2. Next City Council meeting is Monday Oct 16 at 7pm http://www.beloitwi.gov/index.asp?SEC=C833E327-C02B-4A6A-B4B9-030B58262A07&Type=B_BASIC

 

Beloit Together Solidarity Gathering Planning Notes

Monday October 9. 2017

Theme: Stronger Together to Overcome Social Injustice

 

1. What will our unifying call to action be?
   1. Addressing Beloit and Rock County Poverty Issues
      1. Employment
      2. Literacy
      3. Affordable health care
   2. Racism
      1. Access to jobs and education for undocumented families
      2. Definite and stated city stance on Racism and Antisemitism, all varieties of “othering”
   3. LGBTQ Discrimination
2. Speakers to Invite
   1. Lori Luther – City of Beloit
   2. Marc Perry or Erick Williams – Poverty
   3. Neddy Astudillo – Latinx Community
   4. Rev Michael Ramsdail – Race
   5. Marilyn from Janesville LGBT Group
      1. Need Spanish interpreter (SDB faculty, Danielle Lavariega, Heather Churches, or Julie Horvath)
      2. Sign Language interpreter
3. Community Resources Expo?
   1. Invite organizations and institutions that already address these issues to attend, set up tables, and provide information and gather volunteers/support
   2. Create a directory of organizations and institutions to expose general population to how they can get more involved and to educate about what Beloit is already doing
   3. Set goals – EX: Create a Poverty and Justice commission on the Beloit City Council to collect local data and make recommendations to increase access and address service deficits by using that data? Rely on existing organizations and look for ways to support them with data, publicity, or funding to improve quality of life for Beloit
4. Invite
   1. Local Media – BDN, Gazette, NBC 15, Rockford, WCLO and community radio
   2. Beloit and Janesville school board members
   3. State and local reps
   4. Local congregations
   5. Rock County board of supervisors
   6. Beloit City Council
   7. Janesville CIty Council
   8. Town of Beloit
   9. Blackhawk Tech
   10. U-Rock
   11. Beloit Health Systems
5. Collaborate with
   1. Stateline Literacy Council
   2. Switch Lanes
   3. NAACP
   4. Local GOP – need good contact information
   5. Equal Opportunity Commission (Beloit)
   6. Latino Service Providers Coalition
   7. Beloit Public Library
   8. School District of Beloit – Rachelle Elliott (Early Literacy Coordinator)
   9. LULAC #338
   10. League of Women Voters
   11. JOB/Integrated Voter Engagement
   12. Successful 20’s
   13. Community Action
   14. Please add all the organizations I’m overlooking because it’s 10:30pm……
6. Logistics:
   1. Megan will contact the Beloit Parks Dept to reserve Horace White Park gazebo on Sunday November 19 at 3:00pm
   2. Megan will contact First Congregational Church to ask if we can host the speaker and expo part of the event and also use their facility as a rain backup
   3. Also, I’ll contact Yuri Rashkin re: sound equipment indoor/outdoor
   4. Assuming good weather, people can arrive at the park around 3 where we will introduce the purpose of our solidarity gathering and handout the programs/community resource booklets.  We’ll invite musicians to play for approx 30 minutes at the park. Then we will walk to the church for the indoor portion.  We’ll need volunteers to set up food and the room ahead of time. Next we’ll let people settle in, eat, and listen to our speakers – expect that listening portion to last about 30 minutes. Then people can peruse ways to get involved via our “expo” set up, where any organization that would like to participate can have a table.