FEATURED IN THIS WEEK’S MVCAN NEWS:
SAVE THE DATE! MVCAN MONTHLY MEETING WITH CONGRESSMAN JARED HUFFMAN MV Community Center -Special Time - Wed. Apr. 4, 4:30-6:00 pm
CANVASSING IN CD-10 WITH SWING LEFT MARIN - Many Dates Available!
SCHOOL SAFETY AND GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION at Dominican University - Sun. Mar. 18
MVCAN PHONE AND TEXT BANKING - Multiple Dates
MARCH FOR OUR LIVES - Sat. Mar. 24
DEMOCRACY CAFÉ - END GUN VIOLENCE - Sun. Mar. 18
ROCK THE CONGRESS - Sat. Mar. 24
FUNDRAISER FOR TRACY "GO TEAM" WITH CONGRESSMAN HUFFMAN - Sat. Mar. 17
SUPPORT IMMIGRANTS AT RISK OF DETENTION
AND DEPORTATION - Volunteers Needed!RACE MATTERS WORKSHOP BY FIRST 5 MARIN - Mon. Mar. 26
SAVE THE DATE: MVCAN MONTHLY MEETING
Congressman Jared Huffman. Photo: Santa Rosa Press Democrat
THIS MONTH ONLY! NEW DATE AND TIME!
Join MVCAN and Congressman Jared Huffman, who will focus on his work to protect the environment. Join our Representative and your Mill Valley neighbors who are making a difference at this crucial time. More details in forthcoming MVCAN News.
Wed. April 4, 4:30 - 6:00 pm
Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto Ave., Mill Valley
CANVASSING IN CD10 WITH SWING LEFT MARIN
There are lots of great opportunities coming up to canvass voters in CD10 (Tracy, Modesto, Turlock) to help flip Congress in the 2018 midterms. Volunteers will lay the groundwork for unseating Jeff Denham (R) by visiting Democratic voters as part of a locally-based effort to activate them prior to the election.
Under the auspices of Swing Left Marin, we have multiple chances to canvass and register voters. So pick some dates that work for you and join us! We can and will make the difference in 2018!Once-a-Month Commitment for Canvassing in Tracy
The Tracy Dems. "GO Team", which coordinates activities with Swing Left Marin in Tracy, requires a monthly commitment for canvassing. (You can share the commitment with another person, for example, canvassing in alternating months).
You can come for an initial canvassing day and "test drive", whether or not you want to commit to canvassing one day a month going forward.
No previous experience is needed - training will be provided.
Tracy Monthly Canvassing
Sat. Apr. 14 and all 2nd Saturdays - Swing Left Marin/MVCAN - 11:00 am Tracy
(Most of the volunteers for second Saturdays are MVCAN members.)
There are a few spots remaining for 2nd Saturdays.
To register and find out about carpooling, contact MVCAN member Larry Litvak.
Sun. Apr. 1 and all 1st Sundays - 1:00 pm Tracy
Email Bridget Gleason for info.
Sat. Mar. 17 and all 3rd Saturdays - 11:00 am Tracy
Email Bridget Gleason for info.Voter Registration Opportunity in Tracy
Help register voters with Swing Left Marin in Tracy before the primary election! And our next opportunity has just been made available:
Tracy Voter Registration - Sat. April 14, 9:30 am - 2:00 pm
Register and learn more here.
We may have to place a limit on the number of volunteers we can accept for each event, so please sign up now if you are interested.
STUDENT SUMMIT AT DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY
School Safety and Gun Violence Prevention
Join guest speakers Congressman Huffman and Parkland shooting survivor and spokesperson Emma Gonzalez (pictured) in discussing gun violence prevention. Emma Gonzalez has emerged, along with other impressively articulate student survivors, as an effective advocate for gun control in the weeks since the school shooting. She has also harnessed social media to spread the message against gun violence. According to The Hill, Gonzalez has 1.1 million Twitter followers, more than the National Rifle Association!
Join in the discussion:
Student Summit - School Safety and Gun Violence Prevention
Sun, March 18, 10 am - Noon
Dominican University , Angelico Hall, 50 Acacia Ave, San Rafael
Please click here to register.
The student-driven conversation will focus on ending gun violence and making our schools and public places safer.
If you are unable to attend the event, you can listen to the broadcast on Penguin Radio. (A podcast will be made available after the event.)
This event is free and open to the public; however priority will be given to students, educators, parents and guardians.
Seating is limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis up to capacity. Parking is extremely limited, so carpools are highly encouraged!
If you have questions or need language or ASL interpretation, please contact Jared Huffman’s San Rafael office at (415) 258-9657.
Hope to see you there!
MVCAN PHONE AND TEXT BANKING
We've been hosting a big crowd at our text/phone banks since February, and Saturday was no exception. We had our usual seasoned group of phoners and texters, and also welcomed many new volunteers who benefited from the expertise of our leaders, who are always on hand to train.
KUDOS and CONGRATS to the whole MVCAN electoral team and its scores of volunteers on the Conor Lamb victory in PA CD-18! All the calling unequivocally paid off in this narrow and strategic win!
Here are our March events, which include training for volunteers at every level of experience. Please register at the link to make sure you can participate.
For all our phone and text banks and training, you need to bring your charged cell phone AND your laptop, iPad or tablet, along with earbuds with a mic.
NEW! Phone and Text Bank in Sausalito
For all of you who have wanted to phone/text bank on a Sunday, here's our date:
Sunday, March 18, PHONE/TEXT BANK, 1:00 - 3:00 pm, in Sausalito
Please register here.
Phone and Text Bank in San Rafael
Wed. Mar 21 - PHONE/TEXT BANK, 4:00 - 6:00 pm in San Rafael
We'll be calling all the flippable California Congressional Districts.
Please register here.
MVCAN is co-hosting this phone/text bank at Marin Democrats' new headquarters on 4th St. in San Rafael! The office is at 1344 4th St. (at D) in San Rafael and will be open Wed. - Sun.12:00 -6:00 pm.
Can anyone loan the office folding tables and chairs? Please bring them to the new office, 1344 4th St. (at D) in San Rafael. Thank you!
MARCH FOR OUR LIVES - SAT. MAR. 24
Join the young people of our country in their heartfelt protest march for Gun Safety on Saturday, March 24. MVCAN will be participating in:
MARCH FOR OUR LIVES
Civic Center, San Francisco
If you wish to carpool, MVCAN members will be meeting in the parking lot at Mill Valley Middle School (425 Sycamore Ave), to form informal carpools to SF at 11:45 am.
MVCAN Meeting Place at the Civic Center Plaza in SF
All MVCANers, Marin activists and their friends are encouraged to gather between 12:45pm and 1pm for March for Our Lives at the Civic Center in SF.
We will be meeting on the North side of Civic Center Plaza near the small elevator building for the underground Civic Center garage,
This location is just off McAllister - halfway between Larkin and Polk, and is right on the Civic Center Plaza.
Likewise, we will return to that meeting point after the rally. (Details of the March plan are still pending from the organizers.)
DEMOCRACY CAFÉ - END GUN VIOLENCE
Come to Democracy Cafe for an afternoon of art, music and talks about social change.
This month, we will look at how to end gun violence, through a range of activities:
- 2:00 Make your own sign for ‘March for our Lives’ — or for your next rally
- 2:30 Create a collage about gun safety for our new parade float
- 3:00 Sing-along for a better world with the Freedom Singers
- 3:30 Discuss anti-gun violence actions with Marin Supervisor Kate Sears
- 3:45 Meet young activists and discuss ideas for gun safety as a community
- 4:00 Enjoy songs of change by Tam High students Emma Spike and Kayla Campbell
Democracy Café – End Gun Violence
Sun. Mar. 18, 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
O'Hanlon Center for the Arts, 616 Throckmorton Avenue, Mill Valley
You can come anytime between 2 and 5pm, and join the activity that best suits you.
Please RSVP here.
Ages 10 and up welcome (children between 10 and 13 must be accompanied by an adult).
Come and participate - free food, drinks, and art supplies!
Learn more about Democracy Café , or more info, email event producer Fabrice Florin.ROCK THE CONGRESS: UNITING PROGRESSIVES TO WIN
Rock the Congress is a one-day conference that will provide Bay Area activists with the training and skills they need to join and build a strong and lasting coalition of progressive activists who are dedicated to winning elections and regaining Democratic control of Congress.
The day-long conference will include:
Keynote speakers: CA State Controller Betty Yee, Pod Save America’s Dan Pfieffer, and Congressman Eric Swalwell (CA-15)
Training sessions for new and experienced activists on topics such as direct action, technology, and messaging
Interactive, facilitated sessions for groups to collaborate on operational plans for 2018 midterm and state elections
Networking with Bay Area organizers
Last August, Rock the Congress/Marin was an enormously exciting and enlightening event attended by 300 activists! If you missed it last time, now is your chance!
ROCK THE CONGRESS – UNITING PROGRESSIVES TO WIN IN 2018
Sat. Mar. 24, 8:30 am – 6:00 pm
Balboa High School, 1000 Cayuga Ave., San Francisco
In solidarity with the anti-gun violence March for Our Lives (Mar 24), programming like an “activism sampler” is included for new activists and there will be a workshop on how to advocate for safe gun laws — scheduled in the morning before the March for Our LIves rally in SF (so that people may attend the conference before going downtown to participate in the rally and march.) The conference also offers a student ticket discount.
Please join us at this pivotal moment at Rock the Congress on March 24th!
FUNDRAISER FOR TRACY DEMS. "GO TEAM" WITH CONGRESSMAN HUFFMAN
MVCAN has been participating (under the auspices of Swing Left Marin) for the last several months in canvassing and working with the Tracy "Go Team", who have been doing amazing and effective work to prepare for the mid-term elections in CD10 (Tracy, Modesto, Turlock).
Swing Left Marin is hosting an event with our own Rep. JARED HUFFMAN to support the Tracy "Go Team" efforts. Please join us and help support our continuing productive and cooperative relationship with the Tracy "Go Team"!
BREAK THE GOP SIEGE - TRACY "GO TEAM" FUNDRAISER
Sat. Mar. 17, 2:00 - 4:30 pm
Key Tea Cafe, 921 C Street, San Rafael
There will be free food, drinks, and live music!
Tickets $25-$125
SUPPORT IMMIGRANTS AT RISK OF DETENTION AND DEPORTATION
June Cooperman, Sue Fishman and Rebecca Brackman at the ICE protest in SF Feb. 28.
Attend a one-evening training session and learn how you can participate in documenting events where immigrants are at risk of detention and deportation. The Marin Rapid Response Network is offering training to become a legal observer to help monitor ICE activity.
How does Rapid Response support the needs of at-risk immigrants? A hotline has been set up where a dispatcher receives a call, and if it is an actual raid, will alert the legal observers within 10 miles of the event to respond. The trained observers are sent to the location to observe and report. The videos and notes collected by observers are then sent to local and regional Rapid Response networks to be used in cases of ICE abuse and in defending people at risk of deportation.
Susan Fishman, an MVCAN member who has been participating as a legal observer, says “It's been a wonderful experience to be part of something so important.”
MORE VOLUNTEERS ARE STILL NEEDED! Join in and help support the immigrant members of our community!
You do not need to have a legal background or be bilingual to become a Legal Observer.Training Dates for Legal Observer Volunteers
Wed. Mar. 21, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Wed. Apr. 4, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Wed. Apr. 18, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Training Location:
First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael, Canoles Hall
510 Fifth Ave, San Rafael
For more information, email Olivia Beltran or call (415) 526-2486 x 303
RACE MATTERS WORKSHOP BY FIRST 5 MARIN
We are accustomed to Marin being ranked very high in the areas of wealth, health, and happiness. But unfortunately, in a report by The Advancement Project, Marin County was also found to be "number one" for disparities by race. See www.RaceCounts.org
It's time to hear and understand this information and to talk about it. First 5 Marin has invited The Advancement Project to present their findings and to lead us in an interactive discussion. We want to hear your experiences, your ideas–and your suggestions.
RACE MATTERS WORKSHOP
Monday, March 26, 9:00 am to 11:30 am
Embassy Suites Hotel, 101 McInnis Parkway, San Rafael
This event is sponsored by The Advancement Project and the First 5 Marin Children and Families Commission.
For more information, contact First 5 Marin's Michelle Fadelli or call (415) 257-8555.
AIRLIFT BULLETIN
HELP THIS INCREDIBLE CANDIDATE BECOME THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN GOV. IN THE U.S.!
Stacy Abrams and supporters in the GA. capitol building.
Stacey has been the Minority Leader in the GA House of Reps. for the past 6 years, where she has managed to add and hold 6 Dem. seats, keeping a supermajority out of the reach of Republicans. She has also stood her ground on 3 weeks of early voting, more than any other southern state.
So...guess who's running against her in the Democratic primary? A white member of the Georgia house named Stacey Evans, who insists that white swing voters in the suburbs are going to decide this election.
From Reuters: "Abrams, who rouses audiences to near religious fervor describing her struggles growing up poor and black in the South, argues that Democrats have wasted resources on swing voters."
“We have left too many voters untouched,” she said, noting that she refuses to tone down her support for abortion, gay rights and labor unions to appeal to Republican-leaning voters.
We are asking everyone to support Georgia Project Action, the electoral arm of the New Georgia Project, via a contribution to Airlift's Voter Motor fund. Let's help Stacey Abrams finish what she started!
When you donate through Airlift you help candidates, but you are also building local infrastructure for November and the long haul.
Watch your inbox for next week's complete MVCAN News and Updates.
JOIN AN ACTION TEAM
WANT TO GET MORE INVOLVED? Much of MVCAN's work is done in one of our 10 awesome action teams. Click the team name to read their latest news and find their next meeting.
Civil Rights/Immigration battles for justice and fair treatment of women, immigrants, working people and followers of all faiths.
Communications works on strategy, branding, messaging and program development for MVCAN. They are looking for bright ideas and people who want to make them happen.
Dump Trump 's 25 active team members work on ways to remove Trump from power, with special focus on Russia collusion. This topic is hot!
Eco Warriors are engaged in change at the local, state and national levels, to impact the CA carbon tax, climate change, and community outreach and action.
The Economic Action team runs AIRLIFT, our first national project. AIRLIFT funnels money to grassroots groups in winnable 2018 districts. These are seriously vetted groups that work all year round in their communities–they get tangible results without blowing through millions of dollars. Read about it in the Huffington Post .
Electoral is focused on the 2018 Midterm Elections, when all 435 seats in the House plus 33 Senate seats are up for grabs. We intend to grab as many as possible. The Electoral team works to elect Democratic candidates for federal and state level elections using phone/text banks and travel to targeted districts to talk with voters through phone calls, texts, door-to-door canvassing, voter registration, and campaign volunteering.
The Events team creates special events to engage our friends and neighbors to take political action with MVCAN.
Health Care is forging ahead after their successful fight over the repeal/replace of ACA.
Tech supports MVCAN through technology.
Women's Rights fundraises and canvasses for NARAL and Planned Parenthood; supports women in public office(s); and engages in local, state and federal legislation for women's protection and rights.
NEW TO MVCAN?
Visit MVCAN.org to learn about the organization and strategies, join a team, read past MVCAN newsletters, and gain helpful Resistance tools.
Thank you for all you do!
– June, Bernard, Suz, Danny, Eileen, and everyone at MVCAN
MVCAN News brought to you by June, Annie and Suz
