ACTION OF THE WEEK: Help victims of the Northern California wildfires

MVCAN urges you to continue to help our North Bay neighbors, who have lost property and livelihoods in the fires. Click here for a comprehensive and periodically updated list from the Marin/Napa Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership that contains both volunteer and donation opportunities.

To target your donation to disadvantaged, undocumented immigrant communities, give to UndocuFund for Fire Relief in Sonoma County. Launched by a coalition of local immigration nonprofits, the UndocuFund for Fire Relief in Sonoma County is providing direct assistance to undocumented victims of the Northern California fires who are ineligible for FEMA assistance. 100% of funds will go to victim support. www.undocufund.org

MVCAN UPCOMING EVENTS

  • PHONE BANKING  - Sat, Oct 21, 10:00-12:00 pm. (See new location for this week.)


Scroll down for more details on these events.


PHONE BANK FOR IMPORTANT ELECTIONS - Every Saturday!


Our next target is winning the November 7, 2017 state-level elections in Virginia. According to Paul Krugman, the Virginia gubernatorial race is crucial. If the Democratic candidate for governor, Ralph Northam, wins it will mean the expansion of Medicaid for hundreds of thousands of poor and vulnerable people; if the GOP wins, the worst Trumpists will be emboldened in their extreme right-wing agenda.

As Krugman explains “Folks...Virginia is now the most important place on the U.S. political landscape — and what happens there could decide the fate of the nation.” For the full article, go to:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/10/opinion/columnists/virginia-is-for-haters.html

Join us in phone banking to communicate directly with voters in these critical battleground states! Our Sausalito office location is still being used as a fire donation site so we will work from Sylvia's home in Ross. To attend and register for the Sat, Oct 21 phone bank (10:00-12:00PM), please RSVP to Marti Cermak at marti.cermak@gmail.com if you can help out.

Our experienced phone/text bank leaders will be on hand to coach you and train you. Every Saturday until November 7th!

AIRLIFT GOES TO THE MOVIES

MVCAN/AIRLIFT leaflets at the Mill Valley Film Festival

Last week a dozen MVCAN members made the supreme sacrifice. They went to the Mill Valley Film Festival but didn’t go in. They talked to moviegoers waiting in the long lines about AIRLIFT, MVCAN’s first national project. AIRLIFT is raising money for local grassroots groups that are thinking beyond the next election and doing long-term transformative work.

AIRLIFT identifies grassroots groups with outstanding early accomplishments and inspired leaders.The groups AIRLIFT supports across the country are having real conversations all year long with voters in battleground districts. These groups are working now to win in 2018 and beyond! Go to http://airlift.fund to learn more.



ATTEND “FRAMING AND MESSAGING TO WIN” WORKSHOP


Continuing their exclusive workshop series for MVCAN members, professional organizers Lucy Litvak and Evan Bissell will facilitate a stand-alone workshop on framing and messaging for your campaigns and actions.

You will leave the workshop with:

  • Practices for aligning your media/communications strategy with your overall strategy.

  • New stories and messaging for your work.

  • An understanding of how narratives about race and class help to uphold the Trump/Ryan/McConnell regime.

  • A clearer understanding of the key frames and worldview that live in MVCAN’s work already.

Event: “Framing and Messaging to Win” Workshop
When: Sunday, October 29th, 4:30-7pm, Mill Valley
Where: Cooperman/Litvak residence Please RSVP to lucylitvak@gmail.com for address. (Suggested donation of $15-25 per person.) Sign up now - limited spaces available.




JOIN OUR ANNIVERSARY FUNDRAISER FOR MVCAN!

Come celebrate one year of community action and support MVCAN!

Join our anniversary fundraiser at the Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, on Saturday, November 11th. Doors at 7pm/ Show at 8pm.

Get your tickets now, while they last:

https://mvcan.eventbrite.com/

The MVCAN-Do Revue will honor community members who took political action this year and feature great local talent including Matt Jaffe, Reed Fromer, the Shady Ladies, RoCo Dance, Angelique Benicio and more!

If you already bought tickets: please invite your friends and neighbors to join our community celebration.

Ticket sales and donations will support the activities of MVCAN. Spread the word!

For more info, or if you would like to volunteer, email events-lead@mvcan.org.

ACA NEEDS DAMAGE CONTROL

We must fight Trump’s unconscionable efforts to destroy the ACA. Come to the Health Care Team meeting to help plan strategies to address the urgent issue of  “Damage Control to Reduce Impact of Trump's ACA Executive Order.”

The Team will also be exploring options to assist locally in Covered California Enrollment for ACA plans.

Event: Health Care Team Meeting
When: Sunday October 22, 3- 4:30 pm
Where: Sewage Agency of Southern Marin Conference Room,
450 Sycamore Ave, Mill Valley

DON’T MISS THE FINAL “RACE MATTERS” WORKSHOP

Recommended by our CIVIL RIGHTS/IMMIGRATION TEAM and sponsored by United Marin Rising, sign up to attend the last workshop in an outstanding series:

Saturday Oct 28rd - 10am- noon, Environmental Housing Workshop

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/presentation-5-environmental-housing-tickets-37070293245

THE POWER OF ART TO EFFECT CHANGE

"OUR GUERNICA, 2017"

Artist and MVCAN member Patrick Gannon has painted an original reproduction of the 1937 painting, “Guernica.” Hear how the painting that foreshadowed World War II has chilling political relevance in today's turbulent world.

Event: Reception and Talk about Picasso's “Guernica”
When: Reception Thursday night Oct 26, 6 - 9 pm (Talk titled "Inside Guernica: Then and Now" 7:30 pm)
Where: Museum of International Propaganda, 1000 Fifth Ave., San Rafael www.propagandamuseum.net

CONTACT OUR ACTION TEAMS

CHECK THEM OUT! : Much of MVCAN's work is done in one of our awesome 9 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 has launched 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 works to elect candidates for the 2017 state house and governor races, and other targeted races from now through the mid-term elections, following the recommendations of the flippable.org team, who are analyzing and selecting winnable races. The Electoral team uses phone banks and travel to targeted districts to talk with voters through phone calls and door-to-door canvassing, voter registration, and campaign volunteering.

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.

Help wanted!MVCAN seeks volunteers with web and video skills; people to table at public events, and people to welcome new members. In a few hours a week, you can make a huge difference! Interested? Contact Volunteer Coordinator Laura Boles.

Thank you for all you do!

– June, Bernard, Suz, Danny, Eileen, and everyone at MVCAN






We are Mill Valley and Southern Marin residents standing up for American values and democracy!