Grateful and humbled, we invite you to help make affordable housing happen on church land

Thank you all for registering for our "There's No Place Like Home" celebration this past weekend. Your presence helped to make our event joyful as well successful. Nearly 200 attended the three-day event!! We are humbled by the outpouring of generosity on behalf of so many of you. Thank you! We have received over $17,000 in donations so far since the beginning of the campaign, which is 70% of our goal of $25,000. If you feel so moved to help us reach that goal, please go to:  https://www.makinghousinghappen.org/donate 

 

All of the individual videos for our three events are now online at our website for your viewing pleasure. You can find them at https://makinghousinghappen.net/2020/10/06/celebrate-theres-no-place-like-home-with-mhch-dec-3-5-2020/  The full edited videos of the three evenings will be available next week, so stay tuned!

 

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED TO MAKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING HAPPEN ON CHURCH LAND

 

We at Making Housing and Community Happen (MHCH) are thrilled that the City is taking seriously our proposal to change the zoning to allow churches to build affordable housing on their underutilized land. But change must go through a number of public processes! This Tuesday, Dec. 15, at 6:00 pm PST there will be a city-sponsored workshop in which Pasadena Planning staff will discuss this topic and elicit public input. If you are in Pasadena or in a city anywhere in the US where you feel such a policy would be warranted, prayerfully consider this is as an opportunity to weigh in and make your voice heard. All you need to do are two things:

1.     Sign on to this meeting at 6pm PST next Tuesday, by going to: https://www.cityofpasadena.net/planning/planning-division/community-planning/religious-facility-housing/

 

2.     After you sign on to the  Zoom meeting next Tuesday, write in the chat: 

 

"As a resident of district ___, and a member of [state your church or organization or neighborhood], I strongly support allowing churches use their underutilized land for affordable housing if they feel so led."

“As a resident of (state your city and state) I know of interested churches and hope that such a policy will pass in Pasadena so we and learn from your city and hopefully adopt something similar.”  

 

That's all you have to say, but if you want to say more, you can go to our blog and find talking points which you can copy and paste into the chat. https://makinghousinghappen.net/2020/12/07/join-us-tues-dec-15-at-6-pm-to-let-the-city-know-that-churches-should-be-allowed-build-affordable-housing-on-their-property/

 

Please let us know if you are planning to take this action. It would be a great encouragement to us.

MHCH is pleased that the City will consider this zoning code amendment which would allow churches to have affordable housing on their underutilized land. Our Congregational Land Committee can work with churches anywhere in the US. We now have 30 churches throughout Southern CA in our pipeline and seventeen churches have indicated interest in Pasadena which would could lead to over 1,000 units of affordable housing spread throughout the city. New Life Holiness now has a proposal for 52 affordable units, but it is zoned commercial—which disallows residential!  

 

We want to flood this public workshop next Tuesday at 6pm PST with chats to demonstrate support so that the city see that this is what the public overwhelmingly wants. Small African American churches like New Life Holiness, with a deep love for their community, have witnessed an exodus of over 25% of Black people from our city. They need to be able to carry out their mission to prevent so much displacement and be a blessing to their community by providing housing that people can afford. We hope that many of you will join this action!

Join us Tues. Dec.15 at 6 pm to let the city know that churches should be allowed build affordable housing on their property

The City of Pasadena Planning & Community Development Department will hold a virtual community meeting to define regulations related to permanent housing on properties owned by churches and other faith-based organizations.

Please join us for a live webinar on Tuesday, December 15 at 6:00 PM where city staff will present background information and proposed options for housing on properties owned by churches and faith-based organizations, as well as answer questions from participants.

Please visit this link on the city's website to learn more:

www.cityofpasadena.net/planning/planning-division/community-planning/religious-facility-housing/

MHCH is pleased that the City will consider this zoning change (called an "overlay zone") which  would allow churches to affordable housing on their underutilized land. This could lead to over 1,000 units of affordable housing spread throughout the city. Seventeen churches in Pasadena have indicated interest in this and one church now has a proposal for 52 affordable units! 

Talking points for Overlay Zone to allow congregations to build affordable housing on their underutilized land.

 #1: We are asking the City Council to support an overlay zone because the time to address the need for affordable housing is now, more than ever. And we have religious organizations throughout the City eager to be partners in making this happen.

 Simply put, an overlay will save significant time, significant money, and provide certainty for both the religious organizations willing to provide affordable housing and the communities where that housing will be located.

By supporting an overlay zone that will ensure the majority of housing that will be developed is affordable, the City can ensure that projects are feasible and done in a way that minimizes the need for City or other public money to make affordable housing happen.

An overly zone is needed and superior to other suggestions of incorporating such zoning to Specific Plan update of Public/ Semi-Public zoning designation so because these planning processes would not adequately address the unique needs of congregations.

#2: An overlay zone enabling churches to build affordable housing will provide new land that would not otherwise be available for affordable housing. This is a significant opportunity when so few sites exist. Using church land is a huge opportunity for affordable housing developers to have feasible and successful projects. When they work with churches, developers don’t have to buy land in advance or carry the insurance cost. They can be more confident of community support since they have the support of a church which is part of a neighborhood. Yet, if churches wish to supply affordable housing, the cost and time needed to create a zoning change on a case-by-case basis as opposed to an overlay zone, can be significantly lowered if there such a policy is in place. Plus, it makes the deal attractive to a more experienced developer.

#3:  An overlay zone enabling churches to build affordable housing will provide an opportunity for the city to significantly reach affordable housing production goals and further its goal of being a diverse community. Housing Element (2014-2021) vision:

 “All Pasadena residents have an equal right to live in decent, safe and affordable housing in a suitable living environment for the long-term well-being and stability of themselves, their families, their neighborhoods, and their community. The housing vision for Pasadena is to maintain a socially and economically diverse community of homeowners and renters who are afforded this right.” 

#4: An overlay zone that enables churches to build affordable housing provides an opportunity for churches to participate in addressing the homeless and housing crisis.  From the poll we conducted, 17 churches are interested in having affordable housing on their land, with the potential of 1,177 units if a Congregational Land Overlay Zone is passed. 95% of churches would support a Congregational Land Overlay Zone to help other churches build housing on their land. Additionally, 19 churches (nearly half of all respondents) would allow SAFE parking on their church’s parking lots. And 11 churches were open to having a FEMA trailer on their property. Twelve churches already own approximately 58 rental units. Only six of them rent at market rate.

#5: An overlay zone that would allow community minded congregations that are already willing and mission-driven to become partners with the city to meet a very real need make good sense.  This also allows religious institutions to practice their faith in a very tangible way. Community based organizations would do this sensitively and respectfully out of love for their neighbors. They will live with this for the long term, so design in keeping with the neighborhood and a commitment to good relationships with neighbors will go a long way in addressing NIMBYISM. 

#6: An overlay zone enabling churches to build affordable housing will allows for both  flexibility and certainly enabling sensitive solutions and designs for each site. Certain development standards will need to be addressed to provide enough flexibility for projects to be feasible. An overlay zone allows for the kind of certainly with flexibility to balance sensitivity to the project and the adjacent neighborhood in regard to appropriate densities and parking requirements to enhance the character of the neighborhood.

#7: An overlay zone for churches to build affordable housing minimized the money, risk and time for affordable housing developers. They cannot invest a great amount of time, money and risk into rezoning processes, and they will not take this time when there are other, simpler opportunities available in other cities.

#8: Because churches are throughout the city an overlay zone would spread affordable housing development through the city providing geographic equity and opportunity and investment in neighborhoods. The city would be wise to take advantage of this since so few sites exist especially in all areas of the city.  In Pasadena, for example, we estimate that there is capacity to build approximately 5,000 units of affordable housing on excess congregational land (the number of affordable units needed with the new RHNA numbers for the 2021-2028 Housing Element cycle). We know that not all congregations will do this, but the potential is significant. An overlay zone would ensure that any housing be built would be within city guidelines appropriate for each community. We must recognizing the power of congregations as allies with their excess land, missional orientation, and base of support in the community.  An overlay zone would help the city to go a long way toward meeting an urgent need.

#9:: Church attendance is declining, Gallop says that 69% of U.S. adults were members of a church in 1998-2000, compared with 52% in 2016-2018. This is particularly the case within land-rich older and mainline churches. Some churches are looking to off-load over-sized parking lots, high-maintenance buildings, and extra space. With shrinking congregations, many churches are unable to keep up. Affordable housing on church land has enabled churches to bless their communities, stay within mission, and help to prevent displacement due to the cost of housing, the very thing that is hurting many Pasadena churches.  Should a church feel called to consider affordable housing on their property, an overlay zone enabling churches desiring to have affordable housing on their property would provide a huge leap forward in addressing the housing crisis.

#10: Churches have a successful track record of partnering with affordable housing developers to provide affordable dwellings on their excess land. Some churches have already put parking lots, buildings constructed for congregations much larger than those of today, and other space on their properties to higher and better use by including affordable housing. In partnership with National Core (which developed Marv’s place in Pasadena, the UMC church in Santa Ana will be providing 95 units, half for families and half for those experiencing homelessness. Churches are doing this because they are called to serve the community and particularly its most vulnerable residents. Yet at the same time, they are also often able to generate a modest level of economic benefit that stabilizes these often struggling, but longstanding and critical institutions of our social fabric. In some cases, affordable housing developers have even provided additional parking for a church or developed other community serving uses on a site. Adopting an overlay zone that would enable churches, feeling so lead, to provide affordable housing on their property. Such a policy would make the process more straightforward, facilitate high quality partnerships with affordable housing developers to create much-needed affordable housing.

#11: Rezoning church land is one way that the city can make right with past sins of racial inequities that served to displace people of color.  With Urban renewal, a thriving African American neighborhood where Parsons now sits was displaced, moving them away from the city center, which today is zoned for 90 units per acre. They were not given the opportunity to capture the added value of the land from up-zoning, but instead encouraged to leave. Thriving Black communities and businesses on N. Fair Oaks were also displaced because of urban renewal. The 210 Freeway pushed out even more people of color. Too many families were not sufficiently remunerated for their property to again buy in Pasadena.  And if they wanted to, banks often would not provide them loans and they often were barred from obtaining private mortgage insurance. Due to significant displacement, one church has 8 members left. Several have closed. As one pastor put it, their church building is in Pasadena, but no one from their congregation can afford to live here anymore. Rezoning church land to allow for affordable housing would serve to prevent more displacement and correct past sins.  Some Black churches are eager to provide affordable housing on their underutilized land, please allow them to do so.

#12: Churches are and have been for many years an indispensable part of our City’s social fabric and have dedicated themselves to feeding the homeless, tutoring children, raising the City’s youth, keeping people in their homes. This history of investment in the community and neighbors creates a perfect marriage with new neighbors living in affordable housing on their property.

#13:   Churches are and have been for many years an indispensable part of our City’s social fabric and but many today are on the ropes because of long term trends, COVID-19 and today some need ways to generate income and reduce expenses to be able to continue in their mission. Affordable housing on their property can do just that.

#14:  An Overlay Zone is a locally-focused solution that will do a better job than proposed state legislation. A local solution designed by the community enables us to craft the kind of creative neighborhood-based housing solutions that enhance the design, beauty and character of our city.

Covid Evictions and the LA Housing Crisis Prof. Gary Blasi, UCLA and Leonardo Vilchis, LA Tenants Union (ICUJP Friday Forum)

 

Please join us online ICUJP Friday Forum December 4, 7:30-9:30 am Pacific Covid Evictions and the LA Housing Crisis Prof. Gary Blasi, UCLA and Leonardo Vilchis, LA Tenants Union (invited) Join videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87042145654 Call in by phone: +1 (669) 900-6833* Meeting ID: 870 4214 5654 PASSCODE: 188890 Passing the Virtual Bucket We can't pass the bucket in person, but ICUJP still needs your support. Please give as generously as you can: • On our donation page. You can set up recurring gifts too! • Use the Give+ app for iPhone or Android • Text a gift amount to 323-701-1467 Thank you! ---------- Help Support Families in Need The need for Immanuel Presbyterian's Food Pantry is greater than ever. Please donate here. Thank you! *Meeting controls for call-in attendees: To mute/unmute yourself: *6 To raise hand: *9 Los Angeles was already suffering a severe housing crisis before Covid-19 hit early this year. Since then, more than half of LA households have reported "facing serious financial problems" from lost jobs or reduced hours, from depleted savings to inability to pay rent. Although evictions due to unpaid rent were temporarily banned at the local, state, and federal levels, many people have been illegally evicted and unaware of their rights. Now, with the bans starting to expire, countless more families and individuals are again threatened with eviction and homelessness. Gary Blasi, Professor of Law Emeritus at UCLA School of Law, and Leonardo Vilchis (invited), LA Tenants Union, will discuss the legal issues and potential impact of mass evictions, and what we can do to help families in this dire situation. Prof. Blasi's most recent research, published in May, provided the first estimates of the expected massive impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and unemployment on evictions and homelessness in Los Angeles. He then co-founded an informal Eviction Defense Consortium of academics, tenant activists, lawyers and software engineers. This group supports families facing eviction who cannot obtain lawyers to defend themselves, and helps them connect with tenant organizations and each other. ----- Start your morning with us! Reflection: Paul Nugent Facilitator: Steve Rohde Zoom host: Michael Novick * Link to this week's agenda. *   ** Meetings begin promptly at 7:30 am Pacific. ** ----- Here's how to join the online meeting: To join by video conference, you'll need to download the Zoom app on your computer or mobile device. Click on the link to join the meeting and then enter the Meeting ID number and passcode. You'll be able to see slides and video, as well as speakers and other attendees. If you prefer to join by phone, you'll be prompted to enter the Meeting ID number and passcode. You won't be able to see the visuals or attendees, but you can view them on the meeting video recording afterward.  If you're new to Zoom and would like to use the video option, we recommend you download the app well ahead of time. ICUJP Friday Forum 12/4 Time: 07:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Option 1: Join videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87042145654 Meeting ID: 870 4214 5654 PASSCODE: 188890 Option 2: Dial in by phone only: +1 (669) 900-6833 US (California) Meeting ID: 870 4214 5654 PASSCODE: 188890 (To find a dial-in number closer to you, go here.) ----- Please note: Our Friday Forums and other events are open to the public. By attending, you consent to having your voice and likeness recorded, photographed, posted on ICUJP's website and social media, and included in ICUJP materials and publications for noncommercial purposes. If you don't want to be photographed or recorded, please let the facilitator know. UPCOMING EVENTS MON, JAN 11: Save the date! Close Guantanamo NOW vigil, 10:00-11:30 am. Online event. Details coming soon. FRIDAY FORUMS DEC 11: TBD DEC 18: ICUJP Holiday Party You are receiving this email because you are a part of the ICUJP Mailing List. You cannot reply to everyone through this email. If you wish to send something to the entire discuss list, email: icujp-discuss-list@googlegroups.com. Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace     Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace · 3300 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010, United States This email was sent to communications@icujp.org. To stop receiving emails, click here. You can also keep up with Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace on Twitter or Facebook. Created with NationBuilder, software for leaders.

 

Confronting the 2020 Election, Part 3 Marjorie Cohn, Esq., and Andrés Kwon, Esq. ICUJP Friday Forum.

 

Please join us online ICUJP Friday Forum November 20, 7:30-9:30 am Pacific Confronting the 2020 Election, Part 3 Marjorie Cohn, Esq., and Andrés Kwon, Esq. Register here (If you registered previously for the series, you don't need to again) Call in by phone: +1 (669) 900-6833* Meeting ID: 878 4681 3482 PASSCODE: 381312 POST-ELECTION RESOURCES "The Election is in Danger. Prepare Now" - Atlantic article Research shows Americans increasingly believe "violence would be justified" if their side lost the election. People of faith and conscience must stand against this. NY Times op ed Take action to defend the election outcome: Protect the Results Prayer by Rabbi Susan Goldberg *Meeting controls for call-in attendees: To mute/unmute yourself: *6 To raise hand: *9 The historic 2020 presidential election has confirmed the deep divisions in American society. Moreover, it has shown how much the fragile peaceful transfer of power depends on adherence to democratic norms - which President Trump is flagrantly flaunting as he and his enablers inflame his base and refuse to accept the results. Is this a coup d’etat or a temper tantrum? Can the Electoral College still choose Trump? What are the legal and constitutional ramifications of this denial? Locally, we need to acknowledge the election was a mixed bag for progressive causes, with significant victories (such as George Gascon's election as LA District Attorney and passage of Measure J) and heartbreaking losses (including rejection of affirmative action and corporate tax reform). What does all this mean to ICUJP's mission and the issues we care about? ICUJP has invited an outstanding group of speakers to help us navigate these troubled waters. In our series conclusion this Friday, Nov. 20, Marjorie Cohn, Esq. and Andrés Kwon, Esq., will join us. We'll discuss the current state of post-election affairs and look at the implications for the days, months, and years to come. Marjorie Cohn is professor emerita at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, where she taught from 1991-2016, and a former president of the National Lawyers Guild. Professor Cohn lectures, writes, and provides commentary for local, regional, national and international media outlets. Professor Cohn has served as a news consultant for CBS News and a legal analyst for Court TV, as well as a legal and political commentator on BBC, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, NPR, and Pacifica Radio. The author of Cowboy Republic: Six Ways the Bush Gang Has Defied the Law and co-author of Cameras in the Courtroom: Television and the Pursuit of Justice (with David Dow) and Rules of Disengagement: The Politics and Honor of Military Dissent (with Kathleen Gilberd). Professor Cohn is editor of and contributor to The United States and Torture: Interrogation, Incarceration and Abuse, and Drones and Targeted Killing: Legal, Moral, and Geopolitical Issues and a contributing editor and contributor for numerous other publications. Professor Cohn is the U.S. representative to the executive committee of the Association of American Jurists and deputy secretary general of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, as well as a board member and advisor with numerous organizations. Her many honors include the San Diego County Bar Association’s 2005 Service to Legal Education Award, the Peace and Justice Studies Association 2008 Peace Scholar of the Year Award, Amnesty International-San Diego’s 2009 Digna Ochoa Human Rights Defender Award, and the National Lawyers Guild’s 2018 Debra Evenson Venceremos Award. Professor Cohn previously lived in Mexico and is fluent in Spanish. Learn more on her website.  Andrés Dae Keun Kwon is Policy Counsel and Senior Organizer at the ACLU of Southern California, which he joined in 2016. For more than a decade, he has worked in immigrant rights and social justice, and he currently focuses on the intersection of immigrant rights, policing, and criminal justice reform. After immigrating with his family from Argentina, Andrés worked as a community organizer and then became a human rights lawyer to fight alongside individuals and families like his who struggle to navigate and access justice in a complex, punitive criminal-immigration legal system. Andrés graduated in 2016 from the Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law. He served as Senior Editor of the UCLA Law Review and, through legal internships at ACLU SoCal, led an effort to strengthen representation of low-income immigrants charged with crimes. This work has expanded immigration expertise within public defender offices, including a fivefold expansion of the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office Immigration Unit. He is fluent in Spanish and Korean. ICUJP Board members: Following the Forum, please stay online for the November meeting. ----- Start your morning with us! Reflection: Susan Stouffer Facilitator: Anthony Manousos Zoom host: Daryn Kobata * Link to this week's agenda. *   ** Meetings begin promptly at 7:30 am Pacific. **

"Fierce Love": Quakers gather virtually in Washington, DC, to advocate for an end to police brutality

[This is a message I shared at Orange Grove Meeting during adult study on November 15, 2020.]

It’s a great joy to share with you FCNL’s response to the current election and also what’s happening during FCNL’s annual gathering which is taking place as we speak. Right now over 500 Friends and supporters of FCNL from around the nation are meeting virtually to advocate for our Quaker values in Washington, DC. Despite, or maybe cause of Covid, more people have participated in FCNL’s annual fall gathering as well as in FCNL’s spring lobby day than ever before.

The mood at this year’s FCNL gathering is very different from four years ago. I vividly remember flying into DC and arriving at the airport just as the election results were being confirmed. The news was so daunting and disheartening that I saw grown Quaker men weeping during Meeting for worship, and I was one of them. We were devastated but we also felt blessed. We weren’t grieving alone. We had each other. We worshipped together, we share our fears and hopes, and we committed ourselves more passionately than ever to social justice and to being the change we want to see in the world. I came back to Pasadena eager to start an advocacy team and our team took off and grew and linked up with Interfaith Communities United Justice for Peace. We advocated for peace in North Korea and Iran, and for sunsetting the Authorization for the Use of Military Force. And we are still going strong.

The mood that Quakers are feeling today is one of relief and joy and renewed commitment. Our clerk, Ron Ferguson, reminded us that FCNL is faith-rooted and non-partisan. He read to us the words of a 17^th century Friend named Edward Burroughs that seem especially relevant today: "We are not for Names, nor Men, nor Titles of Government, nor are we for this Party, nor against the other, because of its Name and Pretence; but we are for Justice and Mercy, and Truth and Peace, and true Freedom, that these may be exalted in our Nation." This is the message our sick and divided nation needs to hear today.

The theme of our 2020 FCNL annual session is “fierce love”—a term that may seem strange to mild-mannered modern Quakers, but “fierce love” describes what it means to be prophetic. Fierce means fearless, relentless, unwilling to give up. This is the kind of love that a mother feels for her child when it’s threatened. This is the kind of love that motivated John Woolman, Gandhi, Dr. King, and contemporary Quaker activists like David Hartsough and George Lakey.

As we Quakers gathered virtually in DC, ten thousand pro-Trumper protesters gathered to protest the election results. They felt the same kind of disappointment and fear that many of us felt four years ago, and they were filled with outrage. Their demonstration drew counter protesters and ended up with violence in the streets.

As Friends, we need to mobilize a different kind of fierceness and speak out fearlessly for love and truth and peace. We also need to be as gentle as doves and be a force of healing. Especially with friends and family members who voted differently from us and feel angry and upset. It isn’t easy to be a peacemaker and a prophet, but that’s the work that Spirit calls Quakers to do.

I was excited to learn that the focus of this year’s lobby day is racial justice, and specifically ending police brutality. We are calling on Congress to pass the Justice in Police Act (HR 7120/S.912) or advance legislation that includes the bill’s provision to ban racial and religious profiling; outlaw chokeholds; prevent police officers from using lethal force except as a last resort; and end the militarization of local police departments. Click here to find out how to contact your elected officials to advocate for police reform.

I can’t think of anything more relevant for Quaker to advocate for, especially for Orange Grove Friends. We know only too well about police brutality here in Pasadena. We know what happened to Kendrec McDade, Reginald Thomas, Christopher Ballew and most recently, Anthony  McClain. Some of you participated in a Quaker worship service that took place at the Anthony McClain memorial next to Pintoresca Library, only one mile from our Meeting. Many of us advocated for a police commission and independent auditor that was approved by the Pasadena City Council a week after McClain was killed by Pasadena police. We were disappointed that this commission and independent police auditor aren’t as strong or independent as we would like, but at least Pasadena is moving in the right direction. Let’s not rest in peace until we have ended police brutality in our city and across our nation.

I will provide information so that you can join us in advocating for Justice in Policing. I also hope you’ll go to the FCNL website and make it a regular practice to write to your elected officials. FCNL makes it easy to show your fierce love for justice and truth.

What do we do to help protect Democracy this week? A message from David Hartsough

 David Hartsough, one of the most dedicated Quaker peace activists I know, sent me this email even though he is going through a very serious health challenge. Please hold our friend David in the Light, praying for a speedy recovery. He continues to do all he can to work for peace and justice and sent out this email: 

Have you heard? Millions of people are planning to protest in the streets if Trump loses the election and refuses to leave office – it's called Protect the Results. This is a coalition of more than 100 organizations that are committed to protecting our democracy if Trump throws our country into a manufactured constitutional crisis.

Here's the plan: we will hit the streets in our communities and demand that every vote be counted, even if it takes days or weeks to get an accurate count from critical states, especially given the expansion of mail-in and absentee voting during the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to ensure that the loser of the election concedes and that Congress, the Electoral College, and state officials honor the accurate, final vote count.

FIND AN ACTION

If Trump declares victory before all the votes are counted, makes unfounded claims that the election was "stolen," tries to stop votes from being counted, or otherwise threatens the election's integrity or the peaceful transition of power, Protect the Results will activate nationwide mobilizations.

These potential actions will be happening nationwide next week. There are more than 485 events (and counting!) already scheduled on the event map. People like you are organizing in their communities to prepare to mobilize in case of a worst-case scenario.

If you're ready to save our democracy, check out the events map to find an action on November 4th or November 7th near you. We need you now more than ever.

"Confronting the 2020 Election, Part 1" Rabbi Susan Goldberg and Eisha Mason: ICUJP this Friday at 7:30 am

 

Please join us online ICUJP Friday Forum November 6, 7:30-9:30 am Pacific Confronting the 2020 Election, Part 1 Rabbi Susan Goldberg and Eisha Mason Register for the series here (You'll get access to the Nov. 6, 13, and 20 Forums) Call in by phone: +1 (669) 900-6833* Meeting ID: 878 4681 3482 PASSCODE: 381312 POST-ELECTION RESOURCES "The Election is in Danger. Prepare Now" - Atlantic article Research shows Americans increasingly believe "violence would be justified" if their side lost the election. People of faith and conscience must stand against this. NY Times op ed Take action to defend the election outcome: Protect the Results Prayer by Rabbi Susan Goldberg *Meeting controls for call-in attendees: To mute/unmute yourself: *6 To raise hand: *9 The Nov. 3, 2020 presidential election may be one of the most momentous in American history, taking place during a deadly pandemic with candidates whose visions for our country could not differ more starkly. Whatever the outcome this week, we need to brace ourselves for multiple challenges of voter fraud and voter suppression. We need to come together, express our fears and anxieties, and seek guidance. We need to understand the political, legal, and constitutional issues we are facing. And we need to organize, organize, organize for whatever might happen in the streets. ICUJP has invited an outstanding group of speakers to help us navigate these troubled waters. This Friday, Nov. 6, Rabbi Susan Goldberg and Eisha A. Mason will join us as we come together to debrief the week's events, process emotions, and look for ways to channel our energy and continue working for justice in the coming months. Rabbi Susan is the founding rabbi of Nefesh, a new, open-hearted spiritual community on LA's east side. A fourth-generation Angeleno, she comes from a family committed to justice and peace. She serves on the national board of Bend the Arc and is active with CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice) and New Ground: A Muslim-Jewish partnership for Change. Eisha is a transformational counselor, spiritual teacher, community facilitator and activist. She focuses on healing collective trauma of racism and building Beloved Community as as she writes, teaches and facilitates in spiritual and social justice spaces. She formerly served as Associate Regional Director/West Region of the American Friends Service Committee. To prepare for this series, please check out Anne Applebaum's excellent article in The Atlantic magazine, "The Election is in Danger. Prepare Now." ----- Start your morning with us! Reflection: Michael Novick Facilitator: Carolfrances Likins Zoom host: Susan Stouffer * Link to this week's agenda. *   ** Meetings begin promptly at 7:30 am Pacific. ** ----- Here's how to join the online meeting: To join by video conference, you'll need to download the Zoom app on your computer or mobile device. Click on the link to join the meeting and then enter the Meeting ID number and passcode. You'll be able to see slides and video, as well as speakers and other attendees. If you prefer to join by phone, you'll be prompted to enter the Meeting ID number and passcode. You won't be able to see the visuals or attendees, but you can view them on the meeting video recording afterward.  If you're new to Zoom and would like to use the video option, we recommend you download the app well ahead of time. ICUJP Friday Forum Series Part 1 - 11/6 Time: 07:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Option 1: Register for the series (Nov 6, 13, 20) here. (You'll receive a confirmation email with the direct link to join the meeting.) Meeting ID: 878 4681 3482 PASSCODE: 381312 Option 2: Dial in by phone only: +1 (669) 900-6833 US (California) Meeting ID: 878 4681 3482 PASSCODE: 381312 (To find a dial-in number closer to you, go here.) ----- Please note: Our Friday Forums and other events are open to the public. By attending, you consent to having your voice and likeness recorded, photographed, posted on ICUJP's website and social media, and included in ICUJP materials and publications for noncommercial purposes. If you don't want to be photographed or recorded, please let the facilitator know. UPCOMING FRIDAY FORUMS NOV 13 and 20: Confronting the 2020 Election, Part 2 and Part 3. Following one of the most momentous elections in history, join ICUJP and guest speakers to debrief, share thoughts and concerns, and look at what may lie ahead. Speakers: Greg Palast, investigative journalist and author, How Trump Stole 2020; Marjorie Cohn, Esq., law professor and former president, National Lawyers Guild; Colleen Flynn, attorney, National Lawyers Guild; and Andres Kwon, Esq., attorney, ACLU. Passing the Virtual Bucket We can't pass the bucket in person, but ICUJP still needs your support. Please give as generously as you can: • On our donation page. You can set up recurring gifts too! • Use the Give+ app for iPhone or Android • Text a gift amount to 323-701-1467 Thank you! ---------- Help Support Families in Need The need for Immanuel Presbyterian's Food Pantry is greater than ever. Please donate here. Thank you! You are receiving this email because you are a part of the ICUJP Mailing List. You cannot reply to everyone through this email. If you wish to send something to the entire discuss list, email: icujp-discuss-list@googlegroups.com. Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace     Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace · 3300 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010, United States This email was sent to communications@icujp.org. To stop receiving emails, click here. You can also keep up with Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace on Twitter or Facebook. Created with NationBuilder, software for leaders.