So I get this letter in the mail today - addressed to Our Friends at... (my address). Its from Action Now in Chicago. The letter is a black & white photo copy of a letter first written in Spanish - and then translated below in English (Not a good way to impress me - a life long resident of Waukegan that speaks only English) Anyway - its about organizing a group in Waukegan. The letter they sent has some signatures -- apparently of other Waukegan residents who will be attending this meeting they're planning at the library -
Anybody know anything about Action Now?
Would you be willing to type all or part of the letter you got and the names on it? I would be very interested in learning what they have planned for our town. There is an Action Now website and they have a Waukegan chapter -so I suspect this is the letter you got.
Here is a link and their agenda.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.actionnow.org/">http://www.actionnow.org/</a><!-- m -->
Action Now members are committed to fight for equal rights, equal services, and equal justice for working families.
Action Now fights public, private, government, or corporate organizations for Health Care, an end to foreclosures, living wages, better housing, funding for schools, neighborhood safty and more to right the wrongs.
Action Now is a member-driven organization. Our members pay monthly dues of $10 and have an ongoing say in the work of the organization. Our issue campaigns come out of listening to community residents through regular monthly meetings, engaging the base by going door-to-door and mobilizing all residents to take part in their community. Our leadership development includes formal leadership training and the active involvement by members in the planning, implementation and evaluation of issue campaigns.
Waukegan
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* Written by Aileen Kelleher
* Friday, 05 December 2008 16:24
* Expect news from our new chapter soon!
Action Now is a grassroots organization of low- and moderate-income families working together across Illinois to improve their lives and communities. We're building a truly transparent organization, with leaders, a policy direction, and a fiscal decision-making process that will remain open and accountable to our members and the working families whose interests we serve. We are continuing the work we started 25 years ago in Chicago: to organize and win power for regular working families in their communities, their cities, and their state.
Dear Neighbor For years we have been concerned about the condition of streets, violence, crime, drugs, schools that need improvement, economic development, lack of positive community activities and other problems in our community. That is why we have decided to join with Action Now. Working with Action Now as well as with everyone in the neighborhood, we can make improvements in our communities and change our lives.
Action Now members organize to make changes in our community. Members pay dues every month and decide what issues they will work for in the Neighborhood. Join us at a community meeting. The meeting will be held at Waukegan Public Library - Ray Bradbury Room on Jan 29 at 6:30 PM. For more information on how to get involved, please contact Leslie Cook - Action Now organizer at 312 217 2462.
I'm not really comfortable putting names & addresses of the signatures here - but the names on the letter are: Florencio Cabrera, Maricela Acosta, ? Steve Fisher? Margo Guzman, Tom Fischer, Pedro Gavidia, Lynn Fischer, Some other signatures I can't read, looks like last names are Robles, Torres, and Sandiago.
I wanted to scan the letter & post it here - but I'm not that skilled. :-) I could probably figure it out with a little more time...
But I was hoping that FedUp or Penguin.. or some of the other names I've seen around here a long time... would know what this is all about...
NEW NONPROFIT The board and staff of Illinois ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), has left to form a new nonprofit called Action Now. Led by Madeline Talbott, who founded Illinois ACORN 25 years ago, Action Now will work on education issues, along with fighting foreclosures, offering job assistance, advocating for better health care and living-wage jobs and providing leadership training. More information is available at <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.actionnow.org">www.actionnow.org</a><!-- w --> or by calling (312) 676-4280.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/news/index.php?item=2397&cat=28">http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/news/in ... 397&cat=28</a><!-- m -->
all I need to know about ACORN is summed up right here: ACORN demands that lawmakers pass comprehensive immigration reform measures that include the following:
A path to citizenship for the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States.
Protection for all workers â both native and foreign-born â by upholding fair wages and working conditions for U.S. and immigrant workers and by ending exploitation and abuse of undocumented immigrant labor.
Reunification of families through removal of restrictions and bureaucratic delays. Those who have waited in line should have their admission expedited, and those admitted on work visas should be able to keep their nuclear families in tact.
Restoration of the rule of law and enhancement of security by providing a path to permanent status with effective enforcement.
goodintentions Wrote:Action Now members organize to make changes in our community. Members pay dues every month and decide what issues they will work for in the Neighborhood.
I received that same letter. What caught my attention was paying dues every month. What's the difference between this, and people getting together within their wards, using their aldermen to help out the neighborhood? (for those of us that have aldermen that actually care!)
goodintentions Wrote:Action Now members organize to make changes in our community. Members pay dues every month and decide what issues they will work for in the Neighborhood.
It's not cheap. I believe the website said it costs $10 a month. I wonder if this is an informational meeting or you have to pay tomorrow just to get in...
I went to the Action Now Waukegan meeting and here is what happened:
Action Now is apparently a community organization that does grassroots work to build a voice for working families. We talked about issues that were concerning people in Waukegan such as taxes, crime, schools and foreclosures. They had some elected officials there who signed a letter that said that they would be committed to decreasing crime through roll calls and polica patrol, building sidewalks on Lewis- Belvedere- Grand, reforming schools by creating after-school programs and providing more housing counseling or foreclosure fairs to decrease the amount of foreclosed and vacant properties in neighborhoods.
Alderman Tony Figueroa, Ald. Richard Larsen, Ald. Rafael Rivera and Chief of Police Artis Yancey all attended and spoke, and commissioner Mary Ross was there on behalf of Ald. Sam Cunningham.
All and all it was interesting and I liked that we could voice our concerns directly to the public officials instead of going through a bureaucratic runaround. I can't find the date for when the next meeting is, but I will post it.
Here are 2 photos I took:
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There already is a group created to address community issues directly to various administrations. There aren't any dues to pay. The group is local and not from outside of the community. It is called CREW. Feel free to join us and make a real difference.
JeffK Wrote:There already is a group created to address community issues directly to various administrations. There aren't any dues to pay. The group is local and not from outside of the community. It is called CREW. Feel free to join us and make a real difference.
A real difference? In what? The level of comedy in Waukegan?
