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Fayette Health Justice Campaign Heats Up
Poor People's Campaign Tour of Appalachia kicks off with Put People First in La Belle, PA.
From July 6th - 8th several members of Put People First travelled to Fayette, Greene, and Allegheny counties in Southwest PA to continue building our movement for health and dignity with the Fayette Health Justice Campaign. Bahjah, a PPF-PA member from Southwest Philly, shares her experience:
"My name is Bahjah. I really had an experience going to La Belle (Fayette County), Pittsburgh and Greene County PA. I started off not knowing what to expect but once we got there I thought to myself 'Wow, this is going to be exciting.' On the first day I got to spend the day with my son whom I have not seen in two months, so that was great. My son is locked up in State Correctional Institution Fayette and finding out about conditions there was horrifying. The inmates and the staff are in real danger due to the coal ash dump in the community next to the prison. Then we all went to rest for our big day, which was Tuesday.
Bahjah at SCI Fayette
We rode all the way around Greene County on a tour with the Center for Coalfield Justice. When we stopped to take pictures of the Monongahela River, it brought tears to my eyes. We looked at the public health impacts of industries that are hurting the land and the people. I am praying and thinking we can’t let this go unnoticed. People need to be treated properly. The people of La Belle need to be back in good conditions. That evening we met with the Poor People’s Campaign, HOPE (Helping Organize to Protect our Environment) for La Belle and the Human Rights Coalition. The next day we met with the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council and Just Harvest. Put People First is doing great work with the rest of the organizations coming together."
To support the Fayette Health Justice Campaign, sign the petition here asking Governor Wolf to order and execute an audit of the prison. Contact Sheila Quintana at sheilaqu26@gmail.com to learn more.
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We just lunched our new website! There, you can stay up to date on the latest happening with Put People First! PA, learn more about our statewide teams and our work in different parts of the state, and see how you can get connected. It's also the new home for our members-only forums: if you need a log-in for the forums, or have any other questions about the website, email Dan Jones at drjones18@gmail.com
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PPF-PA FALL Newsletter
Call for Help & Submissions
Newsletter to launch at 2015 Annual Membership Assembly
The newsletter is an important way for us to document and share what is going on in PPF across the state! Within the organization, the newsletter helps keep ourselves informed and up to date on our various projects and campaigns. Beyond the organization, it helps us show people what we're all about and what great work we're doing! The newsletter also creates a unique print space for us to share and reflect on what our work means and what we envision for it in the future.
Does this sound like something you might want to be a part of? You should join the Newsletter team! Possible roles include writing and editing content (articles, photography, art), doing layout and ads, and working out logistics for printing. If there's something you can bring to the table that I haven't written here, that's great! Let me know and let's talk about it!
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Southwest Philadelphia Door-knocking
Help build our base! Two dates left to join
PPF-PA members have been out door-knocking in Southwest Philadelphia the past several weekends to build our membership base and get more people involved in the Health Care is a Human Right Campaign. Many of our members were first engaged by just having someone knock on their door, give them a survey about healthcare, and talk with them about how we can change things when we work together. It's a vital way to reach new potential leaders in our fight.Here is a brief reflection of one member's experience:
"Everyone we talked to last Saturday had a story about how the healthcare system has affected them. One woman spoke of how lack of insurance had made it impossible for her son to have regular check-ups, and recently he was diagnosed with very late stage cancer. People are jumping at the chance to come together over an issue that makes people feel shame and isolation--to fight for something better." - Dinah DeWald
It's not too late to join PPF-PA door-knocking! Join us this Saturday, July 25th, 11:30am - 2:30, and Saturday, August 8th, 11:30am - 2:30pm. To RSVP, send an email to dinah.dewald@gmail.com. Also let us know if you can't make it to this training but are interested in door-knocking to meet new PPF members in the future. |
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Upcoming events
Statewide
Tuesday, July 21st @ 7 pm - Next Statewide Membership Call
The Media and Communications team and the PPF Survey Leadership Team present Put People First’s monthly statewide membership call. We have an awesome new health-care survey that is being used in door-knocking and will soon be launched online. Have you used the survey? What have you heard? Learn how to distribute the survey online. Also, we’ll hear a moving report back from Bahjah, a PPF member, and leader in the Fayette Health Justice Campaign, who went on a 3- day journey to Western PA. Please join us Tuesday 7/21 at 7pm, talk to you then!
To call in, use this phone number: 712-775-7035
Code: 538323#
September 19 & 20th - PPF-PA Annual Membership Assembly, taking place in York, PA. SAVE THE DATE!
Southeast PA
*For more information about any of these events contact Sheila at sheila26qu@gmail.com.
July 22nd @ 6 pm, South West Philly OC Orientation & Free Sugar Levels and Blood Pressure Screening - Kingsessing Recreation Center
Do you need to sign up for Medicaid? Are you wondering why insurance companies keep raising their rates and what can be done about it? Put People First! PA is offering free blood pressure and blood sugar screenings, Medicaid sign-up and a healthcare information and action session on Wednesday July 22nd at the Kingsessing Receation Center, 4901 Kingsessing Ave. Refreshments provided, childcare provided upon request. 
Saturday, July 25th & August 8th, 11:30 am - 2:30 pm - Door knocking in SW Philadelphia
July 25th @ 2pm PPF at #TRIPPHILLY Our Soulful Picnic - FDR Park
Put People First will be tabling at Our Soulful Picnic at Picnic site 12 in FDR Park on July 25th at 2pm ! We'll be there, along with activities, vendors, community leaders and activists, plus health and HIV/STD screenings! Our Soulful Picnic is organized by TRIPPHILLY, a health and social empowerment program of the Mazzoni Center designed to strengthen the Afroqueer community, and Philly Queer Brunch, a queer potluck fundraiser benefiting a different queer, trans, and otherwise justice-oriented organization each month. Come on over to the park and talk with us about how healthcare affects LGBTQ communities while sharing food with great people! More event details here. Feel free to bring food to share - sign up here.
Wednesday, August 5th @ 6:30 PM, Philly General Membership Meeting - 421 N 7th Street.
South Central PA
*For more information about any of these events contact Eliel at elielacostasolalinde@gmail.com.
Saturday, July 25th, Tabling at a C.A.S.A County Fair in York - 163 E Market St, Hallam, PA
Sunday, August 2nd, Tabling at Equality Fest Sunday, East King St, York, PA
Thursday, August 6th @ 7pm York Membership Meeting, Books-A-Million - 3000 Whiteford Rd, York, PA
Monday, August 31st @ 7pm York Membership Meeting, Books-A-Million - 3000 Whiteford Rd, York, PA
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