• TODAY at 1 p.m., there is an emergency County Council meeting regarding emergency shelter for houseless community members. Momentum is building for the county and city to take real action, thanks to the tireless agitation and round-the-clock service of HomesNow! Not Later members.
• In Olympia, two strong nuclear weapons joint memorials have been introduced into the Washington State House of Representatives and Senate. Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility is mobilizing statewide to support these memorials. Sign up here to stay in the loop as hearings are scheduled.

• You'll be able to reach the center by email and phone, but it may take a little longer than usual to get a response. Thank you for your patience!
• This e-newsletter will be coming to you once a month.
• If you want to schedule the space for a meeting or event, please email office@whatcompjc.org or calendar@whatcompjc.org with the details (date, time, etc.).
• Alternatives to Military Service is not slowing down. If you've volunteered in the past and can take a shift or two this spring, please contact me ASAP to get back in the loop! We have more tabling dates than ever and need extra support.

Congress: Support legislation to repeal the Muslim Ban

Sen. Chris Murphy and Rep. Judy Chu have introduced legislation that would declare Trump's Muslim Ban (3.0) unconstitutional and prevent Congressional funds from being used to enforce it.

Call your representatives now and urge them to co-sponsor these crucial bills and any other legislation to #RepealTheBan.

Feb. 20 workshop:

"A conversation about systemic racism through the lens of mass incarceration, border security and voter suppression"

• Define systemic racism
• Analyze U.S. mass incarceration statistics and disproportionate impacts on people of color
• Understand U.S. Southern border crossing statistics and the idea of a border crisis
• Look at impacts of voter ID laws
• Increase self-awareness through an anti-racist checklist
• Identify resources for further growth and development​​

Application open for FCNL Advocacy Corps

The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) is looking for young adults 19–30 to join a network of people who will be paid to mobilize their communities to influence members of Congress. Policymakers' failure to pass common sense, responsible legislation contributes to appalling rates of gun violence in the United States. This year's Advocacy Corps class will learn about the sensible legislation Congress can pass to reduce deaths from guns.

If you are selected as a member of the Advocacy Corps, FCNL will train and support you and your fellow organizers to organize individuals in your community to lobby Congress to support legislation that reduces deaths from guns.

The Advocacy Corps program includes a 8 day summer-intensive training in Washington as well as two other trips to the nation’s capitol for trainings and updates. You’ll be part of a dynamic team of 20 people learning and working together in different parts of the country to make change on this vital issue.

In the Advocacy Corps, you will learn critical organizing skills and put them into practice with hands-on leadership experience. Advocacy Corps organizers will help arrange meetings with members of Congress in their local offices. We'll help you develop a work plan that highlights your strengths and organizing style. Applicants receive a $3,000 stipend over the course of the program. Please refer to the full job description and see frequently asked questions for additional information.

Freezer meal drive

With the potential for more storms coming and another possible government shutdown, Birchwood Food Desert Fighters is organizing a freezer meals drive. We are asking people to cook healthy meals that can be frozen and distributed to Birchwood Manor and others facing food insecurity in Birchwood. Please pack the cooked food into freezer friendly containers (yogurt tubs, freezer ziplocs, foil containers, etc). Individual and family size portions are both needed, and low carb diabetic friendly meals too.

If you'd like some ideas for recipes, this site has some good ones: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/70-healthy-freezer-meals/ . Let us know what you are cooking and for how many. We are aiming to begin distribution this weekend. Please email birchwoodfooddesert@gmail.com.

Let's get cooking and make sure our neighbors have access to food! #TogetherWeGrowFoodJustice

Roots of Injustice, Seeds of Change

The Toward Right Relationship project of the Boulder Friends Meeting (Quakers) offers this workshop in response to calls from Indigenous leaders and the World Council of Churches. The 2-hour exercise traces the historic and ongoing impacts of the Doctrine of Discovery, the 15th-century justification for European subjugation of non-Christian peoples. Our goal is to raise our level of knowledge and concern about these impacts, recognize them in ourselves and our institutions, and explore how we can begin to take actions toward “right relationship.” We provide a Resource Kit with suggestions for continued study, reflection, and action.

In the Doctrine of Discovery, we find the roots of injustice.  In the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, we find the seeds of change. How can we nurture these seeds to bring forth the fruits of right relationship among all peoples?

Workshop presenter: Paula Palmer is a sociologist, writer, and activist for human rights, social justice, and environmental protection. As director of Toward Right Relationship with Native Peoples, a project of the Indigenous Peoples Concerns committee of the Boulder Friends Meeting (Quakers), she created and facilitates workshops titled, “Roots of Injustice, Seeds of Change: Toward Right Relationship with America’s Native Peoples” (for adults) and “Re-Discovering America: Understanding Colonization” (for middle schools and high schools).