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April 2022 NEWSLETTER

The Progressive Alliance of Henderson County is a merger of Progressive Women of Hendersonville, Progressive Organized Women, Hendersonville Huddle, and the Silent Vigil for Immigration Reform, blending our energy and passion, working as one to strengthen our impact.

If you've ever wondered about how the Silent Vigil got its start, see the article below.
 



A new tab has been added to our website, Candidates. It is your one-stop list of progressive candidates for the upcoming elections. Whenever possible a link has been added to their campaign website so that you can learn about their agendas.

The sign is finally up!

As mentioned in last month's newsletter, a group of PAHC members sponsored this sign which is displayed on the hill at Bruce Drysdale School. The Fill The Hill campaign supports vision care for students, helps stock the Clothing Closet, and funds Teacher Appreciation Week and Fun Day.

THE HISTORY OF THE SILENT VIGIL
PART 1

Jeannette Butterfield

The very 1st Silent Vigil was held in July of 2009.

Silent Vigils were started to raise awareness about immigrant rights issues in Henderson County. This was during a time of fear and chaos among immigrant families in our community.

The Vigils arose from the work of the Justice Initiative, a local grassroots coalition of concerned citizens working to ensure that all community members are treated fairly, justly, and legally and to give voice to all community members.  

The Justice Initiative was coordinated out of El Centro and formed in response to intense political pressure for immigration control, the formation of a Henderson County's "Blue Ribbon Committee on Illegal Immigration" to analyze the effects of immigration on Henderson County, and 287(g) anti-immigrant legislation. 

The Blue Ribbon Committee was formed to "assess, determine and recommend the proper role and specific steps that the Henderson County Board of Commissioners should take regarding the issue of illegal immigration.

       

In 2012, Catherine Lynch took the lead and has been organizing Silent Vigils ever since. Look for The History of the Silent Vigil, Part 2 in the May PAHC newsletter.

To offer help or for more information, visit our website: 
https://www.progressiveallianceofhendersoncounty.com/volunteersignup
 
April Sanborn
by Deb Rich

April came to PAHC by way of Audrey Stelloh. “It’s Audrey’s fault or credit that I got mixed up with PAHC”, she says. Both April and Audrey have been with PAHC from the start, when it was still Progressive Women of Hendersonville. Both remain active.

April spent most of her childhood in South Florida and saw segregation at work while growing up on a farm near Albany, Georgia. She said that schools, playgrounds and swimming pools were closed to all children instead of permitting the races to mix.  Fortunately, April’s parents taught her that all people and all races are equal.

She attended community college, and when her father was ailing, returned home. During that time, she learned a lot about small-scale farming and real estate. She enjoyed a career in real estate and is currently retired. 

After living in Florida and Georgia, she moved to Jackson County, NC in 1984,where she still resides.
 
April gardens and raises “very spoiled chickens”.  Prior to the pandemic, she travelled primarily to Azalea, Rhododendron and Holly Societies national and regional meetings throughout much of the country. 

April is fiercely loyal to her friends. She is passionate about healthcare because she had no health insurance until Obamacare went into effect. She also is concerned about voting rights and women’s rights. She believes that getting out the vote for the midterm elections and supporting good candidates should be the top priority for PAHC this year, along with other progressive issues.

We certainly agree.
POSTCARD SUGGESTION SHEET             April 1, 2022

The most recent Suggestion Sheet #238 can be downloaded from our website at 
https://www.progressiveallianceofhendersoncounty.com/postcard-sheets

You can also find addresses for legislators on our homepage in the Postcard Party section.

Some people don’t look.
Some look, but don’t see.
Some see, but don’t act.
Some people act.
. . . Anon
 
OUR MISSION: 
The Progressive Alliance of Henderson County (PAHC) compassionately advocates for justice, dignity, inclusion and sustainable, healthy communities for all.
 
OUR VISION:
To connect residents of Henderson County and vicinity through grassroots civic engagement, education, outreach and volunteerism.   

Visit our website for more photos, events, and links to like-minded groups.
The PAHC core leadership group (currently Chris Berg, Nancy & Neil Brown, Lucy Butler, Sheila Clendenning, Laura Miklowitz, Sara Smith, and Paul Weichselbaum) working together diligently to strengthen our impact, has created mission and vision statements for the group.

Please speak to any of us if you can offer your ideas and time about the future of Henderson County. 
 
Copyright © *2019-2022* *Progressive Alliance of Henderson County*

 






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Progressive Alliance of Henderson County · P.O. Box 192 · Mountain Home, NC 28758 · USA

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