Note from Executive Director

Volunteer Opportunity Corner

We will feature volunteer position openings at FNVW in a "Volunteer Opportunity Corner" in each e-letter.

Take Action - COVID-19 Relief Bill

As Congress actively debates the next COVID-19 relief package, we encourage you to contact your elected officials to urge them to take bold action and respond to the real needs of all communities struggling right now. The pandemic has disproportionately impacted people who are incarcerated, low-income Black and brown communities, and immigrants; we need a relief package that addresses the public health and economic impacts on these communities.

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) has pre-written letters that you can use as a template to contact your US Senators/Representatives. The letters ask elected officials to: "provide vaccinations and adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for everyone incarcerated in prisons, jails, and detention centers, while also prioritizing their release," raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, create a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, and take action on other measures to support the needs of our communities.

Contact your officials through AFSC's website here. Consider personalizing your message to include asks on issues that are important to you and so that your letter stands out.

Monthly Virtual Singalong

Taste of People Camp Gathering

We are looking forward to TASTE OF PEOPLE CAMP, a virtual gathering to celebrate friendships old and new. Please invite people you think might be interested in coming to camp this summer. We are planning for an in-person People Camp experience at Northern Pines Retreat Center, August 8-14, with flexible expectations. We would love to increase our community this year, enriching our experience through expanded participation.

This year's campers will be exploring the theme "Seeking Justice in a Changing World."

Here's all you need to know about the Taste of People Camp Gathering...

When: Saturday, April 17, 6:00-7:30 p.m. CST

Where: On Zoom of course!

What to expect:

• Virtual potluck
• Gathering song and a lively virtual game
• 2 rounds of breakout rooms where we can meet in smaller groups
• Business portion: Introduction to the Planning Committee’s efforts towards envisioning People Camp 2021
• Singalong for those who choose to hang out longer

The People's Inauguration Whatcha Wednesday Series

What happened at this week's Whatcha Wednesday? We turned to the second of three themes in the revolutionary love journey, which focuses on "tending the wound" through loving our opponents. This week, we delved into the value, challenges, and nuances of listening, particularly listening to our perceived opponents. We listened to powerful firsthand accounts from Valarie Kaur, Sister Simone Campbell, and Van Jones about times that they listened to people with different worldviews as a starting point for our own conversation. Then, we spoke candidly with one another about ways we're striving to practice deep listening and how deep listening can inform strategic actions for justice by seeking to include "opponents" in the solutions.