WILPF BUSINESS MEETING
WILPF will meet Thursday June 9, 7 PM, at Fresno Center for Nonviolence, 1584 N Van Ness. This meeting is open to all members.
WOMEN IN BLACK
June 1, first Wednesday of each month at noon at Fresno County Courthouse; come on the month in which your birthday falls! Wear black, bring a sign if you wish, and stand in silence for peace. You should seize this June opportunity to stand up for peace, because Women in Black will be in recess July and August.
STIR IT UP
WILPF – ON KFCF 88.1 FM (LISTENER-SUPPORTED FREE SPEECH RADIO FOR CENTRAL CALIFORNIA)
June 22, 3 PM (4th Wednesday of each month) Jean Hays does outstanding interviews on subjects involving WILPF interests and activities. Tune in!
RAGING GRANNIES
Meetings on selected Mondays at 7 PM. Call Ellie at 229-9807 for details.
The WILPF page is compiled and edited by Leni Villagomez Reeves. Contact her at lenivreeves@gmail.com.
JUNE 3
– YOUR INVITATION TO A DIALOGUE WITH THE PRESIDENT –
– – – of WILPF-US
National WILPF President Mary Hanson Harrison will visit Fresno WILPF June 3
We will meet with her from 1 PM to 3 PM at 4533 Del Mar Ave in Fresno. All WILPF members are welcome at this meeting. Before the meeting, please send your questions, issues, and comments to Patty Bennett patriciajb@aol.com 225-9511 so we can organize our discussion. What is the current relationship between our chapter, other local chapters, and national WILPF? Are there ways we can work together more productively? Bring your thoughts and a snack to share.
SPOTLIGHT ON COMMITTEES
Budget Committee – working hard to keep us organized and solvent. No news is good news. Hooray for Jay Hubbell.
Membership – another quiet committee without which we could not function. If you didn’t renew your membership at the Craft Faire in December or since, or to receive your membership directory, contact Nora Dewitt noradewitt@gmail.com (thank you, Nora)
Intern – May was the last month for terrific intern Sirina Resendez, who is graduating. Congratulations and thanks from all of WILPF Fresno! and thanks to Joan Poss, who makes this happen, and Women in Black too.
Raging Grannies – Can’t call this a quiet committee. Singing out for peace, justice, and all of us, with or without permission. We love you all. Next performance – Gay Pride Parade June 4.
Middle East – many WILPF members attended the Islamophobia Conference organized by Peace Fresno – we thank and honor Dan Yaseen and Camille Russell – and co-sponsored by Fresno Center for Nonviolence, the Human Rights Coalition of the Central Valley, and Fresno WILPF. Contact Teresa Castillo for this committee.
Earth Democracy – the most recent activity was the hugely successful Enlightened Apocalypse workshop in March. Now an informal speakers series is in the planning stages: the presenters from the workshops and others can give us more fascinating information, since they have so much to share. In the works – contact Jean Hays.
Coming Soon To Fresno! The Fracking Tour DVD! You must have this video, whether or not you were able to be on the tour – get in touch with Jean Hays; she and Joan Poss chair this committee.
Cuba and the Bolivarian Alliance – Save the Date – July 13 – The Pastors for Peace Caravan, sponsored here by WILPF Fresno and Fresno Center for Nonviolence, will be in Fresno. WILPF members participating this year include Gerry Bill, Leni V Reeves, and Betty Sempadian, along with Fresno Brown Beret Juan Ralphy Avitia. We can all go to our legislators’ offices on that date to educate and advocate about ending the blockade of Cuba and the travel ban, and have our Cuba Party afterward. Event times and locations in July Community Alliance, or contact Leni V Reeves for more info. Check out some personal experiences in Cuba on usmdincuba. blogspot.com
Corporations vs. Democracy – get in touch with Kit Williams to work on these issues.
Disarm/End war – Carol Urner and Ellen Thomas informed us of the Nuclear Free Campaign and HR-1976, and WILPF members attempted to educate our legislators.
Legislative – this committee meets monthly with the staff in our legislators’ offices and sends educational advocacy letters directly to our representatives and senators in Washington. An issue is chosen each month – this month the issue is water and state as well as national legislators will hear from us. Recent issues have included Keystone XL Pipeline, immigration, TPP, Guantánamo Naval Base and Prison, Blockade of Cuba, US-Iran relations, gun control. We welcome your participation – contact Jean Hays. She and Ann Carruthers and Betty Sempadian are our top letter-writers. Gracias, compañeras.
Building Beloved Community –
Dakota Eco-Garden
We had a very successful fundraising garden party event on May 22. This is being written before the date of the event, but we have received many sponsorship donations so we know we will have a healthy fund for residents’ education and health needs. Thanks to all who helped make this happen. And thanks to all the others who have contributed in so many ways, from a Fresno Bee subscription to toilet paper donations.
We are formalizing our relationship with the Service Learning Department at CSUF. We had student help with the fundraiser and had an exchange with Professor Wei Wu’s construction management class in conjunction with their assignment to design tiny houses (or sleeping units) for very little money. We also are grateful for help from students from City College who help out at the DEG. We are happy to sign off on their required community service hours. We have spoken at an Auberry Library event, at an Edison High School Key Club meeting, and at the arts-centered Rotary Club that meets at Arte Americas. We have a tentative date in early June to speak at the Auberry Rotary.
We may have a room vacancy ($250-$350) and a tent vacancy for someone, or pairs of persons, who would otherwise be homeless. Contact Nancy W at 559 224-1738. Basic eligibility requires the homeless factor plus our determination that the applicant has a good chance of using his/her tenancy to make progress toward independent living.
See Facebook page for Dakota EcoGarden and web page: www.ecovillagefresno.org. …….. Nancy Waidtlow
Homeless – Wings
Bev Fitzpatrick is working hard with this group to aid the homeless by providing help with documentation, housing, furnishings and household items. 340 households of formerly homeless people were helped with furniture in the 1st 5 months of this year. A WILPF donation helped provide ecologically sound cleaning products. Donations and volunteers are needed: www. wingsfresno.org or contact Bev.
Library – The WILPF Library Committee finished the last of four donations of sets of 2015 Jane Addams children’s award books on May 11 at the Betty Rodriguez Library. Librarian Evelina Guekguezian accepted the books for the Betty Rodriguez staff. Donna Salwasser spoke to the group about the importance of books which encourage children to think about issues of peace, human rights, environmental justice and community. WILPF continues to celebrate the Fresno County Library as a great Community Library. The other branch libraries that received book donations are Central, Gillis, West Fresno. WILPF and community support just keeps on growing. Ann Carruthers keeps this group of Dangerous Women organized. Special shout-out to librarian-member Sandra Rios Balderrama who made our bookplates and facebook page – www.facebook/ WILPF-Library-Committee