Blog Archives - PACG - Progressive Action for the Common Good

"Knock and Announce" Podcast - No Hate

9/30/2020

“Knock and Announce” Podcast

No Hate In Our States

Do you want to better understand the mechanisms that led to the death of Breonna Taylor by police in Louisville, Kentucky? This excellent podcast details a very similar situation. Taylor is even mentioned near the end.

Listen here: https://thisiscriminal.com/episode-143-knock-and-announce/

Julie Ross

Y15K Funds Distributed to Cobblestone

9/26/2020

Y15K Funds Distributed to Cobblestone Place
Saturday, September 26, 2020

A Message from the President

On Saturday, September 26th the last of our Y15K Initiative Funds were delivered to Cobblestone Place in a very small ceremony. PACG has rented office space in this affordable housing building in downtown Davenport for a number of years, and we often have meetings, parties and events in their public area.

I spoke briefly about our Y15K Initiative, Alta Price spoke about the founding of PACG and our issue forum model, and then we made the presentation.

Juanita Eucker and Diane Wolak received our check and explained that the funds will be used for a bench outside as well as furniture for the common space inside the building.

Cheryl Bruce from Bruce's Furniture in Davenport was also on hand. Her store is going to supply Cobblestone with furnishings.

Funds will also be used to purchase MetroLINK passes and HyVee gift cards for residents. Alta surprised Juanita and Diane with a donation of high quality masks for all employees and residents. "We at Progressive Action take the pandemic very seriously and we encourage people to always wear masks in public," stated Dr. Price.

Here are some of the images we took today of this event.

Allison Ambrose

Hannah-Jones 1619 Conversation

9/22/2020

Nikole Hannah-Jones: “In Conversation about 1619 and the Legacy that Built a Nation.”
Tuesday, September 22nd at 7:00 pm

Several weeks ago PACG suggested an excellent podcast called “1619 Project.” The University of Iowa is hosting a free online event with its Pulitzer Prize-winning creator Nikole Hannah-Jones.

To kick off the semester on Tuesday, September 22nd at 7:00 pm they will be virtually hosting Nikole Hannah-Jones: “In Conversation about 1619 and the Legacy that Built a Nation.” This event will be moderated by the UI's own Dr. Ashley Howard. Nikole Hannah-Jones is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter covering racial injustice for The New York Times Magazineand the creator of the landmark 1619 Project. This event is virtual, free and open to the public.

Here is a link to this event: https://fb.me/e/1CZBEpTNc

Here is a link to the 1619 Project podcast: www.nytimes.com/2020/01/23/podcasts/1619-podcast.html

Julie Ross

Fourth Informed Voter Town Hall - Canceled

9/22/2020

This even has been canceled.

Fourth Informed Voters Town Hall via Zoom - Update
Thursday, October 8th from 6:00 to 7:00 pm

Environmental Forum

CANCELED - Informed Voter 4th Town Hall - Environmental Policy and the Climate Crisis has been cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control.

As an organization, PACG has learned a lot about what we can improve on with events like the Informed Voter series. With the time crunch of an election upon us, the candidates were unable to attend this town hall. And early voting means that people are already voting in Illinois and Iowa.

We are disappointed to have not heard from these candidates on issues that are so important to us all. For the next election cycles, we hope to plan farther ahead. Thanks for your continued support.

The Environmental Forum is a cosponsor of the Fourth Informed Voter Virtual Town Hall. Candidates for the US House of Representatives for Illinois and Iowa have been invited to participate in this Zoom event. We will ask candidates to explain their views on climate change and give us an understanding as to what their environmental policies will entail if they are elected.

More information will be in next week's WEU.

Susan Leuthauser

The Environmental Voter - Zoom Happy Hour

9/22/2020

The Environmental Voter: A Path to a Just and Stable Climate via Zoom
Friday, October 2nd at 5:30 pm

Environmental Forum

Join us for a happy hour with Don Addu and learn about how your vote impacts the environment and your community.

To register go to: www.us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/

You'll be sent an access link after registration.

Susan Leuthauser

Sign Up for the 8th Annual Picnic and Pie Auction

9/20/2020

Sign Up for PACG's 8th Annual Picnic and Pie Auction via Zoom

Register for the Picnic here!

Pay online or bring $5 per meal (cash or check) when you pick up your food order (consider a tip for the chef!). Food orders are due by Tuesday, September 29th!

Food pickup: from 2 - 3:30 at St. John’s Lutheran Church (4501 7th AV Rock Island)

Virtual Picnic begins at 4:00 pm with music to entertain you while you eat your meal.

Zoom link: The Zoom invitation will be in your confirmation email.

Pie Baker Information: Bake a pie (or equivalent desert) and your meal is free!! All pie bakers will also be entered into the Door Prize drawing. Call the PACG Office Manager for instructions at (563) 676-7580.

Door Prize tickets: Get these when you pick up your food or deliver your pie.

Questions? Contact the PACG Office Manager at PACGoffice@gmail.com or (563) 676-7580 (no texts).

If you are not familiar with Zoom, especially using the Chat function with numerous other Zoom participants, please contact our Office Manager for training before October 4th! We want you to be able to participate fully in our first-ever virtual picnic!

Cobham Missions System Donation for Racial Equality

9/20/2020

Cobham Missions Systems Donation

A Message from the President

The committee for Charitable Contributions at Cobham Mission Systems in Davenport reached out to PACG in July, stating that “…we have been seeking organizations to donate to that help promote racial equality in the Quad Cities.”

We were very honored and excited! Further communication included: “Cobham is…very interested in donating to your organization. Our senior leadership has approved us to give a donation…due to your work in our community and your mission to help drive positive change.”

The Cobham donation was $2500, which will be put to good use by PACG.

This is a reminder for our members and the broader community that the hard, sometimes seemingly thankless, work that we do has payoffs in unexpected ways. Keep up your dedication to making change for the common good.

Allison Ambrose

Y15K Fully Funded and First Funds Distribution

9/20/2020

Y15K Funds - First Distribution
Saturday, September 12th

We are proud to announce that our community raised $12,500 for our Y15K Initiative fundraiser to provide assistance to people in our community who have been harmed by the economic downturn due to the pandemic. With the $7500 that the Board of Directors allocated for this purpose, we will be giving away $20,000 to those in need.

This initiative was started to give back to our community as a way to celebrate our 15th Anniversary as an organization. The plan was to give $15,000 in our 15th year. We are deeply grateful for your generosity, and are honored to have your trust for these distributions.

On Saturday, September 12th we had the first of two Y15K Funds distribution events. We did this live, with a limited number of participants who were appropriately masked.

Watch our presentation of Y15K funds to Catalyst Kitchen, QCAIR and Heart of Hope here.

Our Understand the Need Blog explains in detail what each of our recipient organizations plan to do with these funds.

MaskIowa Postcard Campaign - What You Can Do Now

9/19/2020

#MaskIowa Postcard Campaign to Mandate Masks in Iowa

A Message from the President

A friend of mine has started a postcard campaign asking for a mask mandate in Iowa because our governor refuses to order one. You may read more about this effort here: MaskIowa.com!

Postcards are to be sent to Governor Kim Reynolds. There was recently an article in the Quad City Times that she is going to stand firmly against this mandate, even though governors in states like Mississippi and Georgia have changed their opinion on this issue:

Reynolds scoffs at calls for a statewide mask order, calling them “feel-good” actions, and refuses to let city officials enforce local mandates, even as the small, largely rural state maintains one of the highest COVID-19 positivity rates and has topped 1,200 dead. While she implores residents to wear masks while indoors when social distancing isn't possible, she has said not everyone believes they're effective and frequently is photographed mingling at crowded events without a mask. Read the full article here.

We are asking our members to consider downloading postcards and sending them to the Governor's office. Each card you send asks you to state "I wear a mask for..." which means you may wish to write multiple postcards for the multiple reasons you believe mask-wearing is important.

Postcards may be printed here and should be mailed to:

Office of the Governor
Iowa State Capitol
1007 East Grand Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50319

If you'd also like to mail them to other members of the Iowa legislature, click here.

Share this fun and effective campaign with your friends! I believe it is very timely because I believe in science! We should all be wearing masks! In addition, I feel this is especially important as we approach flu season!

Allison Ambrose

Third Informed Voters Town Hall on Civil Rights

9/16/2020

Third Informed Voters Town Hall via Zoom
Tuesday, September 29th from 6:00 to 7:00 pm

Civil Rights Forum

The NAACP Davenport Branch, the PACG Civil Rights Forum and other organizations listed below are sponsoring the Third Informed Voters Town Hall on Tuesday, September 29th from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. This is our "Civil Rights and Juvenile Justice Town Hall." We have questions for candidates about reducing the number of juvenile detainees in our community.

This webinar is limited to the first 100 people who register. Contact PACGoffice@gmail.com with questions.

Use this link to register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IQT9lq8XR8qLSmApsW39Ww

Or, download this pdf flyer with a clickable link to register (the registration link in image of the flyer below is not clickable).

third_informed_voters_flyer_.pdf
File Size:	197 kb
File Type:	pdf