Category: After Action Report - PACG - Progressive Action for the Common Good

Earth Day 50th Anniversary Celebration! - After Action Report

7/21/2020

Earth Day 2020 - After Action Report

Freight House Farmers Market - Davenport

Environmental Forum

On Saturday, July 18th we celebrated Earth Day 2020 at the Freight House Farmers Market with the support of sponsors Quad City Earth Coalition, Living Lands and Waters, Sierra Club - Eagle View Chapter, the Freight House Farmers Market, and the Mark Schwiebert Grant for Environmental Studies. There were a small, but stellar group of exhibitors, musicians, and volunteers in attendance. Fun was had by all on this hot, but breezy summer day.

Safety was emphasized with masks and hand sanitizer, and tables were spaced for proper physical distancing. Several hundred people wandered through the exhibitor tables, learning about our wonderful planet, and the children enjoyed a number of family friendly activities.

We emphasized the importance of celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day by VOTING for candidates who endorse policies for a healthy planet.

Lori McCollum

After Action Report -" the Story of Plastics" Discussion

5/5/2020

The Story of Plastics Zoom Happy Hour - After Action Report

Environmental Forum

In lieu of our postponement of Earth Day events, we placed an ad in local papers for the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, and wish to thank the PACG Board for providing funding for that announcement. We also co-sponsored a virtual showing of the film, the Story of Plastics, along with the Rock Island Soil and Conservation District, the Niabi Zoo, and the UU Congregation of the QC. The film was on the Discovery Channel, or available virtually through a link. We then offered a followup Happy Hour on Zoom to discuss the film and listen to local leaders who are working with methods of reducing plastic pollution: Joel Vanderbush from the Zoo, Kurt Liske from the Scott County Waste Commission, Karen Neder from Terracycle, and Dawn Temple of RISCD. We had nearly 20 people online for the happy hour! We all agreed to continue our work on plastics in the QC through the Plastic Free QC initiative started through the BICAN.

We plan on having our originally scheduled Earth Day activities in July, with "the Vision for the Future" event at the Botanical Center on Thursday, July 16th, and the Earth Day Fair at the Farmers Market on Saturday, July 18th. We hope to see you all there.

Remember to make every day Earth Day!

Lori McCollum

After Action Report - PPE Donation by Health Care Reform Forum

4/2/2020

Lending a Hand - After Action Report

Davenport Salvation Army

Health Care Reform

Some of you will remember that way back before the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the PACG Health Care Reform Forum had a project to collect hand prints from individuals in our community as part of our advocacy for national health care legislation. Participants used latex gloves to protect their hands from the paint that was used. When the ACA was passed, the project was discontinued, but we still had many gloves.

This week, as the call went out in our community for personal protective equipment (PPE)—including latex gloves—the Forum was able to donate our surplus of gloves for the use of firefighters and EMTs (for whom protection, but not sterility, is critical). And just how many gloves did we provide? Between 5000 and 6000! It felt good to help our community, even in this small way. Truly, this is the core mission of Progressive ACTION for the COMMON Good.

After Action Report - Civil Rights Forum Met with Theresa Greenfield

2/20/2020

After Action Report - Crisis at the Border Visit with Theresa Greenfield
Tuesday, February 18th at noon

The PACG Civil Rights Forum organized a visit with Theresa Greenfield, who is running in the Democratic primary to be the candidate to run against Senator Joni Ernst. Immigration activists from the many organizations in the Quad Cities working on immigration issues met with Ms. Greenfield to deliver our message, beginning with: "Children do not belong in detention." At the PACG Blog you can read our complete "ask" and some proposed legislation.

We are trying to set up a similar meeting with Republican candidate, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who is running in the Republican primary for the Congressional seat of retiring Representative Dave Loebsack. We will also visit with other candidates or elected officials in both Iowa and Illinois. Contact Alta if you want to participate.

Alta Price

Paris to Pittsburgh Movie at Augusta - After Action Report

1/22/2020

Paris to Pittsburgh - After Action Report

Augustana College

Environmental Forum

We worked with the Augustana Climate Change Task Force and Iowa Interfaith Power and Light to host a screening of Paris to Pittsburgh on Wednesday evening, January 15th. It was followed by a panel presentation by Ray Wolf, Eric Sorensen, and Bobby Wengronowitz. We also provided a voter registration table, thanks to Alice Traylor. Anyone wishing to screen this film can do so by contacting Lori McCollum at lori_mccollum@sbcglobal.net.

Lori McCollum

After Action Report - Caucus Training

1/22/2020

Caucus Training - After Action Report

Davenport Public Library
Eastern Avenue Branch

Civil Rights Forum

On January 15th, we had a full house at our final nonppartisan caucus training at Davenport Public Library, Eastern Avenue Branch. We are honored to have co-sponsored this training with the AAUW (American Association of University Women), QCAIR (Quad City Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees), and the Alliance for Retired Americans.

We mock-caucused both the Republican and Democrat formats, using fruit (oranges, apples, blueberries, tomatoes) as our candidates.

Iowans: the caucus will be held Monday, Feb. 3 at 7 pm. Doors open at 6:30 pm and you must be in line no later than 7 pm. Contact your local party to find your caucus location.

Democrat Caucus locations
Republican Caucus locations

Check out our photos from the training!

Julie Ross

August & September Green Drinks - After Action Report

10/17/2019

Green Drinks for August and September - After Action Report

Environmental Forum - Green Drinks!

August

Our August Green Drinks included an excellent presentation on Rain Gardens by Andy Parer, and we learned about how to choose native plants that have more extensive root systems to absorb rain and groundwater. Some of these plants are available each spring from local county conservation programs, as well as local gardening shops or online. In the city of Rock Island, you can receive financial support for putting in a rain garden, and then have your sewer fees reduced quarterly because you will have less run off.

September

Our September Green Drinks included a presentation by Dr. Cheryl True about Plant Based Diets. Dr. True discussed general ways to improve your lifestyle, but focused on plant based diets, which not only decrease health problems but help the environment. Even if you don't want to go completely vegetarian, you can go to meatless Mondays or reduce the size of your meat servings and increasing the vegetables and fruits on your plate.
An additional bonus is that each month a few staff from local presidential campaigns come by. They offer up current information about policies their respective candidates endorse.

Check out www.greendrinks.org/IA/QuadCities for more details about our group. We meet at Fresh Deli from 5-7 pm on the last Thursday of each month. We will take November and December off due to the holidays. We hope to see you on October 31st.

Lori McCollum

Global Climate Strike - After Action Report

10/9/2019

Global Climate Strike - After Action Report
Friday, Oct. 4th at 4pm

920 Middle Road, Bettendorf, IA 52722 (map)

PACG Environmental Forum and
Gardening for the Environment - Quad Cities

This September, millions of us walked out of our workplaces and homes to join young climate strikers on the streets and demand an end to the age of fossil fuels. Our house is on fire — let’s act like it! We demand climate justice for everyone!

Over twenty people showed up Friday in Bettendorf to join the global climate strike efforts. Many passersby honked or gave thumbs up in support of our efforts.

Contact the Host at Global Strike for Climate, QC on Facebook.

Tara Witherow

2019 Picnic & Pie Auction - After Action Report

10/2/2019

Picnic/Pie Auction a Great Success! - After Action Report
Sunday, September 15th at 12:00 pm

Longview Park 18th Avenue & 17th Street Rock Island, IL.

PACG Board

Despite some early morning rain, sixty-seven people turned out to enjoy picnic food from Fresh Deli and music by Chris Dunn. Nearby playground equipment provided fun for the kids as well.

There were also several raffle winners, and we were lucky again this year to have Jen Broders, assisted by her husband, Ed, do our famous Pie Auction, which is designed to help fund the many activities of our very active Civil Rights, Environmental, and Health Care Reform Forums. We got to hear short reports from our forum leaders as well as from the Fallow Endowment for Social Justice to keep everybody up-to-date on all the hard work we're doing to forward progressive issues during a time when they are being challenged as never before.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the picnic afforded a chance for everybody to just relax and visit with other progressive minded folks!

Thanks to all who were able to join us this year. It was great to see you again! Enjoy the rest of this beautiful Fall season, and we hope to see you at our Holiday Party in December.

Sincerely,
The PACG Picnic Committee
Allison Ambrose, Ann McCluskey, Susan Meenan, Margie Meija Caraballo, Caryn Unsicker

A Faithful Response to Climate Change - After Action Report

9/4/2019

A Faithful Response to Climate Change - After Action Report
Sunday, August 25th

Schwiebert Park, Rock Island, IL

Environmental Forum

The Faithful Response to Climate Change was hosted by the Faith Leader's Caucus from Quad City Interfaith. This was co-sponsored by the Environmental Forum of PACG. Religious leaders spoke from various faiths about the need to address climate change in order to be consistent with their values. Olivia Dorothy from American Rivers spoke from the scientific point of view, and Mark Russell from Iowa Interfaith and Light spoke about the regional and national response from faith leaders. Lori McCollum spoke from the point of view of a parent. Music was provided by Todtz McGoats, and the Sage Sisters. About 50 people gathered in an intermittent gentle rain to discuss this topic, which was well covered by the press.

Lori McCollum