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

Green Drinks - After Action Report

10/20/2020

Green Drinks - After Action Report
Tuesday, October 6th at 5:00 pm

Environmental Forum

We have had a series of virtual Green Drinks since the COVID shutdown, meeting on Zoom the 1st Tuesday of each month from 5-7 pm. Since May we have enjoyed 6 excellent speakers, including: Joel Vanderbush/Niabi Zoo; Kurt Liske/Scott County Waste Commission; Pete Vogel/Food Rescue Partnership; Rachel Loomis/Living Lands and Waters; Deb Heitman/ Sustainability Director Davenport School District; and Sarah Gardner/Sustainability Coordinator Iowa City. We look forward to our two final speakers for 2020, with Cassie Druhl from Partners of Scott County Watershed in November, and Myles Brainard from the City of Rock Island in December. Join us!

Lori McCollum

After Action Report - The Environmental Voter

10/14/2020

The Environmental Voter: A Path to a Just and Stable Climate - After Action Report
Friday, October 2nd at 5:00 pm

Environmental Forum

On October 2nd over 40 participants attended our Happy Hour with Donald Addu from Citizens Climate Lobby. Local speakers discussed issues such as health complications and economic issues related to environmental factors. Don was an excellent speaker who interwove his personal stories with a history of environmental racism and injustice. This was recorded and is available upon request. Please contact me for a link if you are interested in seeing it.

Lori McCollum

Annual Picnic and Pie Auction a Virtual Success! - After Action Report

10/14/2020

PACG's Annual Picnic and Pie Auction via Zoom Was a Success! - After Action Report
Sunday, October 4th

A Message from the President

PACG held its 8th Annual Picnic and Pie Auction (and first done virtually) on Sunday, October 4th and it was a GREAT success!

In the spirit of keeping the picnic similar to what would happen at a live event, we were able to entertain participants with music, offer a meal, allow for social time, update members on PACG happenings and hold a pie auction. And we did it all virtually!

Participants picked up their Tamales for Hope enchilada meals ahead of time, and then signed on to Zoom to be entertained by really good music before the official program started. "Totes Magotes" musicians Christy Todtz, Jim Severe, John Kinser and Doug McCollum played and sang lively, popular songs. The official program started with members being put into Zoom Break Out rooms (randomly assigned small groups) to discuss "What is the best thing about the pandemic?" A spokesperson for each group shared with the larger Zoom meeting once we re-convened. It was encouraging to hear so many positive messages!

I updated the membership on the success of the Y15K fundraising initiative, which was held to celebrate PACG's 15th Anniversary. We were able to infuse $20,000 into the community to help those in need. Book Club and Forum Facilitators also gave updates about their recent activities, plans for the future and upcoming meeting dates.

Thirteen pies were auctioned off in grand VIRTUAL fashion, which allowed us to raise close to $500 for PACG. Finally, gift certificates from minority-owned businesses were distributed as door prizes.

Feedback indicates that the picnic was generally a success, with some technical difficulties. We realize that some people did not receive the Zoom links and we apologize for that. At our picnic debriefing meeting we figured out how to do better at future large events that we hold online. We appreciate your patience as we navigate these uncharted waters.

We are proud that we were able to hold our 8th Annual Picnic and Pie Auction, despite this crazy year! A big Thank You to all the folks who helped plan and execute the event, to the pie bakers, and to all of you who participated!

Allison Ambrose

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