Category: PACG Event - PACG - Progressive Action for the Common Good

Announcing the Inauguration 2021 Virtual Parade and Dance Party!

12/29/2020

Save the Date!
Inauguration 2021 - Virtual Parade and Dance Party
Wednesday, January 20th from 7:00 - 8:30 pm

A Message from the President

Hello Progressives!

Plans are already underway for our PACG Inauguration 2021 event! This virtual Parade and Dance party will be lots of fun, so mark your calendars now! Join us as we celebrate with music, posters, games, prizes and more!

If you would like to help in planning, please let me know! Young people, we could really use your perspectives! We always have a lot of fun organizing and hosting events, so please JOIN US!

Allison Ambrose

After Action Report - Webinar with Dr. Kathleen Belew

12/29/2020

What is the white power movement and why should you care? - After Action Report

Civil Rights Forum

PACG co-sponsored this very successful virtual event where Dr. Kathleen Belew, assistant professor of U.S. History at the University of Chicago and author of Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America discussed white power activism in the U.S. today. Over 270 people were in attendance. Dr. Belew talked for about thirty minutes and then took questions from a very engaged audience. Our members were instrumental in helping put on this event, being involved in publicity, the flow of questions, and technology. The event received quite a bit of publicity in the local media:

KWQC News reported the on the event here (including a nice video).
And the QCTimes wrote a terrific review.

PACG was honored to have collaborated with other like-minded organizations in advancing knowledge on this very important issue.

Allison Ambrose

UPDATED - Count Every Vote Rally and Prayer Vigil

11/3/2020

Update: Count Every Vote Rally and Prayer Vigil
is now on Zoom!
Saturday, November 7th at 1:00 pm

A Message from the President

Due to the high numbers of Covid-19 in Iowa, this event will be virtual.

The link information for this Zoom event is:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86210124966?pwd=ekZ1dGJVeWpzRi9qbkdjYnF3NENaUT09
Meeting ID: 862 1012 4966
Passcode: 773903
Meeting ID: 862 1012 4966
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbMzsjGVM

Our original post from this week's WEU is as follows:

The US has held elections even during times of great strife like the Civil War, the Great Depression and both World Wars. The peaceful transfer of power has never been in question.

The efforts of our forebears gave African Americans and women the right to vote. Today Americans agree that every citizen should vote and that every vote should be counted.

PACG is working with local groups and clergy to organize a rally and prayer vigil on Saturday, November 7th at 1:00 pm. We will meet at the Stone Fountain on the south side of Vander Veer Park.

We support the dedication and efforts of our local election officials to ensure that every vote is counted. Join us for this peaceful rally and prayer vigil to bring people together in support of the values and ideals we share as participants in our democracy.

Allison Ambrose

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

September Green Drinks via Zoom

8/25/2020

September Green Drinks via Zoom
Tuesday, September 8th from 5:00 - 7:00 pm

Update: Due to circumstances beyond our control, the September Green Drinks has to be postponed until next Tuesday, September 8th, 5 -7 pm.

Your zoom sign on link will be the same.

Environmental Forum

Join us on Tuesday, September 1st from 5 to 7 pm via Zoom. Debbie Heitman, Davenport Community Schools Energy & Sustainability Manager, will share with us what they did to be recognized by the US Department of Education as a Green Ribbon School in 2019. Only 2 school districts in Iowa received such an honor. She’ll also update us on how COVID impacted some of their sustainability efforts.

Please register in advance at us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register. You will receive a link to attend the meeting after you register.

Hope to see you there - bring a friend!

Susan Leuthauser

Vote - Your Voice Matters, Saturdays through October

8/20/2020

Vote - Your Voice Matters Now More Than Ever
Saturdays, through October at 8:00 am

Freight House Farmers Market
421 W River Drive, Davenport, IA (map)

Environmental Forum

Visit us on Saturday mornings at the Freight House Farmers Market. Pick up important voter information and "Vote" stickers. Learn how to make a pinecone bird feeder, and get information on what you need to do to protect the planet. We’ll be available to answer any questions you may have.

Please wear your face covering and practice social distancing.

Susan Leuthauser

Informed Voter Series - Town Hall #2

8/13/2020

Informed Voter Series: Virtual Town Hall #2 on Social Security and Economic Justice for Women
Tuesday, August 18th at 6:00 pm

Online

Voting

A virtual town hall meeting to discuss Social Security, economic justice for women, and the importance of voting will be held as the second in our "Informed Voter Series." The town hall also coincides with the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which granted American women the right to vote. Female candidates running for federal office have been invited to speak about their respective stances on these issues.

Read more about the Informed Voter Series Town Hall #2 in the Quad City Times.

Contact Allison to register for this event.

Allison Ambrose, President

Vote - Your Voice Maters Now More Than Ever!

8/13/2020

Vote - Your Voice Matters Now More Than Ever
Saturday, August 15th at 8:00 am

Freight House Farmers Market
421 W River Drive, Davenport, IA (map)

Environmental Forum

Visit us on Saturday mornings at the Freight House Farmers Market. Pick up important voter information and "VOTE" stickers. Learn how to make a pinecone bird feeder, and get information on what you need to do to protect the planet. We’ll be available to answer any questions you may have. Please wear your face covering and practice social distancing.

Susan Leuthauser

View Our "Understand the Need" Webinar for the Y15K Initiative

8/8/2020

**Y15K Initiative - Understand the Need Webinar Available for Viewing**

A Message from the Board

To help you learn more about the Y15K Initiative, we recently hosted two Understand the Need Zoom webinars where representatives from each group we plan to assist explained how they function to benefit our community and why they are in additional need today. Our webinar is available for viewing on our PACG YouTube channel here.

Here are more details about the organizations that we have chosen to support:

QCAIR - Quad Cities Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees
Grant Curtis, President

1. QCAIR helps immigrants and refugees become strong, productive members of the Quad City community. We do this in one of two ways: providing direct assistance or referring to other agencies as appropriate and educating the Quad City Community on the talents, skills and abilities immigrants and refugees bring to our community. We pledge to uphold the following core values which provide us with the purpose and direction for our work: Quality – Collaboration – Advocacy – Integration - Respect.

2. The donated funds will provide cash assistance to low-income immigrants and refugees in Iowa who have not received relief from the federal government and have suffered adverse impacts as a result of the Covid-19 virus. The Illinois state government has given assistance to immigrants in their state, but Iowa has not.

3. To learn more about QCAIR Inc., donate or volunteer, please visit our Facebook page QuadCityAllianceforImmigrantsandRefugees or our website www.qcair.org.

Heart of Hope
Lynda Sargent, Founder and President

1. Heart of Hope is a ministry of Hope and Healing to the Hurting, dedicated to serving the community of Rock Island and the greater Quad City area. Our vision is to revitalize Rock Island neighborhoods, provide opportunities that empower individuals to become self-sufficient, and equip future generations for success.

2. Heart of Hope is a nonprofit outreach organization solely dependent on contributions from individuals and from grant funding sources. We do not receive any state or federal funding. We are able to provide outreach-based services to those in need within our community because of the generosity of caring individuals who are able and willing to help us be the hands and feet to those in need within our neighborhoods. 19.8% of the residents in the City of Rock Island live below the national poverty rate. 38% of these residents are children under the age of 6. Another 38% are residents over the age of 60. Heart of Hope has provided food and toiletry items for over 44,000 of these residents since opening our food pantry on May 1, 2014. We have distributed over 115,000 pounds of food in 2020. We continue to see the need for food escalate. Our records show a 40% increase in food pantry visitors between June and July of this year. We had 359 visitors to our pantry in June and 504 visitors in July!

The funds we receive as part of the Y15K Initiative will mean we will be able to continue to meet this great need for food assistance within our communities. A second imminent need is the replacement of our 19-year-old, 15-passenger van for picking up the 3,000 to 5,000 pounds of food we distribute weekly. Funds would be used for both of these great needs.

3. Heart of Hope website is HOHQC | Hope & Healing | Community Service | Quad Cities.

Palomares Social Justice Center and Catalyst Kitchen
Melissa Freidhof-Rodgers

The Palomares Social Justice Center exists to help address the socio-economic needs and interests of the Floreciente neighborhood and other less empowered communities through advocacy, grassroots outreach, and culturally sensitive services:

Collaboration and Inclusiveness
People to People Empowerment
Cultural Awareness and Diversity
Equity
Creativity (supporting a space for critical thinking and activity)
Advocacy

Catalyst Kitchen Information:

1. The Palomares-St. John’s Catalyst Kitchen is a commercial kitchen located at St. John's Lutheran Church that neighbors can rent from the Palomares Social Justice Center. The kitchen can be rented by the hour and is an initiative to motivate our community to start a business and obtain official certification for the handling and selling of food. This space helps launch budding entrepreneurs in taking the first steps in starting their business. Brick and mortar spaces require large amounts of funding and the Catalyst Kitchen provides a space to start a food business for a reasonable cost, while providing ongoing bilingual support and mentorship. Additionally, we provide individuals with the opportunity to obtain information on the certification process (in Spanish and English), starting a business, and general information on how to cook safely following sanitation codes.

2. The funds from PACG will be used to help immigrant entrepreneurs pay for the ServSafe Food manager class and the required textbook, giving them a needed boost in taking the first step in starting a food business. With the Covid-19 pandemic we have had more immigrants wanting to start food businesses after losing their jobs and not qualifying for government assistance due to immigration status. This class is offered in Spanish and creates equal access needed to start a business. Funds may also be used to rent the kitchen for new business owners or to purchase small equipment.

3. Connect with Catalyst Kitchen on our Facebook page. Information about the Palomares Social Justice Center can be found at their website.

Cobblestone Place
Allison Ambrose, PACG President

Cobblestone is a 28-unit affordable housing building in downtown Davenport, IA. The PACG office is located there; and, we hold many of our meetings and events in community rooms in the facility. Since management has always treated us so well, we decided to offer to help the people who live at Cobblestone. We asked residents what their needs were, and the Y15K funds will help fulfill those requests. Money will provide a park bench for the outdoor yard, a dining set for the community kitchen that the smaller units use, and bus passes for residents. We are pleased that we can be "good neighbors" to those that live at Cobblestone.

View our PACG Understand the Need Webinar here.

Allison Ambrose, President