Two speakers addressed the NWSOFA GVP, Gun Violence Prevention, Monthly Meeting & Received Rave ReviewsI
Denyse Stoneback from People for a Safer Society
Mark Walsh from the Illinois Council against Gun Handgun Violence
“Packed house!” “Great meeting!” “Excellent!”
“Your hospitality, enthusiasm, and great questions which were all impressive!”
Packed House for August Meeting
Natelie Warren of NWSOFA Introduces the Guest Speakers
Special Report on the August 20, 2015
Gun Violence Prevention Meeting
(more pictures of the event below)
Our August GVP meeting featured two excellent speakers, Denyse Stoneback from People for a Safer Society, and Mark Walsh, Campaign Coordinator for the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence.
Their presentation included information on:
the high cost of gun violence in our society
crimes linked with guns sold by “Bad Apple” gun sellers in the Chicago area
proposed legislation calling for state licensing of gun dealers in Illinois
plans to have volunteers from groups like ours meet with elected officials to ask for their support for statewide state wide licensing for all gun sellers in Illinois
Everyone attending also got a packet of information and a short training session about ways toplan and conduct meetings with local elected officials to seek support for this legislation. At our next meeting on September 17th we will review the materials/training information and make plans to contact and meet with mayors and other elected officials. Everyone is welcome to attend the September 17th meeting, whether or not you were able to attend the previous one. It is very exciting to see a path to action taking shape!
We will continue to have our on-going discussion about the economic costs of gun violence for our society along side of tragedy of loss of life and the moment people’s lives are altered forever at our monthly meetings. These human and economic costs are very high, billions and billions of dollars a year. Several groups that we have partnered with are beginning to talk about this issue. It is sad to say but sometimes it’s the economic costs that gain more traction than other arguments
.
The GVP Issues Team has been working for the past two years to keep the conversation about gun violence prevention going forward and to take action to change our laws with the goal of creating safer communities for everyone in our state and our nation. We hold 60 to 90 minute meetings typically (some exceptions) on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm. If you are interested in working to reduce gun violence in America, we invite you to join us at our next meeting.
Watch for September’s Newsletter Next Weekend for a Full Listing of all Issue Team Meetings, Actions and Events
OFA’s COI Has Great Organizing Training Coming up in the next few Months.
September 25 – Social Media Summit
Back by popular demand! OFA’s Social Media Summit will bring together social media professionals for two days of panel discussions, best practice sharing and learning from the best in the business. Please note the date has changed. Signup information will follow… just indicate your desire to have additional information sent .. see below.
October 2-4 – Campus Organizing Summit
Join OFA at our Campus Organizing Summit to learn how to effectively make a difference on your campus on the issues you care about. You’ll learn the skills you need to move your issue forward– and get other students involved, too!
This Past August 20th, Two speakers addressed the NWSOFA GVP, Gun Violence Prevention Monthly Meeting.
An Essay in Pictures
The Economic Cost
Denyse Stoneback of People for a Safer Society
Niles: A city on the Brink .. Gives Special Use permit to new gun deal .. 4 school within 1 mile
Mark Walsh, Illinois Council Against Handgun Vilolence
The US bar none has the highest deaths
4 Local Dealers = 80% of Crime Guns
NWSOFA Stand With Women (SWW)
“The Empowerment Project was Shown on 8/12/15 at the COI HQ Offices Downtown.. Great Turnout .. and the Producers were there!
What would you do if you weren’t afraid to fail?
Firfty (50) young women joined OFA’s COI for an exclusive screening of the inspirational documentary, The Empowerment Project.
This film followed the incredible journey of a crew of female filmmakers driving across America to encourage, empower, and inspire the next generation of strong women.
Driving over 7,000 miles from Los Angeles to New York over the course of 30 days, the documentary spotlights positive and powerful women leaders across a variety of lifestyles and industries.
Special guests, Emmy-Award winning filmmakers Dana Michelle Cook and Sarah Moshman, had a conversation that empowered and encouraged all in attendance to say our dreams out loud.
NWSOFA’s Fiscal and Economic Issues Discussion Group
Met Monday Night 8/10
@ the Schuamburg Library
Great Discussions Into the Facts about the Economic Recovery and Illinois Proposed Budget..
Updates on the economy, both jobs and GDP. We continued our discussions of the economic recovery and policy issues that affect the recovery. The discussion was based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics August, 2015 report on the June Jobs Report.
Members of the NWSOFA Gun Violence Prevention team lead by Natalie Warren, NWSOFA GVP Co-Lead presented to the Sunday Morning Discussion group at Countryside Unitarian Church on Smith Road in Palatine, Sunday, August 9th.
This was a interesting meeting since not everyone was in support of Gun controls or registration.. The moderator from CCUU was very professional and made sure that everyone had a chance to present their options. Natalie presented an excellent fact based foundation for the discussion.. the rest of us supplied the emotion.
Great Job, Natalie.. and thanks to the NWSOFA Team for the support!
NWSOFA had a blast at the Annual Picnic on August 8th while
Celebrating President Obama’s Birthday!!
A fun / interesting Day .. people came and left and other people arrived. Had 50 of so in attendance most of the time .. over 100 attend by the time we closed up at 10 pm.
We had Great conversations, relaxation, paddle boating, kayaking and swimming Most just relaxed or took a trip around the lake and played some games. Lots of partner group leadership attended and connected with us.
If you have chance, click on the side bar on the video of the late afternoon picnic goes singing “Happy Birthday” to the President on his 54th (we were a few days tardy). Thank you to Kathy Carter for getting the cake for us and organizing the “sing along”.
As you will see in the photos we had some our favorite IL Representatives in attendance and those that have run in recent contest.
See additional Pictures on the side bar
NWSOFA
Celebrating President Obama’s Birthday!!
Click the picture below to here the NWSOFA’s Happy “Happy Birthday to the POTUS
Click on the above video to hear the joyous Happy Birthday Mr. President
See additional Pictures on the side bar
NWSOFA Climate Change Team Testified at the
EPA and Department of Transportation
@ The EPA Public Hearing
Thursday August 6th in
Chicago
Background: The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation have proposed standards to reduce carbon pollution and oil use from freight trucks. The agencies will hold a public hearing in Chicago on Thursday, August 6. With the support of Sierra Club’s Beyond Oil campaign, the Illinois Chapter will turn out supporters to testify at the public hearing, applauding the agencies for their proposal and asking them to strengthen it.
We talk a lot about the Clean Power Plan, and the electricity sector is number one for carbon pollution — but transportation is number two, and these trucks rules, along with the fuel economy standards from the first term, are a really big deal in cutting down that slice of the pie.
Great Organizing Meeting on August 4th with our, NWSOFA
SWW
Stand With Women
Lead Nikki Gundimeda
“NWSOFA & OFA stands with women-from expanding women’s leadership and economic security to protecting health care choices.”
The organization meeting had a well organized agenda focused on the key SWW Issues. Among the key topics: Economic Security, Equal Pay, Raising the Minimum Wage, Paid Leave and the conservatives attack on Planned Parenthood.
The gap between white men and everybody else in tech starts in high school. Teens of all stripes are glued to their smartphones, but, per a new study .. click on the title above to see the rest of the story.
NWSOFA Diversity Outreach Team
In Partnership with 25 “Open Communities” Partners Clebrated:
“Justice Day 2015”
Over 500 Enjoyed a Perfect Summer Sunday @ the Winnetka Village Green Sunday, July 26, 2015
We’ve come a long way, but still have a long way to go !!
It was a celebration. 50 Years ago (in 1965) the North Shore Summer Project, galvanized thousands of residents to push for open housing and brought Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to the Winnetka Village Green to inspire over 10,000 people to “go all out to end segregation.”
NWSOFA’s Diversity Outreach Team was there with Open Communities and 25+ Partners
Dynamic: Father Pfleger – called out Winettka resident, Gov. Bruce Rauner for not being there and doing more for the Illinois residents 20-miles south of Winettka (he told me he was expecting to be booed when he said that, but was happy that he received applause).
Informational: Hilary Shelton – Closely linked the work of NAACP with legislation in order to achieve justice. Informed crowd that the NAACP has a listing of the Civil Rights Federal Legislative Report Card (we have a copy for you).
Legislative: Jan Schakowsky was a sponsor of the Voting Rights Advancement Act to replace the SCOTUS rejected part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Historical: Per Jan Schakowsky: MLK slept in the basement of her synagog when he spoke here 50-years ago because he was not allowed to sleep in a hotel due to the attitude for black citizens.
Comments from the NWSOFA Attendees:
Another good event and the feeling of community grows. They were also going to have another Selma March going from major cities in segments and ending up in DC. Should bring in lots of media to highlight how far we’ve come but still have a way to go
Our NWSOFA Attendees said every Speaker was better than the one before.. but they called out: Father Michael Pfleger and our own Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, 9th District of Illinois as Memorable Moments.
I continued to be inspired and motivated when I interact with so many people who are devoting their personal time or have devoted their lives to improve the lives of people they have never met. This is what community organizing is and how community organizing improves who we are individuals, as well as our communities.
The peaceful, thoughtful, educated approach to ensure justice, inspired by Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King’s life, continues to be the most effective way in which to make change happen.
Dr. King’s words still ring true and give me chills every time I read them or hear them recited.
Sunday afternoon at the Justice Day 2015 celebration at the Village Green Park – what a wonderful event
In January 2013 we started as a gathering of friends and neighbors from the NW Suburbs who wanted to continue to have impact on the progressive issues we voted for in 2012.This grassroots, bottom up movement spread across the country and sparked the creation of Organizing for Action, OFA National which now has Chapters all over the country. This is a non-partisan, volunteer organization that focuses on progressive issues we are committed to taking Action on to make a difference locally, statewide and nationally.
NWSOFA’s 1st Issue Team was right after the tragedy at Sandy Hook. The Gun Violence Prevention (GVP) team felt we needed accurate information and facts, events to teach others and actions we could take to make a difference on pushing for common sense gun violence prevention. That has been our basic format as new issues arose and team developed. We now have the GVP, ACA/Obamacare, Climate Change,Fiscal Issues and Stand with Women Issue Teams.Check out their individual pages to see all the events they have scheduled and to join the teams you want to make a difference with. Other teams are developing such as for Comprehensive Immigration Reform.
OFA National coordinates “Days of Action” that Chapters across the country will all do on the same day. Each team also has local events and may work with affiliate organizations i.e. Sierra Club, Al Gore Reality Project, etc. to combine like-minded groups on a local, state or national event.
In this type of organization there are numerous ways you can be involved with the teams and in other roles.We were looking for ways to get our events out and now have a Twitter Master, Kathy,and Press Lead, Kym.
Two new initiatives were introduced in January 2015 from OFA. The first one is to get more young people involved in progressives issues. We prioritized working with colleges to reach out to them. One of the major benefits of joining us is learning to be a community organizer. These skills can be beneficial for a lifetime. The second initiative is working with under served populations that traditionally have not a voice on issues that are crucial for them. If either of these sound like something you would be interested in helping to develop, please let us know.
Maybe you have a special skill we haven’t even thought about give us a call we’re always open to new ideas and teams.
Thanks for stopping and hope you’ll stay and join us.
NWSOFA
To leave a message or Sign up for an Issue Team .. Just click the Sign Up button and fill out the NWSOFA Comment log.
NWSOFA is a whole, diverse wonderful family of people who want to do more than talk about the social issues. We explore and dig deep on the facts and decide what actions we can take that can have an impact locally and nationally. NWSOFA members not only “talk the talk”, but we “walk the walk”.
All our teams have numerous events that will enlighten and inspire you and yes, challenge you to make the effort to make a difference.
We invite you to join us!
Follow NWSOFA on Social Media
Click to Follow us on Twitter
Follow us @NWSOFA’s Website
Click to Link to WebSite
Follow us Facebook
Click to Link to Facebook
August Events ..
NWSOFA in Photos
NWSOFA GVP Issue Teams Presentation from People for a Safer Society August 20th
US Leads in Homicides by firearm per 1,000 population .. by a BUNCH
NWSOFA CC Issue Teams Meets to Chart the Future August 19th
Dan Huntsha – Named NWSOFA Climate Change Lead
NWSOFA Attends the OFA COI “The Empowerment Project” August 12th
NWSOFA Fiscal and Economic Group Meeting August 10th
NWSOFA Gun Violence Lead Presents to at the UUCC morning Group August 9th
NWSOFA Holds 2nd Annual Picnic on Lake Terramere in Arlington Hieghts
NWSOFA SWW Holds Organizing Meeting August 4th
It’s time to Act .. It Is Time To Get Involved
Over the years the American Citizens have lost their voices, believing that we can not make a difference. We have been beat down by the constant droning noise of the conservative right. This onslaught has made us like sheep .. afraid to express our views. Not anymore! OFA gives us back our voices and by working together we are making change one issue at a time. Together we can and will make a difference.
Thank You to our NWSOFA Issue Leads in 2015
Dan Huntsha Climate
Nikki Gundimeda Stand w/Women
Just Click on the Photo to link the NWSOFA e-magazines daily & archived articles
See additional Pictures on the side bar
In January 2013 we started as a gathering of friends and neighbors from the NW Suburbs who wanted to continue to have impact on the progressive issues we voted for in 2012.This grassroots, bottom up movement spread across the country and sparked the creation of Organizing for Action, OFA National which now has Chapters all over the country. This is a non-partisan, volunteer organization that focuses on progressive issues we are committed to taking Action on to make a difference locally, statewide and nationally.
