Take 5 for Advocacy: Week of Oct. 19, 2020

Image description: A logo that reads “Take 5 for Advocacy, “ featuring the words “Take 5” in red, with the 5 in a circle of lines that indicate a watch face, and the words “For Advocacy” in green. The words sit in front of a pattern that looks like a mosaic of stones, with a green cross surrounded by multicolored blocks.

A message from Keystone Advocacy leader Barbara Anderson:

Dear Keystone,

This past Thursday I attended the general meeting of the Coalition on Homelessness where Dow Constantine thanked everyone who helped pass the Health Through Housing Initiative. Thank you, Keystone, for sending a note to the KC Council.  Please send an email here send an email to your King County Councilmember to thank them for passing a regional response to homelessness! 

 As I mentioned on Sunday, people of faith can extend their opinions on Referendums, Propositions and Charter Amendments.  The Coalition had speakers come and talk about the following November ballot highlights:  I encourage all of us to look at these.  Our unhoused deserve clean sanitation, clean water, shelter and food!

We were joined by representatives from Yes on Seattle Proposition 1, Yes on King County Proposition 1, Yes on King County Charter Amendment 2 and Yes on Referendum 90campaigns. We have posted information and social media resources for all these important November ballot items on our website, click here to learn more.

 One other piece of information from the meeting that I thought was important is that many King County residents with very low or no income will soon have access to free annual transit passes under a new program being piloted by the county and Sound Transit. The subsidized annual passes — which can be used on several different transit services, including King County Metro's buses and Sounds Transit's Link light rail — will be available to King, Pierce and Snohomish county residents who can't afford the cost of public transportation and are enrolled in other state benefit programs. DSHS, Catholic Community Services, and the Public Health Dept. will be administering these passes.  If you know of anyone who could benefit from this, please let them know to call one of these agencies.  I do know that those on TANF, ABD, and SSI are eligible.

We pray that everyone has a home here and in our world. Amen.

Take 5 for Advocacy: Week of Oct. 5, 2020.

Image description: A logo that reads “Take 5 for Advocacy, “ featuring the words “Take 5” in red, with the 5 in a circle of lines that indicate a watch face, and the words “For Advocacy” in green. The words sit in front of a pattern that looks like a mosaic of stones, with a green cross surrounded by multicolored blocks.

Actions You Can Take This Week

DEADLINE TO COMMENT ON KALAMA REFINERY IS FRIDAY: The last day to leave a public comment with the Washington state Department of Ecology is THIS FRIDAY, October 9. It’s your last chance to tell the state Department of Ecology that you oppose Northwest Innovation Works' and the Port of Kalama's application to build the world’s largest methanol refinery in Kalama.You can read more about the comment process at the Department of Ecology's web site here, and leave a comment online here. Rich Voget has provided this handout to help guide your comments and make them more effective. He also shared this flier (download here) on the Kalama Refinery and why Sierra Club opposes it, to find out more about the training workshops, and connect with Sierra Club at monthly meetings on the topic every third Thursday on Zoom. Email sept.gernez@sierraclub.org for the Zoom link.

TELL COUNCILMEMBERS TO VOTE FOR HEALTH THROUGH HOUSING: King County Councilmembers have the opportunity to create emergency homes for 2,000 people by voting for the Health through Housing proposal!  Health through Housing would buy currently vacant hotels, motels, and nursing homes, and turn them into emergency housing for King County residents who are experiencing or at risk of chronic homelessness. This is a way to scale up our regional investment in supportive housing, fast. Enacting a one tenth of one percent sales tax (which must be used for affordable housing and behavioral health services) and bonding against it would let King County buy buildings left empty by the current economic crisis now; pay for the supports and services people need; and operate this emergency housing as supportive homes long-term. King County residents can click here to urge their councilmembers to vote for this plan.

ASK ABOUT VOTING PLANS: As we head toward Election Day, make sure your friends, neighbors, and relatives — especially those who live outside of Washington state and may be voting by mail for the first time — have a plan for making sure their ballot gets counted. Tell them to vote early!

Take 5 for Advocacy: Week of Sept. 27, 2020

Image description: A logo that reads “Take 5 for Advocacy, “ featuring the words “Take 5” in red, with the 5 in a circle of lines that indicate a watch face, and the words “For Advocacy” in green. The words sit in front of a pattern that looks like a mosaic of stones, with a green cross surrounded by multicolored blocks.

Actions You Can Take This Week

DEADLINE TO COMMENT ON KALAMA REFINERY IS FRIDAY: The last day to leave a public comment with the Washington state Department of Ecology is THIS FRIDAY, October 2. Tell the state Department of Ecology that you oppose Northwest Innovation Works' and the Port of Kalama's application to build the world’s largest methanol refinery in Kalama.You can read more about the comment process at the Department of Ecology's web site here, and leave a comment online here. Rich Voget has provided this handout to help guide your comments and make them more effective. He also shared this flier (download here) on the Kalama Refinery and why Sierra Club opposes it, to find out more about the training workshops, and connect with Sierra Club at monthly meetings on the topic every third Thursday on Zoom. Email sept.gernez@sierraclub.org for the Zoom link.

Extend the Eviction Moratorium: Washington State’s eviction moratorium is set to expire on October 15th. Since it was put in place, it has protected hundreds of thousands of Washington households from facing homelessness. Organizers who work with unsheltered folks are expecting a massive eviction crisis if this moratorium expires. The Washington Low-Income Housing Alliance is asking you to call on Governor Inslee and state lawmakers today – ask them to extend the state’s eviction moratorium through March 2021. This extended timeline will give the Legislature the opportunity to create and vote on a longer-term solution for housing stability during this era of COVID-19 and the economic recession. Raise your voice by clicking here. 

HELP COMMUNITIES OF COLOR BREATHE: The Movement for Black Lives is asking for support for the BREATHE Act, a 21st-century federal civil rights bill that will help communities of color not just survive, but thrive. This bill divests our taxpayer dollars from brutal and discriminatory policing and invests in a new vision of public safety—a vision that answers the call to defund the police. You can support this legislation by sending messages to your elected officials by clicking here. 

Take 5 for Advocacy: Week of Sept. 21, 2020

Image description: A logo that reads “Take 5 for Advocacy, “ featuring the words “Take 5” in red, with the 5 in a circle of lines that indicate a watch face, and the words “For Advocacy” in green. The words sit in front of a pattern that looks like a mosaic of stones, with a green cross surrounded by multicolored blocks.

Actions You Can Take This Week

TAKE FARE ENFORCEMENT OUT OF THE COURTS: The Sound Transit Board is considering changes to fare enforcement on the Link Light Rail and Sounder trains. Some of these proposals are are positive, like increasing the number of warnings from one to two, and lowering the fine from $124 to $50. However, Sound Transit is still proposing that citations be handled by the court system, and that law enforcement may be called to fare enforcement interactions. You can read more about these proposals here. Please take a moment to strong urge the Sound Transit Board to totally divorce its fare evasion policies from the court system, criminal legal system, and law enforcement. Click here to take action. 

TELL CONGRESS TO INCLUDE HOUSING IN COVID-19 RELIEF PACKAGE: Housing justice advocates are asking Congress to include funds to address housing and homelessness needs as part of the upcoming Covid-19 relief package that lawmakers were working on before their August recess. These additions would include emergency rental assistance to help cushion the shocks caused by job losses during the pandemic, funding for actions to help keep people who do not have permanent housing sheltered and protected from Covid-19, an eviction moratorium, and other moves to help get people in their homes. Take action to connect with your lawmakers by clicking here. 

STILL TIME TO RAISE YOUR VOICE ON KALAMA REFINERY PROPOSAL: The time is NOW to give your comments to the Washington State Department of Ecology, about Northwest Innovation Works' and the Port of Kalama's application to build the world’s largest methanol refinery in Kalama. The Department of Ecology will take public comments through October 2 both online and at public hearings, which will be conducted remotely when possible. You can read more about the comment process at the Department of Ecology's web site here, and leave a comment online here. Rich Voget has provided this handout to help guide your comments and make them more effective. He also shared this flier (download here) on the Kalama Refinery and why Sierra Club opposes it, to find out more about the training workshops, and connect with Sierra Club at monthly meetings on the topic every third Thursday on Zoom. Email sept.gernez@sierraclub.org for the Zoom link.

"TEXT BANKING" SWITCH TO FRIDAY: Those who are taking part in the Environmental Voter Project's text banking with the UCC Pacific Northwest Conference have been asked to switch their texting day from Wednesday this week to Friday. Texts will be directed on Friday to voters in Florida, who will receive their mail-in ballots on Thursday. Regular text banking on Wednesdays should resume the next week.  If you haven't been part of the EVP text banking efforts with the PNC, and you'd like to know more, contact Roberta Rominger, or talk to Pastor Yuki. 

Take 5 for Advocacy: Week of Sept. 14, 2020

Image description: A logo that reads “Take 5 for Advocacy, “ featuring the words “Take 5” in red, with the 5 in a circle of lines that indicate a watch face, and the words “For Advocacy” in green. The words sit in front of a pattern that looks like a mosaic of stones, with a green cross surrounded by multicolored blocks.

Actions You Can Take This Week

GET UNSHELTERED FOLKS INSIDE: The Washington Low Income Housing Alliance is asking people to tell Gov. Inslee to use emergency resources to help get indoor shelter for people who are unsheltered or living outside. This includes placing people in hotels, unused dorms, and other vacant spaces, in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19. They're also asking people to tell Gov. Inslee that the state should also ensure that everyone who lost their home to fire has adequate shelter, and ensure that low-income households who lost homes are prioritized in the recovery. Protecting people experiencing homelessness is equally important and urgent. Shelter should be made available to anyone without a safe, indoor space, who is living in an area with unhealthy air, not limited to people who have been displaced by the fires. Raise your voice and send your message by clicking here and filling out the advocacy form. 

RAISE YOUR VOICE ON KALAMA REFINERY PROPOSAL: The time is NOW to give your comments to the Washington State Department of Ecology, about Northwest Innovation Works' and the Port of Kalama's application to build the world’s largest methanol refinery in Kalama. The Department of Ecology will take public comments through October 2 both online and at public hearings, which will be conducted remotely when possible. You can read more about the comment process at the Department of Ecology's web site here, and leave a comment online here. You can also register to participate in the first public hearing, which will be held at 1 p.m. Sept. 17, online here. Future public hearings are scheduled for 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sept. 22, also online. Rich Voget has provided this handout to help guide your comments and make them more effective. He also shared this flier (download here) on the Kalama Refinery and why Sierra Club opposes it, to find out more about the training workshops, and connect with Sierra Club at monthly meetings on the topic every third Thursday on Zoom. Email sept.gernez@sierraclub.org for the Zoom link.


"TEXT BANKING" THE VOTE: Last month some members of Keystone took part in the Environmental Voter Project's "text-banking" day of action, where they sent texts to voters and asked them to commit to voting on Election Day. Our texts were part of the 27,000 that were sent by members of the Pacific Northwest Conference of the UCC on that day. The Environmental Voter Project is inviting folks to do more text banking in the weeks leading up to the election. Every Wednesday, starting on Sept. 16, from 2-4 p.m., folks can send texts to encourage people around the country to vote, with training for those new to the project scheduled for Monday, Sept. 21, and Wednesday Sept. 23. Sign up to join this effort here. For more information, e-mail Roberta Rominger, who is part of the PNC's environmental justice task force, or talk with Pastor Yuki about how you can get involved.