From all of us at AFSC’s Roots for Peace program, we hope this newsletter finds you and your loved ones well. Like many of you, we’ve been adapting to changes while remaining hopeful and inspired by the good work we see and the amazing people around us.
Amid this pandemic we’ve prioritized supporting each other, our youth, and our most under resourced community members: our undocumented families. We invite you to contribute to our Undocu Worker Fund to provide direct assistance to families who have lost wages and need our support. Read below for more on the Undocu Worker Fund, program updates, and upcoming events!
PROGRAM UPDATES
Staying Connected and Increasing our Collective Resilience
We’ve held various community healing calls to provide space for processing and sharing strategies for resilience, including co-hosting a restorative online arts session with R4P alumni, Jackie Gallardo (IG@magicalyouniverse). Staff also continue to support our members to access relevant resources, stay updated on vital information, and apply for direct aid opportunities.
The Earth Continues to Provide
Although we are not able to gather at our gardens, our communities continue to grow nutritious food. Folks share the joy of having open green spaces to visit while being able to observe social distancing guidelines AND provide for the kitchen table. Check out these photos from the Mar Vista Gardens Community Garden and the South LA Community Farm:
6th Annual Freedom School Thrives Virtually
Freedom School has been a place to build community, friendship and solidarity, even in quarantine. This pandemic has not interfered with Roots for Peace youth learning from one another, sharing tears, laughter, and community organizing skills. Every Saturday, 14 young people from different parts of Los Angeles meet via Zoom to participate in workshops that build an intersectional analysis to address racial, environmental, health, and economic inequity. We’ve also participated in citywide actions like #ClimateStrike in support of the earth and its inhabitants. Although most participants have not met in person, there is a bond that connects us, and that’s the fight for freedom and liberation!
Freedom School Natural Medicine workshop with Jas Wade
Roots for Peace Members graduate online...
...as part of the 2020 Food Leaders Lab policy leadership training program sponsored by the Los Angeles Food Policy Council. Both Mar, a Roots for Peace Youth Program Fellow, and Reina, a dedicated food grower in the South LA Community Farm, completed 20+ hours of training focused on deepening their understanding of the food system, growing their policy advocacy skills, and practicing organizing tactics that will support the Good Food Purchasing Policy.
Organizing for Justice
We are inspired by our colleagues at AFSC and people around the world calling for the just release of incarcerated peoples. Through the multifaceted #FreeThemAll movement, hundreds of thousands of people vulnerable to the COVID pandemic have been released from jails, prisons, and immigrant detention centers.
In LA, AFSC joined more than 240 organizations in the #HealthyLA call to action urging county supervisors to protect renters, workers, immigrants and unhoused Angelinos. #EvictionMoratoriums have successfully been placed in Los Angeles and many cities across the country. The movement for justice and equity continues to grow, and we thank you for being part of it.
SUPPORT OUR UNDOCU WORKER FUND
Click here to donate today!
AFSC is fundraising to provide Pandemic Relief to those in need across the country. In Los Angeles, Roots for Peace is raising $10,000 to go directly towards undocumented workers who have lost their jobs and/or experienced reduction of wages. Our federal government is not providing relief to undocumented workers who greatly contribute to our economy, BUT we have the opportunity to be in solidarity. With your help we will provide direct cash assistance of $600 - $800 per family. Please donate today!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Immigrant Day of Action (Online)
May 11 (9am-3pm)
During last year’s CIPC-sponsored Immigrant Day of Action, AFSC staff from Los Angeles (Roots for Peace) and San Diego were present at the Capitol in Sacramento in support of important legislation. We invite you to join us again through this virtual day of action! Register using the link provided above.
2020 Bridging Communities Iftar (Online)
May 14 (6:00-7:45pm)
Roots for Peace believes in the power and necessity of solidarity building. As a community partner, Roots for Peace invites you to Vigilant Love's Bridging Communities Iftar on May 14! This event is an opportunity for people of diverse backgrounds with values for racial and immigrant justice to come together during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The program includes some words from co-directors, interactive activities, performances, and the new #ServicesNotSurveillance anti-CVE campaign. Register for this virtual celebration using the link above.
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