Here’s the latest about the Global Climate Strike as it pertains to St. Michael’s and Portland:
EcoFaith Recovery and Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon are hosting an interfaith service and gathering time prior to the Climate Strike on Friday, September 20, at Terry Schrunk Plaza from 10:00 to 10:30 am. Please feel free to join the interfaith community at the service wearing your St. Michael’s t-shirt (weather permitting) to facilitate meeting up with our community. We will have someone at the St. Michael’s gathering spot at 10:15 as announced in our flyers for the event to make sure we don’t have any strays. We will all plan to get together at Terry Schrunk Plaza at 10:30 and to march onward from there with the faith community. We apologize for the confusion. Much of the event planning for the Climate Strike has been very last minute. More information about the interfaith gathering and the Climate Strike is available here.
After a brief summer hiatus, the Advocacy Action team is making plans to bring worthy topics to your attention this fall. We kicked off the season at our table on September 8, sharing information about #StrikeWithUs, the student-led Global Climate Strike Week of Action, which begins September 20, three days before the UN Climate Summit in New York City. Pick up a flyer on the Welcome Table to learn more, or to sign up to join the St. Michael’s group participating on September 20. You can also check out the local websites, Climate Strike Oregon and Portland Youth Climate Strike, to learn how to volunteer your time, money, or organizational skills to contribute to the success of this action.
After a brief summer hiatus, the Advocacy Action team is making plans to bring worthy topics to your attention this fall. We kicked off the season at our table on September 8, sharing information about #StrikeWithUs, the student-led Global Climate Strike Week of Action, which begins September 20, three days before the UN Climate Summit in New York City. Pick up a flyer on the Welcome Table to learn more, or to sign up to join the St. Michael’s group participating on September 20. You can also check out the local websites, Climate Strike Oregon and Portland Youth Climate Strike, to learn how to volunteer your time, money, or organizational skills to contribute to the success of this action.
Our Second Sunday Tables were quite successful during the first six months of 2019: 80 to 100 people each month stopped by to sign letters and postcards. Actions included assisting St. Michael’s Health Care for All Oregon team in February and getting parishioners involved in making boxes for the Soul Box Project commemorating victims of gun violence in May. We sent letters to Federal legislators opposing drilling in the Arctic while advocating for the cause of the Gwinch’in People of Alaska (January); and opposing a war with Iran (June). Oregon legislators received our letters backing gun-control legislation in May; and concerning bills supporting clean energy jobs, supporting the extension of the moratorium on offshore drilling, and opposing an exemption to allow small modular nuclear reactors in March. Finally, we paused to give thanks—with individually signed postcards to Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley—for our Senators’ backing of the Green New Deal (April).
You’ll also have a chance to learn more about our activities during the Ministries Fair on September 22. Visit our table to learn more about upcoming actions planned for October and November. We are always open to new voices, so stop by and let us know what issues concern you; or drop by a meeting – 7:00 pm on the fourth Wednesday of the month.
Most importantly, we thank all of YOU who participated in our actions by signing letters and postcards. We will continue to bring you important actions in the coming months and look forward to your continued support.
