Walking the Walk—An Action Calendar for McHenry County and a Compassion for Campers Update

Look for new opportunities for action, education, community, and solidarity here every week.  

 

Anti-ICE and Military Occupation Protests.  ICE activity is still being monitored in McHenry County.  Daily protests continue at the Broadview receiving/detention center, in and around the Loop, and in communities across the region.   Be aware of local alerts from the McHenry County Rapid Response Team on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/252228846373447. 

U.U.s mobilized in Champaign, Illinois in this protest organized by the UUANI and allies.

 

AT&T/ICE Protest.  ICE and Border Patrol are terrorizing our communities, and AT&T is profiting from multimillion-dollar contracts with those agencies while they do so.  We need to go on offense against the corporations profiting from ICE’s work tearing apart families and our communities. We need to make it more costly for AT&T to keep working with these agencies than it is for them to drop the contract. 

What the Public Can Do: Sign the petition and pledge not to buy or upgrade any AT&T products or plans this holiday season until AT&T drops these contracts and pledges not to sign new ones.  Visit https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/att.  Sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Action Network of Illinois (UUANI) and its allies. 

Economic Boycott.  Many national and local organizations are urging boycotts of Black Friday sales at Big Box stores and national retailers as well as online sales.  Consumers are urged to buy only essential items, to shop local independent businesses, create craft gifts, and support the gift and swap communities for recycled and gently used gifts. 

Intro to the Prison-Industrial Complex by The UU Prison Ministry of Illinois. Saturdays December 6 and 12 Zoom from 1-3 pm. Registration is here: https://bit.ly/Intro2PICzooms and closes December 1.  “Mad about fascism and ICE on our streets? Join the UU Prison Ministry of Illinois in sourcing where this nonsense is from and talk about movements that are already disrupting carceral systems and fascism.”  

 

National Alliance to End Homelessness Petition. The United States policy on homelessness just changed.  It is bad.  Really bad.  It will absolutely cause homelessness (especially street homelessness) to skyrocket in 1-2 years. (Federal policy changes take a couple years to be felt.)  The basics: 

Beginning in 2004, federal homelessness policy started being guided by research. The impact was clear and immediate. I can tell you from first-hand knowledge, everything changed for the better!  HUD just released a new funding plan that reverts to the failed policies of the 1990’s. There is still a little time to fix this before it goes into effect. (Not much, but a little).   

The National Alliance to End Homelessness made it easy. It only takes two minutes.  Go here: https://endhomelessness.org/action/stophudnofo/ 

 

Compassion for Campers 

 

Compassion for Campers is at Community Resource Days at Willow Crystal Lake, 100 South Main Street on the first and third Fridays of every month from 10 am to 2 pm. C4C is one of over 25 agencies at Willow.  C4C’s next distribution will be this Friday, December 5, and then on Friday, December 19.  Please come and see what we are doing. 

 

All though the current arctic temperatures will trigger providing hotel rooms to most of the McHenry County exposed and un-housed for at least a few days, the big snowstorm last Sunday undoubtedly destroyed many tent encampments and stranded some who sleep in their vehicles.  Compassion for Campers will be hard pressed to resupply many and accommodate new commers who continue to be displaced from their homes and apartments. 

Most McHenry County camp sites are not as relatively comfortable as this one.  Most campers use small dome tents, many of which were crushed and destroyed under heavy snow this week.

Cold overnight temperatures and wet conditions signal new clients and shifting needs like rain ponchos, tarps and sleeping pads, hand warmers, and Mylar blankets.  We can always use donations of supplies like clean and serviceable tents and sleeping bags in original bags for easy transport, clean blankets, tabletop grills, wrapped toilet paper and paper towels, and non-perishable food. Money donations are always welcome. 

 

As you consider your year-end tax deductible charity donations, please consider adding Compassion for Campers to your list.  Dollar for dollar no other contribution you can make goes more directly to the needs of our clients since we have no paid staff and our minimal administrative costs are provided to us for free by Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation in McHenry. 

We need people to share leadership tasks including shopping, transportation, acknowledging donations, coordinating with other agencies, and religious groups. These tasks can take a few hours a week.  People with flexible schedules with some day-time availability are ideal candidates.  A good way to start is to volunteer for our distribution a time or two to see if we are a good fit and stir your passion for justice and service.  Interested?  Email compassionforcampers@treeoflifeuu.org