We have a busy few weeks ahead of us. As we close on Election Day, we need help making calls all over the City to reluctant voters, and we’ll be planning for what happens if Trump decides not to accept the will of the people. We’ve teamed up with The Voter Project to hire and train poll workers, and we are looking to hire an organizer to help with the election. We are also conducting our second workshop in our political education series and promoting our upcoming Town Hall series on reimagining the role of police in our communities.
We’re Hiring for the Election!
Philly Neighborhood Networks is looking for an organizer to help with election work. We will give preference to someone who has done this work professionally, but will also consider a savvy volunteer who can demonstrate their skills in organizing volunteers. This work will be remote unless otherwise specified and will last at least until the election and possibly until Inauguration Day. If you know of someone who would be a good fit, have them send an email with their resume/CV to tim@phillynn.org.
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Fight Fascism: Choose Democracy
It should be clear to anyone who is paying attention that this is not a normal election year. We have a President who has openly said he might not respect the outcome of our election. We have to be ready to resist if he claims victory before votes are counted, tries to stop counting, or refuses to accept a loss. What can we do to stop this illegal seizure of power?
Legendary activist George Lakey and his team of organizers are working to educate citizens on the steps that can be taken to resist a coup attempt. The first step is to Choose Democracy by signing a Pledge of Resistance.
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City Council Political Education Series Sign Up
On Thursday, we held our first workshop, “Philadelphia City Council: What it Does and What Power It Has” to an enthusiastic audience. On Thursday, Oct 1st, we’ll learn “How a Bill Becomes A Law.” These sessions are part of a ten part online workshop series that will help folks become better informed about the functions of our local government. It’s not too late to sign up.
To get more information on this series of workshops on Philadelphia City Council, click here. If you want to attend this workshop series, please send an email with your name, email and phone number to stevepaul985@gmail.com.
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Coming Oct 10th,Town Hall on Police in Our Community
Join us on Saturday, October 10th at 11AM to take part in the first of multiple discussions about re-imagining the role of the police in our neighborhoods. Sign up for this 90 minute Town Hall where we’ll ask tough questions and work together to find some answers.
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Sign Up Now for a Phone Bank!
We have phone banks every Wednesday at 1PM, Thursday at 6PM and Saturday at 1PM. We are tasked with reaching out to 81,000 voters in NW Philly to remind them how important their vote is to saving our democracy. If you haven’t yet signed up for a phone bank, you should really try the new ThruTalk auto-dialer tool. It makes the calls for you; all you have to do is log onto your computer and wait for the beep.
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Want to be a Poll Worker?
We rely on poll workers to help run our elections. Many folks who have been poll workers in past elections are older and more susceptible to sickness, so they are rightly concerned about their health while working at the polls. With fewer poll workers available, that means fewer polling places open on Election Day.
We have teamed up with #TheVoterProject to help recruit a new generation of poll workers this November. If you would like to become a poll worker in Philadelphia, sign up at the link below. You’ll get training, you’ll earn up to $250 ($50 for training and $200 on Election Day) and you’ll be doing your part to protect our democracy.
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This Week in History
Sep 26, 1960 – Kennedy vs. Nixon. The first televised presidential debate took place between Vice President Richard Nixon and Senator John Kennedy.
Oct 1, 1924 – Happy Birthday, Jimmy! Former President James Earl Carter celebrates his 96th birthday this week.
Oct 2, 1967 – Thurgood Marshall Takes the Oath. Thurgood Marshall became the first African-American Supreme Court Justice.
Thanks for your activism!
Tim Brown, Project Organizer