Front Page | ESTHER

Building community, sharing hope, and standing for justice since 2004

Celebrating ESTHER’s

Anniversary events: 7/27 Classical Guitar Concert • 8/22 Summer Gathering & Cookout
• 10/5 Walk with NAMI • 10/8 Justice in Crisis Movie & Panel • 11/16 Banquet

Learn more at 20 years of ESTHER

Upcoming Events

Please join us for any of these upcoming ESTHER and related events!

To learn more about a particular event, click on its title
To see the complete ESTHER calendar in a new tab, click here


Thursday, October 10, 2024 - 2:00pm - 3:30pm	Oshkosh Housing Task Force	Zoom and Various Locations in Oshkosh
Thursday, October 10, 2024 - 4:30pm - 6:00pm	ESTHER Leadership Board Meeting	Hybrid Meeting
Saturday, October 12, 2024 - 8:00am - 2:00pm	Faith-based Housing Summit	First Congregational UCC, 724 E South River St, Appleton
Tuesday, October 15, 2024 - 10:00am - 11:30am	ESTHER Finance Committee Meeting	Zoom Meeting
Tuesday, October 15, 2024 - 6:30pm - 8:00pm	ESTHER Immigration Task Force Meeting	Zoom Meeting

ESTHER 20th Anniversary Banquet: Registration

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20th Anniversary

Date:

Saturday, November 16, 2024 - 4:30pm

Location:

Waverly Beach Banquet Hall, N8770 Fire Lane 1, Menasha

ESTHER’s 20th Anniversary Banquet November 16, 2024

Help ESTHER celebrate 20 years of
Justice, Hope and Action
In the Fox Valley Region

Tickets

Doors open @4:30 pm • Dinner at 6:00 pm

Keynote speaker: Keith Findley, professor emeritus, UW Law School, and Co-founder, The Innocence Project

ESTHER gratefully acknowledges 20th anniversary corporate sponsors Community First Credit Union and US Venture with additional support from Mike & Mary Gage and Sara & Bruce Companik in honor of ESTHER’s visionaries Rev. Joseph Ellwanger, Rev. Joel Schlachtenhaufen & Rev. Maynard Beemer.

Marking 20 Years of Advocacy for Social Justice

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20th Anniversary

This year, ESTHER is celebrating 20 years of advocacy for social justice in the Fox Valley. It has been an exciting and inspiring journey. ESTHER was formed by people who felt that their religious faith needed to be expressed in action to bring our world closer to the just society that all of our faiths envision. ESTHER stands for Empowerment, Solidarity, Truth, Hope, Equity, & Reform, and they are ideals that have inspired us for two decades.

In celebration of our 20^th anniversary, we have planned a number of special events. We hope that you will attend as many of them as possible. For info, go to https://esther-foxvalley.org/20years

Book Kickoff - Community Invitation!

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Forum

Date:

Tuesday, October 1, 2024 - 6:30pm - 8:00pm

Location:

116 E. Wisconsin Ave, Appleton

ESTHER invites the community in a common read:
POVERTY BY AMERICA

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

by EVICTED author Matthew Desmond

“The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Evicted reimagines the debate on poverty, making a ‘provocative and compelling’ (NPR) argument about why it persists in America: because the rest of us benefit from it.”

UPDATED INFORMATION! If you missed the book kickoff on October 1, never fear. You can still sign up for the discussions. We will be reading and discussing parts of the book each week this month. Schedule, facilitators, locations and QR code are here:

Books will be available for purchase, and you can sign up for one of several discussion groups. OR your group can hold its own discussions. Guides available.

Register here to participate in one of the four study groups. Each group is meeting for three sessions to discuss portions of the book The link provides zoom links for the zoom meetings.

For more information, call 920-843-8083. We have books available for purchase, discount, or scholarship.

NAMI Walks Fox Valley

Date:

Saturday, October 5, 2024 - 8:15am - 12:00pm

Location:

Fox Cities Stadium

NAMI Walks Fox Valley

October 5, walk starts at 9 am.
NAMI Walks starts at: Fox Cities Stadium: 2400 N. Casaloma. Appleton

Register here. The Mental Health Task Force (ESTHER & First Congregational UCC team is Faith, Hope, & Love. You can join their team or donate to that team to support our teams participation.

Our ESTHER mental health task force who collaborates with the First Congregational UCC Mental Health team encourages your participation and/or donations to people who walk in this event. Participate in a scenic and inspiring 5K walk on October 5th through the nature trails near Fox Cities Stadium and the Fox Valley Tech campus. If a full 5K isn't for you, a shorter walk option is available. During the event, you’ll have the opportunity to pause at the Outagamie Asylum Cemetery grounds to pay your respects.

Registration for the event is free, and everyone is welcome to join. To support NAMI Fox Valley’s mental health programs, encourage your friends, family, and colleagues to donate to your team.

Register here. We look forward to walking with you! For more information or to inquire about becoming a sponsor, please contact Morgan O'Connell at morgan@namifoxvalley.org or (920) 954-1550.

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Justice in Crisis: Movie and Panel Discussion

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Date:

Tuesday, October 8, 2024 - 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Location:

Fox Valley Technical College, Room C190, Entrance 15 North Parking Lot, Appleton

Note the updated correction of entrance 15 and Room C190.
Register at esther-foxvalley.org/justicefilm

Film showing of Justice in Crisis: Mass Incarceration in America, with panel to follow.

Sponsored by ESTHER’s Transformational Justice Task Force.

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Environmental Justice Task Force Hosts a Cookout

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Date:

Thursday, August 22, 2024 - 4:30pm - 7:00pm

Location:

Telulah Park Pavilion, 1300 E. Newberry, Appleton

Here’s another event celebrating ESTHER’s 20th Anniversary

All are invited to join us in a meal and social gathering sponsored by ESTHER’s Environmental Justice Task Force at Telulah Park in Appleton.

Includes entertainment by Karma’s Mailbox Band, playground equipment for kids and kids games, networking opportunities among environmental action and environmental justice groups.

Cost: $15 for adults; kids under 12 free.

Featured speaker: Sharon Cook, Development Director, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

Sharon will speak about challenges to the Northeast Wisconsin ecosystem, why Fox-Wolf addresses them at a watershed level, and how the alliance builds partnerships with diverse stakeholders.

Register here

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Wisconsin Primary Election

Date:

Tuesday, August 13, 2024 (All day)

Location:

https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/Find-My-Polling-Place

Issues and candidates before the Wisconsin electorate in August 2024 include:

2024 primary election for contested US and Wisconsin offices and seats
Referendums on Constitutional Amendments
These amendments would put Wisconsin’s share of federal funds, including the distribution of emergency funds, at risk.

*****Go here *** to learn from the WI League of Women Voter's research why you should vote “no” to both of these Constitutional Amendments. These constitutional amendments are confusing and harmful. Learn what’s at stake.
Find your polling place:
https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/Find-My-Polling-Place
Get information on statewide issues
(Wisconsin League of Women Voters)
- VOTE411.org
- Ballotpedia

Better Together BBQ

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Events

Classical Guitar Concert featuring Ivan Resendiz

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Date:

Saturday, July 27, 2024 - 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Location:

Fox Valley UU Fellowship, 2600 E Phillip Ln, Appleton

Join us for this special event in celebration of ESTHER’s 20th anniversary,
hosted by the Immigration Task Force

Originally from Mexico City, Ivan Resendiz began his study of classical guitar at age 16 at La Escuela Superior de Musica del Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes in Mexico with teacher Alejandro Mendez. Mr. Resendiz has participated in numerous national and International guitar competitions alike, receiving top prizes in more than 13 competitions including South Carolina Guitar Competition and Boston Guitar Fest, to name a few. Ivan has performed in Mexico, France, Spain, Europe and the U.S. in festivals including Musica en Compostela in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, and Festival del Museo Nacional del Virreinato in Mexico. In 2011, Resendiz founded the first Latin American Guitar Festival in Chicago. The festival offers concerts, workshops and conferences to the Latin American Community in Chicago and continues to achieve its goal of bringing classical music to the immigrant community of Chicago.