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

Come for “Makin’ Cake,” Come Back for “Truth Evolution”

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Come for “Makin’ Cake,” Come Back for “Truth Evolution”

Dasha with cake onlyThrough a special partnership with the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, the LWV Appleton-FoxCities has two great opportunities for members and communities to delve into race, culture and bias issues in creative and engaging ways.

Both are the work of writer, performance artist, curator and facilitator Dasha Kelly Hamilton. She also is a former Artist of the Year and Wisconsin Poet Laureate, so she packs plenty of energy into the presentations — and brings the audience into the creative process along with her.

  • The first presentation, “Makin’ Cake” (February 27), is part of the PAC’s Spotlight Series and requires ticket purchases.
  • The second program, “Truth Evolution” (February 28) is made possible through a collaboration between the PAC and the League, with support from Community First Credit Union. While attendance at “Makin’ Cake” is not required to participate in “Truth Evolution” it is recommended. There is no cost to attend “Truth Evolution,” altthough registration is requested.
  • Both presentations will take place in the Kimberly-Clark Theater at the PAC.

More information, including links for ticket purchase and registration “below the fold.”

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Equity Network Member Meeting: Health Equity and Civic Engagement

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Date: 
Thursday, April 7, 2022 - 6:30pm - 7:45pm
Location: 
Zoom Meeting

Please join the Equity Network and Fox Valley Thrives for a virtual workshop that will connect the dots between health equity and our civic engagement. Lynnsey Erickson and Stephanie Gyldenvand, Community Health Strategists with Winnebago County Health Department, will share about social determinants of health and how upstream factors produce and reproduce health inequities across populations.

Please register in advance to attend this meeting.

Register here

Help spread the word. Download and share the attached flier.

Blanket Exercise

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Date: 
Tuesday, April 12, 2022 - 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: 
First Congregational U.C.C., 724 E South River St, Appleton

You are invited to participate in an impactful, experiential activity called the Blanket Exercise at First Congregational United Church of Christ, Appleton, on Tuesday, April 12 at 5:00 PM. This activity will foster truth, deeper understandings, and mutual respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. We will learn about the original inhabitants of this area, the U.S. Doctrine of Discovery, and the lasting repercussions that the Indian Boarding Schools have had upon Native Peoples into the present. This is an event you won’t want to miss!

Up to 60 people may participate in the Blanket Exercise. This experience is available to persons aged 13 and older.  Please know that registration is required and can be done online at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSevyTyQTvE1ZGIabtqqjSnlzLQq5q9V4DV3SK1mDzvtCwV8CQ/viewform.  The link is also on the church website.

There will be an optional meal at 5:00 PM in Fellowship Hall before the event. The activity itself will begin promptly at 6:00 PM. 

The meal will be traditional indigenous food catered by Waqsecewan Indigenous Catering, a Native-owned business. For those who attend the meal, please consider providing a freewill donation to offset the cost of the food and to invest in this important work (see below). However, persons unable to contribute monetarily are still invited and encouraged to attend this powerful activity.

Please be aware that you do not need to attend the meal in order to participate in the Blanket Exercise.  We hope you can join us!

Introduction to Community Organizing

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Date: 
Wednesday, April 13, 2022 - 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Date: 
Wednesday, April 20, 2022 - 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Date: 
Wednesday, April 27, 2022 - 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Date: 
Wednesday, May 4, 2022 - 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Date: 
Wednesday, May 11, 2022 - 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Location: 
Zoom Meeting

Wisdom Wisconsin will be holding a 5 week Zoom series from April 13-May 11 on Introduction to Community Organizing. This is open to everybody and is a great way to learn about organizing.

 

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ESTHER Leadership Award Winners 2021-22

Each year at its banquet, ESTHER traditionally announces recipients of two leadership awards, one to an individual and the other to an organization in the community. In both cases, the awards recognize significant positive impact on the greater Fox Valley in building community, sharing hope and standing for justice. Even though ESTHER did not hold a banquet in 2021, and our planned February 2022 gathering had to be cancelled, we are pleased to recognize our award recipients:

Individual Leadership Award:

Sara Companik

Community Leadership Award:

People of Progression

 

MMIW2GS Rally Live-Stream Video Available

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Waking Women Healing Institute, Inc. and ESTHER held an important event in Houdini Plaza in Appleton on February 14, bringing awareness to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Girls and 2-Spirits (MMIWG2S). We heard from family members and leaders who are working to create change and healing.

Thank you to everybody who showed up on this cold day to show support. If you were not able to attend and are interested, Waking Women Healing Institute Inc. live-streamed the event from Houdini Plaza and from other locations. You can watch the recording, which is available on Facebook:

 

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Thoughts on “Standing Together, Speaking Out for MMIWG2S, Land & Water”

Submitted by knessmann on Tue, 02/08/2022 - 11:46am
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—By Rick Kitchen

“Standing Together, Speaking Out for MMIWG2S, Land & Water” is the name for our upcoming 3rd annual vigil in Houdini Plaza in downtown Appleton on February 14th. If you are interested in this hybrid (live and live-streamed) event, here is the ESTHER link: Standing Together, Speaking Out for MMIWG2S, Land & Water. The vigil is co-hosted by Kristin Welch’s Waking Women Healing Institute (WWHI) and ESTHER.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2 Spirits (MMIWG2S) is an epidemic across North America, which is known as Turtle Island to Indigenous people. Indigenous people want an end to molestation, rape, trafficking, and murder. American Indians and Alaskan Natives are 2.5x as likely to experience violent crimes and at least 2x more likely to experience rape or sexual assault crimes compared to all other races. In the United States and Canada, an average of 40% of the women who were victims of sex trafficking identified as American Indian or Alaskan Native. About 85% of Indigenous women experience violence in their lifetime and more than 55% of Indigenous women experience sexual violence in their lifetime.

Standing Together, Speaking Out for MMIWG2S, Land & Water

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Date: 
Monday, February 14, 2022 - 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Location: 
Houdini Plaza, 111 W College Ave, Appleton + Facebook Livestream

Plan to Attend This Powerful Event

Live at Houdini Plaza in downtown Appleton, and live-streamed on Facebook at @wakingwomenhealing and @esther.foxvalley.

Co-sponsored by ESTHER and Waking Women Healing Institute.

This recent ESTHER blog post describes the epidemic of Murdered & Missing Indigenous Women, Girls and 2-Spirits in this region and shares background on ESTHER’s efforts to be in solidarity with indigenous peoples on this issue and others.

More information on the February 14 rally at wakingwomenhealingint.org

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BIPOC Community Organizer

 

WELCOME to our additional Organizer

We are excited to announce the latest addition to our team, Miracle Wheeler. She joined us in mid-February. We have the privilege of having the funds to offer this as a 6 month opportunity. Our hopes are to find additional funding to make this a permanent position. 

 

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Climate Change From a Human and Religious Perspective

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Date: 
Tuesday, March 8, 2022 - 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Date: 
Tuesday, March 15, 2022 - 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Date: 
Tuesday, March 22, 2022 - 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Date: 
Tuesday, March 29, 2022 - 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Date: 
Tuesday, April 5, 2022 - 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Date: 
Tuesday, April 12, 2022 - 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Location: 
Zoom Meeting

ESTHER’s Envirnomental Justice Task Force is pleased to bring this study series to your attention. St. Bernard Parish is a partner with ESTHER in social justice work.

The St. Bernard Social Justice Committee of Appleton is pleased to present a Zoom study of climate change this Lent. We will be using the book How to Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill Gates, along with the Laudato Si encyclical and several other articles and sources. The program will be facilitated by Dr. Robert Hausserman. Meetings will be held on Tuesdays during Lent, from March 8 thru April 12 at 6:30 to 8:00 PM. Please join us in discussing this very important topic.

To register or for more information please contact Dr Robert Hausserman at rlhausserman@hotmail.com or Kathie Gribble at kathg109@aol.com.

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