Join PPF and national partners for a base-building exchange across the state this weekend
From July 12 – 15, Put People First! PA will host our first ever Grassroots Organizing Exchange. The exchange will bring around 30 grassroots leaders from sister organizations from across the country to Pennsylvania. This is the first in a series of organizing exchanges, facilitated by the Popular Education Project, happening in other states in the future. On Friday, national leaders will get to know local leaders and be prepped for the weekend, grounded in PPF’s history and political education. From Friday night to Monday morning, national leaders will break out into four regions and engage in base-building and local events with PPF and PA Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival members. On Monday, national and local participants will return to Harrisburg to debrief and learn from the experience. Here’s a sampling of events from the weekend.
For more information, contact regional point people listed on PPF’s website contact page here. Up to date information will also be listed on PPF’s facebook page here.
Southwestern PA
Community Cookout in Monview
Saturday July 13, 11am – 3pm
Monview Heights Community, West Mifflin, PA
Call/text Ben 412-482-0041, for details on exact location
During the day on Saturday, Mother Jones Leader Denyne, along with new PPF members in the Monview community, will host our delegation of out-of-state leaders and local neighbors for a cookout and community discussion about health hazards and substandard conditions in the housing development.
The Struggle is a School: Lessons from the Poor People’s Campaign
Saturday July 13, 6 – 8 pm
Pittsburgh Food Policy Council
5341 Kincaid St, Pittsburgh, PA 15224
The Pittsburgh HRC and the Thomas Merton Center will hold a potluck dinner and discussion with delegation leaders and members from CADBI-West and Just Harvest, on lessons from the struggle to build the Poor People’s Campaign around the country.
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Western PA
Walking tour, Door-knocking & Cook out
Saturday, July 13th, starting at 9:30 am
Johnstown, PA
Join Johnstown and Altoona HRC members for a historic tour of Johnstown at 9:30 am. From 1:30 – 3:45 pm participants will door knock, complete with a training beforehand. All this followed by a cook out in the evening, with time to share about organizations attending, both local and national. Call or text Hope at 814-619-9293 or Savannah at 814-659-3528 for more information.
Door-knocking and an introduction to the Poor People’s Campaign
Sunday, July 14th, starting at 10 am
Altoona, PA
Join the group in Altoona Sunday for a brief, local tour followed by door-knocking and an evening event to introduce folks locally to the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival.
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Southcentral PA
Door knocking, Political Education & Games
Saturday July 13th, starting at 8:45 am
Green Roof Pavilion Columbia River Park, Columbia, PA
The Lancaster HRC and York HRC will meet at Columbia River Park in Columbia, PA in the morning and set up home base for the day at the Green Roof Pavilion in the park. They will start the day off at 8:45 am with breakfast. Then from 9:30-11 am everyone will partake in political education “Why We Chose Columbia” followed by base building & door knocking training before setting out after lunch at 12pm to knock on doors in Columbia.
The door knocking will wrap up by 4:00pm and everyone will gather back at the Green Roof Pavilion for a debrief on the door knocking and prep for the public picnic. From 5-7:30 pm the group will have a family friendly potluck picnic dinner with games which will be open to the public to attend.
If you want more information or you want to join the Lancaster and York Healthcare Rights Committees for the day long event in Columbia please email Tammy at tammyrojas1977@gmail.com
Outreach and Open Forum
Sunday July 14th, starting at 8:30 am
MLK Park, 370 S Penn St, York, PA 17401
The York and Lancaster HRCs will meet at MLK Park in York, PA in the morning to eat and do a quick refresher training. We will start the day off at 8:30 am with breakfast. During this time we will also talk about York and have some time for everyone to introduce themselves before doing brief outreach training.
At 10:30 we will head over to Union Lutheran Church, 408 W Market St, York, PA. Folks will do some outreach there when services let out. After the crowds have dispersed, we will split into teams and those who are able will start knocking doors.
Around 2:00, we will head to Jim and Nena’s Pizza at 501 W Philadelphia St, York, PA. There we will be able to eat and relax. There will be some down time between lunch and dinner. Folks will be able to explore and learn about York City.
At 6:00 pm we will gather at Heidelberg United Church-Christ, 47 W Philadelphia St, York, PA. There we will have dinner, debrief the day, and invite folks to share their stories of plight, fight and insight. Our stories will be centered around healthcare. Others may be compelled to share stories from the front of struggle being tackled by their own organization.
If you want more information please email Katrina at katrina@putpeoplefirstpa.org
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Southeastern PA
Door knocking & Training
Saturday, July 13th, 10 am
Norristown, PA
Protest closing of Hahnemann Hospital
Sunday, July 14th, 2 pm
Hahnemann (230 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19102)
Action to protest the closing of Hahnemann Hospital in Center City, Philadelphia at 2pm on Sunday, July 14, outside Hahnemann (230 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19102). The attempts to close this hospital are only the latest in a long line of attempts to profit off the illness of the poor and dispossessed in this state and across the country. PPC members will be sharing their experiences in a speak-out at the Hospital, which has been a staple in Philadelphia for over a hundred and fifty years. If you are interested in helping with the action or speaking about how the monetization of healthcare affects you personally, please contact Iaan at 215-251-1821.
Please register for Philadelphia events here!
PPC Meet & Greet
Sunday, July 14th, 6 pm
2401 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
Come to learn more about the Poor People’s Campaign from leaders across the country, find out how you can get more involved in our work, and share some great food!
- Actions, Base-building, Central PA, Healthcare Survey, Oral Health for All, Providers/Healthcare Workers, South Central PA, Southeast PA, Southwest PA
- base building exchange, poor people's campaign