Tuesday, May 28th, at 6pm, at City Hall (900 East Broad Street, Richmond VA), Richmond City Council will give a special proclamation recognizing June as LGBTQ Pride Month.
RSVP through the title link, and don’t forget to come out to Council meetings when the Council needs to be pressured. Regular meetings take place on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month, at 6pm, at City Hall.
Here are regular LGBTQ support groups, open to youth ages 14-20, through ROSMY:
LGBTQ Youth Support Group, Richmond: Each Tuesday at 2311 Westwood Avenue, from 6:30-8:30pm. If you are new, please arrive early to fill out a confidential form.
Transgender Youth Support Group, Richmond: Each Thursday at 2311 Westwood Avenue, from 6:30-8:00pm. Open to transgender and questioning youth.
LGBTQ Youth Support Group, Charlottesville: Each Monday at 315 Tenth Street NE Charlottesville, VA 22902, from 6:30-8:30pm. If you are new, please arrive early to fill out a confidential form.
Contact Lee Steube at youthprograms@rosmy.org or 804 644-4800 with questions or for more information on programs.
If you or someone you know is an LGBTQ youth, you can call the 24/7 Youth Support Line and ask a trained operator for support, information and referrals. The Youth Support Line number is toll free at (888) 644-4390.
Every Thursday from June 6th - August 1st (eight Thursdays total), the Chesapeake Bay Foundation will be providing Bay Steward trainings. From the event description:
“Over the course of eight weeks, learn about issues facing the Bay, its ecosystem, and its culture, and experience our watershed firsthand on field trips that get your hands dirty and hone your leadership skills in Chesapeake Bay conservation.”
You must register by June 6th, and registration is not free. $50 for two people of $30 for one person.
Contact Aimee Bushman at 804-780-1392 or by e-mail atabushman@cbf.org for more information.
Ashley Williams, a local mother who did everything she could to save her youngest son’s life, was convicted in relation to his death today. The child, who died of malnutrition, had an genetic disorder which his pediatrician failed to diagnose, despite his mother repeatedly taking him into the office and following every instruction the physician issued.
It is clear that the prosecution pursued this case only because Ms. Williams is a single black mother who is poor. She has essentially been convicted for lacking access to a better doctor for her child. The prosecution had no evidence that she ever neglected any of her four children, and so tried to whip up racist, classist sentiments regarding the suitability of a poor, single, black woman to be a mother.
This verdict is wrong- it ignores the facts of the case, and it is morally intolerable that a mother of three should be separated from her children in a Virginia prison for almost a decade because she had the misfortune to be poor and lack access to quality medical care.
I hope that everyone is prepared to assist the Williams family however they can in coping with this appalling injustice.
For a longer assessment of the history of the case, which has been aggressively against the truth since the beginning, see this writeup by the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice, and Equality, who have been following the situation since it began.
Richmond Friends of the Homeless needs a working lawnmower in decent condition. If you have one you would like to donate, they will provide a tax receipt so that you can get a deduction. Contact them through the link.
Saturday, June 8th, from 8am-5pm, and Sunday, June 9th, from 1-5pm, at 3231 Kensington Avenue, Richmond VA, there will be a book sale to benefit the Richmond Peace Education Center’s youth conflict resolution programs. From the event description:
“Modern Literature; Middle Eastern Studies; Spirituality; Health; American History; African American History; Women’s Studies; Travel; Mysteries; and more.
Paperbacks $1. Hardbacks $2.
Some special items priced separately.”
Friday, June 7th, at 7pm, at the Flying Brick Library (506 South Pine Street, Richmond VA) Crusty Craig Lewis will give a talk on punk, mental illness, and recovery. From the event description:
“Craig has been a part of the Boston punk rock community since 1988. He has been active playing in several bands, putting out the long running Upheaval Fanzine and also set up DIY shows for 15 years.
“Craig also has lived with the symptoms of mental illness his entire life. In the past several years, Craig experienced a remarkable recovery process which enabled him and empowered him to learn effective coping skills and to get a handle on his mental health struggles.
“Currently, after an amazing several years of intense struggle, Craig now is in recovery from his symptoms and works as a peer mental health counselor in Boston. Craig has the beautiful job of helping others improve the quality of their lives while drawing on his own lived experience.
“Craig has successfully rehabilitated himself and while he continues to struggle from time to time, he hopes that his inspirational story will be of benefit to his peers. Craig is determined to help his peers who struggle with mental illness and addictions, live happier and healthier lives. Please come out to hear Craig tell his story.
There will be a question and answer session after the presentation.”
A $5-10 donation is recommended, but not required. Free, open to the public, sober, and all-ages event.
Friday, May 24th, from 10am-12pm, at the computer lab of Main Library (101 East Franklin Street, Richmond VA), there will be a free class titled “Introduction to Finding Nonprofit Funders.” From the event description:
“This session provides an introduction to one of the key online tools for finding funders, Foundation Directory Online Professional. Learn how to create customized searches to develop lists of prospective foundation and corporate donors that will match your nonprofit organization’s funding needs. With Foundation Directory Online Professional you can search for foundations that support programs and organizations like yours, fund in your geographic area, and many other criteria.”
This event is free, but you must register to reserve a space by calling 804-646 7223.
Saturday, June 1st, from 12-3pm, at 3rd Street Bethel Church (614 North 3rd Street, Richmond VA), Virginia Organizing is holding a clinic to help people with felony convictions have their rights restored.
Volunteers are needed for this event, to report to a training on site from 10am-12pm and to stay for the clinic to help attendees. See event page for details.
RSVP through the title link.
Repost! Share! You CAN be successful if you want to be. It’s hard work, but you CAN do it! Thanks Clovia for the info. Go!!!! (at East District Family Resource Center)
