Be the Change
Weekend Community Newsletter Friday, October 21, 2022
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What's In This Issue:
Simply Living news and events
> FORESTS and their role in carbon sequestration is the next topic for our Book Club Discussion on Weds October 26 at 7 pm (via zoom). Our book is Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation, by Paul Hawken. Buy or borrow the book or follow on Regeneration.org. Sign up and join us!
> 5 days left to join The People's EcoChallenge Now through October 26. Make a difference! Register now on the Simply Living Team. Themes include Nourishing Food, Cultivating Community, Balancing Consumption, Regenerating Nature, and more.
> Interns Corner Recommendations: Kenedy Witherow recommends the Healthy Living App from the Environmental Working Gryoup. Fiona Sullivan recommends Good On You as the go-to site for sustainability ratings of popular brands. Abby Esch
Community Events Highlighted this Week
> Today, Friday!
> Lifestyle Medical Summit starts today
> Revaluing the Commons is the conference theme for Economic Development Associates - highly recommended by Greg Pace, an EDA officer
> Exploring Employee Ownership and its benefits
> Jane Fonda's Fire Drill Friday with Greenpeace is all about Turning Out the Climate Vote!
> Grassroot Ohio's Carolyn Harding Interviews Maggie Scotese of the Women's Abortion Fund
> TEMPEST: Music and Poetry Earthly Renewal is a concert tonight at Wild Goose Creative!
> Saturday Long Tall Deb and Colin John at Java Central
> Sunday Harvest Festival at Bexley Natural Market features, music, vendors, hot cider, pumpkin painting, and more!
> Monday see the State of Social Enterprise Report and Infographic
> Learn about Solutionary Rail and the quest for railroads in the public interest!
> Tuesday Honors Silent Spring, hosted by Anna Lappe
> Thursday Government Support for Community Composting
> Virtual Tour of Intentional Communities
> Thinking Big with Rana Foroohaor - After Globalization - Going Local
> Community Calendars from Columbus on the Cheap, Mega Weekend from Columbus Underground, and Connie Hammond's Peace and Progressive events.
> Enjoy the quotes, the Ray of Hope, and lots more coming up on the Simply Living Calendar
Thanks for subscribing and please share and invite friends to sign up for this free service here. Consider joining Simply Living here or donating here.
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Now through October 26
The People's EcoChallenge
Make New Habits ~ Choose your Actions
Spend only a little time or go crazy!
Go it alone or have more fun when you
Questions? Ask our Team Captain
Rita@simpyliving.org
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Regeneration Book Club: FORESTS
Buy or Borrow the book or follow Regeneration.org
is our topic [Book Chapter 2]
Weds Oct 126th at 7 pm via zoom
This is an opportunity to learn about the only comprehensive plan to halt the climate crisis, and begin the process of reversing global warming. See Drawdown.org for more background information. Our plan is to meet every two weeks via Zoom with occasional in person events.
TOPICS: Oceans (Oct 12), Forests (Oct 26), Wilding, Land, People, The City, Food, Energy, Industry, Action + connection.
Questions? Contact Chuck@Simplyliving.org or cell at 613-354-6172
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Simply Living's
What's your favorite locally owned restaurant, retail shop, movie theater, bookstore, bakery, coffee shop, microbrewery? Tell us at Hello@simplyliving.org. Thanks!
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The Interns' Corner:
Resource Recommendations
Learn more each week about our interns and their interests. Excited about a resource an intern mentions? Feel free to email them!
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Kenedy Witherow Kenedy@simplyliving.org
Recommendation. This week, I wanted to share some information on green buildings certifications. LEED certifications are popular and most people know what that means today, but have you heard of Fitwel and WELL certifications?
These two certifications are focused on improving the health, happiness, and productivity within work and living spaces. Fitwel was created in 2017 for that very purpose, but of course became much more popular after the Covid-19 pandemic. The WELL Building Standard was launched in 2013 to enhance occupant health and quality of life. Both of the building standards have very unique and thorough requirements, such as ensuring that offices have standing desks or a view of the sky instead of the road. In the future, I will definitely be watching for job positions with some of these certifications and I would urge you to check these out and do the same!
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Fiona Sullivan Fiona@simplyliving.org
Recommendation
If you’re not using it already, Good On You gives sustainability ratings for the most popular brands. It also can point you toward the most sustainable brands. The rating system goes from “We Avoid” to “Great.” This is a great website to help fact check brands that make sustainability claims, and ensure they aren’t just greenwashing!
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"What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another."
~ Chris Maser
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Pollinator Habitat 101
An Introduction and Refresher
Fri Oct 21st 10:00am - 11:00am
Free, weekly webinars from October 14th through November 11th.
10/14: Doug Tallamy, University of Delaware
Pollinators’ Best Hope: A New Approach to Pollinator Habitat That Starts in Your Yard
10/21: Harland Patch, Penn State University
Creating Pollinator Gardens: the Role of Plant Choice and Design
10/28: Heather Holm, Author and Biologist
Creating and Managing Habitat for Native Bees
11/4: Matthew Shepherd, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Deciding To Create A Pollinator Garden Is The Easy Step -- What To Do Next?
11/11: Shana Byrd, The Dawes Arboretum
Getting Started with Wildflower Patches, Flower Strips, and Meadows
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Lifestyle Medicine Summit
Fri Oct 21st - Sun Oct 30th
Thousands of doctors, nurses, psychologists, and other health professionals are using it in their practices, health centers, or clinics — and they’re achieving extraordinary results.
The Summit will bring together 30 of the world’s top experts in treating root causes. Speakers will include Dr. Bernie Siegel, Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, Dr. Dawson Church, Dr. Mohammed Yamani, Dr. David Perlmutter, and many more leaders in the field (including yours truly!).
The presentations will be delivered live.
You’ll find out about the latest breakthroughs in the lifestyle medicine revolution and how you can use this emerging field to prevent chronic illness, enjoy more abundant energy, and improve the health of your family and community.
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Economic Development Associates
Revaluing Our Commons
6th Annual Conference
Sat Oct 22nd 1pm - 6pm
Long ago the Indigenous people understood what the commons meant. They knew that the earth and all its resources belonged to everyone. They were not owned or controlled by an individual or group. When everyone took only what they needed to survive, there was usually enough for all. The water, air, soil, animals and all things from the Earth were protected and preserved for future generations.
During the last few centuries, physical space has been increasingly quantified and commercialized, while our common goods were marginalized. Over time, we began to look at everything from a different perspective: how much is there -- who owns it -- how can we make money from it?
Today, we do not have a commons-based society. Our planet’s resources are not shared equitably nor sustainably. The challenge we now face is how to adequately govern our commons. The revaluation of our commons requires a new system for the measurement and exchange of resources. This means measuring the carrying capacity of the resources available in a region compared with the people living in that region and using this benchmark in our social planning.
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American Sustainable Business Network (ASBN) presents
Exploring Employee Ownership: Why Business Owners Choose it and what it Could Offer Your Company
Friday, Oct 21st at 1 pm
In honor of Employee Ownership month, the ASBN Transforming Business Ownership working group is pleased to present this special panel. Speakers will include leaders of employee-owned businesses who can share different perspectives on the value of employee ownership and how it contributes to their company’s success, whether through employee engagement and retention, succession planning and ownership transitions, or just another way to express the company’s commitment to sustainability. Panelists will address different scenarios through which businesses can transition to employee ownership.
Moderator: Derek Peebles | ASBN Director of Inclusive Economy
Panelists: Tommy Smith of Kaiser Permanente (KP), will discuss KP’s employee ownership program and its partnership with Project Equity and Obran Cooperative.
Additional panelists to be announced.
Featuring Corey Rosen (NCEO), Hilary Abell (Project Equity), Jack Moriarity (Ownership America), Karen Kahn (The Democracy Collaborative), Kristen Barker (Co-op Cincy), Matt Kruetz (Firebrand Artisan Breads)
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FIRE DRILL FRIDAYS TALKS ABOUT
TURNING OUT THE CLIMATE VOTE
Friday, Oct 21st at 2 pm
Guests include President & CEO of the NAACP, Derrick Johnson; Executive Director of the Advancement Project, Judith Brown Dianis; Director of Strategy of the Working Families Party, Nelini Stamp; Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; and Communications Expert, Anthony Vidal Torres.
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TEMPEST: Music and Poetry for Earthly Renewal
Friday, Oct 22 from 7 - 8:30pm
Free Concert @ Wild Goose Creative
188 McDowell St in Franklinton 43215
Hello Friends,
Facing an undeniable climate emergency for the earth, it's time for the artists to step up, to lend our voices and insights... and shift heart-knowledge for where we are ... where we have come from... and where we might make the beautiful changes it will require to reconnect with what sustains us. The incredible music group EARLY INTERVAL reached out to us to create this concert
Come hear fresh poetry from some of the strongest poets in central Ohio (and beyond, including Chile and Kentucky). And take in thematic earth music from centuries ago, as we seek a blend of diverse time periods... and new directions for a tenable future.
500 years ago, European civilization set out on immense voyages that resulted in the colonialization of most of the globe. What have we learned from that history... and how do we move forward? These poets and musicians will be asking just that, in an evening of transformative art.
Attached: a flyer for the evening. And an insightful introduction from Dr. Jim Bates, director of Early Interval, on what these past 500 years have to tell us!
Hope to see you there.
Terry Hermsen
Professor Emeritus, Otterbein University
and coordinator for ROAR (Regional Ohio Action for Resilience)
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Java Central is located at 20 S. State St in Uptown Westerville 43081.
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Bexley Natural Market
Harvest Fair
Sunday Oct 23rd 11am - 3pm
508 N Cassady Ave 43209 map
+ listen to the acoustic folk trio (The Redbuds, pic below)
+ shop local vendors + educational demos
+ hot cider & pumpkin painting
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The State of Social Enterprise
Released Thursday October 24
Annually, SocialVentures surveys the region and reports social enterprise trends and insights. This year, our ecosystem has experienced many changes, and the need for businesses advancing solutions to social problems continues to grow.
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Mindfulness and Compassion Week
Mon Oct 24 - Sun Oct 30
We’re so excited to invite you to Mindfulness & Compassion Week 2022, where 46 presenters are coming together to share their wisdom and experience for using mindfulness and compassion to transform our personal lives, workplaces, and society.
And it’s 100% FREE OF CHARGE to attend!
Presenters include Sharon Salzberg, Daniel Goleman, Dan Siegel, Marianne Williamson, Portia Jackson Preston, Kristin Neff and many more...
PLUS we're including some encore sessions from last year's Mindfulness & Compassion Week with Jon Kabat-Zinn, Tara Brach, Rhonda Magee, Bill George and more. Additional details are available on the Simply Living Calendar here.
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From Restoring Rural Short Lines to Nationalizing Main Lines - the Quest for Rail in the Public Interest
Mon Oct 24th 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Join Solutionary Rail (SR) to share updates and welcome back our allies with Railroad Workers United. RWU’s steering committee unanimously passed a Resolution in Support of Public Ownership of US Railroads. This call seems far less far-fetched than when Solutionary Rail launched in late 2016. In fact, it is simply unreasonable to believe that a better contract for rail workers will be enough to reform the predatory practices of US class 1s in service of hedge funds rather than the US public.
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Honoring
Silent Spring:
Stories From the Frontlines of the Fight for a Pesticide Free Future
Tues Oct 25th 1pm - 2:30pm
Sixty years ago, Rachel Carson released her seminal book, Silent Spring, the publication of which gave birth to the EPA, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and sparked the ban on the toxic insecticide DDT and the movement for organic agriculture. Six decades on, the threats Carson warned about are still very real.
Pesticides are a central part of the ecological crisis driving biodiversity collapse and the climate crisis. Pesticide use is an under-appreciated human rights and environmental justice issue. But solutions do exist!
Hosted by Anna Lappé and featuring seasoned organizer Angel Garcia of Californians for Pesticide Reform, farmer George Naylor, investigative journalist Carey Gillam, Deputy Director of Science at Friends of the Earth Kendra Klein, and video remarks from Senator Cory Booker, this webinar will share perspectives and strategies for a healthier, pesticide-free future.
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Virtual Tour of Intentional Communities
Thurs Oct 27th 1pm - 2:30pm
Thinking about joining an intentional community? Curious to learn about communities from them directly? Want to peak inside community living and get your questions answered?
The Virtual Tour of Intentional Communities is the event experience for you! Each month we bring together a variety of new and established intentional communities — ecovillages, cohousing, shared homes, coliving spaces and more — to present about about their community in an interactive setting. You’ll experience photos, videos, captivating stories, and insightful dialogue among the presenting communitarians. Plenty of time is included for you to ask your burning questions about community living. Come travel to communities around the world without leaving your armchair!
What you’ll get from the Virtual Tour experience:
- Deeper insight into the lives of communitarians and the places they live
- Inspiration to get you excited about your own community journey
- Information about housing and membership opportunities
- Network building with presenters and fellow participants
- A sense for what’s alive in the communities movement right now
This month's presenting communities:
Tierra Nueva Cohousing - California
Milagro Cohousing - Arizona
Burns Village & Farm - Tenn
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Composting for Community Webinar
Thurs Oct 27th 1pm - 2:30pm
Are you a local government interested in community composting? Or maybe a composter searching for public-private partnerships?
To register now and for more info: Click here! The registration fee for each webinar is $20. Participation in this series is free for local government, farmers, and members of our Community Composter Coalition, so look out for discount codes on the registration page if you qualify.
Webinar recordings will be made available to those who register. Recordings for past webinars can be accessed by registering for the individual webinar.
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"Thinking Big" with Rana Foroohar
Thurs Oct 27th 8pm
“Globalization as we’ve known it for the last half century is over,” writes Financial Times columnist and editor Rana Foroohar in her much-anticipated Homecoming: The Path to Prosperity in a Post-Global World. The question is what comes next — and whether the “necessary and welcome” deglobalization that’s afoot can, as Foroohar puts it, be engineered “to localize, rather than concentrate, wealth and power.”
Join the Economic Liberties Project as we dive into the central questions of Foorhar’s latest, vital book. Celebrated as “eye-opening and gripping” journalism that is “as bold in its ambitions as it is readable,” Homecoming will serve as an opening for a conversation on global resiliency, prosperity, and democracy.
You can pre-order Homecoming: The Path To Prosperity In A Post-Global World, at your local, independent bookstore here and read more about it in The American Prospect.
More info on upcoming events from Economic Liberties Project on the SL Calendar.
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Sustainability News and Resources
We'll be back on Tuesday with more Community Events and a full section of local and virtual Sustainability News and Resources.
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Children have never been very good at listening to their elders,
but they have never failed to imitate them.
~ James Baldwin
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Columbus on the Cheap
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More info and email sign up here.
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Circleville Pumpkin Show, Nightmares, and HighBall Highlight the Weekend
It's time to get in costume! Photo by Aleks Magnusson.
Here's your weekend run down of fun things to do. Who is headed to the Circleville Pumpkin Show? Have fun at HighBall this Saturday. Did you go get your halloween pail from McDonald's? Outdoor movies are wrapping up this weekend. Enjoy your weekend!
Fun Things To Do
Backstage at the Lincoln returns for another fun evening of music.
Enjoy Exploring Art
JUXTA at WOSU is sold out, but you can join the livestream.
You might enjoy seeing Rent at Short North Stage.
It's the last weekend to see Hamilton and general rush is in place for remaining tickets so you can get tix for 50% off.
What else can you do this weekend?
There are only a couple more times left to shop Pearl Market.
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Connie Hammond's Newsletter
Peace and Social Justice Events
Saturday, October 22, 2022, 1:00 – 6:00 PM. Revaluing Our Commons. Economic Democracy Advocates’ Sixth annual conference. We are especially excited this year about our fantastic lineup of guest speakers. They include Commons author/advocate David Bollier, and Post Carbon Institute Fellow, William Rees, as well as others who have much wisdom to share. Cost $40. More information and link to register for the online event here.
Saturday, October 22 and November 19, 2022, 3:00 – 4:30 PM. Book Discussion: Not "A Nation of Immigrants. Following Indigenous Peoples Day, join Massachusetts Peace Action in a reading group on the book Not 'A Nation of Immigrants"- Settler Colonialism, White Supremacy, and A History of Erasure and Exclusion. By Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz- Beacon Press, Boston. We will be reading and discussing the book in two parts over Zoom. October 22 - Part 1 - Introduction, Chapter 1-4- Settler Colonialism and Continental Imperialism. November 19 - Part 2- Chapters 5-8- Arrivants: Irish, Italian, Asian, Latinx- discussion in small groups and framing of issues. Massachusetts Peace Action. More information and registration here.
Sunday, October 23, 2022, 4:00 PM. Reclaiming the Fight Against Antisemitism: Challenging the Conflation of Anti-Zionism and Antisemitism. Please join the International Jewish Collective for Justice in Palestine (IJCJP) for a discussion featuring Antony Lerman, author of the recent and critically important new book, Whatever Happened to Antisemitism? Redefinition and the Myth of the 'Collective Jew,' who will address: Understanding Antisemitism today: Redefinition and Why It Matters with participants from IJCJP, who will discuss how the current definitions of antisemitism have impacted their work for justice and how they are responding in their different contexts. Register here.
Monday, October 24, 2022, 7:00 – 8:30 PM. Who's Who in 2022 - What do the candidates in Ohio stand for? We know we can win key races in Ohio if we can get people to vote down ballot. We also know that voters like to be confident and knowledgeable about all of the candidates. Come to this virtual event to become more familiar with the positions of all the statewide candidates so you can help others feel more confident about voting all the way down the ballot. Ohio Progressive Action Leaders. More information and registration here.
Tuesday, October 25, 2022, 12:00 PM. Voices Special Event on Ukraine Update. Over 6 months since the start of Russian aggression against Ukraine, fighting continues and women, children, and civilians are bombed and killed every day. Ukrainians’ resistance has grown even stronger fighting for the just patriotic cause of defending their country. United Women in Faith continues to assist our partners in Ukraine with emergency food, hygiene items, blankets, psychological support, facilitation of self-help groups, and more. Join us to hear the latest update from Women’s Peace Dialogue Platform members as they continue to work tirelessly and report from Ukraine and other neighboring countries. What began as an effort by United Methodist Women in 2015 to bring Ukrainian and Russian women together to talk peace, has evolved into a permanent regional forum called the Women’s Peace Dialogue Platform. The members spoke about the situation, support, and actions of this unique forum at our Voices on Ukraine event in March, 2022. Meet these courageous women again to hear directly from them how your Mission Giving helps the people of Ukraine persevere under continuous bombardment and shelling. Learn firsthand information about what is happening on the ground, how the Women’s Peace Dialogue Platform members are helping in a real war situation, and why women’s inclusion in all peace processes is more critical than ever. Register here.
Tuesday, October 25, 2022, 7:00 PM. Worthington Interfaith Neighbors presents: Sharing Our Stories. Immigration Road Trip: From China to U.S. Having been born and grown up in China, Frank moved to the western world at age 30. Frank is never tired of taking new challenges and embracing changes in both professional and personal life. An old Chinese saying goes: "Traveling ten thousand miles is better than reading ten thousand books.” Frank has followed this ancient philosophy and moved from China to Canada, and then to USA. He will share his immigration experience in settling down in a new country, building network and raising a family. To request your Zoom invitation and meeting ID number, please email windiversity@gmail.com. All are welcome. There is no charge for this program.
Tuesday, Oct 25, 2022, 1:00 PM. Convivencia Declaration on Justice, Peace and Reconciliation in Palestine. Priests and Christian scholars share their analyses about Zionism, Apartheid and unity from a Christian perspective. More information and link to the registration here.
Wednesday, October 26, 2022, 8:00 PM. The Think Tank-Military-Industrial Complex. The role of think tanks in the military-industrial complex (MIC) is essential, but also little understood. Often funded by war corporations, they provide the grist for the mill of the intellectual arguments and slanted worldview that support and propel US imperialism. They also serve the revolving door system for military and political officials as they come and go from positions of power. This webinar gives both an overview of those think tanks that are part and parcel of the MIC as well as a case study of one particularly influential example, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). The focus will be on how certain think tanks function as agents in the information wars that support our endless war making. The two presenters for this webinar both work for think tanks themselves and have studied this issue in depth. They will provide information not commonly understood and respond to questions. More information and registration here.
Wednesday, October 26, 2022, 7:00 PM. Preventing a U.S. Civil War. This is a hybrid program, in person and virtual, featuring Matthew Ward, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Baldwin Wallace University. Remarks on extremism, authoritarianism, and right-wing radicalization will be followed by a community dialogue. In-person program at Parma-Powers Branch of Cuyahoga County Public Library, 6996 Powers Blvd, Parma, OH 44129. Register for the zoom meeting here.
Wednesday, October 26, 2022, 9:00 – 10:30 AM. How Rituals, Rites and Ceremonies Can Help with Social Healing After Violence. In conflicted-affected contexts, formal justice mechanisms are often limited and difficult to access. Perhaps for this reason, transformation-oriented processes such as rituals, rites of passage and ceremonies have featured prominently among communities recovering from extreme violence or hardship. These processes offer a symbolic and shared experience that can be either formal or informal, sacred or secular, as well as deeply rooted or spontaneous. As such, they wield the power to generate solidarity and may present a more expedient, effective and meaningful alternative for communities attempting to move away from violence. Join Mershon Center for International Security Studies, the United States Institute of Peace, and the RESOLVE Network for a conversation on the role of rituals, traditions, and transformational processes in the wake of violence and their ability to transform societal relationships in significant ways. This discussion is part of the seventh annual RESOLVE Global Forum Series. Register here.
Wednesday, October 26, 2022, 6:00 – 7:30 PM. Ramp Up for Repro. There are many ways to join the movement for reproductive freedom — if you're not sure where to start, looking for more information, or want to deepen your involvement, then join Pro-Choice Ohio as we Ramp Up for Repro! Our monthly Ramp Up for Repro trainings will further acquaint you with political advocacy tactics, repro lingo, and help you find the best way to get involved. Every month, we'll dive into movement ecology, abortion messaging, the current landscape of abortion access, and provide next steps for you to take action! The majority of the content of this training does not change between sessions, with the exception of current events and policy updates. In an effort to create a safe and secure space for all participants to engage, these trainings are not recorded. NOTE: At this time we are not opening these trainings up to members of the press. If you'd like to discuss ways to connect with our field team or access this sort of training, please reach out to communications@prochoiceohio.org. Register here.
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There are many good reasons why you should leave clover in the lawn. Clover in the lawn isn’t a weed. It’s a natural, gorgeous, nitrogen-producing factory that feeds your soil and the local bees. More
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