Our 'Generation Green': A reflection upon V4CF's April 'Call to Action'

On Saturday, April 25, eight Volunteers For Change-Fresno (V4CF) members answered our call to action (Yes we can!) and joined about 160 other Valley volunteers to help make Fresno 'greener.' In honor of Earth Day (April 22) and Youth Serve Day (April 24-26), Hands On Central California coordinated this huge ecological service event. It was a great day!

That Saturday morning we gathered at the San Joaquin River Center for the kick-off. It was amazing to see so many people excited and motivated to take positive action for our environment and our community. All participants were given the opportunity to choose one of seven different local projects. V4CF members worked on three different projects at Woodward Park, the Eaton trail, and the McKenzie Preserve.

I had the privilege of building birdhouses with several other V4CF members at the McKenzie Preserve. We built shelters for a native bird (the Western Blue Bird) whose species is being threatened by an invasive bird species. We worked with other community volunteers (a total of nine adults and two children) and made 24 birdhouses! These shelters will help protect and save our native Western Blue Bird for years to come.

At the end of the day, I realized our work had extended far beyond the material construction of the birdhouses. The tangible results were something much more powerful; for me, they were stories. At the kick-off, I heard a young mother describe the reason she came to give her time, energy, and labor for the environment: she said, it was for her children. She wanted them to grow up in a more sustainable world. When I heard this, a lump rose to my throat and tears rushed behind my eyes. I was reminded of my larger calling - my challenge - my opportunity to share and work for this humble vision. It made me also think of Barack Obama’s words to all of us on Nov. 4, 2008:

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves – if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made? This is our chance to answer that call.

This event helped me re-affirm the “Yes we can” spirit. It’s our spirit, it’s our time, let it be our hands that make the difference in shaping a positive world for our future. Thanks to all of the Volunteers for Change who took part in the Generation Green service event! Let us continue to unleash our creative imaginations and give ourselves wholly to re-making our world!

--Nikiko Masumoto
Community Educator, Farmer, & Artist
V4CF Charter Member

Note: A special thanks to V4CF member Brian Alexander for volunteering to take photos at the event!

Fresno State's McLane Hall to be venue for Saturday's 'Listening Tour' event

Organizing For America's 'Listening Tour' is proving to be popular. So much so that it's taken a couple of day's worth of effort to secure a venue big enough to accommodate all of those who've registered to attend. (Kudos to Nancy Griesser, Sally Ramage and Pedro Ramirez for their persistent efforts in accomplishing this!)

Fresno's Listening Tour stop is scheduled 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, May 2, in room 121 of McLane Hall, on the Fresno State University campus.

Need directions? Fresno State University is on the northeast corner of Shaw and Cedar; McLane Hall is circled on this printable campus map.

At the event, OFA representative Mike Petzold will hear what people expect from the Obama administration and to discuss how the network we built during the campaign can continue to work in their communities. Attendees will also be asked to participate in small-group breakout sessions, to ensure their voices are heard.

There's still time to register, but you must register to attend. To register, visit the 'Listening Tour' registration page on the Organizing For America website, at http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpt4h9.

Gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom to appear at local 'town hall' meeting April 29

From our friends at Fresno Democrats comes this:

Gavin Newsom, San Francisco mayor and candidate for Governor of California, has announced he will participate in a local "town hall" meeting, scheduled 5:30-8 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, in the gymnasium at the Wawona Middle School, 4524 N. Thorne Ave., in Fresno.

Titled "A Conversation About California's Future with Gavin Newsom," the town hall meeting will allow area voters to meet the candidate and hear his views on the daunting challenges Californians are facing today.

You must register to attend. To register, send an e-mail message including your name and telephone number to RSVP3@GavinNewsom.com.

Move On.org asking for help in supporting President Obama's healthcare program

From our friends at Move On.org comes this:

Conservatives are running $1 million in ads, starting today, to crush the public health insurance option—the heart of President Obama's health care plan. And they've promised to spend tens of millions more.

To win against the powerful insurance lobby, we'll need to be everywhere. Hundreds of thousands of MoveOn members have already made calls, signed petitions, faxed Congress, rallied at events—and we'll even run our own ads soon—all in support of the public health insurance option.

But with the insurance industry in all-out attack mode, we now need to go even further. Can you drop by your senator's local office April 28 or 29 to tell him or her to stand up for a public health insurance option that would guarantee coverage and reduce costs by up to 30 percent?

Here's the office closest to you (or at least we hope so; see the P.S. for other options):

Sen. Dianne Feinstein's District Office
2500 Tulare Street, Suite 4290
Fresno, CA

Click here to print out your flier and let us know you're going:

http://pol.moveon.org/call?tg=FSCA_1.FSCA_2&cp_id=891&id=16016-8462518-d90PF.x&t=4

Just stopping by your senator's office for two minutes has more impact than a call, an email—even more than a handwritten letter. And if enough of us show up at the local office, a staffer will call Washington to explain how strongly voters back home are feeling.

Dropping off a flier is easy:

• Write a short, personal note on your flier. Your visit will be more effective if you tell your senator how saving 30 percent on health care will have a positive impact on your life.
  
  
• Bring a friend if you want, but you totally don't have to. Don't worry about coordinating with other volunteers—just get to an office! The more individuals who stop by the office, the more powerful the message will be to Congress.
  
  
• Tell the staffer that you're there to express support for the public health insurance option. Be polite and friendly, and don't feel like you need to stay more than a minute. Just stopping by is a huge statement.
  

Register now for OFA's 'Listening Tour,' coming to Fresno May 2

Want to participate in Organizing For America's Fresno 'Listening Tour' stop?

The time to RSVP is now.

As announced previously, OFA representative Mike Petzold will be in Fresno Saturday, May 2, to hear what people expect from the Obama administration and to discuss how the network we built during the campaign can continue to work in their communities.

UPDATE: Fresno's Listening Tour stop is scheduled 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, May 2, in room 121 of McLane Hall, on the Fresno State University campus. Need directions? Fresno State University is on the northeast corner of Shaw and Cedar; McLane Hall is circled on this printable campus map.

You must register to attend. To register, visit the 'Listening Tour' registration page on the Organizing For America website, at http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpt4h9.

Help Volunteers For Change-Fresno make its voices heard! We hope to see you there!

President Obama's weekly address: Building a new foundation

From our friends at Whitehouse.gov:

In his weekly address, President Obama elaborates on a theme that has been a hallmark of his campaign and his Presidency, namely that "old habits and stale thinking" will simply not help us solve the new and immense problems our country faces.

Listing off several specific changes he intends to bring, he describes his guiding principle:

"To help build a new foundation for the 21st century, we need to reform our government so that it is more efficient, more transparent, and more creative."

If the viewscreen above does not appear, you can view President Obama's weekly address at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLp6s-f2WKI.