This week in Iowa organizing…
Last week, a team of CCI members and our allies at Al Exito joined 4,000 others in St. Louis for the Facing Race: Our Power, Our Solutions national conference. Folks came back re-energized after being in community with grassroots leaders from across the country.
Some key takeaways I heard from the crew when they got back were we need to double-down on meeting people where they're at and build trust - local connections are essential to the work ahead. The work ahead won't be easy or fast, but we're the ones to be doing it. And in the spirit of all the cooking coming up later this week - we need a grassroots movement of local people bringing their recipes to build the multiracial democracy we need to win.
A key ingredient to our recipe is people like you! Your ideas, your passion, and commitment to taking action for the people and places we love. And that's why next week we'll be doing our year-end fundraising campaign to build our people power heading into next year.
Don't be surprised to get a handful of emails and possibly a phone call from us next week - we want to connect, reflect, and build power for the long haul from the grassroots. So no Monday email from me next week, but back the following as we approach 2025 (and the upcoming legislative session).
Okay, please read on for more!
Matthew Covington
Strategic Operations Director
Take action
December 3: Public School Strong
Governor Reynolds and Republican lawmakers expanded their majorities in the state this election, so they may feel emboldened to do more on education in the upcoming legislative session. But we also saw voters – many in red states – reject private voucher scams and politicizing school boards. This tells us that despite the political makeup at our statehouse if we stay organized we can, and will, win.
It’s as important as ever to build power at the local level to protect and strengthen our public schools. To make an impact, we want to ramp up our Public School Strong presence across the state.
Join us on Dec 3 at 6pm to learn how you can get involved with a statewide effort to build our power to win honest, equitable, and fully funded public education!
December 2-6: CCI Action year-end campaign!
Our week-long power building party is NEXT WEEK - Dec 2 - 6! Members and staff will be working together to raise much needed funds for 2025, renew current CCI Action members, and ask new people to join our movement.
We'll be calling fellow members all five days. In Des Moines, we have two shifts daily Mon-Thurs from 12-3pm and 5-8pm, and a 12-3pm shift that Friday. We also have phone banks in Dubuque, Iowa City, and Grafton.
What can you expect of your phone banking experience? We'll have food, a brief training, then will jump on the phones to chat up our members. We hope you will join us in person at one of these locations to enjoy hospitality and community. Calls are a great way to connect with our great members, renew their membership, and raise funds to do the work.
To join any of these phone banks, please click here to sign up! Any questions, contact kim@iowacci.org.
BONUS! ALL fundraising volunteers will receive this year's limited-edition CCI Action swag: socks! People Power is how we win!
December 13: Sending Hugh Espey off with a bang
After 45 years - Hugh Espey is retiring from Iowa CCI! Help us honor Hugh's decades of commitment to the craft of community organizing and his dedication to Iowa CCI and the broader movement. While we’re sad he’s going to be leaving the CCI staff team in an official capacity, we want to turn that energy into a joyful celebration of Hugh’s achievements and all the important things we’ve learned from him.
Hugh’s Retirement Party
Friday, December 13, 6-9 pm
Food, drinks, stories
Iowa CCI headquarters in Des Moines
RSVP here if you can join us in person: https://evite.me/HughParty
Send in a story, memory, or note to Hugh by Dec. 6! We’ll collect your favorite memories, lessons you learned from Hugh, notes of appreciation, etc. and make sure he gets them. Send your note via email to iris@iowacci.org.
December 16: Worth County Board of Supervisors meeting
Join us on Monday, December 16th at 9:30 at the Worth County Courthouse in Northwood, IA to show support for a hazardous CO2 pipeline ordinance. As currently drafted, this ordinance would create a half-mile set back distance from the proposed CO2 pipeline, protecting the community and future economic development
Over 450 Worth County residents petitioned the supervisors asking for this zoning ordinance. And they listened! Now it's time to see it over the finish line.
Join us to urge the Worth County Board of Supervisors to pass the ordinance as is - RSVP to join us here!
Tell the Iowa Energy Office to act on $120 million in home energy savings
As part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, over $120 million has been dedicated for Iowa to assist homeowners in making their homes more energy efficient and reduce their energy bills. The US Dept. of Energy informed Iowa of the program guidelines in July of 2023, but Iowa has yet to apply for the federal funds.
This program would help Iowans by offering instant rebates to contractors and appliance outfitters for work on their homes or for the purchase of energy efficient appliances. And we’re not talking about pennies here - households could get up to $14,000 in assistance.
We have until January 31st to apply for these funds. Many states are already offering rebates. We can't miss out on this opportunity to help struggling families lower their energy bills, improve their home comfort, and eliminate in home air pollutants. Take action with us by telling the Iowa Energy Office we need to submit our application!
Updates
Factory farms, your health, and the cancer connection
If you weren’t able to join the Iowa Alliance for Responsible Agriculture’s meeting with Dr. Chris Jones, Audrey Tran Lam, Mary Jo Forbord and Michelle Kenyon last week, you can now watch the recording here. These experts discussed how the industrial agriculture system is threatening the health of Iowans during a meeting that was both informative and compelling. Our work to protect our communities is just as important as ever – tune in to learn more!
Tell the EPA to force Iowa DNR to do its job, report the truth
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has told the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that seven impaired water segments should be added to the 2024 Iowa Impaired Waters list due to high nitrate levels that are toxic to human health. But the DNR is dragging its feet and failing to comply.
If impaired water segments are being left off the list, it creates misleading data that can be harmful to people and the environment. We need the Iowa DNR to be held to high standards and strong regulations.
Add your name to our sign on letter asking the EPA to enforce transparency and water quality accountability from the DNR!
What We're Reading
These are a few links that are informing our work - we've shared them so that you can read, too!
Despite critics, organic farming thrives in heart of US corn country [The New Lede]
Inside progressives' biggest win of 2024 [Progress Report]
Out of the ashes [In These Times]
How rural communities fight - and win - against factory farms [Food and Water Watch]
Many protest movements of the past have backfired. What would it take for one to succeed under Trump? [The Guardian]