|
Monthly Meeting: Wake UP Sonoma Addresses Immigrant Safety & Food Insecurity
By Mike Miley and Mike Browning On November 14, a roomful of Sonoma Valley residents gathered at Burlingame Hall for Wake UP Sonoma’s second Monthly Community Meeting - Titled as a Community Conversation. Led by President Lisa Storment and Board member Martín Gobbée, the meeting underscored just how rapidly conditions have shifted for immigrant families and low-income households, and how urgently our community must respond.
Martín Gobbée started off the meeting with this Frida Kahlo quote, in English and Spanish, and asked the audience to reflect on how the quote relates to them personally when it comes to being an ally with someone.
”Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?”
”Pies, ¿para qué te necesito si tengo alas para volar?” ….Frida Kahlo
Attendees shared popcorn style, the word that came to them, resulting in an impressive list of ally action words.
Emergency Food Assistance: SNAP Buddy Program One of the day’s major announcements was the launch of Wake UP Sonoma’s SNAP Buddy Program, designed to provide direct grocery support in response to the federal SNAP cuts. With an initial goal of raising $20,000 in grocery cards, the community has already raised over $11,390 since Nov. 7th when the program started. Ten volunteers are currently managing the logistics, with more help needed as demand grows. To donate, click on this link:
SNAP — Wake UP Sonoma Panel: The Front Lines of Immigrant Support and Food Insecurity. A diverse panel of community leaders offered updates on what they’re seeing—and bracing for—in Sonoma Valley. The amount of interaction with attendees/community members kept the conversation moving with full engagement and enthusiasm for calls to action. Betzy Chavez, representing Supervisor Hermosillo, shared updates on countywide preparations, including a regional immigration support consortium, a new incident response plan for ICE actions, and $1 million in new funding for the Redwood Empire Food Bank. Angela Ryan, CEO and Elise Gonzalez from the Sonoma Valley Catalyst Fund described how collaboration among local nonprofits has transformed food distribution. Sonoma Valley now benefits from increased food donations, new community fridges, emergency planning efforts, and a valley-wide communication network designed to respond to crises in a coordinated way—from SNAP cuts to potential immigration raids. Leonardo Lobato, Executive Director of La Luz, spoke movingly about the dignity, aspirations, and resilience of Latino families. He outlined La Luz’s wraparound programs, from basic needs to small-business assistance, and emphasized that unity—not charity—is what our community needs most. Claudia Robbins of the North Bay Rapid Response Network provided practical information on how community members can respond safely to ICE activity, including the 24/7 hotline, legal observer program, court accompaniment and Know Your Rights trainings. Sonoma Mayor Patricia Farrar-Rivas affirmed the city’s commitment to immigrant safety, support for Unity Kitchen and Homeless Action Sonoma, and ongoing monitoring of federal enforcement activity. How You Can Help—Right Now - CALLS TO ACTION Wake UP Sonoma and our partner organizations outlined just some of the concrete actions every resident can take: Donate to the SNAP Buddy Program or local food organizations. SNAP — Wake UP Sonoma
Keep your eyes on the Wake UP Sonoma Website for a complete list of places to donate and food resources. Volunteer - some of the organizations in need
La Luz, La Luz
Sonoma Family Meal, Sonoma Family Meal
North Bay Rapid Response,
North Bay Rapid Response Network (NBRRN) | North Bay Organizing Project (NBOP)
Redwood Empire Food Bank,
Redwood Empire Food Bank
Wake UP Sonoma action teams.
WakeUP Sonoma Volunteer & Action Teams — Wake UP Sonoma
Join or organize a neighborhood pod for rapid communication about ICE activity. (More to come on this soon) Attend trainings: Know Your Rights, legal observing, and upcoming resilience workshops and neighborhood pod trainings to come. Important to also attend protests and actions in your community to be visible and heard. Write letters and call your representatives to oppose cuts and support immigrant protections. Stay informed and show up—to meetings, vigils, and community gatherings. The meeting ended with an inspirational quote. “I think that love is a requirement of principled struggle, both self-love and love of others, that we must all do what we can, that it is better to do something rather than nothing, that we have to trust others as well as ourselves. I often repeat the adage that "hope is a discipline." We must practice it daily.”
― Mariame Kaba, We Do This 'til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice
|
