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If I’ve been a bit AWOL from the front page lately, it’s because everyone at the FDL Membership Program has been workingnon-stop to secure OccupySupply goods and training members to be liaisons to distribute them. Glenn Greenwald has a great piece up on OccupySupply this morning, featuring Ryan Cook in his OccupySupply shack (with great photos by Jon Walker).
Occupations around the country have been really pleased with the amazing quality of the union made cold-weather goods that we have been able to send them. In some cities the supplies have been invaluable in helping people who are suffering form exposure.
But we don’t just dump boxes off at anonymous PO boxes — we rely heavily on local FDL member liaisons in each city to interact with their occupy community, determine their needs and communicate them to us, and then deliver the goods we send directly to them and report back about how they are used. Staying in personal contact with each community has helped us to be quickly responsive to their unique needs, which can change very fast.
Our weekly liaison webinars are fascinating, as we hear members talking about the challenges facing their occupations and solutions that are being pursued. It’s probably the most comprehensive weekly snapshot of the state of occupations across the country I’m aware of.
If you’ve already joined the FDL Membership Program and you’d like to be part of the liaison team in your community responsible for delivering goods to your local occupation, there’s a webinar training tonight at 8pm. We’ll also hear from liaisons about what has happened in their occupation this week. If you’re a member you can sign up here. If you haven’t joined the membership program and you’re interested in being a liaison, you can join here. Many cities (especially the smaller ones) don’t have any liaisons yet, so if you’re looking for a way to help your local occupation, it’s a great way to be of service.
You can also donate to the FDL Membership Program’s OccupySupply fund here. 100% of all donations received to go purchasing and distributing union made and American made products to occupations across the country. To date we have raised almost $90,000 and spent $85,000. We use union shippers and we buy carbon offsets for each package we send.
And we LOVE photos. It’s so amazing to see people getting good use out of high quality, union made OccupySupply items. Many thanks to @Tosfm and the folks at #OccupyPittsburgh for tweeting the photo above after FDL member RFShunt delivered OccupySupply gear to them. We just sent off another box with 189 pieces of clothing & blankets to you, so RFShunt should be bringing them soon!
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Is this a great country or what?
This has been such a team effort. You get your package yet, Mr. Liaison?
If you haven’t been on one of these trainings yet they really are something to behold – the stories and ideas you hear coming from folks supporting occupations across the country are really inspiring and thought-provoking. Hope to talk to you all tonight!
NO!! These people are great along with thousands of others.
Jane, you know I spend my volunteer time feeding the homeless and the poor at a community center – MEND.
I’m so glad to see your effort succeeding on a national level. I thinks it’s because of all your staff’s hard work and the dedicated hearts of members of your readership, inspired by your voice and commitmment.
Right On, JH.
Rats! I can’t make it home to participate by 5pm PST.
Will these training webinars be ongoing now? Any way to post a schedule in advance (if I missed it, I apologize!).
Great, great work Jane, Brian, Ryan, Team FDL, Liaisons, Donors and everybody.
I’m still so delighted to have a way to put my money where my values are, I just can’t tell you.
I’ll send pictures when the package arrives. It’s getting chilly along Lake Erie.
I’d like to attend the webinars but since I’m not able to liaison I don’t want to take up a slot. OccupyTampa doesn’t need cold weather gear, that’s for sure.
Jane — Your absence from the front page isn’t something to worry about. One of the great things about FDL is that you have built a terrific cadre of staffers and diary posters who keep this place running without you having to hover over it like a hen with newborn chicks. Having you free to organize new, bigger, better, innovative things is much better than you being handcuffed to the keyboard.
That said, we always look forward to what you do post, because often it is a terrific blend of facts and outrage garnished with well-directed cynicism, wit, and sarcasm.
Yeah! What BeachPopulist said!
You can totally come to the training regardless SD. Love to have you.
You left out “much better writers than me,” which is why I always feel like I’m doing everyone a favor!
Much better writers than me, too!
And please tell DDay to post some news about how his pooch did at the vets!
I’m so grateful to you for giving us this great way to support the Occupy movement. OccupySupply is brilliant, and the picture of those occupiers in their brand-new, union-made hats is priceless! Thank you!
What Kris said!
wow, is it possible to find any of this union made stuff in stores anywhere any more? for personal use. I was in D.C. and had to laugh noticing all the trinkets like shot glasses printed with the Washington monument were made in China.
thx jane & crew for all you are doing. i had to dash down for a lunch meeting today in downtown L.A. then back home for another commitment so didn’t get to join today’s protests. there was an empty paddy wagon idling on 3rd St. bet. Broadway & Hill, but i didn’t see any large groups of police gearing up nearby.
on the way to my car walked past Tommy Chong who appeared to be heading for OWS.
This is especially cool as Pittsburgh is one of the many, many Occupy sites we don’t hear much about in the national press, precisely because they don’t get hassled by the local mayor and police chief anywhere near as much as does OWS or the other sites the establishment press prefers to cover.