Weekly Advocacy Wrap-Up: January 15
With the excitement of the upcoming inauguration, we wanted to make this newsletter - which typically goes to NCJW leadership - available for all of our advocates! And announce that starting next week, we will be sending a weekly First 100 Days Newsletter, highlighting all of the policy updates related to the Biden-Harris Administrations first 100 days in office.

There will be no public Inauguration event in Washington, DC, but rather a small ceremony outside the Capitol for Members of Congress and one guest each. There are still plenty of ways you can engage from home:  

  • Monday, January 18, Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) is offering a Day of Service, “Together We Serve,” to celebrate and honor the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Learn more here, and consider hosting your own Section Day of Service to give back! Here are National Day of Service Event Ideas. To serve locally, help feed communities throughout the Greater Long Beach area, details below.

  • Tuesday, January 19, PIC will host a memorial to remember and honor the lives lost to COVID-19 in cities and towns across the country at 5:30 pm ET. You can get involved by encouraging your elected officials to light up city buildings, lighting a candle in your window, hosting a virtual vigil through your organization or community, and more. Join the moment of remembrance here. 

  • Wednesday, January 20, Inauguration Day, will consist of a swearing in ceremony, inaugural addresses, and a virtual parade featuring a diversity of people from across the country. 

Learn more about the schedule of events for the weekend here.

If you decide to host your own event during Inaugural week, you can share it here. And, be sure to add your stories and videos to the Inaugural video collection!  

Groups like Repair the World are planning to #ServetheMoment from January 15-18, join them here!
You can do your part by contributing to the Alpert Jewish Community Center's Non-Perishable Food Drive. They have partnered with the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), Jewish Family and Children’s Service (JFCS), and JCC Cares to make this happen! Help feed communities throughout the Greater Long Beach area, especially during Covid-19, offering each one of us the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life.

Here is a list of in-demand items: 
  • Canned Vegetables, Beans and Fruits
  • Canned Fish and Meat: Tuna, Chicken, etc. 
  • Household Items: Paper Products, Personal Hygiene, Cleaning Supplies, Baby Supplies, Laundry Supplies)
  • Cereal and Breakfast Foods
  • Peanut Butter
  • Boxed and Canned Meals: Soup, Mac & Cheese, Hamburger Helper, 
  • Tuna Helper
  • Powdered, Canned or Shelf-Stable Milk
  • Juice ... shelf-stable plastic bottles or juice boxes

All donations may be dropped off in boxes provided near the Health Screen area between the hours of 8 am – 5 pm at the AJCC. Gayle Ehrenberg, RSVP Director, gehrenberg@alpertjcc.org, 562-506-2801 or 562-426-7601 ext 1013. Thank you for joining the fight against hunger in Long Beach.
NCJW Greater Long Beach & West Orange County is participating in HIAS’ Welcome to Congress campaign. To begin 2021, we want to welcome the new Congress to Washington DC and tell them their constituents want them to prioritize the rights, dignity and safety of refugees and asylum seekers this year. To communicate this, we are collecting signatures on an online welcome card which will be shared with our members of Congress, along with asking for an opportunity to meet. 

Our Section is now listed on the Welcome to Congress site. Click here, select National Council of Jewish Women Greater Long Beach and West Orange County in the drop down menu and fill out the form.

We will be sure the card with your signature gets to your Member of Congress. Please support refugees and asylum seekers by signing on.
Our Section’s partner, CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice), is working closely with various area churches that have stepped up In response to an urgent need for shelter for asylum seekers as they are released from Adelanto Detention Facility. But these homes are not yet completely habitable. CLUE has created a fund to enable it to subsidize the expenses associated with converting unused space into shelters. Financial assistance is needed to install showers and do the necessary plumbing upgrades in several churches.  $10,000 will help two churches to complete plumbing work and jointly provide shelter to 16 asylum seekers. 
  
Please give generously to expedite the availability of shelters for asylum seekers: Click Here to Make a Tax-Deductible Contribution  
As we enter 2021, NCJW advocates are looking ahead to the powerful change we are going to make along-side the 117th Congress and the Biden-Harris administration. This webinar is open to all and we will be joined by barrier-breaking legislators who champion our issues and bring new perspectives and identities to Congress. They’ll share about the legislative priorities they’re working on and their vision for the path forward with special attention to injustices surrounding gender, race, religious and economic inequalities. Together we’ll learn how each of us can personally make a difference and demonstrate to the new Congress the imperative to improve the lives of women, children, and families. Register here.
Refugee and Asylum Policy 
Where Do Things Stand Today? • What Lies Ahead? • What Can We Do To Shape The Future? • What Can We Expect From the Biden Administration?
Thursday, February 11 at noon
OCJCR is pleased to present a panel of legal and policy experts to discuss current protocols and future goals for refugee children, asylum seekers on our southern border, and would-be refugees seeking to resettle in the United States from the Muslim world.

Attendees will develop an understanding of the current state of asylum law and refugee programs. You will also gain insights as to how to partner with the Orange County Jewish Coalition for Refugees to advocate for the protection of vulnerable refugees and displaced persons.

Click here for detailed information about this event. Registration is required in advance to receive the Zoom link. 
SAVE THE DATE February 10, 1:00 - 2:00 pm
Crisis in California for Women, Families and Children: Food and Housing Insecurity and Childcare Deficiency--
What We Can Do 
Speakers:  
  • Mike Herald,Director of Policy Advocacy, Western Center on Law and Poverty
  • Mary Ignatius, Statewide Organizer, Parent Voices 
  • Caroline Danielson, Policy Director and Senior Fellow, Public Policy Institute of California
On January 13, the US House of Representatives voted to impeach President Trump for the second time, making him the first president in US history to be impeached twice. The Senate is expected to begin impeachment trial proceedings when they return from recess on January 19. Somewhere near that time, we expect the two incoming Georgia senators to be sworn in; Georgia will likely certify their election results by January 20, Inauguration Day. NCJW supports the removal of Trump before he can cause further damage.