Benton County Democratic Central Committee

December 6 Deadline Nears for Immigrant Relief Fund Applications

Our friends at the Tri-City Immigrant Coalition have created new resources for educating people about the Washington Immigrant Relief Fund. Washington state has created WIRF to step up for immigrants and ensure no one is forgotten. TCIC has created 3 videos in Spanish to help people apply for WIRF. It is just 2 weeks until the deadline to apply. TCIC wants to make sure that all qualifying immigrants know about the funds and successfully apply.

Where to Apply: www.immigrantreliefwa.org

Local Applicant Information and assistance email: tricitiesimmigrantcoalition@gmail.com (this is important because the Statewide Hotline is overwhelmed and people are not getting through for days)

Flyers:

English: https://tricitiesimmigrantcoalition.com/…/WIRF-FlyerV4…

Spanish: https://tricitiesimmigrantcoalition.com/…/WIRF-FlyerV4…

Videos:

Adriana Video How to document Washington Residency on your WIRF application in Spanish:

https://tricitiesimmigrantcoalition.com/…/Video….

Spanish 2 minute introduction video to Washington COVID-19 Immigrant Workers Relief Fund: https://tricitiesimmigrantcoalition.com/…/Introduction…. (use this to promote the WIRF with Spanish speaking individuals, groups and organizations)

Spanish Instructional Video

Calculating your income for WIRF application https://tricitiesimmigrantcoalition.com/…/Video-ingreso… (use this to assist applicants in filling out the applications)

Free Movie Showing: Bitter Medicine

When: Saturday, November 28, 2020 at 2:30 PM PST – 4:30 PM PST

Hosted by Whole Washington

Online Event https://actionnetwork.org/events/free-movie-showing-bitter-medicine?source=direct_link&

Whole Washington is honored and excited present two 30-minute films produced by the National Film Board of Canada.

Bitter Medicine – Part 1 documents the struggle to establish Medicare in Saskatchewan, the fierce resistance offered by the medical establishment, and the ultimate success in extending the program to all of Canada.

Bitter Medicine – Part 2 describes the system in 1982 – twenty years after its national adoption. Despite its popularity, Medicare struggled to survive continued erosion from the medical establishment and other players as they struggled for the power to control it.

While the events recounted in these films occurred 40 to 60 years ago, they show that the barriers to universal healthcare extant then were much the same then as those we encounter today. They present valuable lessons that we would do well to heed during our fight to establish this basic human right.

Once you RSVP a zoom link will be sent to your email.

Donation Suggestion: $10 https://secure.actblue.com/donate/whole-washington-1

Event Schedule:
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm Whole Washington Intro, Movie Intro, and Chat
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Showing of Bitter Medicine part 1 & 2
4:00 pm – 4:30 pm Group Discussion and Call to Arms

Hosted by Tri-Cities Womxn’s March

Location: Volunteer Park

Time: Sunday, March 14, 2021 at 1 PM PDT – 3 PM PDT

Price: Free

Duration: 2 hr

Hello All!!  We are excited to present this year’s 5th Annual Tri-Cities Womxn’s March Event! Due to the winter weather, the march will be held the week following International Womxn’s Day on March 14th.

For accessibility and safety during the pandemic, we are organizing both an in-person and virtual event experience.

The in-person event will be held at 1pm leading up to a solidarity march at 2 in Volunteer Park in Pasco! Social distancing and masks will be required.

We will upload the happenings afterwards so that you may sit in the comfort and safety of your own home and enjoy the collaborative pieces we have to put together for your upliftment.

After listening to what’s on the hearts of our community, this year’s theme is Survival. We are here to meet womxn and femmes right where they’re at in the middle of this pandemic and embrace the collective intersections that we all walk through in our lived experiences as mothers, essential workers, the cornerstones of our families, and survivors of various forms of adversity.

For the sake of hope, empowerment, and support we have woven together community organizations that support the needs of womxn, real people just like you with amazing stories of resilience, activists, influencers, and more!

Check out our full digital program on the Womxn’s March page the day of the event for accessibility and safety.

Stay tuned for updates on:

– Speakers & Performers

– Self-Care Basket Give Aways
(containing permanent makeup treatments, spas and much more)

– Virtual sign making days (for in person event)

Join us to make a sign to carry in the march or show your support for the cause, and catch up with the team!

– Free Professional photo Op Pop Ups

For models taking pledges to challenge to create safer spaces in the Tricities

This is a safe space centered around Womxn of Color (WOC), trans womxn & nonbinary folx comfortable in womxn spaces.
So bring your listening ears and your BIG hearts

Children are welcome to attend, but be advised that some speakers may touch on complicated subject matter that may spark difficult conversations. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Facebook Hashtags:

#TCWM21

#ChooseToChallenge

#internationalwomensday

#IWD2021

#womenshistorymonth

The Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is partnering with Communities in Schools (CIS) of Benton-Franklin to raise money. We all recognize under the stress of the pandemic more students might be struggling with the basic needs to stay in school. The Chamber wants to support CIS to empower students to stay in school even during these trying times. Please consider contributing…thank you.

This event has been canceled.

Shari’s Community Dinner Fundraiser

When: Nov 18 at 9:30 PM PST – Nov 26 at 8 PM PST

Hosted by Jess Loflin

Where: Online Event

https://www.gofundme.com/f/sharis-community-feed?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1

The Tri-Cities community is partnering with Shari’s to provide meals for local families in need in our community with funding from our amazing Tri-Citians!

Will you help a family in need for Thanksgiving dinner?

Community members or businesses who would like to fund Thanksgiving meals for our community can simply go to the gofundme or contact the head of the event, Jess Loflin at sharisholiday@gmail.com for more information.

Poet Jordan Presents: “Black Excellence”: An Evening with Nikkita “KO” Oliver

When: Friday, November 20 at 7 PM PST – 9 PM PST

Hosted by Jordan Chaney, Celina Mahinalani Garza and 5 others

Where: Online Event

Tickets: ti.to/Poet-Jordan-Presents/black-excellence

Link to the event on Facebook

Thank you to our sponsors!

Platinum Sponsors –
Communities of Color Coalition
Ted Miller
WholeStory

Gold Sponsors –
Native LifewayCommunity Sponsors –
Karla Camac Carlisle
Erik Ralston
Seema L. Clifasefi
Becky Beardsly
Wendy Veysey
John Roach

Previously, Poet Jordan Presents brought New York Times bestseller Ijeoma Oluo and Academy Award-winning filmmaker T.J. Martin to eastern Washington to talk about their creative and powerful work.

Now, Poet Jordan Presents: “Black Excellence”: An Evening with Nikkita Oliver!

Nikkita Oliver (they/them) is a Seattle-based creative, spoken word artist, community organizer, abolitionist, educator, and attorney. Working at the intersections of arts, law, education, and community organizing, Nikkita strives to create experiences which draw us closer to our humanity and invites us to imagine what we hope to see in the future. Nikkita is the co-executive director of Creative Justice, an arts-based alternative to incarceration and a healing engaged youth-led community-based program.

Also joining the program will be opening notes provided by Reagan Jackson, a dance performance by Serenity Wise, and poetry by Daishaundra Loving-Hearne. Celina Garza with Native Lifeway will provide the land acknowledgement and blessing.

Reagan Jackson is a multi genre writer, artist, activist, and international educator with an abiding love of justice, spirituality, and creating community. She is the Program Director for Young Women Empowered and the cofounder of Blackout Healing. You can learn more about her at reaganjackson.com.

Serenity Wise is a dancer and arts researcher/organizer. In her dance practice, she studies Orixa/Orisha movement from the Afro Brazilian tradition of the Black diaspora. It’s a personal practice that allows her to trace and recover knowledge from her ancestral roots. However, she also believes Black dances to be important to educate and share broadly, as a method of reclamation for Black people whose origins have been marginalized by colonization and racism.

Poet, writer, activist, and choreographer Daishaundra Loving-Hearne is no stranger to the arts or the power of it. She is a Co-CEO of Urban Poets Society and the founder of Black Lives Matter Coalition: Tri-Cities. After spending over 16 years in the arts and working with youth, she has dedicated all of her talents and voice to standing and fighting for equality, equity and victory of our people.

Celina Mahinalani Garza is the Tribal Liaison for the Strong Heart Study serving Native communities in the Phoenix area, specializing in Client Relations and Community Outreach. She is the Founder of Native Lifeway. 

When: Saturday, November 14, 2020 at 11 AM PST – 1 PM PST

Hosted by Tri Cities Diversity and Inclusion Council, Black Lives Matter Coalition: Tri-Cities and Revamped Wellness

Where: Online Event

Tickets: via Eventbrite

Keep ya Crown on is an exciting event for Black students to learn skills to manage stress, stay motivated, and walk in their greatness!
TCD&IC has developed a virtual event that is unlike any in the history of Tri Cities. Along with collaborative partners, we have come together to form a dynamic approach to empower, educate, and motivate our Black Children and Teens. As a marginalized community that lacks support and resources, we recognized a great need to help challenge the stigmas of mental health and support the psychological safety of the Black community. Our event will afford an opportunity to address the trauma that the Black Community has experienced and provide emotional coping skills and the overall tools to aid in resiliency.

Our virtual event will have exciting speakers that will help teach you skills to manage stress, recognize your worth, and stand in your greatness! You will also receive a swag bag with goodies that you will use during and after the event. After you participate in our online event your name will be entered into a raffle to receive a cool gift!

YOU MUST ATTEND THE EVENT TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE AMAZING RAFFLE!!!

When: Friday, November 13, 2020 at 6 PM PST

Hosted by Tri-City Democrats

Where: Online Event

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81650027613?pwd=cUNOOWcvRHFWUG9NS3Y5QTBRaUx2QT09

Thanks to everyone’s hard work, we’ve succeeded in regaining the White House. This opens the door for us to start work on “what’s next”. We have a lot of damage to repair and we need to redress a lot of injustices that have existed for far too long. So let’s talk about it. What do we need to be pushing for? What new ideas will we need to have enter the conversation?

We’re still forming this event, but we intend it to be very participatory. We’ll have a skeleton to share, but hope to hear ideas from the body.

November 7th, 2020

The West Richland Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to host this year’s Virtual Veterans Day Parade.

Join us on Saturday, November 7th for another year of remembrance and honoring those who served. The Virtual Veterans Day Parade will be available to watch on our website. The Vietnam Memorial Monument Dedication will take place at 11:00am at Flat Top Park. The Drive Thru Chili Feed will starting at 11:30am at the Flat Top Park Pavilion. Donations will go to the Combat Veterans International.

About Scotty Smiley, 2020 Grand Marshall 

In 2005, while leading his platoon in Mosul, Iraq, Scotty found himself in front of a suicide car bomber. After the man blew himself up, shrapnel blew through Scotty’s eyes, leaving him blinded and temporarily paralyzed. Though questioning his faith, Scotty made a decision to forgive and rebuild his life and continue to serve in the Army, becoming the first blind active-duty officer in military history. Over his military career, Major (Retired) Smiley received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart, Combat Infantry Badge, Ranger Tab, Airborne Wings and Combat Diver Qualification Badge.

Our segment of the presentation can be seen at 30:09 through 32:38.