Action Alerts
SPAN Ohio and Health Care for All Ohioans are very excited as the winter sets in to start our planning for the future. We have a great year to look back on with wins in August and November helping to protect the healthcare rights of Ohioans. We want to thank everyone for all that you do and ask you to be as involved as you are able.
We have meetings of our State Council, SPAN's governing body, every other month to plan the ongoing work of our organization. Everyone is invited to join us, though to participate in voting you must be a member of the State Council. Our next meeting is this Saturday, December 2nd, at 9am via zoom. The zoom invite is below. We would love to see you there.
Children and farmworker communities will yet again be in harm’s way, as a harmful pesticide is allowed to return to the market. For nearly half of a century, U.S. staple foods such as apples, cherries, peaches, and citrus were sprayed with chlorpyrifos (pronounced: klawr-pir-uh-fos), a dangerous pesticide that poisons farmworkers and in even smaller doses harms the developing brains of children. In 2021, thanks to a court win for farmworkers, civil rights, disability, and public health advocates in partnership with Earthjustice, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned all food uses of chlorpyrifos.
Wednesday, November 29, 2023, 1:00 PM
Join us on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People for a webinar with movement leaders on how you can show up and take action for Palestine. There is no more important moment than now to stand in solidarity. With about 15,000 Palestinian people killed by Israel across Gaza, we must continue pressuring U.S. and international leaders and societies to demand a total ceasefire now. Our voices are powerful. We have watched just how the world has shown up in the millions for Palestine these last few weeks. We are more powerful when we move together for our collective liberation.
Hear from Palestinian analysts like Mohammed El-Kurd, Jehad Abusalim, Noura Erakat, and the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR), as well as movement leaders like Aja Monet, Krystal Two Bulls, and Macklemore who are taking a stand on Palestine across movement spaces.
Tuesday, November 28, 2023, 5:00 – 6:00 PM
The Poor Peoples Campaign is a revival of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1968 Poor Peoples Campaign. Sandwiches, light refreshments, and children’s activities. Plans for 2024 include a rally at the Ohio Statehouse on March 2 and June 15 march on Washington. All are welcome.
Location: Bethany Presbyterian Church, 206 N. Garfield Ave., Columbus 43203
Greetings Fair Food Allies — Please join us in taking a few minutes to join in this key nationwide action for the farmworkers this Thanksgiving week by writing, calling or emailing Kroger.
Fast actions: Email Kroger. Click-to-email using this link or write an email to customerservice@kroger.com with the suggested title: “It’s time for Kroger to join the Fair Food Program” and include your message for the body of the email. You may copy/paste our suggested script below and personalize it as you see fit.
Saturdays are a cherished day. Many run errands such as car washes, haircuts, or pick up supplies for a DIY smart home electronics project at a local hardware or electronics store. Saturdays are grocery stocking at family-owned food markets, self-care fitness time, or making memories with family and friends at corner coffee shops, neighborhood restaurants, or bowling alleys. And more often than not, they go to small independent retailers that provide these goods and services.
But Saturday, November 25 is an especially fine day. It’s the national 14th annual Small Business Saturday when American consumers come out in droves to shop small or dine small in mammoth support of small businesses. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is proud to be a co-sponsor of Small Business Saturday, founded by American Express in 2010.
Friday, November 24, 2023, 7:00 – 8:30 PM
Join Bill Cohen for a unique concert of songs that express gratitude for all that we have. It’s our 10th year for this Thanksgiving-themed concert. Playing piano and guitar, I’ll sing songs written by, made famous by, or inspired by, a wide variety of folks --- John Denver, the Weavers, Phil Ochs, Louis Armstrong, and Don McLean. Even Johnny Appleseed, Jiminy Cricket, and the TV show, “Golden Girls.” On several songs, Ann Fisher will add beautiful flute accompaniment, David Maywhoor will add percussion, and Joe Lambert and Joanne Blum will add soothing vocal harmony.
This is a free concert, but if you appreciate the songs and the message, during the show we’ll “pass the hat” for donations for a non-profit charity, International Medical Alliance of Tennessee. The all-volunteer group of doctors, nurses, and medical students provides free medical care to impoverished, disenfranchised Haitian workers who live and work just inside the D.R. border.
Thursday, January 23, 1-4pm, Wellness Forum Health, 510 E. Wilson Bridge Rd., Ste. G, Worthington, Ohio
Thanksgiving Day can be difficult to navigate through if the majority of your friends and family aren’t vegan like you. We have been challenged even finding a place that is open on Thanksgiving Day where there is a menu that is free from animal-based items.
Happily, the Wellness Forum Health is allowing us to use their space for a Vegan Thanksgiving Potluck! Please bring your favorite vegan dish to share. Please include what you will be bringing in the comments below so we will have a variety of items to enjoy. A card listing the ingredients in the dish you are bringing is nice to inform those who may have any allergies.
Compostable paper plates, cups, and utensils will be provided. We will have complimentary coffee, hot tea, and bottled water.
For those unable to bring food, we will need help with setup around noon and with teardown / cleanup when the event is over at 4pm.
Please contact any of the organizers with questions or concerns.
Have a very Happy Vegan Thanksgiving; we look forward to having you join us.
Greetings from Kyiv. Yesterday my city was disturbed again by air raid sirens, so I ran from Vernadsky scientific library to hide in the closest shelter, a subway station. Ruthless Russian aggression against Ukraine continues, as well as the Ukrainian defensive war effort. Civilians are dying, cities are being bombarded on both sides of the frontline, and that is the essence of any war — aggressive or defensive — the pure evil of war, which is barbaric mass killing by definition.
Thus begins an open letter from Ukrainian peace activist Yurii Sheliazhenko. Later, he writes:
Tuesday, November 21, noon
Talking points for signature collection