**Update!! We are collecting non-perishable food items for the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank at our event! Please bring items with you!  Please register for this free event at BuildingBLOCs1217.eventbrite.com

VA BLOC has led discussions on organizing at two different events toward solutions to six main issue initiatives, to include:

The issue initiatives are:
(1) Education
(2) Economic Justice
(3) Environmental Justice
(4) Criminal Justice Reform
(5) Women’s Rights
(6) Mental Health
(7) Redistricting Reform (all groups will participate)

As we move toward our next event, we wanted to make sure you were aware of what we have done thus far.

Summary of September 24th Event: We started by establishing the needs in the issue areas. Hearing from Natale Ward with the Hampton/Newport News Community Services Board on Mental Health, MPO Donald Greathouse with NNPD on Community Policing, Carlton Ashby with the NN School Board on Education, Dr. Erica Holloman with Southeast CARE Coalition on Environmental Justice, and Delegate Marcia Price (95th District) on Criminal Justice Reform and Economic Justice. We then broke into small groups based on issue interests, led by the panelists and VA BLOC Team Members. Once we got to know each other a bit, we came up with what we like that’s going on in the category and what we did not like. Then we brainstormed on solutions to the items we dislike.

Summary of November 15^th Townhall: Delegate Price hosted a community townhall called, “What Next?” as an opportunity for the community to work through their emotions around the 2016 elections and move to action.  Community members were able to share their comments and concerns in a safe space.  The large group then broke into smaller groups based on introductions from the issue area VA BLOC team leaders.  In pairs, they discussed why their chosen issue was important to them and ways they felt the issue could be helped/solved. Then the issue groups as a whole discussed solutions and action-oriented plans.

On December 17^th, we will continue to build on the discussions from September and November and finalize our plans toward ACTION.  Each group has three targets they want to affect and 3 actions they will take.  But in order for them to be impactful, we need your help!  Join us on December 17^th to learn about what has been discussed, add your input, and help finalize the plan so we can get to work! Message us for any questions or click here for more contact info:  https://va-bloc.org/contact-information