AIM May Newsletter
Check out all we’ve accomplished this month, from Pre-K funding to tenant protections!
Our Pre-K team after the budget hearing on May 10th.
Pre-K Budget Victory
On Friday, May 10th, we won over 70 pre-K seats for children of low-income families in Montgomery County!
The County Council voted to allocate $1 million in this year’s budget to the Children's Opportunity Alliance for the purpose of creating pre-K seats. During the council and committee sessions, Councilmembers recognized our efforts, including Councilmember Katz who said, “It is our AIM that you will be successful!”
We’re still a long way away from universal pre-K, but we have raised the importance of having goal posts to work towards, even as we invest in a whole-of-system approach.
Westchester West Tenant Protections
This month, Westchester West Apartments filed eviction proceedings against 109 households, many of whom were behind on rent. Our leaders and organizers did intensive door-knocking to connect these residents with rental assistance and legal aid and urge them to show up to eviction court. Dozens of residents appeared for their court date.
With the help of our organizing, 75% of the families had their cases dismissed, including everyone who showed up to court. Now the residents know how to connect to resources for rental assistance and know their rights in the case of an eviction.
Summer Training Series
Civil rights leader Ella J. Baker, labor leader Dolores Huerta, and Rabbi Sharon Brous knew that behind every great act of justice was a community of people working together sustaining the effort, sharing in the joy, and welcoming new members to the team.
If you're looking to build or rejuvenate your team, come and join us—leaders from across Maryland—for a summer training series designed to help develop the skills needed to lead effective teams working towards justice. During the training, you will learn how to build a "core team," a team that connects your congregation or community to our network and helps achieve your mission, while making our work fun and effective.
Schedule:
Session 1: What is a Core Team? Building Power through Connection
Thursday, June 27, 7:00–9:00 PM (Zoom)
Session 2: How & Why We Need Core Teams
Thursday, July 11, 7:00–9:00 PM (Zoom)
Session 3: Relationship Building to Strengthen your Congregation or Community Group
Thursday, July 25, 7:00–9:00 PM (Zoom)
Session 4: From our Different Traditions—The What & Why of Community
Sunday, July 28, 2:30–4:30 PM (In person, location TBD )
Session 5: Building your Core Team
Thursday, August 22, 7:00–9:00 PM (Zoom)
Session 6: Strategic Team-Building Skills Workshop + Celebration
Sunday, August 25, 2:30–4:30 PM (In person, location TBD)
Please register here:
Statewide Report
ACT, PATH, AIM and our partner organizations strategically worked together in the Maryland State House this year with significant results. It was our first year as three organizations working together on multiple issue areas at the same time, and preparation for where we want to go as a statewide collective. Together, we helped pass three key pieces of affordable housing and climate equity legislation that will make a real difference in people’s lives.
Read our report on what we accomplished this year, and what we learned moving forward.
Leader Spotlight: Marla Schulman
We’re excited to welcome our newest AIM board member, Marla Schulman! Marla has been a key leader in AIM for several years and has been very involved in our affordable housing and pre-K campaigns. As a former president and board member of B’nai Israel Congregation in Rockville, she helped create SEA Change, a network of synagogues organizing for equity and inclusion. On June 2nd, she received the Rev. Clark Lobenstine Interfaith Bridge Builders Award. Congratulations, Marla!
AIM Celebration
It's that time of year...get ready for our AIM celebration! We'll celebrate our AIM leaders and all we've accomplished this year.
The celebration will be held on Thursday, June 13th, from 6:30–8:00 pm at Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Bethesda. Feel free to bring a potluck dish to share (optional, and no pork please).
Please RSVP here:
