La Vida Veeta

Virtual Session with Stop The Sweeps: How to Help (Remote/Seattle)

Stop the Sweeps is a Seattle based mutual aid group helping provide necessary services for unhoused folks (as well as advocating for the unhoused community in political spheres). They frequently host virtual events helping introduce folks to the concept of mutual aid (it can be daunting getting started!) and how to get involved (As a note: regardless of our capabilities, schedules, special skills, etc. we all have something valuable to contribute to help.) Tomorrow (9/15) they’re hosting a virtual session from 7:00 – 8:30 PM PST! If you want to know how to help your neighbors experiencing sweeps and homelessness as well as how to plug into existing mutual aid groups, I highly recommend you sign up for this! If interested, they ask that you DM their Instagram page @stopthesweepsseattle for access to join remotely. If you don’t have an Instagram but want to join, please let me know and I can reach out to them (I still have a little hidden account I never use for reasons like this hehe).

Homegrown: A Night for Social Housing (Seattle)

I’ve talked about House Our Neighbors (HON) on here before but here’s the TL;DR: they are an organizing and advocacy group working to advance social housing initiatives in Seattle. They were the group behind the successful Prop1A initiative earlier this year, which secured a funding mechanism in King County for the voter-approved social housing developer. And they’re throwing another event! On Thursday (9/18) they are hosting Homegrown: Social Housing Activator Membership Launch. I know what you’re thinking- oh, this is an event just to get people to sign up to donate money. While that is somewhat correct, it’s not solely about that! You don’t have to sign up as a member to join this event, and there will be speakers present and opportunities to connect and engage with housing advocates throughout the region. Did I mention there will also be food from Off The Rez– one of the best cafes/food trucks in Seattle?? If you do feel so inclined to become a member, that’s awesome! HON is doing really important work right now to push for alternative methods of building critically needed affordable housing in the area (and is going up against serious resistance in Seattle’s city council and mayor, which, let’s be real, isn’t surprising. When have they ever seriously wanted to confront the housing unaffordability crisis?) Whether you are able to/want to donate or not, I highly recommend checking out this event as a way to get connected with folks working to make Seattle a more affordable city for everyone. Oh- and did I mention it will be at El Centro de la Raza? Which is an awesome space too- check it out!

Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) Cultural Potluck (Milwaukee)

OMG my first Milwaukee-based event I can’t believe it (and I’m not sure if anyone in Milwaukee even reads this? Anyways, I wanted to share this regardless). The Milwaukee DSA advocates and organizes to fight for a better world that empowers working people (and not the hoarders at the top! Who we hate!) To connect with folks and foster community building, Milwaukee DSA is hosting a cultural potluck and movie night on Friday the 19th at 5:30 PM (CST). The potluck is centering BIPOC, first generation, and immigrant folks to share your favorite meal. Afterwards, its movie time, and this month’s movie is “Let the Fire Burn”, a 2013 documentary about the events leading up to and surrounding the 1985 standoff between the black liberation group MOVE and the Philadelphia Police Department (an action by the Philadelphia PD which destroyed 61 houses, left 250 people homeless, and killed multiple people). Oh! And where is this happening, you may ask? It will be at the Zao MKE Church, next to the UWM campus. Come by to meet community members, share food and experiences, and learn about some important history.