#occupyhomesmn

[onceandfutureelvenking]

This is my friend Jaymie Kelly. I went to school with her daughter and grew up in their neighborhood. They are in the process of fighting against Freddie Mac and Chase bank to keep her house. Please watch this video and support Jaymie however you can. She is also the woman who first introduced me to the Tolkien fandom, so tagged.

[onceandfutureelvenking]

Leadership Development

Last night I typed up Part 1 of my Leadership Development Plan for Occupy Homes MN and submitted it to the Coordinators' Table. It is the first step out of many that will help to strengthen our organization, improve the quality of experience for our volunteers, and create an environment that is more conducive to learning the skills that are necessary for a radical re-imagining of our communities and neighborhoods.

Step 1: One-to-ones conducted effectively, modeled by the Coordinators' Table, properly documented, one-to-one training held for Members, and actually utilized as a tool for organizing.

Step 2: Creating a committee on Leadership Development whose responsibilities will be to do one-to-ones with people in the organization but also to do outreach one-to-ones in the community to find resources for leadership development trainings from other groups and movements, organizing and promoting leadership development trainings for the membership, and acting as a the spearhead formulating and action group for upcoming Leadership Development Plans.

Step 3: Establishing and modeling the role of "Greeter" at meetings and other events in order to practice necessary skills for canvassing, to create a culture of welcome, inclusivity, and empowerment, and to provide people who are interested in volunteering with a specific way to do so in a concrete way.

This is going to be so much fun :-D

More to come!

[zoneofproximaldevelopment]

Brother Ali #occupyhomesmn #roseshouse #rosewon #thenbrotheralirappedforus

[100storiesofwhatwallstreetbroke]

Jessica English has joined with Occupy Homes MN to reoccupy a vacant home owned by Wells Fargo. You can learn more about her story and support her efforts to provide for her 4 children here: http://start2.occupyourhomes.org/petitions/wells-fargo-turn-this-vacant-home-over-to-the-community

My name is Jessica English, and I am a responsible single mother of four, student, writer and dedicated worker. However, like one in four Americans, I earn a poverty wage for my industriousness and hard labor. Over the last two years I was unable to work for poverty wages and continue to afford the average rent for an apartment, transportation, food, or amazing things like medical care (I am sure that your bank employs plenty of people who could do the math).

Despite my hard work – stocking shelves, earning A’s in school, mowing lawns, cleaning houses, writing and publishing social commentary for Minnesota Public Radio, and coordinating volunteers - years of poverty left my family homeless.

Therefore, my family and my friends at Occupy Homes Minnesota have come up with the best solution to address Wells Fargo’s bankrupt business practices, the devastation of homelessness, and the blight of vacant homes. The home at 3325 South 2nd Avenue, had been broken into and was being used as a drug/party house. I spoke with the neighbors around the block and told them of a plan to move into the home, fix it up, and contribute (not take away) from the community. They are very supportive and are thrilled, especially after their experience with the last vacant home down the block that had been taken over by drug dealers, who were also using it as a place to house the violence of the sex trade.

We currently live in the home and have fixed it up. Hard work and sacrifice really make a difference.

[unpoliceyourmind]

Several Occupy Homes activists have been charged with rioting after linking arms and sitting down to defend a family from an unjust eviction. They currently face up to 2 years in prison and a $7,000 fine. The man stepping on them is the chief of police. REBLOG if you think this an outrageous attempt to scare neighbors fighting to keep families in their homes. REBLOG if you think we should be arresting the criminal bankers who crashed our economy through fraud and theft instead of peaceful protesters. More info here. Donate here to help cover the legal expenses of this ridiculous attack on the occupy movement.

via Occupy Homes MN

[unpoliceyourmind]

MORE RESISTANCE - (A) - LESS FORECLOSURE (a tag on the foreclosed Cruz Home, this morning, as seen during the raising of a balloon-banner over the home). For more pics, see http://imgur.com/a/Qhm5a

-- With the #J21 National Day of Action against PNC Bank -

Since April 30, Occupy Homes MN has been working with the Cruz family, whose home went into foreclosure when PNC Bank mishandled an online payment. Although PNC executives have acknowledged their error and repeatedly told Cruz supporters that they are working on a solution, their actions have shown the opposite. They have refused to work with the family, instead working with Freddie Mac and the city of Minneapolis to launch a series of costly police raids against home, resulting in 23 arrests in less than a week. The city of Minneapolis has spent over $42,429 of public resources to defend the banks' eviction and keep the family and their supporters out of their own home. http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2012/06/police_efforts_at_now-foreclosed_cruz_family_home_cost_taxpayers_42429.php Despite ongoing protests, PNC still thinks we’ll go away if they ignore us long enough. It’s time to show them otherwise: on June 19, Alejandra and David Cruz will be travelling along with a team of supporters to PNC’s Pittsburgh headquarters to hand-deliver their modification documents and demand a meeting with CEO Jim Rohr! Occupy Homes MN callsfor a national day of action on PNC to coincide with the Cruz’s arrival on Thursday, June 21.

- via the Facebook event (click here for info on how to join actions in your city)

If you're in the Twin Cities, come out at 6pm for a vigil and rally - 4044 Cedar Ave. http://www.facebook.com/events/443066159051838/