Vermont Interfaith Action

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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Abolish Slavery VT campaign

Here is how you can be a part of the Abolish Slavery VT campaign

All trainings will be held virtually. Please register in advance as if we don't have enough folks signed up, we may cancel the training.

September: Talking with our neighbors

Training on Relational Organizing

Studies have shown that voters reaching out to their friends, family and neighbors yields a higher turn-out rate at the polls than strangers. So we want to capitalize on this by focusing our training on strategies and talking points to reach out to those we know. Each training will be identical and one will be recorded if you are unable to make any of these dates but want to participate.

Phone Banking

Our national network friends at Faith in Action Fund want to support the amazing work Vermont is doing by hosting three days of relational organizing phone banks the last week of September. Volunteers will be joining from across the USA. The first 20-30 minutes, individuals will be trained and given a script to use while making calls. Then we will begin calling Vermonters to encourage them to vote "YES!" to Abolish Slavery with no exceptions.

October: Talking with Vermonters

October is the final month to ensure that Vermonters know that Prop 2/Article 1 is on the ballot and that they will vote YES! Join us for phone banking, canvassing and GOTV work. (Get Out The Vote)

Phone Banking every Tuesday and Friday, 4:30-6:30PM (please contact Melissa for details)
Canvassing weekends: 10/8-9 and 10/15-16, 9:30AM-12noon (first half hour is training and then 2 hours of canvassing in either Burlington, Montpelier, Norwich or Brattleboro)
GOTV phone calls: 10/25, 10/26, 10/27, 11/1, 11/4, 11/5, 11/6, 11/7

We also continue to have weekly strategy calls on Monday nights at 7PM.

Any questions? Contact Melissa at melissa@viavt.org

Urgent: VIA calls for a humane housing plan for our unhoused neighbors

At the end of August, the Governor announced yet again that federal funding will run out to support the state's program to provide transitional housing in hotels for our unhoused neighbors. The administration has known for over three months that these funds would run out in early 2023. Yet they allowed housing case managers all over the state to enlist people into the program assuring them of 12 to 18 months of stable housing. These folks are now being given 30 days’ notice that their support is being withdrawn and new applications will no longer be accepted. This is an immoral breach of trust with Vermonters who are already struggling.

This Mon, Sept 12 at 11 am, VIA clergy and allies held a press conference in Montpelier to present a sign-on letter and to call for an immediate plan to provide housing for our precariously housed neighbors after the current program ends. Please join us by signing onto the letter!

Sign onto our Letter

Abolish Slavery National Network came to Vermont!

Our partners in the Abolish Slavery Vermont campaign, the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance, had a big weekend August 27-28, celebrating First African Landing Day and welcoming folks involved in abolishing slavery in other states across the nation. The Abolish Slavery National Network celebrated its second anniversary that same weekend, and we're so proud and pleased that they chose to do so in Vermont.

Hear the inspirational accounts of other campaigns to amend state constitutions, as well as the movement to remove the Thirteenth Amendment and its exclusion clause from the U.S. Constitution, in this video that was recorded at the Richard Kemp Center in Burlington:

Watch the video