As we approach the winter season, check out the following article from The Atlantic.
How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change
By Barack Obama
As millions of people across the country take to the streets and raise their voices in response to the killing of George Floyd and the ongoing problem of unequal justice, many people have reached out asking how we can sustain momentum to bring about real change.
Ultimately, it’s going to be up to a new generation of activists to shape strategies that best fit the times. But I believe there are some basic lessons to draw from past efforts that are worth remembering.
First, the waves of protests across the country represent a genuine and legitimate frustration over a decades-long failure to reform police practices and the broader criminal justice system in the United States. The overwhelming majority of participants have been peaceful, courageous, responsible, and inspiring. They deserve our respect and support, not condemnation — something that police in cities like Camden and Flint have commendably understood.
On the other hand, the small minority of folks who’ve resorted to violence in various forms, whether out of genuine anger or mere opportunism, are putting innocent people at risk, compounding the destruction of neighborhoods that are often already short on services and investment and detracting from the larger cause. I saw an elderly black woman being interviewed today in tears because the only grocery store in her neighborhood had been trashed. If history is any guide, that store may take years to come back. So let’s not excuse violence, or rationalize it, or participate in it. If we want our criminal justice system, and American society at large, to operate on a higher ethical code, then we have to model that code ourselves.
Second, I’ve heard some suggest that the recurrent problem of racial bias in our criminal justice system proves that only protests and direct action can bring about change, and that voting and participation in electoral politics is a waste of time. I couldn’t disagree more. The point of protest is to raise public awareness, to put a spotlight on injustice, and to make the powers that be uncomfortable; in fact, throughout American history, it’s often only been in response to protests and civil disobedience that the political system has even paid attention to marginalized communities. But eventually, aspirations have to be translated into specific laws and institutional practices — and in a democracy, that only happens when we elect government officials who are responsive to our demands.
Moreover, it’s important for us to understand which levels of government have the biggest impact on our criminal justice system and police practices. When we think about politics, a lot of us focus only on the presidency and the federal government. And yes, we should be fighting to make sure that we have a president, a Congress, a U.S. Justice Department, and a federal judiciary that actually recognize the ongoing, corrosive role that racism plays in our society and want to do something about it. But the elected officials who matter most in reforming police departments and the criminal justice system work at the state and local levels.
It’s mayors and county executives that appoint most police chiefs and negotiate collective bargaining agreements with police unions. It’s district attorneys and state’s attorneys that decide whether or not to investigate and ultimately charge those involved in police misconduct. Those are all elected positions. In some places, police review boards with the power to monitor police conduct are elected as well. Unfortunately, voter turnout in these local races is usually pitifully low, especially among young people — which makes no sense given the direct impact these offices have on social justice issues, not to mention the fact that who wins and who loses those seats is often determined by just a few thousand, or even a few hundred, votes.
So the bottom line is this: if we want to bring about real change, then the choice isn’t between protest and politics. We have to do both. We have to mobilize to raise awareness, and we have to organize and cast our ballots to make sure that we elect candidates who will act on reform.
Finally, the more specific we can make demands for criminal justice and police reform, the harder it will be for elected officials to just offer lip service to the cause and then fall back into business as usual once protests have gone away. The content of that reform agenda will be different for various communities. A big city may need one set of reforms; a rural community may need another. Some agencies will require wholesale rehabilitation; others should make minor improvements. Every law enforcement agency should have clear policies, including an independent body that conducts investigations of alleged misconduct. Tailoring reforms for each community will require local activists and organizations to do their research and educate fellow citizens in their community on what strategies work best.
But as a starting point, here’s a report and toolkit developed by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and based on the work of the Task Force on 21st Century Policing that I formed when I was in the White House. And if you’re interested in taking concrete action, we’ve also created a dedicated site at the Obama Foundation to aggregate and direct you to useful resources and organizations who’ve been fighting the good fight at the local and national levels for years.
I recognize that these past few months have been hard and dispiriting — that the fear, sorrow, uncertainty, and hardship of a pandemic have been compounded by tragic reminders that prejudice and inequality still shape so much of American life. But watching the heightened activism of young people in recent weeks, of every race and every station, makes me hopeful. If, going forward, we can channel our justifiable anger into peaceful, sustained, and effective action, then this moment can be a real turning point in our nation’s long journey to live up to our highest ideals.
Let’s get to work.
CCC Statement Regarding Tragic Killing of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA CONFERENCE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ron Rasmussen
Executive Secretary
Central California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
rrasmussen@cccsda.org | Phone: 559-347-3194
CLOVIS, CALIF.,—May 31, 2020, The leaders of the Central California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (CCC) are heartbroken by the senseless and tragic killing of Mr. Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia and Mr. George Floyd in Minnesota, as well as the resulting aftermath across communities which clearly demonstrates the destructive nature of racism and injustice.
CCC rejects and condemns all injustice, all violence, all intolerance, all racism, anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred and bigotry. As a church body, we hurt when others hurt, we mourn when others mourn and empathize deeply with the victims of such unspeakable acts and behaviors witnessed in recent days. Those behaviors are in direct opposition to our calling and mission as a church. CCC supports, celebrates and values diversity. It is a gift from God that enriches our humanity.
We cannot control current events, but we can make a difference in our own sphere of influence on how we treat each other and how we respond to the injustices we witness. We need to live the love of Christ in our everyday walk, as He taught us, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39). Let us be reminded that we are neither “Jew nor Gentile,” neither “slave nor free,” nor “male and female” but rather, “one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28).
We look forward to the soon coming of Jesus, when He, as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, will take us to our eternal home. A home free of marginalization, free of pain, and free of all suffering and injustices. Until then, let us prayerfully press on to that bright, beautiful glorious day living CCC’s Vision statement, “Reflecting Christ. Transforming Communities.” In so doing, let not words alone satisfy our involvement, but deeds, action, hearts, hands and feet actively engaged in our communities to effect change. It is only
then that we become an “essential” church.
As we process the grieving, noisy and chaotic realities of the recent days, we want to stand against injustice and join hands with each other to express our unity of heart, to express our concern, our pain and love for the hurting families. We call and invite all people to the table of peace and into the intimacy, prayerful and restful silence of Jesus’ presence. It is there that we can find strength to love and compassion to heal. This is what is so badly needed today.
Message from the Central California Conference
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA CONFERENCE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ron Rasmussen
Executive Secretary
Central California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
rrasmussen@cccsda.org | Phone: 559-347-3194
CLOVIS, CALIF.,—April 27, 2020, The Central California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (CCC) continues to monitor the COVID-19 status and information from the appropriate agencies, and is hereby directing and requiring that:
(1) All CCC churches (including companies and church plants) continue to cease all gatherings for church-related events at church locations until further notice by the Conference Administration (pending the lifting of state and local government executive orders).
(2) All CCC schools continue to cease all gatherings for school-related events at school locations until further notice by the Vice President for Education (pending the lifting of state and local government executive orders pertaining to school education).
(3) As for our preschools, they will each follow the directions of the federal, state, county, Conference Education Department, and local Preschool Board to determine the operational status of preschools.
As we face the ongoing challenges of the global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the above actions have been made with much consideration for the health and safety of our members, students and families, and the people of the communities in which we live and serve.
Thank you for your prayers and support as we move closer to the soon return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Amid the Coronavirus Crisis, a Regimen for Reëntry
Health-care workers have been on the job throughout the pandemic. What can they teach us about the safest way to lift a lockdown?
By Atul Gawande
The Risks - Know Them - Avoid Them
Erin S. Bromage, Ph.D., shares her insight on the current risks of transitioning to a more social activity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
SLO Food Bank
SLO Food Bank Operations
Over the past month, the total amount of households we served at our public food distributions has increased by approximately 37%. The volume of SLO Food Bank-sourced food we have provided to our nonprofit agency partners has increased by approximately 67%. The total pounds of food items we included in our No-Cook Bags has increased by approximately 83% and the number of people coming directly to our warehouse looking for food has increased by approximately 485%.
One month ago, our warehouse had a six-month inventory of food based on normal distributions. Over the past two weeks, that six-month inventory quickly became a seven-week inventory based on current demand. We have significantly increased our food orders to stay ahead of this growing need. Those extra food orders arrived this week, and our staff is working diligently to stay ahead of need.
On March 28, 2020, we entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the County of San Luis Obispo which allows the SLO Food Bank to order additional food with County emergency funds. We greatly appreciate this partnership with the County as a vital component to the sustainability of our mission. The County has also reassigned some of their employees to help us with our surge in operations. Approximately 10% of our workforce is now comprised of these County employees.
During these challenging times, we have four overarching goals as we continue to deliver on our shared mission of serving those in need:
Protect the health and safety of our employees, volunteers, community partners, and clients.
Stay ahead of the growing need for nutritious food by those in need, directly and through our partners.
Maximize our region’s eligibility for disaster reimbursement funds while minimizing the SLO Food Bank’s financial exposure.
Position the SLO Food Bank for long-term compassionate service to our region beyond COVID-19. We look forward to being here with you as long as there are people in need.
SLO Food Bank Safety Precautions
We have been monitoring public health guidance from many official sources, including the County Public Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Based on this guidance, we have implemented significant adjustments to our operations. These measures are already in place for our internal operations:
Every morning we have a daily safety briefing with our staff and volunteers.
Anyone who does not feel well is asked to leave and provided with guidance on the medical assistance and information available to them.
For anyone handling food or working in the warehouse, we require vigilant handwashing, glove and mask wearing, and physical distancing.
We put tape on the floor of our warehouse to help enforce physical spacing.
We enhanced the frequency our facility cleaning regimen. In our warehouse, we use disinfecting solution designed for our food handling environment.
If you would like to review a copy of our daily safety message, please let us know as we would be happy to share it with you. We have forwarded our enhanced safety protocols to the County Public Health Officer.
Home Delivery Survey
"My 93 year old mom is getting a weekly supply of food during her self isolation. Amazing what she receives: fresh fruit, canned fruit, veggies, beans, pasta, sauces, canned soups, just to name a few. I've donated. Thank you to the volunteers who deliver at the door and then call to say it's there." - feedback and photo from a client
We have teamed up with the County of San Luis Obispo to provide a home-delivery grocery program to seniors (65+) and those with at-risk medical conditions. Each delivery will include a box of shelf-stable goods and a bag of fresh produce. If you or anyone you know qualifies as a self-isolated individual, please forward them the survey:
Do You Need Food?
We are looking to add additional locations for our public food distributions. If you or someone you know needs food, please visit our regularly updated Food Locator to find information on scheduled distributions or call us at 805-238-4664.
Do You Want to Help?
With the recent countywide closure of non-essential businesses to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the need for food in our community is greater than ever. That's why we are calling on the community to provide monetary donations to keep food on the table during this crisis.
When you spend a dollar to help provide nutrition to someone in need, that is a kind and compassionate gesture. When you give us that dollar to help provide nutrition to those in need, we turn that one dollar into four dollars’ worth of food. That’s kind, compassionate, and financially advantageous!
Visit our website or click the button below to donate, and help ensure that SLO County residents who are facing economic hardship and hunger get the food they need to stay healthy.
As for donations of food, we ask that you do not send in food donations at this time to avoid nonessential travel.
Thank you so much for your support!
Food Safety and COVID-19
Don't Get Upset About "Toilet Paper Hoarding"
Click the link below to read all about it.
Have you seen "Feeding SLO Frontliners"?
Dear church family,
I thought you might be interested in supporting this GoFundMe:
Even a small donation could help reach their fundraising goal to help health workers on the front lines.
Thanks for taking a look.
All for One; One for all,
Pastor Chris
Maintaining a Relationship During the Virus
IN LOCKDOWN WITH YOUR PARTNER? HERE’S HOW HEALTHY COUPLES SURVIVE
BY JULIE GOTTMAN (CONDENSED FROM THE WASHINGTON POST)
As psychologists, psychotherapists and academic researchers, my husband John and I have studied and treated distressed couples for nearly five decades. By analyzing partners’ conversations, emotions and physiology second by second, here is what we’ve learned…
Digital Safety Tips for Families During School Shutdowns
Game Ideas for Kids
Local Resources
Helping Others
If you or someone you know needs help, please email Monica at slochurchoffice@gmail.com. We will do our best to help. We are able to pick-up and deliver groceries, medication, urgent supplies, and mail. We are also available to call those who need a friendly conversation.
The Coronavirus is contagious and we will take every precaution to ensure that the only thing we spread is love and kindness. As such, we will be avoiding physical contact and all items will be left on your doorstep. We are praying you stay healthy!
