RISC is ready to continue to fight for increasing affordable housing and reducing gun violence. RISC will continue meeting online, virtually, on Zoom. You can become a member of St. Elizabeth’s RISC team at any time. Membership is free, though donations are appreciated. In this blog post, you will learn of meetings in November and calls to action for you to take at home. If you have questions or would like to learn more about RISC contact:
Deacon Chris Barrett at [email protected] or (804) 266-3596 (voice, no text)
Emily Small, RISC Lead Organizer at [email protected] or (804) 476-0064
11/11/2020 November’s Community Problems Assembly: Update from Emily Small, RISC Lead Organizer
RISC held its Community Problems Assembly. The Assembly is the first of our four Justice Ministry (Rodef Tzedek) Assemblies of the year! It was a powerful gathering, with approximately 450 of you in attendance. This was an increase of nearly 200 over last year’s turnout – an indicator of some good solid growth!
Deacon Lacy reported that RISC raised more than $82,000 in their annual congregational Investment Drive – an increase of $36,000 over what was raised by the end of 2019. RISC welcomed its Executive Committee of Pastor Ralph Hodge and Steve Saltzberg, Co-Presidents • Pastor William Eric Jackson Sr., Vice President • Kristin Gorin, Secretary • Pastor Don Coleman, Barbara Jacocks, Aubrey Jones, Nancy Kunkel, Deacon Janice Lacy, Deacon Renee Mills, At-Large Officers. RISC welcomed to its member congregation St. John’s Episcopal in Church Hill
At the end of the evening, Deacon Renee Mills put forward a CALL TO ACTION:
Attend the Research Kickoff on December 7th at 6:30 pm (on Zoom). RISC will form its issue committees around Gun Violence and Affordable Housing.
Attend the Housing “Mini-Action” at the city’s Finance & Economic Development committee meeting on December 17th at 12:30 pm (on Zoom). RISC needs a large number of people to attend. RISC wants the committee to forward the Mayor’s Ordinance creating a dedicated stream of funding for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. If this request passses the committee, the ordinance will go to the full Council for a vote.
Register to attend either one of these meeting. The registration form will add you to RISC’s email list. There is no financial obligation to join RISC.
11/9/2020 Update from Emily Small, RISC Lead Organizer
Call To Action: Affordable Housing
Our City Council members have a City Council meeting on Monday evening and therefore cannot attend our Community Problems Assembly in person. Councilpersons Robertson, Lynch and Addison agreed to a video recording session with RISC. We submitted to them questions around housing. They agreed to record their responses. We will play them during the Community Problems Assembly. We have recordings from two of the three, and hope to have the third by Monday evening.
Call To Action: Reducing Gun Violence
Mayor Stoney has declined our invitation to attend our Community Problems Assembly. He also declined to meet with us and he has not responded to a letter we mailed him after he secured his win as Richmond City Mayor for a second term. We then sent him a letter yesterday (Thursday) – Please read the letter by clicking here!
The Richmond Times Dispatch wrote an article about the wave of violence that has taken over the city. August was a deadly month in the city. The article points out that gun shots were fired approximately every 18 hours. Read about a mother who lost her son to gun violence. The article quotes members of RISC. Read the article.
