Thursday, November 3, 2011
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Walk-a-Thon Off to a Great Start
Cumberland and Roaring River Chapters Raise $2,225
Well the Cumberland and Roaring River Chapters have really raised the bar! Our Middle Tennessee friends (and their wonderful dogs that served as walking buddies) raised $2,225 from their Walk at Cumberland Mountain State Park on October 29th. Over $1,500 of that was raised by longtime member Bill Naumann. Great job, Bill! Now the challenge rests with the rest of our members. SOCM's other chapters will hold their walks on Saturday, November 12th. Bedford and Maury County Chapters will meet at Henry Horton State Park in Chapel Hill. The Jackson Chapter will be walking from the Jackson office to the intersection of Highland and Allen. And we are pleased to announce the first-ever Walk for Justice in Knoxville at Tyson Park. Following the Knoxville walk, SOCM members will head over to the UNITE! Building at 1124 North Broadway for a rally with Tennesseans for Fair Taxation.
If you would like to walk, please visit our website www.socm.org and click on the walk you would like to participate in under the calendar of events. There you can find a sponsor sheet. When asking your friends and neighbors to sponsor you, remember to mention that we are walking to:
- Improve the quality of life in the community.
- Build a green-collar economy that attracts high-paying, sustainable industry jobs.
- Create racially-just communities where all are empowered.
- Protect our environment.
- Preserve our rich heritage for generations to come.
- Defend our rights as local residents to have a say in what goes on in our communities.
If you can't make it, please consider sponsoring a participant instead. You can send a donation to the SOCM office or through the website and specify which chapter or walker you would like to sponsor.
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"Every Member Get a Member" Winner
Johnny Farris
We are so pleased to announce that Johnny Farris is this month's "Every Member Get a Member" winner! Johnny is from Maury County and serves on SOCM's Board of Directors as vice president. He wins SOCM gear, which we know he will put to good use. Thanks for all your hard work Johnny!
Next month, we will be giving away a necklace by Box of Pearls. This necklace measures about 20 inches in length, and displays both delicate sterling silver chain, and a thick gauged gun metal chain. One side is decorated with hand shaped and hammered copper wire, wrapped in sterling wire and a single fresh water pearl. The other side displays a black agate disc. It is finished off with a sterling silver lobster claw clasp and my signature pearl.
Don't forget to keep telling your friends about all the great work SOCM is doing. When they sign up to be a member, make sure they indicate that you recruited them. Our "Every Member Get a Member" campaign is still going strong and we want to thank everyone who has participated, thus far.
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Help Spread the Word about SOCM
Find a Volunteer Opportunity in Your Area
Volunteering is a great way to learn about SOCM and it's fun! Whether it's helping out in the office, making phone calls during fundraising campaigns, attending events on behalf of SOCM, speaking and conducting outreach, or handing out information, member volunteers help ensure SOCM's success. You can get to know staff, fellow SOCM fans and members of your community when you volunteer to help.
Here are a few current volunteer opportunities with SOCM in Knoxville:
Fri., November 4: Freedom Spirit Festival (downtown Knoxville)
Event hours: 9am-10pm *Membership/Information table
Sat., November 12: SOCM Walk for Justice (Tyson Park, Knoxville/ Henry Horton State Park, Chapel Hill/ Downtown Jackson) 9am to 2pm *Event set-up, help during event, clean-up
 Sat., November 12: Tennesseans for Fair Taxation Rally (UNITE Here! Building, 1124 N. Broadway, Knoxville) 2pm-6pm *Membership/Information table Wed., November 16: Market Square Farmer's Market (downtown Knoxville) Table hours: 10am-2pm *Membership/Information table Sat., November 19: Market Square Farmer's Market (downtown Knoxville) Table hours: 10am-2pm *Membership/Information table Sat., December 3: Market Square Holiday Market (downtown Knoxville) Table hours: 10am-7pm *Membership/Information table  Don't forget that you can also join our speakers bureau (represent SOCM in the media), street team (help spread the word about SOCM events in your area), or the event team (help SOCM in the planning and production of our own events). To volunteer for one of these Knoxville opportunities, please contact Jennie Caissie (jennie@socm.org). For more volunteer opportunities in your area, please contact your Chapter Organizer.
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Knoxville Mayoral Debate a Success! City of Knoxville Mayoral Candidates Discussed Energy, Policies and Green Jobs
On November 1, just one week before election day, SOCM joined with other local organizations to co-host a City of Knoxville mayoral debate to find out where the candidates stand on issues of efficient and renewable sources of energy, weatherization opportunities for low-income residents, and bringing green jobs to Knoxville. The debate was held by a newly-formed partnership which will work with the new mayor on an initiative called Knoxville Energy Alliance and Partnership for Green Jobs, otherwise known as KEAP Green Jobs. KEAP Green Jobs is a program that will promote energy efficiency and renewable energy (especially in low- and moderate-income areas) in an attempt to bring green jobs to the City of Knoxville and promote environmental sustainability. To learn more about the KEAP Green Jobs Alliance, visit www.keapgreenjobs.org.
Groups sponsoring the debate include SEEED (Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development), SOCM (Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment), TSEA (Tennessee Solar Energy Association) and TAP (Tennessee Alliance for Progress) in conjunction with the East Tennessee Chapter US Green Building Council and Jobs with Justice of East Tennessee.
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Giving to SOCM Made Easy
Community Shares Offers Workplace Giving and Employer Matching Programs
Did you know that SOCM is a member of Community Shares, a statewide workplace-giving organization dedicated to supporting Tennessee social change organizations in order to promote a more just and caring community? Many workplaces across the state participate as a Community Shares workplace-giving partner. Federal employees can even give to SOCM through the Combined Federal Campaign by choosing Community Shares as the recipient and designating SOCM to receive the donation. It's a great and easy way to support us and other organizations that work for change in our communities.
If your employer is not yet a partner with Community Shares, encourage them to become a workplace-giving partner. Some employers even have donation matching policies, which can double and triple the employee's donation with a match. For more on workplace giving programs, including how you can get a program at your place of work, contact Jennie Caissie at jennie@socm.org or visit your Human Resources department.
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SOCM Staff and Members Learn from CMOP
SOCM Communications Director Casey Self, West Tennessee Organizer Monica Kimball, Board member Patrick Morales and Knoxville member Josh Outsey attended the Community Media Organizing Project (CMOP) annual training last week in Nashville. The foursome met and shared stories with organizers from all over the southeast and picked up some great tips on using the media to further SOCM's efforts. They attended workshops on framing messages, language justice, online mapping, video blogs, youth engagement, and more. Look for SOCM to start using some great new communications tools in the future!
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Your Community Needs You
Join SOCM today! Click on the link below and designate your donation as membership dues or mail us a check with "new member" in the memo line.
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SOCM Board Meeting
Saturday, Nov. 5
Lebanon, TN9:15am - 3:15pm cst Bedford County Chapter Meeting Tuesday, Nov. 8 Shelbyville, TN 6:30 - 8 p.m. cst
Jackson Chapter Meeting
Tuesday, Nov. 8
West Tennessee Office
Jackson, TN
5:30 - 6:30 p.m. cst
Saturday, Nov. 12
Henry Horton State Park
Chapel Hill, TN
Tyson Park
Knoxville, TNJackson SOCM Office Jackson, TN
Other Events of Interest
Tennesseans for Fair Taxation Statewide Day of Action
Saturday, Nov. 12
UNITE Here! Building
1124 N. Broadway, Knoxville
2 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Legislative Plaza
Union and 6th Ave., Nashville
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Civic Plaza
with Occupy Memphis
3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Tennesseans for Fair Taxation will host a day of action to call upon officials to untax groceries and tax the wealthy in Tennessee. For more information, go to www.fairtaxation.org. SOCM will have a table at the Knoxville rally. Informational Sessions on Tennessee Health Insurance Exchanges Hendersonville Nov. 7, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., 6 p.m reception Life Church, 120 Indian Lake Blvd. RSVP- paige@gallatintn.org Nashville Nov. 8, 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. Multimedia Room, 3rd Fl of Tennessee Tower, 312 Rosa L. Parks Ave. Nov. 9, 12 - 1:30 p.m. Spruce Street Baptist Church, 504 Spruce St. Nov. 18, 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. First Church of Nazarene, 510 Woodland St. RSVP- Terri Lawson, 615-313-9980 $25/TCSW, $35/Non-member includes lunch Cookeville Nov. 8, 6 - 8 p.m., 5:30 reception Putnam County Chamber of Commerce, 1 West First St. RSVP- 931-526-2211 Bristol Nov. 10, 3 p.m. Bristol Chamber of Commerce, 20 Volunteer Parkway RSVP- Tgoforth@bristolchamber.org Blountville Nov. 10, 7 p.m. Wellmont Performing Arts Center, Northeast State Community College RSVP- zellie@chartertn.net Knoxville Nov. 14, 7 p.m. East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay St. RSVP- cmyers9@utk.edu Jackson Nov. 17, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. Location TBD RSVP- Terri Lawson, 615-313-9980 $25/TCSW, $35/Non-member includes lunch Memphis Nov. 17, 6 - 8 p.m. Fogelman Executive Center, University of Memphis, 330 Innovation Dr. Register- www.myhealthchoice.com
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-Mother Teresa
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