When Truth In Recruiting talks with young women in high schools, there are a couple of key points we make for those considering enlisting. We think they need to know just how "macho" the military is, just how male dominated it still is despite the growing numbers of females in the military and the slowly growing number of female officers. Female veterans' suicide rate is three times higher than non-veterans, at least in part due to the sexual assault and rape rates in the military, which are far higher than civilian life. Earlier this year a class action suit was filed against the Pentagon for its long standing failure to stop sexual assault. We are hoping this suit will successfully get the military's attention to this pervasive, devastating problem for all too many female enlistees. 

As the date approaches for high school students to submit their requests for the eight peace scholarships, we are hearing more interest is this scholarship as a way to promote peace.  Donations to support this project are still needed.

On Saturday March 19, the 8^th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War, individuals from a broad coalition of organizations will be walking together through downtown Eugene for a just world without war. The walk will begin and end at First Christian Church, 1166 Oak. The event will be from 11:30 am to 1pm.

We'll be calling for a redirection of federal funding to fund our kids' education, jobs for the unemployed, and other human needs and not endless war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. Congress has appropriated over one trillion dollars for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. The cost to Eugene taxpayers for example has been huge- $106.9 million for the Afghanistan war and $219.8 million to wage war in Iraq (http://nationalpriorities.org).

Mayor Piercy will welcome us, we will walk through downtown Eugene, led by drums and music, then return to the church dining room for speakers, music and chili provided by Church Women United. For more information visit the Peace Feast and Walk website,  Facebook, or see the route map.

Please join us Monday, April 4, 7-9pm at First Christian Church, as we read Martin Luther Kind Jr's prophetic 1967 speech linking opposition to the Vietnam war with the struggle for social justice.

Stay tuned as we're planning a Tax Day event and other actions that highlight the costs of war and the need to create a culture of peace and justice.

Volunteers affiliated with CALC can take pleasure in this winter's Egan Warming Center accomplishments:   

• 23 nights of shelter at 8 sites
• 6000+ beds for 600+ unique guests
• 12,000+ meals served
• 325+ unique volunteers  
• Perhaps most important: our homeless neighbors learned that many in our communities care about them.    

Let's remember that the Egan project got its impetus when, in December 2008, folks from the Springfield Shelter Rights Alliance (SSRA) provided six nights of shelter at three Springfield churches.  The SSRA was organized by CALC's program in Springfield, Springfield Alliance for Equality and Respect (SAfER).

It's a good guess that CALC's members and supporters participated at all or most of the sites, and we know that CALC folks were lead volunteers at a number of sites.  If you are CALC-connected, we'd love to hear about your Egan experience.  Where did you volunteer?  What job did you do?  

Agnes Stewart Middle School, 900 South 32nd Street, Springfield 

Kori Rodley Irons, Co-Director, Administration and Development

This is a sympathetic novel about the effect of a gender transition on a romantic relationship, a family, and a community. While I would have preferred a more in depth exploration from the point of view of the transitioning character, the way this book explores the challenges of transgender in modern day makes it very mainstream and accessible.  It makes a good weekend read or a calming and sensitive exploration of human connection.

Russell Melia, Office Manager