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News from OWOF – January 2025

January 13, 2025

One World One Family

January 2025 Newsletter

There’s alot happening this month as well as important events next month. Please make sure you scroll all the way down. All the individual MLK Jr. Day events are featured below but there’s a summary of them on the City website here.

Save the date: General Meeting & Upcoming Plans

Sunday, February 16th @ 3:00 pm (location tbd)
Let’s get together to discuss issues and concerns in this new milieu! We will review plans for upcoming programs and talk about ways to get involved in the OWOF community. All are welcome to this public meeting. If you’ve been wondering what small thing you might be able to add this year, we encourage you to grab a friend and come check OWOF out!

In planning now is a community social justice book read for February and a panel discussion on immigration issues in March. Stay tuned for more information!

Learn about creative and effective solutions to housing challenges facing our communities. Local leaders and housing experts will present detailed examples of creative, solutions-based Michigan projects that could provide possible answers to the housing challenges facing Western Washtenaw County. Previous programs identified the challenges.  This time we talk about solutions.  Public participation included.

Also note that the Chelsea City Council approved forming a Housing Commission to focus on advocacy. Application period will likely be open in February. More details to come!

Join our HARAMBEE with the Flint Freedom Schools

Saturday, Jan 18 at 2pm.  Board Room in the WSEC (right next to the cafeteria)

The Harambee Welcome experience presented by the Flint Freedom Schools.  Participate and learn about their ties to the original Freedom Schools of the Civil Rights era.  Art project and refreshments.  All ages!

The word Harambee comes from Swahili and means “all pull together” and that’s exactly what happens in this dynamic, uplifting tradition that kicks off every morning at Freedom Schools. Harambee isn’t just a routine, it’s a spark of energy that sets the tone for the entire day. It is a time filled with songs, cheers, chants, stomps, and an inspiring Read-Aloud Guest. This vibrant celebration brings us together in unity of purpose and gets our scholars energized for the day ahead.

A presentation, an interactive learning activity, the art project and refreshments will follow the Harambee.  There is something for everyone.  All ages welcome!

The event begins at 2 pm on January 18, 2025 in the School Board Room (next to the cafeteria) of Building 100 of WSEC. No RSVP is necessary.  There is no charge.

In the spirit of service to others, attendees and interested parties are asked to bring items to donate to the Flint Freedom School Collaborative. Items such as paper towels, sanitizing wipes, crayons, pencils & markers and other school supplies can brought to the event or be dropped off in the lobby of the First United Methodist Church on Park Street.  A full list of suggested items is available on the MLK Events website.  Donations can also be sent directly to the group’s offices via this Amazon wish list.

OWOF is offering this event in cooperation with the Chelsea Human Rights Commission, Chelsea Rotary, Chelsea Kiwanis and First United Methodist Church

Join us as we come together to honor the legacy of those who have worked tirelessly to build bridges of understanding and compassion among all people. This special service will recognize the profound contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., President Jimmy Carter, and others who have dedicated their lives to promoting unity and the common good of humanity. All are welcome to be a part of this meaningful time of remembrance and inspiration. We look forward to gathering as a community to reflect on the transformative power of unity in action.
FUMC, Park Street, Chelsea 4pm 1/19/25

WAVE Bus invites YOU to join our community’s Dream Ride for Martin Luther King Jr. Day! We’re collecting dreams from our amazing community members to create chains of dreams that will decorate our buses. Together, we’ll ride surrounded by hope, inspiration, and connection.

What’s your dream? A new job? A family? Delicious food on the table every day? Share your dreams with us—big or small, they’re all welcome!

DM us your dream(s) on Facebook facebook.com/thewavebus or email us at ride@wavebus.org and we will make a link for each dream sent to us.

Let’s turn our buses into rolling inspirations with a chain link of dreams connecting us all.

Please consider attending this vigil in Ann Arbor on January 20.  It is a meaningful way to show support and can help us begin to understand the issues facing immigrants in Washtenaw County and beyond.

Connecting with the Past Via Historical Fiction

Feb 2nd  2:30pm Reception   3:00pm Talk
Chelsea District Library: McKune Room
All Are Welcome

Dwight Willson is a lifelong activist and author of 14 published books. He will share excerpts and reflections from his published series of stories, written in the voice of his 4th great grandmother, Sarah, a fugitive slave from Culpeper VA who married Charles Ferguson, a Quaker descended from the Penn family. Wilson’s stories cover the period between 1795 and the beginning of the Civil War. These works highlight fascinating historical intertwining between Native Americans, white Quaker families, and Black former slaves.   Dwight will have signed copies of his books available for purchase.

Dwight is the 2024 Interfaith Council for Peace & Justice Honoree in acknowledgement of a lifetime dedicated to community building, activism, and helping to mentor other justice workers.

Sponsored by Chelsea First United Methodist Church (CFUMC) 
Chelsea One World One Family
Chelsea One World One Family️ October 28, 2025

The Tamale Dinner Fund-Raiser for Jackson County for Immigrants Coalition was a huge success. $1800 was raised through a combination of dinner sales, a 50/50 raffle, and cash/ check donations. Pilar's Tamale's in Ann Arbor kindly provided 189 tamale dinners. Customers could "dine-in" or "take out". A traditional Mexican playlist accompanied dinner. Kitchen volunteers worked tirelessly to get meals plated. A Jackson group member brought along a Mexican vendor cart with authentic Mexican candy to sample for a suggested donation. OWOF Board Member, Christa Williams MD, thanked and welcomed guests, and introduced Gayla Ignacio and Amador Ybarra, two of the representatives from Jackson County for Immigrants Coalition. They spoke about their group and its efforts to support and protect immigrants in Jackson County during the heightened, warrantless, ICE arrests of community members and the effect this is having on community members, local businesses and families. A question and answer-session followed, allowing for further discussion of how their group is responding to the situation, and how concerned Chelsea residents may be able to assist. The generosity and caring community spirit of Chelsea was evident throughout the evening. Many excellent conversations were had. More than one OWOF member heard "I hope you will be doing this again". And at the end of the evening, when volunteers were pitching in to clean up, we drew the winning 50/50 raffle ticket, which had just one word on it: "donate". OWOF definitely looks forward to doing a similar fundraiser in the future.

The Tamale Dinner Fund-Raiser for Jackson County for Immigrants Coalition was a huge success. $1800 was raised through a combination of dinner sales, a 50/50 raffle, and cash/ check donations. Pilar's Tamale's in Ann Arbor kindly provided 189 tamale dinners. Customers could "dine-in" or "take out". A traditional Mexican playlist accompanied dinner. Kitchen volunteers worked tirelessly to get meals plated. A Jackson group member brought along a Mexican vendor cart with authentic Mexican candy to sample for a suggested donation. OWOF Board Member, Christa Williams MD, thanked and welcomed guests, and introduced Gayla Ignacio and Amador Ybarra, two of the representatives from Jackson County for Immigrants Coalition. They spoke about their group and its efforts to support and protect immigrants in Jackson County during the heightened, warrantless, ICE arrests of community members and the effect this is having on community members, local businesses and families. A question and answer-session followed, allowing for further discussion of how their group is responding to the situation, and how concerned Chelsea residents may be able to assist. The generosity and caring community spirit of Chelsea was evident throughout the evening. Many excellent conversations were had. More than one OWOF member heard "I hope you will be doing this again". And at the end of the evening, when volunteers were pitching in to clean up, we drew the winning 50/50 raffle ticket, which had just one word on it: "donate". OWOF definitely looks forward to doing a similar fundraiser in the future.
The Tamale Dinner Fund-Raiser for Jackson County for Immigrants Coalition was a huge success. $1800 was raised through a combination of dinner sales, a 50/50 raffle, and cash/ check donations. Pilar's Tamale's in Ann Arbor kindly provided 189 tamale dinners. Customers could "dine-in" or "take out". A traditional Mexican playlist accompanied dinner. Kitchen volunteers worked tirelessly to get meals plated. A Jackson group member brought along a Mexican vendor cart with authentic Mexican candy to sample for a suggested donation. OWOF Board Member, Christa Williams MD, thanked and welcomed guests, and introduced Gayla Ignacio and Amador Ybarra, two of the representatives from Jackson County for Immigrants Coalition. They spoke about their group and its efforts to support and protect immigrants in Jackson County during the heightened, warrantless, ICE arrests of community members and the effect this is having on community members, local businesses and families. A question and answer-session followed, allowing for further discussion of how their group is responding to the situation, and how concerned Chelsea residents may be able to assist. The generosity and caring community spirit of Chelsea was evident throughout the evening. Many excellent conversations were had. More than one OWOF member heard "I hope you will be doing this again". And at the end of the evening, when volunteers were pitching in to clean up, we drew the winning 50/50 raffle ticket, which had just one word on it: "donate". OWOF definitely looks forward to doing a similar fundraiser in the future. The Tamale Dinner Fund-Raiser for Jackson County for Immigrants Coalition was a huge success. $1800 was raised through a combination of dinner sales, a 50/50 raffle, and cash/ check donations. Pilar's Tamale's in Ann Arbor kindly provided 189 tamale dinners. Customers could "dine-in" or "take out". A traditional Mexican playlist accompanied dinner. Kitchen volunteers worked tirelessly to get meals plated. A Jackson group member brought along a Mexican vendor cart with authentic Mexican candy to sample for a suggested donation. OWOF Board Member, Christa Williams MD, thanked and welcomed guests, and introduced Gayla Ignacio and Amador Ybarra, two of the representatives from Jackson County for Immigrants Coalition. They spoke about their group and its efforts to support and protect immigrants in Jackson County during the heightened, warrantless, ICE arrests of community members and the effect this is having on community members, local businesses and families. A question and answer-session followed, allowing for further discussion of how their group is responding to the situation, and how concerned Chelsea residents may be able to assist. The generosity and caring community spirit of Chelsea was evident throughout the evening. Many excellent conversations were had. More than one OWOF member heard "I hope you will be doing this again". And at the end of the evening, when volunteers were pitching in to clean up, we drew the winning 50/50 raffle ticket, which had just one word on it: "donate". OWOF definitely looks forward to doing a similar fundraiser in the future. +3 The Tamale Dinner Fund-Raiser for Jackson County for Immigrants Coalition was a huge success. $1800 was raised through a combination of dinner sales, a 50/50 raffle, and cash/ check donations. Pilar's Tamale's in Ann Arbor kindly provided 189 tamale dinners. Customers could "dine-in" or "take out". A traditional Mexican playlist accompanied dinner. Kitchen volunteers worked tirelessly to get meals plated. A Jackson group member brought along a Mexican vendor cart with authentic Mexican candy to sample for a suggested donation. OWOF Board Member, Christa Williams MD, thanked and welcomed guests, and introduced Gayla Ignacio and Amador Ybarra, two of the representatives from Jackson County for Immigrants Coalition. They spoke about their group and its efforts to support and protect immigrants in Jackson County during the heightened, warrantless, ICE arrests of community members and the effect this is having on community members, local businesses and families. A question and answer-session followed, allowing for further discussion of how their group is responding to the situation, and how concerned Chelsea residents may be able to assist. The generosity and caring community spirit of Chelsea was evident throughout the evening. Many excellent conversations were had. More than one OWOF member heard "I hope you will be doing this again". And at the end of the evening, when volunteers were pitching in to clean up, we drew the winning 50/50 raffle ticket, which had just one word on it: "donate". OWOF definitely looks forward to doing a similar fundraiser in the future.
Chelsea One World One Family
Chelsea One World One Family️ October 17, 2025

March on Saturday and help the resistance by ordering dinner by Tuesday!

Chelsea One World One Family
Chelsea One World One Family️ October 14, 2025

After the rally on Saturday, come hear from Voters Not Politicians on Sunday.

After the rally on Saturday, come hear from Voters Not Politicians on Sunday.
Chelsea One World One Family
Chelsea One World One Family️ October 12, 2025

Great event coming! Pilar’s famous tamales to support Jackson Immigrant Rights activities. They are doing good work with very few resources. Get your orders in now before 10-21.

Great event coming! Pilar’s famous tamales to support Jackson Immigrant Rights activities. They are doing good work with very few resources. Get your orders in now before 10-21.
Chelsea One World One Family
Chelsea One World One Family️ October 7, 2025

Voter rights/voter suppression! Important conversation - 5th in our series of Making Sense of the Unprecedented. Sunday 10/19 - 3pm Council Chambers

Voter rights/voter suppression! Important conversation - 5th in our series of Making Sense of the Unprecedented. Sunday 10/19 - 3pm Council Chambers
Chelsea One World One Family
Chelsea One World One Family️ October 2, 2025

Sunday, Oct 5. 5pm at First United Methodist Church in Chelsea. Important work!

Sunday, Oct 5. 5pm at First United Methodist Church in Chelsea. Important work!
Chelsea One World One Family
Chelsea One World One Family️ September 24, 2025

Reminder for Thursday. Attainable housing basics. A chance to understand how solutions are crafted. Thursday, Sept 25 a 7pm in Council Chambers

Reminder for Thursday. Attainable housing basics. A chance to understand how solutions are crafted. Thursday, Sept 25 a 7pm in Council Chambers
Chelsea One World One Family
Chelsea One World One Family️ September 19, 2025

We've got alot to talk about!! Let's start with Emergency Powers and Executive Orders and go from there... Sunday, Sept 21 at 3pm at The Chelsea Depot Readings (articles & videos) available at https://owofchelsea.org/resources/community-discussion/ If you run out of time to read or watch, COME ANYWAY!

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