Calling with babies.

Posted September 18, 2014

I don’t have kids myself. Perhaps that is why I am so elated when kiddos come to our office with their parents. 

Last week we had a little four month old girl come to a night of calling with her mother. (I spent a good portion of the evening calling with a sleeping baby on my lap!)

As I called other women in the 8th CD that night and heard babies crying or kids refusing to eat dinner or giggles of bedtime shenanigans, I felt an incredible resolve to talk to these families about why the elections mattered to them.

This is bigger than a victory on election night. This is about women talking to other women about what we need in Minnesota for women and families to succeed- paid time off to care for a sick child, paid paternity leave, affordable childcare.

It is so compelling and honest to watch our Duluth office fill to the brim each Monday and Thursday with a group of women ready to work. The elections aren’t the answer to the big daunting problems we face. But they are a start. They are a place we gather to share what isn’t working, and begin talking about what we can do next.… Continue reading »

What’s happening in the North Country

Posted August 13, 2014

It’s been a busy summer in the North Country for TakeAction Minnesota. We wanted to make sure you knew what we’ve been up to, so we’ll be writing a blog post every month. Here’s our first installment…

It is election season. Picnics, parades, and door knocking abounds in the beautiful land of tall pines and big lakes. It’s my favorite time of the year.  As much as I love running on the amazing trails we have, I am equally jazzed to work hard to elect a slate of progressive Northlanders who will work to create a community that works for everyone.

From Grand Rapids to Duluth we are talking about why the elections matter to us. In Grand Rapids two 90 year old Rosie the Riveters marched in the Tall Timber Days parade to highlight the long way we have come, and the long way we have to go, on women’s economic justice. In Duluth we are hosting working families’ phone banks to talk about why paid sick days matter to working families.

Yes, it’s nice outside. Yes, we could all be dipping our feet off the dock. But would that get us where we want to be in November? Not so much.… Continue reading »