Merrimack Valley Project Inc

IMMIGRANT JUSTICE CAMPAIGNS - MVP LEADERS HAVE LED THE WAY IN CALLING FOR IMMIGRANT JUSTICE THROUGHOUT THE REGION. THIS PAST YEAR, MVP WAS A REGIONAL LEADER FOR BOTH THE SAFE COMMUNITIES ACT AND THE WORK AND FAMILY MOBILITY ACT, THE LATTER OF WHICH HAD MVP EARNING THE PUBLIC SUPPORT OF 11 VALLEY LEGISLATORS AS CO-SPONSORS OF THE BILL. MVP LEADERS CONTINUE TO TARGET AND PUT PUBLIC PRESSURE ON 3 VALLEY LEGISLATORS WHO ARE SEEN AS CRITICAL SWING VOTES SHOULD THE BILL COME TO THE FLOOR FOR A VOTE THIS FALL. SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER & CRIMINAL JUSTICE CAMPAIGN - IN JANUARY, MVP SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE LEADERS HELPED RELAUNCHED WHEELS OF HOPE, A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES FREE RIDES TO RECOVERY AND REHABILITATION CENTERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE. THROUGH MID-SEPTEMBER, THE PROGRAM HAD PROVIDED 280 INDIVIDUALS WITH OVER 600 RIDES TO FACILITIES IN BOSTON, WORCESTER, SPRINGFIELD, PITTSFIELD, HYANNIS AND EVERYWHERE IN-BETWEEN. MVP LEADERS ARE WORKING TO IDENTIFY ALLIES THAT WOULD HELP SECURE PERMANENT STATE FUNDING, STARTING IN 2022. WORKER JUSTICE CAMPAIGN - AS THE REGIONAL LEAD OF THE RAISE UP MA COALITION, MVP HAS CONTINUED TO BE THE LEADING ADVOCATE FOR WORKER JUSTICE IN THE MERRIMACK VALLEY. IN 2021, MVP LEADERS HELPED PUT PUBLIC PRESSURE ON THE REGION'S LEGISLATORS TO ADVANCE THE FAIR SHARE AMENDMENT OUT OF THE STATE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION, SETTING IT UP TO BE PLACED ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER OF 2022. MVP WAS A CO-SPONSOR OF TWO SEPARATE REGIONAL LAUNCHES THAT BROUGHT OVER 120 LEADERS TO RALLIES IN SUPPORT OF THE FAIR SHARE AMENDMENT DURING THE MONTH OF JUNE. SINCE THEN, MVP ECONOMIC JUSTICE LEADERS HAVE BEEN GATHERING VOTE PLEDGES, BOTH ONLINE AND IN-PERSON, TO IDENTIFY SUPPORTERS OF THE AMENDMENT TO HELP THE COALITION REACH ITS STATEWIDE GOAL OF HAVING IDENTIFIED 100,000 SUPPORTERS BY THE END OF 2021. FOOD INSECURITY - TOGETHER WITH MERRIMACK VALLEY INTERFAITH NETWORK, MVP WORKED TO COORDINATE EFFORTS TO ORGANIZE VOLUNTEERS, MAINTAIN RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PASTORS, AND RAISE FUNDS TO MEET THE GREAT NEED FOR FOOD. THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING FOOD FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE IN THE COMMUNITY GOES HAND-IN-HAND WITH COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT. ACCOMPANYING AND BUILDING A COMMUNITARIAN AND PARTICIPATORY SHARED LEADERSHIP IS THE MISSION OF MVP.COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT - THROUGHOUT 2021, MVP LEADERS WORKED TO EDUCATE AND ENGAGE THE PUBLIC ON A NUMBER OF KEY ISSUES. TO START WITH, MVP LAWRENCE LEADERS WORKED WITH FAITH AND LABOR LEADERS TO HAVE A SERIES OF MEETINGS WITH THE 5 MAYORAL CANDIDATES IN THE CITY TO LEARN ABOUT THEIR VIEWS ON IMPORTANT COMMUNITY ISSUES, INCLUDING HOW THEY WOULD SPEND NEARLY $41 MILLION IN MERRIMACK RENEWAL FUND FROM THE 2018 GAS EXPLOSIONS. IN HAVERHILL, MVP LATINO LEADERS WERE PART OF A SERIES OF MEETINGS WITH LEGAL ADVISORS ON CREATING MORE FAIR AND MORE JUST LOCAL ELECTIONS WITH BETTER REPRESENTATION FOR ALL THE CITY'S NEIGHBORHOODS. IN LOWELL, MVP LEADERS HELPED EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT A NEW CITYWIDE VOTING SYSTEM THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION WITH LOWELL VOTES AHEAD OF THE SEPTEMBER PRIMARY.