The Strawberry Sundae Social

Sunday, June 15 th from 2 to 4 pm at the Community Center Hall

June is bursting forth, the strawberries are getting ripe, and it will soon be the perfect time to join with family, friends, and neighbors to share in the joys of June and a dish of ice cream topped with strawberries ($5/bowl) at the Strawberry Sundae Social, Sunday June 15 th (Father’s Day) from 2pm to 4pm at the Community Center Hall. All proceeds from this year’s event will benefit the Guemes Island Volunteer Fireman’s Association, a support group for our Guemes Island Fire Department. Funds raised assist our firefighters and their families, provide advanced lifesaving and firefighting training, and support community programs such as the Firewise Project. Because of the Association’s support, our fire department now boasts 11 certified EMTs!

Come to the Strawberry Sundae Social, say “Hi”, and meet a firefighter. Bring the family and see what

surprises the Fire Department staff have in store for this Father’s Day!!!

The Strawberry Sundae Social is hosted by the volunteers of Groundfloor Guemes with the support of GICCA.

Grief Circle

Last Sunday of each month from 12noon till 1:30pm in the Spirit of Guemes Center

Please feel welcomed to join us!

Many of us are feeling the effects of loss. Whether through death, disappointment, diminishment, or betrayal, loss comes for us all. Grieving is something all of us must face.

Taking refuge in community is one of the best ways to heal our grief. Please join with fellow Islanders as we gather for mutual support. It doesn’t matter whether you’re grieving a death, a diminished capability, a lost hope, or a fearful future. All are welcome.

Dear Guemes Friends of Immigrants and the 14th Amendment!

As you know immigrants are one of the groups bearing the brunt of the Trump regime’s assault on the US Constitution.  It can be daunting for individuals to address such injustices as we see scenes on our screens of masked “Police” grabbing people from the street, their car, their place of work, or on the way to a scheduled appointment.  So here are two immigrant based and led organizations you can donate to that work to support those arrested with no due process such as is prescribed by the 14th Amendment.  Both have websites:

C2C or Community To Community is based in Whatcom and Skagit and is a diverse, immigrant led support organization with a long history of active engagement. Their primary focus now is to free Alfredo “Lelo” Juarez who was snatched from his car and has been locked up in a private immigrant detention center in Tacoma for weeks now. His court date is set for November because there are 1700 other inmates and only three judges to hear them.  Lelo has been in the US most of his life and is a vital tri-lingual factor in the organization and representation of the local immigrant community.  His detention creates disorder and disruption  as well as fear.  Clearly he is a symbol for a great many others who do not have the name recognition but do share the same current fate.

Tax Deductible Donations should be made out to “Institute for Washington’s Future” at PO Box 1646; Bellingham, WA 98227. Otherwise, make your check out to C2C or Community To Community at the same address.

WAISN is the Washington Immigrant Support Network.  Formed in 2017 as a response to Trump’s first term.  This is a statewide organization that is similar in outlook and structure to C2C.  Its funding is going to Accompaniment, Rapid Response, Thriving Communities and Membership Organization. Accompaniment is for individuals to go with migrants to appointments with DMV or immigration officials and provide support/transportation/witness.   Rapid Response is the formation of teams to witness ICE arrests as they happen and document those, as they happen without obstructing agents.  These involve training, time, motivation… The release of Lelo from Tacoma is also on their agenda.  WAISN runs the Fair Fight Bond Fund that provides funding for bonds to get folks out of the detention center if they qualify. (https://fairfightbondfund.org/) A number of people from Skagit have rec’d bond money, but the need always outstrips supply.

Both Community to Community and WAISN have “DONATE”  buttons on their websites.

If you have questions about these organizations or the issues please feel free to contact me.

Ralph Mendershausen

Ralphr@sti.net