JONAH, the Chippewa Valley nonprofit that focuses on social justice issues and their root causes, is looking for expanded public input and involvement at a hybrid meeting scheduled for 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday (June 27).
JONAH members, partners or would-be partners and the general public are all invited to attend, according to a press release from the organization. The agenda will include updates from JONAH’s seven task forces, stories of lived experiences in regard to mental health and child poverty and time for comments and questions from attendees.
The in-person meeting will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1314 E. Lexington Blvd. in Eau Claire. Those wishing to attend online can do so by clicking here.
JONAH’s task forces deal with transportation issues, affordable housing, child poverty, criminal justice issues, immigration, the environment and mental health. Discussion topics at the meeting will include actions the group has taken in regard to transit issues and criminal justice reforms.
Food will be available from the RexMex food truck. Admission to the meeting is free but anyone making a donation to JONAH will receive food tickets.
JONAH organizer Lynn Buske said the event is intended to deal with the fact that group members too often feel disconnected from JONAH’s various activities.
“We do so much in JONAH we struggle to find enough avenues to share it,” Buske said. “We also want to take time to hear back from the community,” especially since currently “there is a lot of interest in social change.”
She added that JONAH is planning to repeat this hybrid type of gathering.
“JONAH has been around for 15 years, but after COVID everything feels new,” she said. “It feels great to accommodate different needs by having a hybrid format.”
Buske noted that JONAH draws its membership from a wide variety of religious backgrounds. The group approaches its efforts as a faith-based organization drawing on interfaith religious values “as opposed to political position,” she said.
“JONAH is open to everyone regardless of their beliefs,” she said. “We are non-partisan and focus on compassion, inclusion and equity.”
More information is available on the JONAH website (www.jonahjustice.org) or by emailing Buske at cvjonahorganizer@gmail.com.