(Weekly Update #184)
Dear Members and Advocates,
Happy New Year!
I woke up this morning imagining what it would have been like had I slipped into a coma in 2019 and just woke up. The world has sure changed a lot in just a few years. I imagine I would be a bit freaked out walking into grocery stores and seeing so many people wearing masks. That shock would quickly be replaced after seeing the prices of groceries! Who would have expected we would see the fastest pace of food inflation in such a short amount of time? I’m sure I would be pleasantly surprised at my home value, but even more surprised that my used car is worth more today than it was three years before!
Emerging from my imagined time warp would be a startling realization of just how dramatically things can change in such a short amount of time. Only then I would check on the status of the registry and be disappointed by how slowly things have moved during that time. Nearly six years after Does v. Snyder was decided in Michigan, the plaintiffs are still fighting the state to get the relief they won. And here in Florida, our Ex Post Facto Plus challenge (which was filed in 2018) is still being fought, only now we are in the Appellate court with a second case filed in the Northern District.
That’s not to say that a lot hasn’t taken place during that time. Looking at the volume of motions and replies that have been filed makes me appreciate the extraordinary amount of work that goes into advancing these cases. Knowing how slowly the wheels of justice turn, if I were coming out of a coma today, I’d be happy to see the fight is still alive and equally happy to see that support for the battle has not waned one bit. In fact, it has grown!
Several months ago we announced a fundraising challenge to help sustain the Ex Post Facto Plus challenge. Funds were necessary to keep fueling the litigation expenses and ensure we’d be able to stay in this fight for the long haul. Keep in mind, none of these funds go to FAC and none of the funds go towards the Attorney’s fees. These donations are just going to cover the costs and expenses. A few very, very generous benefactors stepped up and offered to match donations to help us meet our 2021 year end goal and many very, very generous contributors accepted the challenge, donating what they could, and turned their $5 into $10, $50 into $100 and so on… We are very excited to announce that we met our goal! We even exceeded it! We will have the resources to see this through to (a hopefully soon and hopefully successful) resolution!!! Thank you to all who stepped up!
2022 will be a year of emergence. It’s a year we plan to make things happen. Whether you are coming out of a coma, coming out of your home after pandemic isolation, or coming out of your shell and becoming more active in advocacy, we want each of our committees to set lofty goals for 2022 and we want more of you to step up to help us meet them.
Please join us this Thursday night for our monthly member call on which we will have the chair of each committee speak briefly about where things stand and what their committees hope to achieve in the coming year. Thursday night’s call will also be an opportunity for members to chime in on what they would like to see our organization strive to accomplish in 2022. It will be your opportunity to let the board members get a sense of what challenges most of us are facing so we know which areas to focus resources towards. We look forward to having you join the call.
So happy new year everyone. It’s time to wake up, grab a really strong cup of coffee and start getting our hands dirty!
Sincerely,
The Florida Action Committee
Announcements
Thursday January 6th – 8:00 pm Monthly Membership call with FAC Board President and Directors. There will be a discussion on 2021 Accomplishments and 2022 Goals. Call-in at 319-527-3487. Any trouble connecting, text “CALL ME” to 319-527-3487 to receive a call-back and be connect to the service.
Saturday January 8th – 11am-1:00pm – Therapist-led Family Support Call (family and support of loved one on the Registry; no Registered Citizens). Call is by invitation only, via Zoom conference and you must be an FAC member. To participant and join the group by video or just phone, email [email protected] or call 833-273-7325, Option 1.
Thursday January 13th – 8:00 pm New Member Orientation call with County Coordinators. Ask questions, get resources, learn more about the FAC Organization and volunteer opportunities. Call-in at 319-527-3487. If you have any trouble connecting, text “CALL ME” to 319-527-3487 to receive a call-back and be connect to the service.
Saturday, January 15th – Duval FAC Meet and Greet in the Riverside area of Jacksonville from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. There will be light refreshments at the end of the meeting and will be a great opportunity to meet and speak with other members in your area! Please RSVP no later than Thursday, January 13th by contacting your Duval County Coordinator by Email [email protected]; telephone call or text (904) 300-0109. You will receive a response back that will provide you with the FAC Meet and Greet’s physical location and parking directions. Hope to see you on the 15th!
Saturday, January 22nd– Legislative Committee meeting in Palm Beach (or attend via Zoom) from 10am-Noon. Discuss pending bills, tracking bills, FL House and Senate committees, and how to communicate Call-to-Action alerts. In-Person meeting in Palm Beach (seating is limited) or join by Zoom. For location or Zoom link, RSVP to [email protected] or call 833-273-7325, Option 1. Provide your name and the number attending. A County Coordinator will call you with location or email the Zoom link.
Saturday, February 5th – Central FL Meet and Greet in Apopka (Orange County) Noon-3:00pm. Get ready to address and stuff envelopes for letter campaign to local leaders and representatives. Meet other members and enjoy light refreshments as we work. RSVP to [email protected] or call 833-273-7325, Option 1. Provide your name and the number attending. A County Coordinator will call you with location and details.
Saturday, February 26th – Broward FAC Meet and Greet in the Hollywood from 11am – 2:pm. Light Refreshments and special guest speaker. RSVP to [email protected] or call 833-273-7325, Option 1. Provide your name and the number attending. One of the Broward County Coordinators will call you with location and details.
Need to Talk? FAC has peer volunteers that are here to talk one-on-one, call 904-452-8322. Volunteers are not available 24/7 but you will receive a call as soon as possible. If you have an emergency, call 911, or helpline at 1-800-273-8255 or a crisis center (Listing of Crisis Centers and Hotlines)
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MEMBER CALLS
General Membership Call – First Thursday of each month at 8pm ET
New Member Orientation – Second Thursday of each month at 8pm ET.
All Guests must identify their First name and County. No Last Names. Unknown callers will be blocked.\
Listen by Phone:
Two options are offered due to various member phone plans.
OPTION 1: Dial (319) 527-3487 No Access code required.
OPTION 2: Dial 605-472-5311 then Enter Show ID: 739392# (long distance rates may apply)
If you have any trouble connecting to the call, text “CALL ME” to 319-527-3487 from your mobile phone.
FreeConferenceCall.com will call you back and connect you to the conference.
With Unity Comes Change -Get Involved and Volunteer Today!
Florida Action Committee
www.floridaactioncommittee.org
[email protected]
833-2-REPEAL 833-273-7325
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