Effective community organizing to be be discussed in Saturday workshop

The community is invited to learn how to join voices for effective change at home and across Tennessee at a training workshop on community organizing on Saturday, May 5. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic School, located at 323 Vermont Avenue in Oak Ridge, a press release said.

The training will be offered in English and in Spanish. There is no charge to attend but a donation of $10 is requested for lunch and snacks, payable on site. In order to plan for food, please reserve a spot by email to Greg Easterly at [email protected] or www.facebook.com/events/142180826614346/.

“We’re excited to have the opportunity to learn from Gamaliel’s founders, Greg Galluzzo and Mary Gonzales, who will teach how to work together to build a powerful alliance to tackle issues of concern in our community,” said Easterly, who is lead organizer for Alliance for Community Transformation of East Tennessee.

The mission of the Gamaliel Foundation is to empower ordinary people to constructively participate in the political, environmental, social, and economic decisions affecting their lives, the press release said. The Gamaliel Foundation is credited to have launched the community organizing career of Barack Obama, the release said. Learn more about the Gamaliel Foundation at www.gamaliel.org.

The May 5 workshop stems from the Alliance for Community Transformation of East Tennessee (ACT of East TN). After meeting independently for some time, ACT Knoxville and Strong United Oak Ridge leaders merged in 2017 to form the Alliance for Community Transformation of East TN, a regional coalition of congregations, community organizations, and labor groups united to empower ordinary people to participate effectively in the political, environmental, social, and economic decisions affecting their lives, the press release said. Diverse members apply their values in the pursuit of equal opportunity for all, shared abundance, and stronger, more prosperous communities, the release said. ACT of East TN meets monthly, with member institutions serving as hosts on a rotating basis. For meeting times and locations, visit www.facebook.com/ACTofEastTN.

For more information on the workshop, contact Easterly at [email protected].

This press release was submitted by Maureen Hoyt.