Reserve your seat/more information: 508-840-0044
FILM SCREENING & DISCUSSION for MAYDAY
Film: Made in L.A.
Saturday April 24th
6:00-8:00 pm
The Woo Church
911 Main st, Worcester
Potluck- free event
Join filmmaker Craig Saddlemire for a screening of his recent documentary film, “Neighbor by Neighbor: Mobilizing an Invisible Community in Lewiston, Maine.”
Round Point Movies presenta Vecin@ por Vecin@:
Movilizando una comunidad invisible en Lewiston, Maine
Un documental por documentalista de Lewiston, Craig Saddlemire, y
La Comunidad Visible
Film screening will be accompanied by a multi-lingual discussion with several groups in Worcester organizing for people power. It will be a chance to be inspired and to see how our struggles are linked, as well as begin a conversation about how we can be more connected.
Date: Monday, February 8
Time: 6 to 8 pm
Location: 5 Pleasant St., 2nd Floor, Downtown Worcester
It’s a POTLUCK: bring food if you can.
Wheelchair accessible.
Spanish interpretation available.
Película y discusión
6-8 p.m., lunes, el 8 de febrero, 2010
5 Pleasant Street, segundo piso, Centro de Worcester
Habrá interpretación al español.
Co-sponsors of this event/ Co-patrocinadores:
Stone Soup
Worcester Roots Project and the Toxic Soil Busters Co-op
Ex-prisoners and Prisoners Organizing for Community Advancement (EPOCA)
Neighbor to Neighbor, Worcester chapter
Save Our Poolz Coalition
Worcester Immigrant Coalition
Pleasant St Neighborhood Network Center
Mosaic Cultural Complex
Worcester Anti-Foreclosure Team
Regional Environmental Council
Worcester Friends Meeting
Worcester Homeless Action Committee
Pernet Family Health
About the film:
In 2004, the city of Lewiston announced plans to flatten part of a downtown residential neighborhood to make way for a new four-lane boulevard — an urban renewal scheme that would have displaced 850 people, most of them low income, from their homes. Saddlemire followed residents of the targeted area as they worked together to defeat those plans, and in turn developed and pursued their own vision of neighborhood improvement. This story of ordinary people becoming community organizers and agents of their own destiny is not to be missed.
“In the wave of politically engaged documentaries made in the last decade, Neighbor by Neighbor stands out. This is not just a film about a social issue; it springs directly from the struggle for justice by the marginalized residents of one of America’s forgotten industrial cities. This is what political documentary should look like.”
Maple Razsa, activist/filmmaker, EnMasse Films
“An inspiring look at grassroots political organizing.”
Steve Dillon, film critic and scholar
“Uplifting, inspiring, and a reminder of how powerful community and human agency really are!”
Ashley Kehoe, Loyola University, Center for Experiential Learning
Worcester Peace Works awarded their 2010 Peace Prize to Stone Soup on the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s birthday. Thank you, Worcester Peace Works! The award is given annually to those who have shown a commitment to peacemaking and in the past was awarded to the Worcester chapter of the ACLU. It was a powerful ceremony with very cool music, honest talk about racism, and a group recitation of King’s I Have a Dream speech. Those words still hold true today and serve as a reminder that the process we use for creating peace is so important in determining the lasting outcomes of our actions. Thank you all for making Stone Soup part of your peace making process.
WHAT: PRESS RELEASE
STONE SOUP, RISING FROM THE ASHES, KING STREET BLOCK PARTY
WHEN: AUGUST 22, 2009: 4:00-8:00 PM
(Rain Date, August 23, 2009: 4-8pm)
WHERE: STONE SOUP
4 KING STREET, WORCESTER MA
Stone Soup community center is rising from the ashes after a devastating fire destroyed a large portion of the newest organizing and resource center on King Street in the Main South neighborhood. But don’t worry, the groups that called Stone Soup home are still in action, working for justice for former prisoners, organizing for safer and lead free homes, providing a healthy meal to the city’s most marginalized, and opening their doors to all.
The third annual King Street block party this coming weekend is not just a chance to reconnect neighbors and celebrate the end of summer, it is an opportunity to bring the community back together around Stone Soup and the road of rebuilding that is ahead. The block party will feature area organizations and groups, games and activities for children, and also serve as a fundraiser for Stone Soup. Stone Soup brought the community together, the block party is a chance to reconvene and get energized for the rebuilding process ahead. With this community’s support, we will rise from the ashes.
Stone Soup is an organization that opens its doors to the community, to people like Janice Nyamekye, who is a member of the Toxic Soil Busters. For her, “Stone Soup is like a home, I love the smell of the building.” There are many community members and organizers that feel the same way. This is a place where individuals come to feel better, have fun, teach, and learn in a safe and healthy environment, surrounded by kind and giving individuals.
After a long process with the insurance agency, and with the help of community members and organizations, Stone Soup will begin rebuilding soon. The fire tragedy is making Stone Soup stronger than ever. It has united our community; many organizations have come out and given us a helping hand. We have made new friends around the city. The community is excited to get their building back.
Stone soup is planning to rebuild an energy efficient building. Solar panels, deep energy retrofit, a commercial kitchen and much more are among the changes that the building will endure.
This year Stone Soup is uniting the community once again by collaborating with many other organizations in the making of the King Street Block Party. On August 22, 2009, King Street will come alive with area talent and celebration. The block party will be a chance to keep building, keep coming together, and rise up the building that helped to get us here.
Thanks to Jon and all the contributing artists at Dark World Gallery for putting on a benefit show for Stone Soup called “Skate of the Art”. Yeah, you know skateboards are a great space for graphics, now come check out what happens when people push the envelope of creative expression on the back of a board.
When: Saturday night, August 1, 2009, 6pm- 10pm
Where: Dark World Gallery, 179 Grafton St. Worcester, MA
Why: To Benefit Stone Soup!
Check the link at www.darkworldgallery.com
See you there…
Saturday, April 4 1:00 on – Volunteer Work Day at Stone Soup
All are welcome! Bring your friends!
Items needed: RESPIRATORS! ELECTRIC FANS! EXTENSION CORDS! Work gloves, rubber gloves, RAGS, box-cutters, contractor bags, crow-bars, cleaning supplies.
6:00: Community Meal at Castle St Garden Donations of vegetarian/vegan friendly foods are requested, contact Becky 860-573-5181. Before 6:00, food donations may be brought to the Artichoke Food Coop at 800 Main Street. For more information contact Stephanie Katz at 603-305-0323.
For those interested in helping Stone Soup to rebuild and support its community members after the fire, these links might be of interest (they are also linked in the ‘pages’ section on the right side of the page):
Thank you for all your support. We have had overwhelming response from the community in the face of this tragedy, and are confident that we will bounce back from this stronger than ever. More updates as they come.
Image by Steve Lanava, Worcester Telegram and Gazette
Media contacts: Matt Fox (508-922-5060 / rockpunk147@hotmail.com),
Sarah Assefa (508-579-6916 / sarah@worcesterroots.org)
Our 4 King Street building, home to Worcester’s beloved arts, activism,
and community center, was damaged by a fire late Thursday, March 26. The
fire began in the basement–the cause is as yet unknown. No one was
injured.
We are committed to continuing and rebuilding at 4 King Street. The
building is currently unusable, but organizations will continue their
important social and environmental justice work thanks to the generous
support of dozens of other community groups.
Stone Soup needs your help to rebuild. We are asking for donations of
time, money, and other items. Check back here soon for more updates about materials and skills needed.
Donations can be made out to Stone Soup and sent to:
Stone Soup c/o Pleasant Street Neighborhood Network Center
301 Pleasant St.
Worcester, MA 01609.
We would like to correct the factual error in the T&G article published
this morning that stated that no one lives in the building – two resident
caretakers had occupied the space. We are working to meet the needs of
these individuals as well as the needs of other Stone Soup COOKS.
No pueden quemar nuestros sueños.
Our dreams cannot be burnt down.
Please continue reading for work day information, community meetings and
community needs.
VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES
Saturday, March 28
10:00- All Day Volunteer Work Day at Stone Soup
All are welcome, please bring shovels, rakes, gloves, brooms, etc.
5:00- Community Meal at Castle Street Garden (Rain location: Pilgrim Church)
Donations of vegetarian/vegan friendly foods are requested, contact
Stephanie 603-305-0323. Before 5:00, food donations may be brought to the
Artichoke Food Coop at 800 Main Street.
7:30- Fundraising/Media/Outreach Committee meeting at Lucas’ house
(contact Becky for directions: 860-573-5181).
Tuesday, March 31
6:00- Community dinner/Music/Painting behind Stone Soup (4 King St). Bring vegan/vegetarian friendly food and come together to celebrate our community.
Friday, April 3
5:30- Committee meetings for Fundraising and Logistics Committees at the Woo Church (911 Main St)
6:00- Stone Soup General meeting at 911 Main Street
Saturday, April 4
1:00- Volunteer Work Day at Stone Soup
All are welcome, please bring shovels, rakes, gloves, brooms, etc.
DONATIONS
Donate online or send donations (checks made payable to “Stone Soupâ€) to The
Pleasant Street Neighborhood Network Center at 301 Pleasant Street., Worcester, MA 01609
INFORMATION
For status updates, work day updates, and other information, please visit