Thurston County nonprofit organizations can receive volunteer help for hands-on projects as part of United Way of Thurston County's 18th annual Day of Caring on September 24.

Day of Caring is an annual event where hundreds of volunteers from throughout Thurston County join local nonprofit and other community organizations to work on service projects. Participating organizations are matched with volunteers who give their time, talent and services to change our community for the better in one day.

Not only does Day of Caring have a significant impact on the needs of local nonprofits, it also enables volunteers to meet new people, work as a team and gain new experiences. Day of Caring also kicks off United Way's annual campaign which raises funds to meet local health and human service needs.

Day of Caring also coordinates with The Evergreen State College's "Community to Community Action Day", which engages incoming college freshmen in local volunteer projects during their orientation week.

United Way, in partnership with the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason & Thurston Counties, invites agencies to submit a project through an easy online registration process. To sign up to host a project, go to www.volunteer.ws . The deadline for applications is August 1.

Thurston County nonprofit organizations can receive volunteer help for hands-on projects as part of United Way of Thurston County's 18th annual Day of Caring on September 24.

Day of Caring is an annual event where hundreds of volunteers from throughout Thurston County join local nonprofit and other community organizations to work on service projects. Participating organizations are matched with volunteers who give their time, talent and services to change our community for the better in one day.

Not only does Day of Caring have a significant impact on the needs of local nonprofits, it also enables volunteers to meet new people, work as a team and gain new experiences. Day of Caring also kicks off United Way's annual campaign which raises funds to meet local health and human service needs.

Day of Caring also coordinates with The Evergreen State College's "Community to Community Action Day", which engages incoming college freshmen in local volunteer projects during their orientation week.

United Way, in partnership with the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason & Thurston Counties, invites agencies to submit a project through an easy online registration process. To sign up to host a project, go to www.volunteer.ws . The deadline for applications is August 1.

TESC Community Protests Impending Layoffs, Tuition Hikes, and Shrinking Financial Aid

February 5, 2010
11:30AM – 1:30PM
The Evergreen State College, Red Square
Olympia, WA

At 11:30 AM on Friday, February 5, 2010, hundreds of Evergreen State College students, faculty, and staff members plan to “Walk Out” of their classes and jobs in a protest against Governor Gregoire's proposed budget cuts to higher education, social services, and environmental protection programs. As legislators scramble to solve the $2.6 billion shortfall, TESC faces a $1.6 million cut, bringing the college's 2010-2011 funding to 1999 levels. Statewide, low-income students seeking affordable higher-education may lose many State Need Grants and State Work Study jobs.

Evergreen's Walk-Out, organized locally by the Coalition for a Fair Budget, is part of a statewide response to a call from the Washington Student Association to mobilize against further cuts to higher education and financial aid programs.

The Walk-Out rally, to be held on Red Square, will begin with a performance by the Hungry Emcees, an Evergreen freestyle hiphop group, with food provided by Olympia Food Not Bombs. Following the performance will be speakers including Professor Peter Bohmer, representatives of Seattle's Sisters Organize for Survival and Olympia's POWER (Parents Organizing for Welfare and Economic Rights), and students whose ability to attend the school will be endangered by rising tuition and shrinking financial aid. A march around campus will follow.

Please forward far and wide. And feel free to respond at maslauskas84@gmail.com. -Brendan Maslauskas Dunn

Student Power and the Sit-in at Evergreen

May 30th marked the 10th day of the sit-in of Evergreen State College administrator Art Costantino's hallway. Students are demanding the immediate reinstatement of Olympia SDS and have recently added the additional demands that Kelly Beckham, an SDSer be offered her job back as well as compensation for time lost, and a change in the process by which student groups lose their RSO (Registered Student Organization) status that is determined by those most affected, the students and members of > these organizations.

The banning of SDS as a student group is an indication of the current political climate at The Evergreen State College, one that has been increasingly suppressing student dissent, which includes the aiding of law enforcement agents in the arresting of students, the handing over of student records to law enforcement agencies, punishing students for their political beliefs and activities. This includes the firing of Kelly Beckham and the firing of students who were allegedly involved in the events of February 14th, but who have not been convicted or even charged as well as the selective enforcement of a "concert moratorium. The Evergreen State College is also on a path of becoming increasingly more mainstream which is pushing the college in a direction contrary to its original mission statement. The students sitting-in want to see an end to all of this.

Week of Events at Evergreen Sit-In!

All events are in the Sem 1 building on the 4th floor, just outside of administrator Art Costantino’s office. Every event is completely free and open to all. Students and staff (including faculty) are encouraged to come as well as community members. Take some time off from the stressfulness of class and work this week and relax at a musical performance, film screening or educational workshop.

Sunday June 1st A Night of Musical Acoustic Insurgency

7PM Sem 1 - 4th Floor (sight of the sit-in)

Featuring: * David Rovics * Danny Kelly & Mark Eckert (from Heliotroupe) Free admission. Fun times. The magic continues.

Monday June 2nd 7PM

Screening of Pan’s Labyrinth. 9:30PM Screening of Dark Side of Oz (The Wizard of Oz, minus the sound, plus the album Dark Side of the Moon equals insanity.)

Tuesday June 3rd 7PM Kimya Dawson live in concert!

She was kicked out of Evergreen by the administration before, but she’s back by popular demand.

Wednesday June 4th

People’s University reconvenes for classes. Education of, by and for the community. Workshops include: * Student activism in India – Local activist, pacifist and former UN peacekeeper Dr. Muhammad Ayub will give a talk about his experience as a student activist and organizer in India. * GI Resistance - The history of the role soldiers played in ending the Vietnam war and what it means for us today. * Sanctuary City – the project to make Olympia a sanctuary city for both GI war resisters and undocumented workers. * Community Accountability & Sexual Assault - A discussion on something very important that is often overlooked or ignored.