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WATCH members meet with Representative John Lawn!
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On February 23rd, 10 WATCH members and 2 staff sat down with Representative John Lawn. The conversation covered the MBTA cuts, affordable housing, public banking, immigrant adult education, the Community Development Partnership Act (Rep Lawn supports it!), the work life of state legislators and more. It was a rich discussion! Here are a few quotes from that meeting:
"I consider it a privilege to be here. Because of WATCH, their dedication, their great heart for people coming to the community from other countries, they are helping people to express themselves. That's everything. That's the Breaking Barriers program...At WATCH, they don't help people for themselves. They help people for the country, for the town. And then that person can contribute. You need those people to vote and to continue and continue and continue -- and maybe run for state senator tomorrow." - WATCH member Joseph Abraham
"WATCH is one of the few and maybe the only organization in Waltham that is committed to community building. And that leads to a more stable community. Organizations like WATCH should be helped to grow in capacity." - WATCH member Ridgley Fuller
Member Story: Dick Scobie
Dick Scobie has been involved with WATCH since 1998, when he joined a committee on housing policy. Since then, has served on various WATCH committees, including the Board of Directors. Most recently, he volunteered weekly at WATCH, helping with tasks from filing to making fundraising calls to members.
Dick is concerned with Waltham's willingness to welcome immigrants from all parts of the world. He reminds us, "Immigrants built Waltham and it is important to remember that."
Dick is also very concerned with the lack of affordable housing in Waltham. He sees that WATCH is one of the few organizations in the city that advocates for affordable housing. And, he sees WATCH work for progressive policies that help working people get established and help people who are struggling. Dick thinks it's maybe most important that WATCH empowers individuals who are otherwise shut out of politics to find their voice.
Dick plans to stay involved with WATCH for the long term. "In a small organization [such as WATCH] they always need help, so just being available for things like meetings at city hall, lobbying, writing a check whenever I can or helping around the office is important."
He encourages others to become involved with WATCH. He thinks that to have a vibrant democracy in the local community, organizations like WATCH are vital.
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Member Story: Marie Dominique
Marie grew up in Haiti, and has been a Waltham resident now for 29 years. She is aware that years ago Waltham was not very open to immigrants, but now she thinks that things have changed. Marie appreciates how peaceful the community is, how patient everyone is, and the educational system in Waltham. However, she does not appreciate how expensive everything is, including renting and buying homes.
Marie was first involved with WATCH through our Breaking Barriers tutoring program. She is now continuing to improve her English skills in our more formal English classes. Marie feels that WATCH “helps a lot of people”. She likes WATCH because “WATCH looks for people and helps them with their education. It tries to help people who are poor or have not gone to school with things like housing and language classes. It is fighting to change the situation in Waltham”.
When asked about her goals for the future, Marie notes, “I’m trying to do the best that I can.”
Last summer, Marie became a paid member of WATCH for the first time. Thanks, Marie!
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It's you - our members - who make WATCH what it is. We will be highlighting several WATCH members each year. If we can add your WATCH story to the mix, please
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