[Peace] October peace demonstration / NOT at 2pm / join Unity March at NOON / October 3

[Karen Medina]

RE: October 3 peace demonstration / NOT at 2pm / join Unity March at NOON

AWARE's "Main Event" monthly peace demonstration for Saturday, October
3, 2009 will be very different than our normal demonstrations.

Our peace demonstration will join in unity with the Unity March, which
starts at NOON. There will NOT be a demonstration from 2-4.

Sixth Annual Unity March for Saturday, October 3rd.
The march will kick-off at NOON from the Champaign City Building in
downtown Champaign (102 N. Neil St. | Champaign, IL 61820 )
and proceed along University Avenue to the County Courthouse Plaza in
Urbana (101 E Main St Urbana, IL 61801) for a brief rally.

There are special arrangements for those who would not want to walk.
You can contact the organizers.

This year’s theme focuses on the lack of adequate housing, healthcare,
and food for the growing number of needy in Champaign County.  We believe
these items are basic human rights.  The failure of the community to
adequately respond to these human needs is fundamentally about the lack of
connectedness with family, friends and the broader community. It is about
people’s lack of control over their own environment and lives.

The City of Champaign has been particularly mean about the increase in
homeless in Champaign. The City of Champaign does not have any
shelters where a person can simply get a bed for the night, only
transitional centers which require entrance into a program if one
qualifies.  Most of these transitional centers are at capacity already
or have extensive waiting lists.

The Champaign County Courthouse has set up a courtroom to process the
charges and fines for the homeless. [This sounds strikingly like
debtor's prison -type attitude]

You can help by:

Ø    Joining us on October 3, 2009 @ Noon

Ø    Spreading the word and sharing this information
Here is a flyer: http://tinyurl.com/n3sgpx

Ø    Helping us collect blankets and bedding for Safe Haven residents,
bring to the march

Ø    Providing transportation for marchers back to Champaign City Hall

Ø    Providing refreshments at the conclusion of the march, Family Room @
IMC

Ø    Join a committee to work with elected officials

Ø    Make a small financial donation to help offset costs to CUCPJ,  mail
to P.O. Box 1, Urbana Il 61802