Join us for our next general meeting next Thursday, February 22, at 7pm! We invite our members and friends to meet our 2024 Board and weigh in on future meetings, events, and happenings. We are also putting out a call for vacant board positions. And we'll have a conversation with longtime Monroe County NOW member Shruti Rana! We want to thank Shruti for her work with our organization and show appreciation for her time and expertise.

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEqdOygpzooHtNOe7kR-slE9lzehLoodmsD 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. See you next Thursday!

Indiana NOW is pleased to announce its 2023 annual conference! Join us on Saturday, November 11, at the Monroe County History Center in Bloomington. Speakers include Indiana gubernatorial candidate Jennifer McCormick, State Senator Shelli Yoder, State Representative Carolyn B. Jackson, and Bloomington's next mayor Kerry Thomson.

Registration begins at 9:45am and the conference will conclude by 3pm. For those attending in person, IN NOW will provide coffee, water, snacks, and lunch from Hive Bloomington. The planning committee has secured a block of rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Bloomington, only a few blocks away from the conference. There is also a Zoom option on the registration page. For those who wish to Zoom, the Planning Committee will email information out before the conference.

The Indiana NOW 2023 State Conference is a must-attend event for all advocates of gender equality and women's rights! Join us for a day filled with inspiring discussions, empowering speeches, and networking opportunities. The Monroe County History Center is located at 202 E. 6th St. in Bloomington. Register NOW, as tickets will sell out! See you there!

Indiana Period Action Day is Wednesday, October 18, from 11am to 2pm at the Statehouse in Indianapolis. Legislators from the House and Senate will be speaking on period poverty, healthcare access, and menstrual stigmatization, as well as legislation that will be introducedin January. Join MADVoters for this day of action!

Monroe County NOW is excited to once again table at the Spencer Pride Festival on Saturday, October 7. We need volunteers for our table set up, shifts, and tear down. Please review the available slots at SignUpGenius and click on the button to sign up. We will reach out to our volunteers with any updates as we receive final details. Thank you for your help!

Monroe County NOW invites you to join us for our next chapter meeting Thursday, September 28, at 7:30pm via Zoom.

The meeting will feature a conversation about the 2023 MCCSC referendum (https://www.mccsc.edu/2564_4). We'll be joined by Dr. Jeff Hauswald, MCCSC Superintendent, and Dr. Markay Winston, MCCSC Deputy Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction.

Advance registration via Zoom is required for this meeting. Please register at
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcoduGvqzsjGt1MwsNFi5PT_YFLnitODhBA.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. See you there!

Please join Hoosier Jews for Choice and Monroe County NOW for a vigil and call to action at the Monroe County Courthouse on Monday, July 31, at 5:30pm. WE ARE NOT DONE!

Confirmed speakers include State Senator Shelli Yoder, County Councilwoman Jennifer Crossley, City Councilwoman Sue Sgambelluri, City COS Josefa Madrigal, Bloomington Latino Outreach Coordinator Ximena Martinez Ruiz, Jessica Marchbank of All-Options, and Haddie Katz from Tandem Birthing Services.

Join us to grieve, hold space for one another, and fight for the future of reproductive justice in Indiana.

In lieu of a traditional July chapter meeting, Monroe County NOW is participating in a day of action. We are joining and supporting MC NOW board members Jennifer Crossley and Shruti Rana, as they host a community listening session with Kerry Thomson, Nicole Bolden, and Isak Isare.

Join us Thursday, July 27, at 7pm at the Steve & Connie Ferguson Crestmont Boys & Girls Club. We are tabling, registering people to vote, and will have water and swag to hand out. Let's show up and chat about issues that affect our community! All community members are welcome.

We are also asking people donate to the Crestmont Food Pantry, as the pantry needs the following:

• toilet paper

• dish soap

• trash bags

• ziplock bags

• deodorant

• body wash

• cleaning supplies

• wipes

• anything else people cannot purchase with SNAP benefits

Donate these items and we will get the donations to the pantry.

Please note, Monroe County NOW is a 501(c)4 organization. Tabling at this event is not an endorsement of any candidates.

Monroe County NOW is delighted to host its first in-person chapter meeting in more than three years! Join us Thursday, June 22, from 7:30 to 9pm at the Monroe County Public Library's Downtown Branch (Meeting Room 1C). We have updates on our GOTV efforts, the July 4 Parade, Pride festival plans, and a special guest update from the Monroe County Women's Commission! Two MCNOW Board members are on the MCWC (Susan Hingle and Julie Hardesty) and they will be joined by other commission members to share the latest work from this newly-energized community group. It is a good time to gather and we hope we'll see you there!

For those who need a Zoom option, we are offering a hybrid meeting. For Zoom, advance registration is required for this meeting. Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEsc-qvqToqHdDGG-dV_ERGfKeT1GJWh-Ov.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Join us on Thursday, April 27, at 7:30pm for a discussion with Middle Way House Executive Director Carrie Stillions. MWH is dedicated to providing comprehensive support and services to ALL survivors. Learn about the services Middle Way House provides and how you can get involved.

Advance registration is required for this meeting. Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0tdOqtqz4tE9V7XB-AF2awWhQA13logm5p.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Join Monroe County NOW, the University Alliance for Racial Justice, IU PACE, ICPE Monroe County, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Monroe County NAACP, NAPAWF Indiana, and IU Student Government for a municipal debate forum on Saturday, April 1, from 2 to 5pm. This event will be held in person at the Monroe County Public Library Auditorium, as well as live-streamed on CATS. The debate forums will feature candidates in all contested municipal races in Monroe County. Submit your questions by filling out this form.

Monroe County NOW is a proud sponsor of the 2022 Candidate Forums! In lieu of a chapter meeting this month, we are encouraging our members and friends to attend these forums beginning next Wednesday, September 28. You must register for the forums via the QR code or at https://www.lwv-bmc.org/content.aspx?page_id=22....

The debate committee is looking questions! Please email voterservice@lwv-bmc.org with your suggestions. Please identify the forum(s) for which a question is recommended. See you there!

Monroe County NOW is a proud sponsor of the 2022 Candidate Forums! In lieu of a chapter meeting this month, we are encouraging our members and friends to attend these forums beginning next Wednesday, September 28. You must register for the forums via the QR code or at https://www.lwv-bmc.org/content.aspx?page_id=22....

The debate committee is looking questions! Please email voterservice@lwv-bmc.org with your suggestions. Please identify the forum(s) for which a question is recommended. See you there!

Monroe County NOW is a proud sponsor of the 2022 Candidate Forums! In lieu of a chapter meeting this month, we are encouraging our members and friends to attend these forums beginning next Wednesday, September 28. You must register for the forums via the QR code or at https://www.lwv-bmc.org/content.aspx?page_id=22....

The debate committee is looking questions! Please email voterservice@lwv-bmc.org with your suggestions. Please identify the forum(s) for which a question is recommended. See you there!

Monroe County NOW is a proud sponsor of the 2022 Candidate Forums! In lieu of a chapter meeting this month, we are encouraging our members and friends to attend these forums beginning next Wednesday, September 28. You must register for the forums via the QR code or at https://www.lwv-bmc.org/content.aspx?page_id=22....

The debate committee is looking questions! Please email voterservice@lwv-bmc.org with your suggestions. Please identify the forum(s) for which a question is recommended. See you there!

Join us this year for Bloomington’s annual Pridefest! Stop by anytime 2-8pm, grab some swag, and get registered to vote. Have more time to hang out? Help us table! You can sign up to volunteer at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0e44a8a828a5f49-volunteer2. See you there!

Join us for our August MCNOW chapter meeting. We will be joined by Monroe County Task Force Leader Margie Rice, County Council Representatives Jennifer Crossley and Kate Wiltz, and City Council Representative Sue Sgambelluri.

Topic - Criminal Justice Reform and Policing in Bloomington and Monroe County: A Discussion with Elected and Community Leaders.

ZOOM.

Pre-registration required.

When: Aug 25, 2022 07:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0ocu2rqjsjHtO7RCJb7L1XNNn3hL_5QGyO?fbclid=IwAR2Hsuj1Xs0rTyQAaePxwR16xEQabNAL_Orks_F3kJEygG6M_MN5lCvIERY.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

After staying silent on SB1 – a near total abortion ban that puts Hoosier lives at risk – the Greater Bloomington Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch at a private luncheon at the Graduate Hotel on Tuesday, August 9 at 11:30am. Lt. Gov. Crouch will be giving a talk on “Empowering Women Leaders IN Indiana.” This talk is a slap in the face of all Hoosier women after the Indiana State House voted on Saturday to take away access to safe, compassionate, and evidence-based reproductive healthcare. We call on the Chamber to rescind this invitation, sponsors to pull out of the event, invitees to decline to show up, and we ask Bloomington business owners to stand up in support of women and girls’ basic rights.

Concerned Hoosiers will assemble outside the Graduate Hotel on Tuesday, August 9, at 11am to discuss what it means to empower women leaders and to make our voices heard.

Speakers include City Councilwoman Isabel Piedmont-Smith, Erin Tobey from Hopscotch Coffee, and Mary Catherine Carmichael. Stay tuned to our social media for any updates!

Women's History Month: We Cannot Go Backwards

What are our options if Roe is overturned?

Join us for our March chapter meeting on Thursday, March 31, at 7:30pm for an important panel discussion.

This month we are excited to welcome Evelyn Smith, State Programs Manager for All-Options Pregnancy Resource Center. Evelyn will talk with us about what All-Options is, what services they provide, and what is on the horizon in Indiana and for abortion rights access. There will be time for questions from the audience.

Zoom pre-registration is required. Register in advance for this meeting at MC NOW March Chapter Meeting.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Join us for our February chapter meeting on Thursday, February 24, at 7:30pm: Celebrating Incredible Black Women Leaders Working for Change!

This month we are celebrating the accomplishments of amazing local Black women who are working for a better community year round. Our panelists will be Bloomington City Clerk Nicole Bolden, County Councilperson (District 4) Jennifer Crossley, Maqube Reese, and Jacinda Townsend.

Zoom pre-registration is required. Register in advance for this meeting at
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIldO2qrjguGtKhURPiHIpeZwJZDMIlYrRr.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Please join us for our first general meeting (via Zoom) of 2022 on Thursday, January 27, at 7:30pm - “Our Fight for Reproductive Rights in the Indiana Statehouse and What is Next.” We will be joined by State Senator Shelli Yoder and State Representative Matt Pierce, a legal expert who will talk about reproductive rights cases to watch around the county, and a local provider who will speak on how things might change locally.

Zoom information will be added as we get closer to the date; please follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MonroeCountyNOW.

Join Monroe County NOW members and friends for our October chapter meeting! We are excited to let you know what we are working on this month and beyond. Have ideas to share? Please bring them to the meeting!

This month's panel discussion will be on menstrual equity in our community and in our state. Panelists are Professor Deborah Widiss from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and a representative from the Dignity Project, a local nonprofit that provides women in need with the hygiene products necessary to lead a healthy and successful life.

We ask that you consider making a donation to the Dignity Project's current Coronavirus Protection Fundraiser (https://www.gofundme.com/.../coronavirus-protection...).

Our meeting will be held via Zoom. Please use the Zoom information provided below.

October Chapter Meeting Agenda: https://docs.google.com/.../1_S0MbHyYOChKUa1a0.../edit...

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88697288049...

Meeting ID: 886 9728 8049

Passcode: 382900

One tap mobile

+13017158592,,88697288049#,,,,*382900# US (Washington DC)

+13126266799,,88697288049#,,,,*382900# US (Chicago)

Monroe County NOW is a proud vendor for the 2021 Spencer Pride Festival! Spencer Pride welcomes everyone to their 100% family-friendly, admission free, fabulous, rural LGBTQ+ pride festival!

We’re super excited to table at this event. We still need volunteers to help. Check out our sign up sheet and take a shift at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0E44A8A828A5F49-mcnowat.

Event information can be found at https://www.facebook.com/events/663029750830600.

Monroe County NOW is proud to support Students Against Reproductive Restraints. SARR will be a peaceful, sign holding, student-led protest in support of the fight against abortion restrictions. SARR welcomes everyone to join them at Indiana University’s Sample Gates. More event information can be found at https://www.facebook.com/events/531810951453226.

Join us for El Mercado! on Sunday, September 19, from 1 to 5pm! MC NOW is proud to partner with the Monroe County NAACP, Count Us IN, and League of Women Voters Bloomington-Monroe for this special event, which will include speakers on the importance of voting. Register to vote in Monroe County! More information can be found at https://www.facebook.com/events/2991037024509081.

Women4Change Indiana invites you to Listen, Connect, & Participate | Economic Stability

Speakers:

• State Representative Carolyn B. Jackson

• Alison Bell, Chancellor of WGU Indiana

• Dr. Laura Merrifield Wilson, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Faculty Leader of the Gender Center at the University of Indianapolis

Moderator: Joy E. Mason, Founder of Optimist Business Solutions

This program is in partnership with the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Indianapolis Chapter, Indiana Institute for Working Families, AAUW Indianapolis, AAUW Indiana, and Monroe County NOW.

To register, please visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/listen-connect-participate-economic-stability-tickets-160239453519?fbclid=IwAR03W4vaM2_ZIQnyD4REVB0lHCtAb3gao0LWK0KoFiN925CXTo3sq-PIllo. Scholarships are available. Please contact haley@women4changeindiana.org for more information.

Join Monroe County NOW members and friends for our July chapter meeting! We are excited to let you know what we are working on this month and beyond. Have ideas to share? Please bring them to the meeting!

For this meeting, we will hear about the working group created this past year to address housing insecurity in Monroe County. We will learn how we can advocate for funding in the upcoming city and county budget process and how American Rescue Plan Act funding can help.

Confirmed panelists are Efrat Feferman, Executive Director of United Way of Monroe County; Isabel Piedmont-Smith, Bloomington City Councilmember for District 5; Julie Thomas, Monroe County Board of Commissioners; and Kate Wiltz, Monroe County Councilmember for District 2. Other panelists will be announced as they are confirmed.

We will conduct our meeting via Zoom. Register in advance for this meeting at https://iu.zoom.us/.../tZMlfu6hrTksGNxj_sjT8vC6NHMmerqzGYf1. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. See you there!

Join Monroe County NOW members and friends for our June chapter meeting! We are excited to let you know what we are working on this month and beyond. Have ideas to share? Please bring them to the meeting!

For this meeting, we are hosting the League of Women Voters Bloomington-Monroe County, who will share their presentation, "Working for Fair Voting Maps in Indiana." This presentation is about redistricting reform for federal elections. We will also hear from Bloomington City Councilmember Steve Volan (District 6) about the formation of the local Citizens' Redistricting Advisory Commission regarding redistricting on the local level and what that means for us locally in 2023. Learn how to get involved with that process. Bring your questions for an informative Q & A.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will conduct our meeting via Zoom. Register in advance for this meeting at https://iu.zoom.us/.../tZcufuytqzgiGtO9Godhq_M6stKZDZrviZva. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. See you there!

Monroe County NOW is a proud sponsor of this documentary panel discussion.

Join the Indiana Coalition for Public Education for an evening discussing the documentary, "Indiana's Choice," with individuals involved in the making of the film.

Indiana's Choice is a documentary that demonstrates how school choice policies in Indiana enable segregation of students and discrimination against both students and faculty.

Panel:
Dountonia Batts
Phil Harris
Lacy Hawkins
Steve Hinnefeld

Moderator:
Byron Turner

Join the Zoom discussion at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89275599344?pwd=Q1VkVkViSkVBV3JSeTFoKytJcmZZdz09&fbclid=IwAR01q8c4VOwhjqwCpUOae2EEL9U5cjAljKbSdrFazGbSxz_6tVzwWJD8DUs#success. More information can be found at
https://www.icpe-monroecounty.org/indianaschoice.html.