DC Metro Action is a listing of local actions, entertainment, volunteer opportunities and the occasional rant on a wide range of socially just issues.
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Action of the Day Many of these action alerts are found on the listservs and websites of organizations listed in our "Act Locally" section (Left).
Friday, July 18, 2003
Vigil to Save the Franklin School Shelter
A coalition of local activists is holding a weekly vigil at City Hall on Mondays at noon to persuade the mayor to re-open the Franklin School as a hypothermia shelter for the homeless. The shelter, which Mayor Tony Williams reluctantly opened last year to prevent freezing deaths, was closed on June 15 because of local business complaints about the homeless.
The Grey Panthers, Students for Peace and Justice, Mayday DC and the other members of the coalition want the shelter reopened, under better conditions, for the upcoming winter. The coalition also wants the city to establish low-income housing in the form of subsidized apartments when the building is sold.
Last winter, there were fewer freezing deaths in DC despite a much harsher season than the year before, when 11 people were found frozen on the street. The reduced number is the result of the additional beds that opened up, including those of the Franklin School, whose closing removed 200 beds from the shelter community. Join the coalition on Mondays at noon in front of City Hall (1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW) to keep people from freezing on the streets of DC and to give them a fair chance at equal housing.
DC Metro Action is published by Michael Schlesinger, a 32-year veteran of electoral and issue organizing who is committed to social justice and to increasing participation in the political process.
All original content (C) 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Michael Schlesinger
