Monroe County NOW is proud to support the 2024 Spencer Pride Festival! We will be tabling at the event. Interested in volunteering at our table? We need volunteers for two of our shifts. We will be registering people to vote just before the Indiana voter registration deadline. Sign up to volunteer at https://www.signupgenius.com/.../20F0E44A8A828A5F49.... See you there!

Monroe County NOW will be at Bloomington Pridefest this Saturday! We are in need of more volunteers for our table. Please consider helping us staff the table.

Members of the League of Women Voters Bloomington-Monroe County, Indiana and Hoosier Asian American Power will be tabling with us. We will be registering people to vote. If you're able to volunteer, please sign up at https://www.signupgenius.com/.../10C0A4FACAB2BA7F9CF8.... See you Saturday!

Mark your calendars! The Indiana NOW 2024 State Conference will be held Saturday, August 24, from 9:30am to 4pm at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne. Our Northeast Indiana NOW chapter is hosting this year's conference.

Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker will welcome attendees. Join us for amazing speakers (others will be announced soon), motivational handouts, planning for the year ahead, and to vote for our next slate of State Council members. There will also be a PAC fundraising event on Friday, August 23. More information will follow.

You don’t want to miss this!

ARE YOU READY TO GO?

Need a place to stay? Reserve your room today! There is a reserved hotel block at the Hilton Hotel at the Grand Wayne Convention Center, located at 1020 S. Calhoun Street. The block is for Friday and/or Saturday night at $129 per night. Be sure to ask for the NOW rate if you call (260-420-1100). You can also make your reservation online at https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/fwafhhf-now-b5941977-ec6f-4fb4-856e-c384f5c84c12/.

Life has been CRAZY... And we need to laugh out loud to get through the craziness of this election season! Join us Friday, August 23, at 8pm as we raise money for the Indiana NOW Political Action Committee. We're heading to the Fort Wayne Comedy Club @ 469 Sports & Spirits where standup acts Asia Chardonay (https://www.alldisbody.com) and Sears (https://lissasears.com) will hit the stage. Check out their bios and let's have some FUN!

Indiana NOW PAC raises funds to support our endorsed candidates in Indiana who are committed to our core values and progressive ideals. Money raised goes directly to candidates.

Buy your tickets at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/indiananow-comedynight; tickets are $40 each.

The Fort Wayne Comedy Club @ 469 Sports & Spirits is located at 1324 Minnich Rd. in New Haven, IN. Doors open 15 minutes prior to the show. This is a private event. All ticket sales are final. See more information at https://www.fortwaynecomedyclub.com/events/96609.

Monroe County NOW is taking a break from Zoom meetings and we're hosting a Get Out the Vote (GOTV) event with allied friends and groups.

2024 is an Important Election Year

Our community needs to be energized.

All of our efforts to Get Out the Vote should be amplified.

Monroe County NOW invites you to a Kick-Off Picnic to Get Out the Vote.

Date: Sunday, July 28

Time: 11am-2pm

Where: Southeast YMCA Lower Shelter at 2125 S. Highland Ave. in Bloomington. This shelter has table space for about 30-40 folks under a roof, so please fee free to bring lawn chairs and/or blankets if you would like to enjoy the time outside. There is a playground right by the shelter, so feel free to bring kids!

If you plan to attend, please RSVP by July 22 via this Sign-Up Genius form to help us get numbers for plates, napkins, and utensils for enough folks. MC NOW will also provide some drinks and sandwiches.

What to Bring: Food item to share, Get Out the Vote materials your organization is using so we can amplify all our efforts, sunscreen, bug spray, and lawn chairs or blankets if you would like to enjoy the time outside the shelter. See you there!

Join Monroe County NOW at the 2024 Women's Market on Saturday, July 27, from 9am to 1pm at City Hall. The Women's Market is hosted by the City of Bloomington Commission on the Status of Women. The event will feature dozens of women's organizations, businesses, and individual creators to inspire us all to get more involved in our communities. MC NOW will be giving out information about our projects to improve the community, registering people to vote, and signing up new members.

Thank you to our tabling volunteers! Thanks to the generosity of your time, we have a fully staffed table for this event. Our treasurer Mandy Yates will be reaching out to you with specific information. We look forward to seeing all of you at the 2024 Women's Market!

Art can influence social issues by shining a light on injustices, offering insights into others’ lives, suggesting new ways of thinking, or it can reinforce existing systems of oppression. Join Monroe County NOW on Thursday, May 23, at 7pm via Zoom as we highlight the creations of Monroe County artists whose work is connected to the sociopolitical causes they and we care about.

Learn about how you can support their work and discover organizations where your own creativity could help fuel the goal of diversity, equity, and inclusivity.

Guest speakers for this meeting are as follows:
-Laura LaSuertmer, Assistant Creative Director and Facilitator of Women Writing for (a) Change
-Deborah Meader, Co-President of the Persisterhood Workshop
-Caleb Poer, Visual Artist
-Holly Warren, Assistant Director for the Arts, Bloomington Department of Economic and Sustainable Development

You must register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/.../tZEqdOygpzooHtNOe7kR...

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

Mark your calendars! Our next chapter meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 25, at 7pm via Zoom. This meeting is all about housing equity and the impact on local women and marginalized communities. We are excited to have JaneAnn Gifford, CJAM (Community Justice And Mediation Center) Landlord-Tenant Case Manager and Senior Mediator and Erika Fotsch with the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana. We will hear from our guest speakers about the challenges women in our community face regarding affordable housing; Q&A will directly follow. Join us and ask your questions!

You must register in advance for this meeting at

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEqdOygpzooHtNOe7kR-slE9lzehLoodmsD.

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

Join Monroe County NOW for our April chapter meeting on Sunday, the 18th, at noon! This month, LeNée Carroll, Chief of Staff of the Indiana Senate Democrats, will recap what has happened during Indiana's 2021 legislative session, and let us know what she thinks this summer and the 2022 session may look like.

For the remainder of our meeting, we will go into breakout rooms to start forming statewide coalition building strategies for this summer and beyond. Let's pool our resources and be prepared for the next session. Register in advance for this meeting below.

When: Apr 18, 2021 12:00 PM Indiana (East)

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://iu.zoom.us/.../tZ0qf-CqpjItH90EJAD6Fl_dTEfM-C77u8LC

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 March 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 a panel of local elected women talking about local issues important to our organization. Panelists are Nicole Bolden, Bloomington City Clerk; Isabel Piedmont-Smith, City Councilmember for District 5; Jacinda Townsend, MCCSC School Board Member for District 6; and Shelli Yoder, State Senator for District 40. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will conduct our meeting via Zoom; the information to register is below. We will record the meeting, so if you are uncomfortable being on a recording, please mute yourself and turn the camera option off. See you then! Register in advance for this meeting:

https://iu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrdOqsrjspHtH4WwjdeqLlxFZBMJIGCSIL

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