Civic Engagement

Sweatshirts, coats, jackets, gloves, hats and other clothes are desperately needed at the Phoenix Welcome Center. Asylum-seekers arrive with only the clothes on their backs and many are heading to cold climates to await asylum hearings. We will be at the UUCP Outdoor Holiday Get-Together Sunday afternoon, December 19, at Granada Park from 3-5pm to start the collection. If you need more time to gather your giveaways, please bring them to UUCP’s upper parking lot on Sunday, January 2, from 2-4pm. The most needed items are:

• Sweatshirts, coats, jackets, gloves and hats for all ages
• T-shirts for men and women, especially in S and M
• Gently used shoes for men, women and children

Some asylum-seekers who are housed at the Phoenix Welcome Center for a day or two are heading for cold climates. They arrive here with only the clothes on their backs and need to be prepared for destinations such as Minnesota and New York. Please consider donating via this GoFundMe campaign to purchase winter hats and gloves for them.

Signing a petition DID matter! Enough people signed the petition that contested the catastrophic flat tax passed by the Legislature to put the issue on the 2022 ballot. To make clear why this tax would be catastrophic, this is what would happen if it became law:

1. It would reduce state revenue by $1.9 billion by introducing a “so-called” flat tax that gives the wealthiest Arizonans a $350,000 tax break.
2. It would disproportionately benefit the wealthy. Nearly 3/4 of residents will see less than $50 and 1/2 will only receive $17 (according to AZ Cap Times).
3. A 2/3 majority of the Legislature would be required to reverse the flat tax, meaning this change is all but permanent.