From House Meetings to a Packed Room in McKinleyville | | |
It began around kitchen tables. Over 8 months, True North leaders held house meetings with immigrant and mixed-status families across Humboldt County, listening to their stories, building relationships, and identifying shared concerns. Families spoke about the fear of separation, uncertainty about protections in schools, and the need for family preparedness.
As one mother shared, "just as we are taught how to prepare for earthquakes, tsunamis, and other emergencies, we must prepare for the possibility of being separated from our children."
Following True North's organizing model, leaders moved from listening to research, meeting with law enforcement officials, school superintendents, and community partners to understand existing protections, build relationships, and seek concrete commitments.
On September 10, more than 200 community members filled the Church of the Joyful Healer in McKinleyville for Community Voices in Action, a public meeting organized and led by True North community leaders.
| | Participants included Arcata Police Chief Chris Ortega, Eureka Police Department representatives, and superintendents from Northern Humboldt Union High School District, McKinleyville Union School District, and the Humboldt County Office of Education. Elected officials included Supervisors Rex Bohn and Steve Madrone, incoming Fifth District Supervisor Mary C. Burke, and Arcata Mayor Kimberley White. The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office was also engaged in the organizing effort. | | |
Through personal testimonies and research, leaders called for public commitments. Law enforcement representatives affirmed their responsibility to uphold state and local sanctuary protections and not assist federal civil immigration enforcement. School leaders committed to clarifying campus access policies and collaborating on family preparedness education.
Humboldt County Superintendent of Schools Michael Davies-Hughes affirmed, "One thing I appreciate about education in California is, we don't ask questions. All students are welcome through our doors."
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Leticia Padilla of First 5 Humboldt introduced California's Caregiver's Authorization Affidavit, a valuable family preparedness tool.
Carmen Elena L'Annunziata Monge, a True North Leader and Immigration Coordinator at Jefferson Community Center, emphasized the importance of preparation: "Just like any emergency or natural disaster, we need to be prepared."
| | | Terry Supahan connected today's concerns to the history of Native families, sharing how his great-grandmother was taken by federal agents at age 12 and sent to a boarding school. | | |
"I think we all forget that in a difficult moment, we're going to be judged later for how we responded to the moment. We just need to remind everyone we can do better, we can be better, because obviously, it wasn't that long ago when things were really ugly."
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The evening closed with the community singing "Lean on Me," reflecting the solidarity built through months of organizing.
Beyond the turnout and public commitments, the greatest achievement was the development of community leadership and collective power.
For the first time since the COVID pandemic, a True North local leadership team carried an organizing campaign through the full cycle: listening, research, strategy, public action, and evaluation. Leaders shaped the agenda, organized turnout, developed questions, and secured commitments.
Now they are following up with public officials, evaluating their work, and planning their next steps.
This is the heart of True North's organizing tradition: developing leaders, building relationships, and strengthening the collective power of communities to create meaningful change.
| | Kids at Bess Maxwell, Pine Grove, and Joe Hamilton Elementary Schools have new playground equipment, and it started with listening. With support from Klamath Promise Neighborhood, True North Organizers worked alongside district staff and families at these schools to build parent leadership teams. As the parent Leaders talked with students, teachers and the wider community, new playground equipment kept coming up. So they looked into what it would take, and made it happen. Here are a few moments from the playground... | | |
After last year's turnout and requests for more, we're bringing back the Parent Leadership Academy in partnership with Eureka City Schools.
This free 4-part series helps parents & caregivers build skills, connect with other families, and step into leadership at their kids' schools.
When: Wednesdays, 5:30-7:30pm:
- October 7
- October 21
- November 4
- November 18
Where: Zoe Barnum High School, Eureka
Dinner + childcare provided.
Spanish interpretation available.
Space is limited to 50 participants.
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What would make it easier for you and your family to get the care you need?
Over the summer, families in Crescent City joined us for a picnic and talked openly about how hard it can be to get health care in our region. Now we want to hear from our neighbors in Smith River.
Stop by for free blood pressure and diabetes screenings from the Smith River Fire Protection District, plus a Kid Zone and crafts with our Changemakers youth group. Everyone is welcome.
When: Saturday, Oct 17th. 11am-2pm
Where: The new fire station in Smith River
| | Support Community-Led Change | | Your support helps make this work possible. | | | True North Organizing Network | 517 3rd St. Ste. 16 | Eureka, CA 95501 US | | | | |
