When we wrote to you at the end of last year, we looked forward to 2020 with hope. Although this year was not what anyone expected, we found plenty of reasons to stay hopeful.
Our trainings tell the story best. When travel and large gatherings became unsafe, we reimagined our training procedures to make sure our leaders got the support and resources they needed. Our team created immersive experiences with a wide variety of online platforms that preserved the community and relationship building so integral to our training process no matter the physical distance between participants. Thanks to the creativity, dedication and passion of our team, we reached more than 600 leaders in 12 remote trainings over the course of 2020, including two National Leadership Training sessions. In 2021, we will offer our full slate of training opportunities, even if we have to do it remotely.
Our successes weren’t limited to training. Although many of our traditional organizing strategies were impossible this year, our affiliates, leaders and national staff have found ways to host public actions, rallies, virtual phone banks, and more — all while following social distancing guidelines.
We’re proud of our wins, but there’s still work to do. As 2020 comes to an end, recommit yourself to our shared mission:
- to train ordinary people, primarily in low-income communities and communities of color, to effectively participate in the political, environmental, social, and economic decisions affecting their lives; and
- to build a diverse corps of grassroots leaders committed to transforming the systems and structures that perpetuate racial and economic inequity.
Please consider investing in Gamaliel as we continue working toward justice in 2021. Your contributions allow us to keep moving forward.
Wishing you a safe and healthy new year!
Rev. Dr. John Welch, Rev. David Bigsby and Ms. Ana Garcia-Ashley