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I hope you're having a fabulous summer! Greens certainly have been taking advantage of the opportunities this time brings. Green MLAs have been speaking to constituents both at their doorsteps and at community events, and members have been gathering at events like the recent Belfast Cookout and Summerside Green Drinks. These kinds of gatherings were the heart and soul of the Green Party of PEI before the pandemic, so we're so grateful that they are able to return!

Speaking of in-person events, please save the date for our Fall Conference on October 1st & 2nd - the first Island-wide in-person Green Party event since 2019! See below and stay tuned for more details and to help shape the programming of this event.

#ItsHappening in the Green Party of PEI - read on for more exciting announcements, ways to get involved, and updates from our Green Caucus.

Many thanks to the 139 members who responded to our survey last month on the possibility of a members' gathering this fall! Your response was very clear - Green Party of PEI members are eager for a chance to get together in person once again after the past year and half of pandemic restrictions.

So let's do it - save October 1st & 2nd on your calendar, when we will get together again for a Fall Conference, in Summerside!

Since we already had our AGM this spring, the Fall Conference will not be an official general meeting with voting on motions and policies. Rather, we intend to make this an opportunity for members to reconnect, discuss and learn from each other - and have some fun, too!

We need your input once again! Please help shape the programming for this conference by responding to this short survey: https://forms.gle/7jnjrxU3mvzZt2DD7.

Our team is growing! Last month we advertised that we were looking to hire an Administrative & Operational Support Associate to help Executive Director Jordan Bober, and today we are please to introduce Justin MacKinnon who has come on board in that role!

Justin will be known to many of you already. He first started volunteering with the Green Party of PEI during the 2019 election, when he got involved in Josh Underhay's campaign in District 9 and helped out other Charlottetown candidates as well. He was also a core member of the campaign teams for the District 9 deferred election as well as the District 10 by-election last year, and has served in other roles including currently as a member of the Election Readiness Committee.

Justin is passionate about the Green Party and Green values, and we are so happy to have him on board. Expanding our staff team is an important step in growing our capacity and ensuring the long-term health and continuity of our organization.

A couple of months ago, we told you about our new Election Readiness Committee (ERC), which is up and running well advance of the next election to ensure the Green Party is ready to run it's best campaign ever when the time comes - as well as by-elections that pop up between now and then (like the one we expect in D16 Cornwall-Meadowbank right after the federal election!).

Now, the ERC wants to get YOU involved! We will be building working groups to help contribute to the overall election plan in diverse areas including communications, sign strategies, financial management and fundraising strategies, technological innovation and much more.

Can you contribute your creativity, experience or expertise to a winning Green election plan? Sign up below and let us know which areas interest you!

VOLUNTEER

Remember those amazing, sexy "be brave, go green" t-shirts that District 11 MLA Hannah Bell designed and sold as a fundraiser in 2018? They quickly sold out, and since then so many people have asked where they could get a hold of one.

Well GOOD NEWS: Hannah Bell and the District 11 EDA have now created an online store where you can not only purchase the t-shirts in your choice of soft grey or charcoal grey, but an enamel mug as well! All items are $27-29, which includes FREE SHIPPING, and all proceeds will support the District 11 Charlottetown-Belvedere District Association and Election Fund.

SHOP NOW

Greg Bradley is a dedicated Green and community volunteer who was our candidate in District 15 in the last election, has volunteered on every campaign since Peter Bevan-Baker's 2015 breakthrough, and currently serves as an Ombudsperson for the Green Party of PEI.

Greg is best known for his warmth and willingness to help others, but right now, he needs our help!

Recently, Greg suffered a serious workplace injury that will leave him without an income for the foreseeable future. A GoFundMe campaign has been created with the goal of helping Greg cover some of his immediate rehabilitation and living expenses while he focusses on his recovery.

If you would like to help Greg, please chip in what you can at www.gofundme.com/f/lets-help-greg-get-back-on-his-feet.

HELP GREG BACK ON HIS FEET

The support of monthly Ever-Green donors is the financial bedrock of the Green Party of PEI. Without the help of those donating anything from $5 to $100/month, we wouldn't be able to keep even our tiny staff to keep this party humming and growing.

Most monthly donors give using their credit cards, which is convenient but diverts nearly 3% of every donation to credit card companies and banks.

Now, it is easier than ever to start or switch a monthly donation to come straight from your bank account instead, bypassing the credit card companies so that 100% of your contribution goes to support the Green Party's mission!

It's easy:

Fill out the simple form at www.greenparty.pe.ca/donation_info#pad. You'll need your banking info, and there is an image there that shows where to find it on a cheque.
If you have an existing recurring donation from a credit card, we'll cancel it and set it up from your bank account instead.
If you are not an existing monthly donor, we'll contact you to confirm the amount you'd like to donate each month.

Not only are monthly donors so vital to the party's finances, but you are also eligible for an Ever-Green membership which never expires for as long as you remain a donor! THANK YOU!

SET UP A MONTHLY DONATION FROM YOUR BANK ACCOUNT!

Our Green Caucus has been criss-crossing the Island this summer! Hopefully you've bumped into them in your community. Some of our MLAs even made it over to Nova Scotia to support our Green cousins there who are in an election campaign right now (until the August 17th election day).

Here are some of the recent articles written by our MLAs and Green Official Opposition Office in the past month.

Climate Change

Last week's IPCC report, referring to the climate crisis, was both predictable and sickening. It opened with three words: “It is unequivocal”. Once again – though this time with even greater scientific certainty and sharper language – we are being told we must act quickly and decisively to avoid making the planet on which we live completely uninhabitable.

Health & Wellness

The provincial government has launched a dental care program for low-income Islanders and seniors in response to a request put forward by the Official Opposition Green caucus.

Housing

I was deeply concerned to hear this legislation is no longer likely to come forward this year. This is frankly unacceptable, especially on an issue that is so important for ensuring the security and wellbeing of vulnerable Islanders.

Protecting PEI Land

While the Land Matters committee fulfilled its mandate admirably, it is also abundantly clear that we didn’t need another study to tell us what needs to be done. This government’s repeated refusal to address land and planning issues is utterly unacceptable to Islanders, particularly those in rural communities.

The Green Caucus has been hard at work to improve the lives of Islanders. If you haven't already, be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And check out their website at www.peigreencaucus.ca for blogs, videos and more!