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Our Programs:
Peace House works to address the root
causes poverty and powerlessness in our communities.
Our core programs form the backbone of our efforts to build a
culture of nonviolence, peace, and social justice.
For
15 years, Uncle Food's Diner has offered
free weekly community meals in Ashland for the homeless and economically
disadvantaged. Each Tuesday,
volunteers — kids, elders, and everyone in-between — gather to cook a
nutritious meal with vegan options for up to 135 community members. The
meal provides opportunities for participants to interact socially, and to
connect with community resource agencies and services.
Leftover food items are provided to diners to carry them through
the week, and to local group homes and other food service providers.
Organic food scraps from meal preparation are set aside for use as
compost in our gardens. Peace
House is building a long-term infrastructure to challenge systems that
perpetuate social and economic injustice by coordinating self-sustaining
programs to address these issues.
The
McGowan Peace Garden
In
June of 2006, Eagle Mill Farm donated the use of approximately ˝ acre of
riparian farmland on Bear Creek to expand our growth of organic
vegetables and herbs to feed the disadvantaged.
The garden is a living memorial to Joanie McGowan, a local
activist, comedian, and actress who committed suicide in 2005.
Working in collaboration with The Jackson County Sustainability
Network and a large group of McGowan’s friends, Peace House and Eagle
Mill Farm will provide additional food for the increasing population of
Uncle Food’s Diner, and to volunteer gardeners in exchange for their
service. As the garden
matures, its organic abundance will be shared with ICCA, ACCESS, and
other local food service providers.
Peace
House's Alternatives to Military Recruitment/Conscientious
Objector Program works to reduce the impact of war and militarism
on young people's lives. We
aim to counteract the growing influence of the military by educating
parents and students alike about the sales tactics recruiters use to
promote enlistment in the armed forces and by providing alternatives.
We believe that knowledge is power, and that true informed consent
is a basic right of individuals contemplating military service.
We support and respect the decision to enlist when the opportunity
to consider all facts is provided.
We
also support youth who are opposed to war and violence, so they can
demonstrate their beliefs and put them into action.
In collaboration with the South Mountain Friends Meeting
(Quakers), Peace House has established a Conscientious Objector (CO)
Counseling Center. CO
counselors work with interested youth to develop a case file and to
encourage their connection with community organizations and projects that
will further their objector status. Peace
House seeks to be on the frontline of support for CO's in our community
as concerns of a mandatory military draft increase.
Community
Education and Non-Violence Training:
Collaborative Partnerships for Justice
Peace
House brings a range of speakers to the area to discuss topical issues,
and to offer training and support to prepare for nonviolent political
campaigns.
We work with environmentalists to educate the community about the
relationship between ecological sustainability and peace and justice.
Broadcasting
Peace
Peace
House publishes a weekly eNews alert reaching over 600 people, and a
bi-monthly “Clear Actions” newsletter in an effort to spread the work
and efforts of allied organizations and coalition partners that receive
little or no attention in corporate media.
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