I wanted to start this short welcome with a reminder that the Annual Membership Meeting will be held all day on May 3rd in Seattle. This meeting will include all the regular educational and involvement opportunities plus a free family-friendly Membership Appreciation reception on Saturday evening. This evening event is open to anyone who would like to attend. The reception will feature kid’s entertainment, appetizers and drinks, an update on Social Justice Fund’s work, live Latin music and dancing. Members and friends will also be invited to sit in with the band and play old Latin standards so come and find our membership’s hidden talents.

Tracy Lakatua knows Montana’s progressive movement. From volunteering with Montana Women Vote to working on a racial justice campaign with YWCA Missoula, Tracy has a clear perspective on Montana’s unique challenges and opportunities and how they fit in with Social Justice Fund’s mission throughout the region.

Since 1996, Working for Equality and Economic Liberation (WEEL) has been working to build a powerful grassroots movement among people experiencing poverty. As the only welfare-rights organization working in Montana, they have developed a base of over 600 members and 150 active volunteers statewide who agree that when social injustices exist, economic injustice follows. WEEL is one of our newest three-year grantees.