Challenging status quo fuels organizer’s passion for activism
Emily Fetsch’s pursuit of answers at a young age led her on a path of advocacy and into the role of lead organizer for Justice Matters.
Emily Fetsch’s pursuit of answers at a young age led her on a path of advocacy and into the role of lead organizer for Justice Matters.
With a zest to learn the ins and outs of community organizing and civic engagement, two human rights advocates from the Balkans have made Lawrence their temporary home for four weeks.
Justice Matters’ Action Assembly began with a choir singing lyrics expressing hope for change, a fitting prelude to the goals and commitments for Lawrence and Douglas County the group outlined Sunday.
Members of Justice Matters, a local coalition of faith-based organizations, on Sunday will ask people in power to commit to creating a more just Lawrence and Douglas County.
Local activists held a prayer vigil Saturday morning in hopes that the Douglas County Treatment and Recovery Center will open its doors soon.
Lawrence advocacy group Justice Matters invites community members to an educational meeting about a study that highlighted stark racial disparities in incarceration and found that most bookings into the Douglas County jail are for minor, nonviolent charges, among other conclusions.
Douglas County suffers from an elder care crisis, according to members of the nonprofit organization Justice Matters. Senior care service providers can’t recruit and retain enough qualified staff to provide quality care to seniors in Douglas County who need it.
“When we are united around addressing systemic issues of injustice, the impact is long-lasting and profound,” the co-presidents of Justice Matters write in this column.
Camille Debreczeny grew up in California surrounded by extended family taking care of each other as part of an interconnected whole. The lead organizer for Justice Matters credits that collectivist culture — and her family’s immigrant background — with drawing her to community work.
The Douglas County Commission approved new funding toward addressing local homelessness and discussed federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act at Wednesday’s meeting.
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