**Peaceful Gathering/Rally CANCELED!!**

Hey Friends,

Sorry for such late notice but after talking to some of the homeless residents from the White Slough, the PEACEFUL GATHERING/RALLY that was originally scheduled for tomorrow (Fri) at 6am is CANCELED.

We apologize for any inconvenience and we greatly appreciate all the work you all have done to help in this effort. But remember, THE WORK IS FAR FROM OVER!

WHY CANCEL?
We were definitely excited about the rally but there were a number of factors that led us to the last minute decision to cancel. What we can share right now is that a group of us spoke to some of the remaining homeless residents of the White Slough and learned that many have already left or are making accommodations to leave. Also, the ones that are considering staying have expressed that they prefer that we not draw anymore attention to them. Despite our obvious desire to advocate for them via the rally, and despite our anticipation of the of the rally being a potential springboard for others to join the homeless advocacy movement, we have unanimously decided to respect the wishes of the residents and cancel the gathering/rally.

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
This means that most of the homeless residents of the White Slough have found other places to stay, not necessarily safe or permanent living situations, but as you know, people who are homeless can be incredibly resilient. Whether or not the police actually sweep the area tomorrow (Friday), most, if not all, will have left the White Slough which has been a home to many of them for years. Canceling the gathering/rally means people are still going to be homeless tomorrow, the same way that people were homeless yesterday. Life goes on and the city moves forward...or does it?? Because of all the press and public attention to this issue, homelessness is now on our city's radar and we intend to keep it there until we all do something to resolve it.

WHAT DOES THIS NOT MEAN?
This does NOT mean the end of the road. This is NOT the end of homelessness in Vallejo so this does NOT, by any means, indicate that our advocacy efforts should stop here. There is far too much work to do catalyze the community to work together. And WE NEED YOUR HELP. Like we've been saying, this eviction issue was just the tip of the iceberg and now we have to maintain and use this momentum and energy for real change.

We'll be initiating a community forum/meeting soon, so stay tuned. In the meantime, you can always talk to our city officials about this issue and continue to think up strategies for further action. We especially suggest researching how other cities/regions went about finding a solution. You can always check for updates on ServeOurVallejoHomeless.blogspot.com or email ServeOurVallejoHomeless@gmail.com.

Peace and Godspeed!