COMMUNITY ORGANIZING CAMPAIGNS
CIVIC
ENGAGEMENT
WHY THIS MATTERS
Through all our campaigns, we educate our communities about the democratic process. We register people to vote at all our events. All our work is nonpartisan in nature and focused on community engagement regardless of a person’s political party affiliations.
EAST PALESTINE DERAILMENT
WHY THIS MATTERS
East Palestine, Ohio and surrounding areas were rocked by a toxic, ongoing event. A train derailment and burn release of chemicals caused several toxic substances and oil to pour into the air and ground earlier this month. Thousands have been stricken with sicknesses including rashes, nausea, and headaches. For days, people received misinformation as Norfolk Southern strived to bury the severity of this catastrophic event. People were let back into their homes without water, soil, or surface testing.
RVO has already held a packed town hall. Community members want to keep pushing
our elected officials for policy and legislative change. We are also working with independent University researchers from the Universities of Pittsburgh, KY, and Carnegie Melon. They will conduct short and long term water and soil testing for affected residents in and around East Palestine. Our newly partnered community organizers have extensively canvased (while being displaced themselves) and are. continuing to build their volunteer team. We are continuing to push for community-led solutions against corporate greed and government negligence.
HARM
REDUCTION
WHY THIS MATTERS
Unharming Ohio started as a harm reduction campaign and is now moving towards becoming its own organization under a RVO fiscal sponsorship/guidance. Our members work on local, state, and national policy issues such as declassifying fentanyl test strips as drug paraphernalia, passing reforms on the Ohio Good Samaritan, and passing the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act (MAT Act). Since 2018 in Portsmouth, OH, we’ve managed a successful program in partnership with the City Health Department. To date we have seen 6,000 reported saved lives. We also have over 1,000 reports of police interaction diversions due to our street teamwork. Our East Liverpool office also has harm reduction hours where they distribute Narcan, wound care kits, Plan B, and more. We are using our harm reduction hours in both locations to build an organizer led user’s union to focus on the rights of PWUD and breaking the stigma.
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WEST POINT SUPERDUMP
WHY THIS MATTERS
RVO is building a campaign in West Point to stop a “super dump” for fracking materials that would decimate natural habitats, farmland, and individual properties. We have already had two town hall meetings that challenged the polluting company (Vogel) and the EPA for their rash decision to place the dump in our most naturally sustained areas.
EVENTS
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POLICE OVERSIGHT
COMMITTEE
WHY THIS MATTERS
In East Liverpool, Ohio we are organizing around establishing a police oversight committee after a survey of nearly 2,000 community members showed that 80% of respondents are in favor of such a measure. We will go to a Fall 2023 Ballot initiative that is set to pass if the city council will not work with us.
EVENTS
Community Night: "We Deserve Better"
WELLSVILLE LAW
PROJECT
WHY THIS MATTERS
Wellsville has been built on the backs on blue collar workers. We have worked hard to be in the positions we are today. By no fault of our own, our beautiful town is being blanketed in toxic dust by a company who refuses to follow guidelines. We live next to a railroad that carry toxic materials that could ruin life as we know it. Uncovered trucks blowing through town letting their toxic loads contaminate the surfaces we feed our children on. We are organizing around the need to come together and develop ideas and a create a plan that will hold the ones contaminating our village accountable.
CAMPAIGNS COMING SOON
AT-RISK WOMEN
Our At-Risk Women’s campaign is being co-led by women who have survived the Drug War and stigmatization of sex work. We are including ALL women at the table who have been at risk in Appalachia whether it be due to race, sexuality, occupation, socioeconomic status, or gender identification. Our women are dying. Through medical stigmatization, racist drug laws, and predatory practices, women are being oppressed. This community led campaign is forming a union to gather the needs, desires, and passions of the group.
