Reminder: Check our Facebook page for last minute changes and short notice events. (It’s also a nice place to share things with other activist minded people!)
Also please note: check our “What’s New” page for upcoming Plowshare events and meetings. (It seemed redundant to post upcoming events and meetings to both pages, so we are just posting them to “What’s New” now).
APRIL 2024
Teen Peace Jam on April 20 from 9 AM to 4 PM at Roanoke Unitarian-Universalist Church, 2015 Grandin Rd.-Annual youth conference. Contact Gary Sandman at 540-492-3582 or plowshare@plowshareva.org for more information.
MARCH 2024
March 12 at 8 PM:Plowshare Board Meeting, through Zoom.
March 16 at noon: Silent Peace Vigil at the City Market Building, Campbell Av. & Market
St.
FEBRUARY 2024
February 11 at 7 PM: BDS Meeting through Zoom.
February 13 at 8 PM:Plowshare Board Meeting, through Zoom.
February 17 at noon: Silent Peace Vigil at the City Market Building, Campbell Av. & Market
St.
JANUARY 2024
January 9 at 8 PM: Plowshare Board Meeting, through Zoom.
January 13 at 1 PM: National March on Washington for Gaza. Carpooling available. If you can offer a ride or need a ride, please call or text or email Gary Sandman at 540-492-3582 or plowshare@plowshareva.org. You can also call or email Herb Beskar at 540-989-6875 or hbeskar@gmail.com.
January 16 at 8:30 PM: Boycott-Divestment-Sanction Meeting, through Zoom.
January 20 at noon: Silent Peace Vigil at the City Market Building, Campbell Av. & Market
St.
January 21 at 2:30 PM: Teen Peace Jam Planning Meeting at Friends Meetinghouse, 505 Day Av.
January 21 at 3 PM: Voices from Holy Land Salon on film “Israelism”. Register at Tinyurl.com/VFHL-January2024
January 23 at 7 PM: Outreach Committee & Program Committee Meetings, through Zoom.
January 25: Building a Liberated Future, online event through US Campaign for Palestinian Rights. Pre-register at https://twitter.com/uscpr_action/status/1737867244921585987
January 28 at 6 PM: Progressives Potluck at Friends Meetinghouse, 505 Day Av. Jordan Bell will be main speaker.
DECEMBER 2023
December 3 at 7 PM: Teens & Lobbying Workshop at Friends Meetinghouse, 505 Day Av. Sam Rasoul will facilitate. Contact Gary Sandman at 540-492-3582 or plowshare@plowshareva.org for more information. (This was cancelled but will be rescheduled).
December 12 at 8 PM: Plowshare Board Meeting, through Zoom.
December 16 at noon: Silent Peace Vigil at the City Market Building, Campbell Av. & Market
St.
NOVEMBER 2023
November 14 at 8 PM: Plowshare Board Meeting, through Zoom.
November 18 at 11 AM: Grandin Road Christmas Parade; Plowshare will march!
November 18 at noon: Silent Peace Vigil at City Market Building, Campbell Av. & Market St.
OCTOBER 2023
October 10 at 8 PM: Plowshare Board Meeting & Mini-retreat, through Zoom.
October 21 at noon: Silent Peace Vigil at City Market Building, Campbell Av. & Market St.
October 24 at 7 PM: Outreach Committee & Program Committee meetings, through Zoom.
October 28 from 2 to 4 PM: Plowshare Open House at Friends Meetinghouse, 505 Day Av.
October 29 at 2:30 PM: Teen Peace Jam planning meeting at Friends Meetinghouse, 505 Day
Av
SEPTEMBER 2023
September 3 at 11 AM: Monthly Climate Crisis Watch Vigil in front of the City Market Building, Campbell Av. & Market St., Roanoke. Sierra Club organizes; Plowshare co-sponsors. Contact Dan Crawford at 540-343-5080 or dbcrawford@cox.net for more information.
September 12 at 8 PM: Plowshare board meeting through Zoom. Contact Manuel Dotson at 540-344-3997.
September 16 at 10 AM-Teen Peace Jam planning meeting at Roanoke Quaker Meetinghouse, 505 Day Av. Contact Gary Sandman at 540-492-3582 or plowshare@plowshareva.org for more information.
September 16 at noon: Silent Peace Vigil in front of the City Market Building, Campbell Av. & Market St., Roanoke. Contact Mike Bentley at 540-389-3752 or greenprof2@gmail.com for more information.
September 16 from noon to 5 PM: Plowshare will table at the Henry Street Festival. Volunteers are needed to sit at table. Contact Gary Sandman at 540-492-3582 or plowshare@plowshareva.org for more information.
September 17 at 3 PM-Voices from the Holy Land film: This month the film is “Erasing Palestine from the US School Curricula”. More information about the film is at https://www.voicesfromtheholyland.org/…/erasing…. (The monthly salon occurred early this month).
September 23 at 6 PM: Progressives Potluck at Roanoke Quaker Meetinghouse, 505 Day Av. Potluck at 6 PM; speakers at 7 PM. Jordan Bell will be the main speaker. Contact David Denham at 540-354-4813 or revbaseball@icloud.com or Gary Sandman at 540-492-3582 or plowshare@plowshareva.org for more information.
AUGUST 2023
August 5 at 11 AM: Monthly Climate Crisis Watch Vigil in front of the City Market Building, Campbell Av. & Market St., Roanoke. Sierra Club organizes; Plowshare co-sponsors. Contact Dan Crawford at 540-343-5080 or dbcrawford@cox.net for more information.
August: no Plowshare board meeting.
August 19 at 10 AM: Planning meeting for 2023 Teen Peace Jam, the Plowshare annual youth conference, Roanoke Quaker Meetinghouse, 505 Day Av. Contact Gary Sandman at 540-492-3582 or plowshare@plowshareva.org for more information. Also see below for more information.
August 19 at noon: Silent Peace Vigil in front of the City Market Building, Campbell Av. & Market St., Roanoke. Contact Mike Bentley at 540-389-3752 or greenprof2@gmail.com for more information.
August 20 at 3 PM-Voices from the Holy Land Online Salon: The Tree film. To register go to https://www.voicesfromtheholyland.org/calendar.
August 29 at 7 PM: Outreach Committee and Program Committee meetings through Zoom. Contact Gary Sandman at 540-492-3582 or plowshare@plowshareva.org for more information.
JULY 2023
July 1 at 11 AM: Monthly Climate Crisis Watch Vigil in front of the City Market Building, Campbell Av. & Market St., Roanoke. Sierra Club organizes; Plowshare co-sponsors. Contact Dan Crawford at 540-343-5080 or dbcrawford@cox.net for more information.
July 11 at 8 PM: Plowshare board meeting through Zoom. Contact Manuel Dotson at 540-344-3997.
July 15 at noon: Silent Peace Vigil in front of the City Market Building, Campbell Av. & Market St., Roanoke. Contact Mike Bentley at 540-389-3752 or greenprof2@gmail.com for more information.
July 16 at 3 PM-Voices from the Holy Land Online Salon: The Tree film. To register go to https://www.voicesfromtheholyland.org/calendar.
JUNE 2023
June 3 at 11 AM: Monthly Climate Crisis Watch Vigil in front of the City Market Building, Campbell Av. & Market St., Roanoke. Sierra Club organizes; Plowshare co-sponsors. Contact Dan Crawford at 540-343-5080 or dbcrawford@cox.net for more information.
June 3 at 11 AM: Planning meeting for 2023 Teen Peace Jam, the Plowshare annual youth conference, Roanoke Quaker Meetinghouse, 505 Day Av. Contact Gary Sandman at 540-492-3582 or plowshare@plowshareva.org for more information. Also see below for more information.
June 3 at 11 AM: Monthly Climate Crisis Watch Vigil in front of the City Market Building, Campbell Av. & Market St., Roanoke. Sierra Club organizes; Plowshare co-sponsors. Contact Dan Crawford at 540-343-5080 or dbcrawford@cox.net for more information.
June 13 at 8 PM: Plowshare board meeting through Zoom. Contact Manuel Dotson at 540-344-3997.
June 17 at noon: Silent Peace Vigil in front of the City Market Building, Campbell Av. & Market St., Roanoke. Contact Mike Bentley at 540-389-3752 or greenprof2@gmail.com for more information.
June 18 at 6 PM: Progressive Potluck at Roanoke Quaker Meetinghouse, 505 Day Av. Potluck at 6 PM; speakers at 7 PM. Polly Branch of CommUnity Artsreach group will be the main speaker. Contact David Denham at 540-354-4813 or revbaseball@icloud.com or Gary Sandman at 540-492-3582 or plowshare@plowshareva.org for more information.
June 25 at 7 PM: Shawnee Showdown: Keep the Forest Standing film, along with speakers, at the Roanoke Unitarian-Universalist Church, 2015 Grandin Rd. Contact Sherman Bamford, 540-343-6359 or bamford.2@aol.com for more information. For more information on Shawnee Showdown go to https://globaljusticeecology.org/shawnee-showdown/.
June 27 at 7 PM: Outreach Committee and Program Committee meetings through Zoom. Contact Gary Sandman at 540-492-3582 or plowshare@plowshareva.org for more information.
MAY 2023
May 6 at 11 AM: Monthly Climate Crisis Watch Vigil in front of the City Market Building, Campbell Av. & Market St., Roanoke. Sierra Club organizes; Plowshare co-sponsors. Contact Dan Crawford at 540-343-5080 or dbcrawford@cox.net for more information.
May 9 at 8 PM: Plowshare board meeting through Zoom. Contact Manuel Dotson at 540-344-3997 for more information. Also contact Gary Sandman at 540-492-3582 or plowshare@plowshareva.org for the zoom link to attend. We are always interested in exploring membership on the board with new people.
May 15 at 7 PM: Plowshare will present the Move the Money resolution to the Roanoke City Council, 215 Church Av, fourth floor. Contact Mike Bentley at 540-389-3752 or greenprof2@gmail.com for more information.
May 20 at noon: Silent Peace Vigil in front of the City Market Building, Campbell Av. & Market St., Roanoke. Contact Mike Bentley at 540-389-3752 or greenprof2@gmail.com for more information.
May 21 at 3 PM-Voices from the Holy Land Online Salon: NAKBA 75: Remembering the Voices film. To register go to https://www.voicesfromtheholyland.org/calendar.
May 25 at 6 PM: Pastors for Peace at Roanoke Quaker Meetinghouse, 505 Day Av. Potluck at 6 PM; program at 7 PM. Contact Mike Bentley at 540-389-3752 or greenprof2@gmail.com or Herb Beskar at 540-989-6875 or hbeskar@gmail.com for more information. For more information on Pastors for Peace go to https://ifconews.org/.
APRIL 2023
April 11 at 8 PM: Plowshare board meeting through Zoom. Contact Manuel Dotson at 540-344-3997.
April 15 at noon: Silent Peace Vigil in front of the City Market Building, Campbell Av. & Market St., Roanoke. Contact Mike Bentley at 540-389-3752 or greenprof2@gmail.com for more information.
April 16 at 7 PM (Tentative): “The Price of Freedom” film, site or Zoom tba. Contact Gary Sandman at 540-492-3582 or plowshare@plowshareva.org for more information.
April 25 at 7 PM: Outreach and Program Committee meetings through Zoom. Contact Gary Sandman at 540-492-3582 or plowshare@plowshareva.org for more information.
April 29 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM: Arab American Heritage Month Celebration at Bent Mountain Center, 10140 Tinsley Lane in Bent Mountain. Contact Jim Best at Jimbest@jimbestdesign.com or 276-734-5544 for more information. Plowshare will table.
April 30 from noon to 7 PM: Pride in the Park Festival in Elmwood Park. Plowshare will table. Contact Gary Sandman at 540-492-3582 or plowshare@plowshareva.org if you would like to help table or for more information.
MARCH 2023
March 14 at 8 PM: Plowshare board meeting through Zoom. Contact Manuel Dotson at 540-344-3997.
March 17 at 4:00-6:00 PM – People Against Apartheid at Floyd County Courthouse 4:00 – 6:00
(Rain date is the 24th)
March 18 at noon: Silent Peace Vigil in front of the City Market Building, Campbell Av. & Market St., Roanoke. Contact Mike Bentley at 540-389-3752 or greenprof2@gmail.com for more information.
March 18 at 1 PM: National March on Washington: Peace in Ukraine – Stop NATO. Plowshare will coordinate rides; if you want to offer a ride or need a ride, please contact Herb Beskar at 540-989-6875 or hbeskar@gmail.com. Go to https://www.answercoalition.org/protest_march_18_19_peace…for more information.
March 19 at 3 PM-Voices from the Holy Land Online Salon about “The Law and the Prophets” film. To register go to https://www.voicesfromtheholyland.org/calendar.
March 19 at 6 PM: In-person Progressive Potluck Dinners resume! The venue is Roanoke Unitarian-Universalist Church, 2015 Grandin Rd. Don’t miss this terrific event! For more info call Gary Sandman at 540-492-3582. You can also just show up with no reservation, but please click this link for more details. We hope you will attend!
March 27-31 at 9:00 AM Clothesline Project Workshops (raising awareness of gender-based and sexual violence) at Women’s Center at Virginia Tech, 206 Washington Street, Blacksburg, VA. Contact: Susan Anderson at 540-231-8041 & 540-951-2013 or anderson@vt.edu
Sample of Recent Programs or Events in Roanoke (sponsored or endorsed)
February 19, 2023: Carpool to Washington DC war protest
January 15, 2023: Is Israel an Apartheid State?
Winter 2022: Progressive Potluck (meet local activists of every interest)
Fall 2022: Kingian Nonviolence Workshop
Summer 2022: From Palestine to Ferguson Program
Spring 2022: Domestic Violence Program
Winter 2021: How Most Arabs View Israel Program
Fall 2021: Remembering the Vietnam War Program (John Ketwig)
Summer 2021: End the U.S. Blockade on Cuba Protest
Spring 2021: International Peace Program (David Swanson)
