Day 19 of the Fast 4 Education: Not too late to help - Save Our Schools, Si se puede!!

good day Family,no long email or cute pleas, its julio again,

I have decided to take an unpaid leave of absence from work (this next week) so as to devote myself to supporting the remaining fasters and helping conduct outreach for the cause 24/7.
It is day 19 and things are getting more and more difficult (for
fasters and organizers/supporters) but schools are falling apart so our motivation and spirits are high.
Please come visit fasters at south side (though we will move to west side soon) of state Capitol. I have called some of you but few have responded.

Please go to http://fast4education.org for updates and info as to how to plug in. We have made progress but could always use more help with contacts (in particular School Officials, District Officials, African-American, Asian, and Native-American Student & Community organizations statewide and nation wide). We also are in need of financial donations (see website). The situation is serious, THE FASTERS ARE SERIOUS, please help make this action a resounding success. An Update follows..

Your Concerned Brother,
Julio Magaña-Saludado
- Fast4Education Co-Coordinator of Outreach and Servant of the Fasters
employed by:
East Bay Consortium/ Cal-SOAP (program coordinator)
College/Career Information Centers
Castlemont and LIfe Academy High Schools, East Oakland
510-448-9469 (pager)

Updates:FYI: it is now day 19 and everyone is exhausted but our spirits remain high. One of our fasters (Wendy Gonzalez) has decided that she cannot allow her classroom to suffer any longer without her, phone calls from parents have reported that her students were skipping school because the substitute was sending child after child to detention. Her family was also (understandably) concerned about her but i must say she still had one of the most energetic and healthy personalities i have ever seen when she broke the fast last night in a beautiful ceremony with the organizers and supporters from Sactown. Fred Jackson, the elder (and chief spiritual and moral advisor) of the group is also getting ready to break his fast because of very similar concerns about his after school program and family concerns for his health. However,
he too never appeared more tired than anyone else and has an extremely strong and positive spirit.

Updates from the frontline: Yesterday, we were invited onto the Ca.
Assembly floor to be introduced to the state's representatives and were greeted by a roaring applause.

We were invited to meet and met with the state Speaker of the Assembly Fabian Nunez and the Assemblyman in charge of budgetary decisions, Steinberg. We articulated our demands and it appears that two of the three are somewhat attainable. Until the fasters are met with written
confirmation of these demands, they have pledged to move forward with the fast.

We continue on the south side lawn (though may be moving to the west side shortly) of the state capitol. We will continue all weekend with the 7pm Candlelight Vigils on the west-side lawn.
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