megan-ellyia in the news:

For the 15th Ward

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AUGUST 18, 2014 ​

I am excited to announce this morning that I filed paperwork with the St. Louis Board of Elections to run as an Independent Candidate for the vacant 15th Ward Alderman seat. Even though I am running as an independent, as Vice-President of the 15th Ward Democrats, I remain committed to both democratic and Democratic values. 

I am running as an Independent candidate because I believe strongly in transparency, open communication, and consensus building.  Our current system allowed for a committeeperson to appoint herself the nominee without broad consensus from our ward at-large. In the interest of creating a unified ward, it is necessary for the decision of Alderman to be placed in the hands of the many instead of the hands of the few. As an independent candidate, I will give the whole ward a voice in choosing their next alderperson.

Our region is experiencing unprecedented division, and issues of race, class, education, and police power are in the forefront of public discourse. Frustration is running high with processes and institutions that do not reflect a broad consensus among community members. Yet, we also have an opportunity to unify around our challenges as we come together to confront and solve them. Thus, it is imperative that we have a representation at the Board of Alderman that not only understands, but also can navigate, all of these complex issues. 

I am that candidate.

With a background in both education and social services serving urban populations, I have personal experience in what programs and policies are effective in unifying diverse populations. I've worked within our complex governmental systems and understand both their strengths and deficiencies.

 At Shalom House, I was a voice for women from all walks of life as they struggled with mental illness and chemical dependency. As a teacher in St. Louis Public Schools and a parent organizer with Active Minds Institute, I worked with parents and students of varying economic backgrounds as we lobbied for schools that met their needs regardless of the zip code in which they lived. At Lemay Child and Family Center, I worked with the hard-working single mom who had to turn down a 10 cent raise per hour so she would not lose $200 worth of child care assistance a week. With the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 562, I educated and organized hundreds of members about the potential effects of the Right-To-Work legislation that was proposed this last legislative session, successfully keeping such legislation off the ballot. Currently, at Child Care Aware of Missouri, I advocate for working families who want nothing more that safe, quality, and affordable child care for their most valuable possessions.  

In each of these situations, I have organized those who are not often heard, giving them a voice, and worked with them to make sure their voices were heard. I now seek the permission of the residents of the 15th Ward to be YOUR voice.

Please visit my website at www.meganfor15ward.com to learn more about how I intend to represent the 15th Ward and what my priorities will be when elected.

Because this is a grassroots campaign, we need an army of volunteers to assist in door knocking, phone banking, sign placement, and literature dropping. Please contact me atmegan.ellyia@gmail.com with your interest in getting involved.

Thank you for your time, your commitment to our community, and giving me the opportunity to serve you.

Sincerely,

Megan-Ellyia Green

3950 Parker Ave

(314) 591- 9587

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 12, 2014  

It is with great sadness, yet with great optimism, that I write this today. The occurrences in Ferguson and in our Ward overnight threaten to divide us as a community, yet also give us tremendous opportunity to have an informed dialogue about the challenges we face. There is no denying that the shooting of Michael Brown and the activities at Gravois Plaza overnight have left many shaken. A wise person once told me, “the bigger the breakdown, the bigger the break through.” Let’s use this breakdown as our opportunity to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly about our Ward and our City.   Let’s use this opportunity to build our community and pave the future we want to see by: -- Creating neighborhood organizations that truly represent our diversity, and not be satisfied until they do.     -- Identifying impediments to community engagement (child care, time of neighborhood meetings, access to information about activities, perception of the inclusiveness of neighborhood groups…) and work with residents to develop systems to overcome these barriers and recognize that EVERY VOICE MATTERS.
        -- Implementing participatory budgeting, which by design, requires the input of all residents through a collective, strategic, engagement process. It requires going TO residents (door knocking, attending church services, phone calling…) and making it easier for all to have a voice.   -- Recognizing the talents of all in our ward and develop a seamless communication system about all activities/initiatives going on in our ward. Acknowledge that community commitment and engagement can take on different forms and is beyond attendance at meetings. Only through engaging all in our ward can we have a truly informed discussion in our community. Let’s use what we learn from these conversations to develop real solutions to our issues, with wide-spread community input, and a pathway to healing and moving forward. We have the opportunity to make real change. Let’s seize the opportunity and react in a positive way to the recent tragedies. Let’s make the 15th Ward, and St. Louis, a place where ALL want to Live, Stay, and Play. 

For Immediate release

July 27,2014  

Megan-Ellyia Green to Run for 15th Ward Alderman         

​It is with much excitement that I announce that I am seeking the Democratic Candidate nomination to fill Jennifer Florida's recently vacated 15th Ward Alderman seat in St. Louis City. It would be an honor to serve my community in this capacity. In alignment with my platform of Building Community, Solving Problems, and Leading by Consensus, I welcome a dialogue on my new Facebook page (Megan-Ellyia Green for the 15th Ward) about the key characteristics that the new alderman should exhibit and how I am committed to meeting those expectations. I appreciate your support as I embark upon this new chapter in community service. I am actively seeking letters of support. Please visit and "like" my page to learn how you can help.

Sincerely,

Megan-Ellyia Green