Sheila for Malden

In our fourth and final episode, we reflect on the campaign journey thus far and discuss how it’s been for two newbie podcasters diving headfirst into the production of “Sheila For Malden.” We’re joined by guests Susanne Rachels, proud mom and Rachels Committee treasurer, and current councillor-at-large Karen Colón-Hayes. 

Karen walks us through some of the minutiae of City Council’s inner workings, including structure of their meetings and how they’re facilitated using Roberts’ Rules of Order. We also touch on how federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) impact the municipal budget.

Then, with Susanne, we run through the numbers of Sheila’s campaign and discuss some of the highlights along the campaign trail. Check out the Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) to see how all of your favorite Malden candidates are raising and spending funds. 

Looking to take on a more active role? The Malden Police Alternatives and Accountability (MPAA) hosts the Malden People’s Budget, an unofficial, nonprofit survey of how Malden residents, employees, and visitors think Malden should spend its budget. You can find the final 2023 report here and a shortened presentation of the 2023 results here. For folks looking to get more involved with the Malden People’s Budget, reach out to Josh at [email protected]. Or, if you’d like to see what’s going on at Malden City Hall, browse through the city’s Agenda Center and City Council Agendas and Minutes.

“Sheila For Malden” is a product of people coming together and sharing their talents. Our show’s hosted and written by Sheila and Jacqueline. Additional scripting, producing, editing, and show art by David Riemer.

Visit SheilaForMalden.com for campaign news, updates, and to donate. Don’t forget to follow the show to be notified when our next episode airs in October.

What do park cleanups, coffee chats, and cardio bootcamps have in common? They’re all events that The Rachels Committee has held since Sheila began her city council journey.

For our third episode, we’re tracing our way through the human networks critical to a campaign with not just one, but TWO guest interviews. Mikaela Bartels & Lissette Alvarado, who’ve worked closely with Sheila even before running for City Council, help us identify the hallmarks of an engaged and embedded group.

Mikaela Bartels isn’t just a good mutual friend of Sheila and Jacqueline–she’s a Malden-based entrepreneur (and child life specialist) who tells us about her burgeoning small business, Yarnbug Hand Knits, where she designs and makes handmade knit crafts. We chat about how she and Sheila took an idea for a communal knitting club and created the provocatively named “Stitch and Bitch”, a (free) monthly gathering for people of all knitting abilities at Idle Hands Brewery in Malden. With over a year of running the event under their belts, the event is the perfect example of our show’s tagline in action: “if you can’t find what you’re looking for, you can always make it yourself.”

As we learn, embracing a crafty, do-it-yourself approach is key to running a low-budget, high-reach campaign. Putting in the time to learn new creative tools like Squarespace for hosting her campaign website, Canva for designing the visual assets, and leveraging local businesses like CRG Graphics in Malden goes a long way toward spreading the word without breaking the bank in the process.

But Sheila didn’t just stop at palm cards and t-shirts. She brought her DIY mentality into the voter data arena to cobble together her own voter database from publicly available records at City Hall. By doing so, she sought to avoid a costly $600 pre-fab database subscription to the Democrat-operated “VoteBuilder” platform that’d also have forced her to change party registration from being a lifelong independent voter to Democrat outright. MassAlliance proved to be a valuable resource for this, with trainings on how to run a grassroots campaign. And let’s not forget the podcast arm to the campaign as well, which had us grappling with another set of tools.

For the second half of our episode, we break down what it means to take that creativity and DIY approach out on the campaign trail to canvas the neighborhood. To help us unpack that experience, we got to chat with fellow Maldonian and mayoral candidate, Lissette Alvarado. Inspired to run for office after seeking answers to community questions, we discuss the dos and don'ts of canvassing, and why it’s so important to get face to face with constituents.

“Sheila For Malden” is a product of people coming together and sharing their talents. Our show’s hosted and written by Sheila and Jacqueline. Additional scripting, producing, editing, and show art by David Riemer.

Visit SheilaForMalden.com for campaign news, updates, and to donate. Don’t forget to follow the show to be notified when our next episode airs in October.

For our second episode, we get into the weeds with the term “grassroots.” It’s a word that gets thrown around casually, but what does it really mean? And how is a grassroots campaign like Sheila’s different from a grassroots advocacy group? What can they learn from one another?

With the help of special guest, Karen Buck from Friends of the Malden River (FoMR), we sift through the similarities and differences between these distinct groups and discuss opportunities for better coordination. For more opportunities to get involved, reach out to FoMR at [email protected]. This volunteer organization meets at 6:30PM every second Monday of the month via Zoom, and their email distribution will keep you apprised of Malden River updates and upcoming events. For more information on their parent organization Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA), visit www.mysticriver.org.

For background on the National Grid issue, read MyRWA’s statement from May 23, 2022. As of this year, National Grid’s motion to appeal their Chapter 91 license was denied by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, so they are obligated to provide a public riverwalk along the Malden River (OADR Docket No. 2018-018).

Interested in learning more about Malden’s plans for a new climate-resilient park? Check out www.maldenriverworks.org for more information on the Malden River Works project.

We also revisit Sheila’s campaign dream of a Ward 2 Block Club, and how it can help lay the foundations of stronger, more resilient communities in the balancing act of interests and priorities at play in the wider ecosystem of volunteer organizations, advocacy groups, charities, and municipal bodies. Check out these block club resources from Detroit, Chicago, and St. Paul to see how these organizations can help address neighborhood needs. Chicago and St. Paul police departments also provide tips for block clubs and registration opportunities to make these organizations an officially recognized part of their cities. Closer to home, the City of Medford has their Community Liaison Team, which serves to address similar issues as block clubs.

Still unsure how to navigate the skills and tasks needed to create a successful community organization? Kansas University has developed a variety of toolkits to provide guidance on how to develop leadership skills and tackle key activities in supporting community work.

“Sheila For Malden” is a product of people coming together and sharing their talents. Our show’s hosted and written by Sheila and Jacqueline. Additional scripting, producing, editing, and show art by David Riemer.

Visit SheilaForMalden.com for campaign news, updates, and to donate. Don’t forget to follow the show to be notified when our next episode airs in October.

We’re shadowing the campaign of Ward 2 City Council hopeful, Sheila Rachels, in Malden, Massachusetts. Joined by fellow Malden High School Alum, Jacqueline Tynes, we dive into Sheila's path to becoming a candidate, her priorities, and some of the nuances of what it means to run for local office. We’ll learn what it takes to go from a platform in your head to one you can stand on. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it might not take as long as you think.

Want to learn more about the Friends of the Malden River? Sign up for their distribution list, send an email to [email protected]. Break the ice with some casual Chapter 91 chat! Here’s where you can find out more about the Massachusetts Public Waterfront Act. Were block clubs more your speed? There’s a lot of research around them, but for more at glance, check out this guide from Detroit’s block club system.

“Sheila For Malden” is a product of people coming together and sharing their talents. Our show’s hosted and written by Sheila and Jacqueline. Additional scripting, producing, editing, and show art by David Riemer.

Visit SheilaForMalden.com for more, and don’t forget to follow the show to be notified when our next episode airs in August.

“Sheila For Malden” is a product of people coming together and sharing their talents. Our show’s hosted and written by Sheila and Jacqueline. Additional scripting, producing, editing, and show art by David Riemer.

Visit SheilaForMalden.com for campaign news, updates, and to donate. Don’t forget to follow the show to be notified when our next episode airs in October.

How well do you know your neighbors? What do you have in common with the people living around you? And what do you all have the power to change?

These are the questions that led us on this journey. In our 4-part limited series, we’re shadowing the campaign of Ward 2 City Council hopeful, Sheila Rachels, in Malden, Massachusetts. Joined by fellow Malden High School Alum, Jacqueline Tynes, we dive into Sheila's path to becoming a candidate, her priorities, and some of the nuances of what it means to run for local office.

How does this extremely diverse city of 66,000 operate currently, and how can its fiscal and human resources be mobilized to serve its citizens?

Follow along with us each month through Election Day, November 7, 2023 as we seek to answer those questions and more. So whether you're already an active member of the community, or you're on the hunt for new ways to get involved, we hope this series will inspire you to look at your own neighborhood in a new light.

And if you can't find what you're looking for, you can always make it yourself.

Follow Sheila For Malden wherever you get your podcasts. And to learn more about the campaign or where to donate, visit SheilaForMalden.com

“Sheila For Malden” is a product of people coming together and sharing their talents. Our show’s hosted and written by Sheila and Jacqueline. Additional scripting, producing, editing, and show art by David Riemer.

Visit SheilaForMalden.com for campaign news, updates, and to donate. Don’t forget to follow the show to be notified when our next episode airs in October.