Sierra Club

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Cicistella2293 General Member of the Public
Your Rating: 5 stars 02/09/2024 My case started after my divorce in March 2018 when I was evicted by the court. . (My ex was awarded our 3 children, both vehicles, our home and even our dog.) I was a stay at home mother that took care of her family. I had zero income. 35 days after our divorce was finalized , i would be evicted. At the age of 42, I found myself homeless. I ended up meeting a friend whom I moved in with. Todd resided at the Washington county fairgrounds in Marietta, Ohio. Upon moving into the fairgrounds one of my landlords started to sexually harass me. He would send videos to me of him touching himself and he would make me a sexual proposal . When I declined his offer , my life would forever be changed. Immediately, he started harassing me. Every time I will leave my home , he would be in his truck , parked right across from my home , staring daggers at me. He then illegally shut off my water and my electric for over 4 months. He vandalized my home, cut my wires for hook up and would tell lies about me and would spread those lies to my neighbors and the rest of the tenants. After returning home on one day, my trailer had been moved away from the rest of the tenants. I was left out in the middle of a field with no water or electric from Sept. 1- December 24. However, the worse was yet to come… He would enlist one of his good friends, (my public defender would find this out) an Ohio state highway patrol officer to join in on the harassment against me. On 9/9/2018 a known Police Officer (good friends with my ex husband and I worked for this officer’s brother at the church we all attended) this officer would pull me over (7 blocks after he stated that I I ran a red light.) and falsify his report on me. Despite submitting to 3 breathalyzer tests (1st test was invalid. The next 2 tests both were 0.00. ) The officer would record that I refused, he stated that I refused all tests. I had 3 occupants that watched me comply to everything that was asked of me to do. I had no reason not to comply. I have my BAC results of that night.) he would charge me with 2 OVI’s and running a red light. I would then comply to a 50 min sobriety test that he failed me on. I would be arrested and my car was impounded. (They had my car impounded from 9/9/2018-5/3/2022).

My case would go proceed to 10/31/2019 when a judge dismissed my charges and released my vehicle back to me. I take the signed document from the judge to the Impounding yard. The owners wife refused to release my vehicle to me even after presenting court documents. In the meantime, I call my public defender explaining to him what had occurred. Ray asked me to meet with him in his office on December 23, 2019. My roommate, Todd would take me to my attorneys office and would sit in with me and listen to everything that was said that very day.

Christmas and New Years came and went . . I started to reach out to my attorney after the holidays was over. And I couldn’t seem to get I touch with him. I would call his office, leave messages with his secretaries, call his cell phone. I would email him and I even tried texting him. Nothing. No response. It wasn’t until March when I went to the court house, and requested my records, that I would find anything out.

In Dec. 23,2019 after I had met with Ray, he dismissed himself as my attorney . Never once notifying me. I also saw in my file, that these charges the judge had just dismissed , I was being indicted on again. My indictment would list a certain medication that I had been prescribed around the same time I had been pulled over . This medication is a medication I have been prescribed since I was around 6-7 years old . This medication is for an anxiety disorder that I have been diagnosed with having since I was 5 years old. It is called episodic paroxysmal anxiety and another form of anxiety called G.A.D. (Generalized anxiety disorder, ) These anxiety disorders will cause me to have severe panic attacks. These attacks have left me hospitalized on several occasions throughout my life.

I then continue reading my records. I was being indicted again on the same exact charge from 9/9/2018 that had just been dismissed!! The assistant Prosecutor would take it upon himself without a subpoena or a warrant from the judge, or any administrative permission to do (no authority to do either according to the distinctive guidelines of the Department of health and human services.) and obtain my personal health information. He would then persuade a jury to indict me on this prescription medication without any urine or blood ever being taken from me. I would serve from October 7,2021- February 13, 2022 incarcerated for this prescription medication. (That I was prescribed by more than one doctor over the course of my life. )

The health insurance, portability and accountability act of 1996 (HIPAA) public law 104-191 was enacted on August 21, 1996 . Sections 261 through 264 of HIPAA require the secretary of HHS to publicize standards for the electronic exchange, privacy and security of health information . In conjunction with HIPAA privacy rule, where it establishes national standards to protect individuals, medical records, and other individually, identical, health information, (collectively defined as protected health information) and applies to health, healthcare, clearing houses, and those healthcare providers. . This individual who requested my information with my pharmacy without anything from a judge, would maliciously not safeguard my personal information. (This was due to retaliation because I made a complaint with the Ohio disciplinary board regarding his unethical conduct, yet he continued being the prosecutor in this bogus charge)

Since December, 19,20219. I have had four checking accounts, five credit cards, a 1400 $ stimulus check, a chase Visa Amazon credit card from synchrony bank taken from my locked mailbox,unknown individuals using my Social Security number, and committing felonies in Texas that used my Social Security number to commit crimes. I have lenders that are reporting that Iam applying for credit card that I’m not responsible for. I have had 6 data breaches. The vehicle that the judge had released to me, the state made me forfeit my rights to. I have spent over 80,000 in attorney fees . I was forced to take from a 401 K and then, I was required to pay over 7,000$ as a result of the early distribution and penalties. I had over 7,000$ court fines and costs, a 10 year licenses suspension, 2 years probation and I was incarcerated from 10/7/2021-2/14/2022.

Unfortunately, this does involve 2 states. I was forced to move as a result of the harassment and retaliation. In combination of, the defamation of character.

Immediately after moving from Ohio-WV is when I first started to experience the ramifications of this disclosure. All of my checking accounts, all of my credit cards and all my financial information was affected along with 6 different data breaches that would release my Health information Disability code, my name, my mailing address, my email address, all of my insurance information, My Social Security number, My date of birth, etc…


Now I’m without funds in order to hire an attorney And even if I could hire an attorney, most attorneys will not Take my case as a result of the individual being an assistant district attorney.. I have tried Legal Aid in both Ohio and West Virginia. I have tried six bar associations in Ohio, several in West Virginia, I have contacted the Ohio, Attorney General Office, and the West Virginia attorneys General Office, I have contacted my state representative and even my governor. In combination with Ohio. They won’t even look at my information without representation . I am 49 years old. How am I supposed to live the rest of my life? How am I supposed to get a job if I don’t have a vehicle how am I supposed to get a vehicle if I don’t have a job and how am I supposed to get a job? If every time they do background checks on me and accurate information pops up on my record ?? How is One supposed to get on With their life ?

Current day, the fraud is still happening. It’s been occurring since December 19, 2019. Yesterday, I had my credit card company call me
And ask me if I had applied with their company for a credit card. I had not.

I have been denied my due process. I have been , Discrimination against as a result of my disability. This is against both federal and state laws what is being done to me. A direct invasion of privacy, along with unethical behavior on the officer and both judges , also A Brady act violation.

I would like to take my case to the Southern district of West Virginia out of Charleston Wv. The attorney I have for my data breaches is now not taking any of my phone calls or messages. This nightmare just won’t ever end. This is out of retaliation for getting some of the judicial workers subpoenaed to the Ohio Supreme Court and the Ohio disciplinary counsel for their unethical behavior .

I just found out yesterday, that as a result of Ohio extracting me to West Virginia I now have a fugitive from justice charge on my record, which cannot ever be expunged. I am now a felon as a result of these bogus charges. I had planned on running for city council. I can no longer do that.

Would
you please help me?

Twila Martin
3045806438
3800 4th Ave B
Vienna, WV 26105

I loved the work the Sierra club was doing for many years and I used to donate monthly. Unfortunately I began to receive phone calls solicing donations almost daily. I asked representatives to remove me from the call list since I thought the number of calls was excessive. I warned multiple representatives that I would stop donating to the Sierra club if they continued to call me at that frequency and even sent an email to the membership team expressing the same sentiment. I eventually followed through on that statement and have stopped donating. I still receive multiple calls a week asking for donations and have attempted to call and email their membership team regarding this with no resolve. I wish this organization would spend more on the environment since they are clearly wasting money and alienating donors with their fundraising strategy.

Until fairly recently, I was a loyal Sierra Club member since 1974. Then the club rebranded as a progressive organization, began straying into social issues (race, gender, etc) and getting very partisan. I am a very strong environmentalist, but I don't want my Sierra Club dues spent on social issues and other distractions. I wrote the Exec Director and raised concerns, but never got a response. I wrote the Board of Directors and got one sympathetic response, and also a neutral response from the President. But the club kept veering left and getting deeper and deeper into social issues. I began to get official club mailings ranting against "white privilege," "colonialism" and "patriarchy." Finally, I had enough, and regretfully dropped my membership. I continue to be a full tilt environmentalist, but no longer a Sierran.

Check out the Yelp reviews. I think they have some germane information.

I have supported Sierra in the past, and this is not to say that I won’t continue to do so. However, in reading the reviews I have two thoughts. First. I agree with the writer about the nickels. Additionally, I get additional requests for donations also containing nickels - so I am getting more of the nickels than one per person. And no sooner than I send in a donation, I get another request for a donation. I generally send donations to any groups once a year, and I do not like getting so many multiple requests a year or guilted into giving by sending or offering gifts. Secondly, it bothers me that almost all the reviews were submitted by volunteers as opposed to donors or members of the general public. I believe Sierra does good work in conservation, but I didn’t see a pie chart as to how funds are spent by percentage of dollars.

I joined because I was interested in volunteering. If you do so, expect to be inundated with junk mail. I receive 5x as much junk mail as before I signed up. So much for the environment! And they sell your info to other groups like the World Wildlife Fund. Expect junk like old paper calendars and mailing labels (who uses that stuff any more?). And even though I opted out of the free backpack offer, they still sent me one.

I belong to many scientific, clean energy, and nature groups. The Sierra Club is by far the most informed, well organized, and well focused group. If I could belong to only one group, it would be them. The awareness that they provide on Tar Sands, Fracking, Clean Jobs, etc. is invaluable.

I often receive letters from the Sierra Club requesting donations and take great issue with their requests for the following reason. With their correspondence, a nickel is attached with the following message: “It costs less than a nickel a day to become a Sierra Club member and help protect America’s wildlife and wildlands.” I typically remove the nickel and recycle the letter. However, if one million of these requests for donations are mailed out with a nickel attached and half of those are tossed in the garbage, Sierra Club is throwing out $25,000 of donors’ money. Is this a good way to spend money donated to the Sierra Club? They are throwing the donors’ money in the garbage. Why isn’t the Sierra Club spending this money in a way that benefits the environment? I cannot in all good conscience make a donation to an organization that uses money in such a wasteful manner. I have sent letters to them regarding this and they typically do not acknowledge my letters. However, they recently responded and said I should send them my address the way it appears on the envelope and they will remove me from their mailing list. They obviously don’t care what their donors or prospective donors think.

The Sierra Club is an extremely radical group. For example they are trying to totally destroy the coal industry and using very unethical methods in the campaign. They scare parents by claiming that emissions from coal plants will damage their kids brains. They are totally hysterical on the subject of global warming but their understanding of the science is sadly lacking. They are basically elite people who care far more about the welfare of birds and insects than they care about the welfare of people. Don't believe anything coming from this group.

As two long-term volunteers with the Sierra Club, Joan and I spend much of our time with the Club’s Trade and Workers’ Rights Team, a national committee. Our introduction to Sierra Club’s trade campaign occurred in the late ‘90’s when a group of volunteers gathered near San Francisco for a training on globalization.  This experience was a real eye opener for all of us. Back in those days the terms “WTO” and “NAFTA” had a ring of respectability.  Even our Democratic president whole-heartedly supported these trade policies. But we learned about what we could really expect to see happen, and,  unfortunately, it all came true:  jobs leaving our country as corporations seek cheaper and cheaper labor markets, deforestation, species extinction at a rate never before seen, and poverty and human rights violations.  The Sierra Club played an important role protesting the WTO in Seattle and at other demonstrations against an undemocratic global economic system.   Our Trade and Workers’ Rights Team has the daunting task of keeping abreast of current trade policy and educating others on the resulting environmental and social impacts.  We work closely with impressive and dedicated Club staff and trade and environment issues. Together we have accomplished a lot by pointing out the inequities caused by flawed trade policies to our fellow Sierra Club members, congressional offices, and those interested in learning more on these issues. Just a few highlights of our work over the years include:  organizing a weekend campout on the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation in Arizona to highlight the attempts of a gold-mining company to destroy native lands, and bringing several Mayans from Guatemala who testified what that mining company had done to their lands; coordinating two international “Border Tours” in Tijuana, Mexico to highlight the effects of NAFTA on Mexican workers; organizing speakers to address issues of environmental degradation and trade (such as the impact of illegal logging in Indonesia); and producing materials making the connections between trade, climate and the need for green jobs and clean energy.      The Sierra Club is unique among environmental organizations.  We are involved in a myriad of issues which we must tie together to show that all of our many campaigns are really interconnected. 

I have volunteered for the Sierra Club as an international trip leader and as a member of the India Advisory Council. I cannot think of a better way to spend my time; the organization is fantastic, the staff dedicated, and fellow volunteers inspiring. It is such a pleasure to feel your efforts are helping to produce a positive outcome in environmental conservation in the world.

I worked as a volunteer as chair of the Mississippi Chapter of Sierra Club for a number of years working on issues like wetlands protection and toxics when we were devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Soon after people starting receiving FEMA trailers, many people were getting sick. After one couple tested their trailer and found high formaldehyde levels, we were able to get funding to purchase test kits to see how widespread the problem was. What we found was shocking. About nine out of ten trailers initially tested were over recommendations for even 15 minutes of exposure. Sierra Club helped us publicize those testing results, and we followed up with testing over the next four years that confirmed a continuing problem. Sierra Club also helped us bring witnesses to Congressional hearings on this to put a personal face on the problem. And, very significantly, Sierra Club followed up with major campaigns to encourage EPA to develop standards to protect Americans from toxic formaldehyde exposure. The club has also supported legislation now in both the House and Senate to adopt formaldehyde regulations that should have been in place decades ago.

I have been in leadership roles at both the local and national levels of the Sierra Club for ten years. My capacities include chair of MA Chapter Local Outings (5 years), chair of the Northeast Subcommitte for National Outings (5 years), and member of MA Chapter ExComm and Boston Group Excom (multiple terms during this same period). The Club is unique for a structure and volunteer philosphy that empowers folks to self-fulfill in the capacity that each is comfortable and qualified for, for its legislative activism, for the community that it brings given its national and local presence, and for its history that dates back to John Muir. When I became a life member in 1988, I evaluated all the options and found the Sierra Club to be the most worthy of my support. I still do.

If the Sierra Club was given $100 million, I feel confident they would save the world. As it stands now, I suspect the Sierra Club will be an integral part of the solution ...doing it the "hard" way, by mobilizing 100,000 creative, passionate, profoundly thoughtful, and deeply caring member volunteers. To put these comments in context, I need to confess that I became aware of the work of the Sierra Club as soon as I was old enough to realize that the environment was headed for trouble if we didn't change the way we lived, worked, and played. In the ensuing years I worked in parallel on environmental issues leaning more towards the academic and research side of the effort. In that light, it seems ironic to me that it took four decades for me to get around to joining the Sierra Club. That said, in the Sierra Club I have discovered an incredible number of people who I think are like myself: willing to volunteer, able to step up, and largely refusing to walk away saying it -- whatever "it" is -- will be somebody else's problem to deal with. I like to think that Sierrans are always thinking in the back of their heads: "If not us, who? If not now, when?" Yet the single factor that has me most solidly planted in the Sierra Club today is the compelling daily experience that it is a slice of America quite literally filled with people who solidly stand with me and behind me on the things that are most important: working to make the world a better place than it is, to make it more what it could be. Last year, I gave up a rather comfortable position to teach in a Title I public school (high need, high risk) that is 95% African American and has the region's largest cohort of students in foster care, state custody, and guardianship. I have no shortage of Sierra Club members are coming to the school to talk to my kids. This morning a Sierran who is more authentically in touch with nature than me, led my class and I on a walk through the woods narrating everything we came upon. We ended the day inviting kids from another class on a kayaking trip wotj the Sierra Club's ICO (Inner City Outings) Program this June. In the meantime, my kids and I have started a Sierra Club Environmental Justice Committee and thrown in with the Sierra Club Water Sentinels to do water quality monitoring throughout the watershed. I think the reality of what we are doing and the possibility of making a real difference is transformative for these kids. The Sierra Club is the overarching structure that makes all this possible. It is a well spring of empowerment for these kids, and really, for anyone who cares enough to step up. And at this very moment, as I sit at my desk writing this reflection, some friends are working just across the parking lot, building raised bed organic gardens so the kids at this school will have greater access to fresh local produce. There is more I could say, but I think it is time to go help move the Earth. Keep the faith! - CTC

I have served as a volunteer for almost a year with the Oregon Beyond Coal Campaign. As this is my first venture as a public activist, I have been impressed with the excellent coaching, support, and encouragement I have received from the Club's staff. The staff is extremely capable and enthusiastic, and have the ability to pass on their enthusiasm. Beginning with the rally at the EPA hearing in Seattle last spring, each event has been very well planned and choreographed. It has been rewarding and fun to participate in this important campaign.

I love being a Sierra Club Outings Leader because the participants are so appreciative of our help. They want to "get out" and we help them with our experience in the wilderness and the conservation information we share with them. Sierra has a great group of staff members who educate us on how to be strong Outings Leaders so we are confident when we are on the trail or on the water. If we have any questions they are always there to help us. In addition to all of that Outings are fun!

We are engaged in a Beyond Coal campaign in Oregon. We have two knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff members who have recruited a large number of volunteers who have turned out for monthly meetings and various campaign events like phonebanking, tabling, and rallies. Our campaign has been effective in getting Portland General Electric to scale back the shutdown schedule for their coal plant. We have also been effective in getting the Northwest Power & Conservation Council to consider conservation in their next plan.

Eleven years ago I went on this fabulous volunteer (service) National Outings trip with the Sierra Club to some of the Ancient Pueblo (Anasazi) ruins in the Southwest. This began my pilgrimage to all of the sites including Bandelier, Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon and Canyon de Chelly. I've also pulled barbed wire in many other areas in the Southwest, and seen first-hand the evidence of the current immigration policies in the Southwest. Not only did I get very connected to ancient cultures as a result of my first experiences, but also the Sierra Club in general. I became a Local Outings leader, and an Outings Chair ...and also became active on a national level as a (volunteer) Outings Activities trainer and Local Outings Committee member/advocate. I still love exploring new places on my own, but am even more committed to helping others get outdoors to experience and preserve what's special about each of our natural areas. In all my years of volunteer Sierra Club involvement, I can't think of a better group of volunteer leaders and staff members with whom to work. Fun, intelligent and committed --what else can you ask for? The Sierra Club needs to remember that their strength always comes from the "grassroots."

I joined the Sierra Club from a magazine after moving to Long Island from Alaska in 1993. I went to college, then grad school and earned a degree in Environmental Science. Frustrated that I was not active locally, I met Sierra members at a tabling event and was shocked to find out that there was local activity. I started out by going to community meetings and outings. The comaraderie was great. I loved getting away from the drama at work and it made everything more fresh at home. My spirit was coming back to life. My first "conquest" came after a cool cities training when we got a sign on. I posted it on the Sierra website and really felt a part of something big. I joined the executive committee as a liason for the Green Buildings (USGBC) and helped get energy star passed in some towns. That was exciting. My passion is water and the opportunity arose to become Coastal Waterways Chair and executive committee member. I joined other local activist groups to facilitate that job and that led to my forming the water sentinels. The Long Island Water Sentinels is my focus and passion. We have a tight group, we are connected to schools, politicians, we know the people locally at DEC and EPA, we know our local baykeeper, we ally with a group called sSelf when we test. It is a dream. I always wanted to do field work. Hardly a day goes by where I don't get an email from someone else who wants to test with us. Sometimes I have as many as 15-20 people at my test site. Sometimes it is just two. We have a phosphorus lab now, what next!!!!! On to heavy metals, life is good. Linda Freilich

IN 1988 I JOINED MY FIRST SIERRA CLUB NATIONAL OUTING AND WAS INTRODUCED TO SERVICE TRIPS IN THE SOUTHWEST. EVERY YEAR SINCE THEN I HAVE DONE ANOTHER TRIP. MANY WERE SO GOOD I DID REPEAT THEM THE NEXT YEAR OR LONGER. MY SELECTION OF SOUTHWEST SERVICE TRIPS SOUNDS LIMITED BUT IT HAS PROVEN TO BE AN EYE-OPENER, LEARNING ABOUT AN AREA, ECOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL ASPECTS, AND FINALLY, THROUGH SELFLESS SERVICE, BEING ABLE TO SAY, "WE DID THAT" AND POINT PROUDLY TO COMPLETED PROJECTS. THOSE STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES CHARGED WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF THESE WILDEARTH PLACES HAVE ONLY BEEN MORE DESPERATELY IN NEED OF VOLUNTEER HELP. WE SHOULD ALL PITCH IN SOMETIME, SOMEWHERE, THIS IS THE CHOICE I MADE TO DO JUST THAT. BELIEVE ME, I'VE HAD PEOPLE COME UP AND SAY, "WELL, I KNOW THE SIERRA CLUB IS A GOOD ORGANIZATION, BUT WHAT DO THE MEMBERS ACTUALLY DO?" THAT'S WHEN I PEEL OFF MY GLOVES, SHOW THEM THE CALLUSES, POINT TO A MILE OF NEW BOUNDARY FENCE, AND SAY, "SEE FOR YOURSELF." IT HAS BEEN MY PRIVILEDGE TO WORK IN UTAH, COLORADO, ARIZONA, NEW MEXICO AND WEST TEXAS, ALWAYS EXPLORING, ALWAYS LEARNING. EVERY NEW TRIP HAS BEEN A DOZEN NEW, BEST FRIENDS, IF WE'RE NOT ON A TRIP, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW SOON WE CAN GET BACK AND VOLUNTEER. WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE....?

I started volunteering with the Sierra Club because I wanted to enjoy and protect wild lands. The Club is unique in that it provides opportunities to visit and volunteer. I went on an outing to Utah. I began volunteering and have been doing so now for 15 years. It has been an empowering experience. I have worked with people across the country to build campaigns and influence decision makers. The Club is unique among env. org's. in the authority retained in volunteers, that has made my experience a productive one. I grew for contributing necessary tasks to setting strategy and becoming a spokesperson. Via the Sierra Club I can now take my kids to special places whose protection occurred partly due to my contributions.

Working with the Sierra Club started with a simple request for more information about the Building Bridges to the Outdoors Program. I work for a regional non-profit in southwestern New Mexico, and our mission is complimented by the Sierra Club's programming and funding opportunities. That simple email asking for a little backround info has lead to a fantastic partnership! It seems like The Sierra Club's southwest field office staff have the rare gift of making the most out of every opportunity - whether it is a community forum, a service day, a state-wide initiative or advocating for important legislation. The Sierra Club staff at the southwest field office have been intelligent, enthusiastic partners in our efforts to do youth conservation education.

This is an effective organization. From Colorado to Washington, DC, I have volunteered for Sierra Club on and off since the early 1990s. Most recently, I have volunteered with the DC Chapter and worked professionally in partnership with their headquarters staff. Especially these folks impressed me with their political savviness and deep commitment to saving the environment.