AIM’s First Action
On June 13, 2000, Action in Montgomery (AIM) held our very first public action with elected officials. Over 700 people, representing 17 churches and synagogues, gathered at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church under a tent in the parking lot.
This founding assembly resulted from months of careful listening, relationship-building, and power analysis. AIM held community listening sessions to identify the top concerns in the community and then met face-to-face with county leaders and the press to build the groundwork for change.
Assembled under the tent, AIM clergy and community leaders called on Montgomery County Councilmembers and County Executive Doug Duncan to publicly commit to working with AIM on affordable housing and the expansion of full-day kindergarten. Executive Duncan publicly recognized AIM and committed to working with us, which was crucial for our early campaigns.
The crowd stood united and organized, showing the kind of people power that AIM would become known for. What began as a hopeful gathering under a tent became an organization that, 25 years later, continues to build power and fight for justice.
Leader Reflections
“That first AIM action was so wonderful. There were so many people on the same page. I was part of making a little bit of a difference for quality of life in this county. That was really a joy.” —Rabbi Mark Raphael, Kehilat Shalom Synagogue (retired)
“I enjoyed being part of this first action and this new organization. We could accomplish things in AIM that I could not do by myself.” —Judy Walser, Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church
“Hundreds of us got together under that tent, like an old-fashioned church tent meeting. Now 25 years later, you can point all around this county and see affordable housing that has been built because of us. From the acorn we grew the mighty oak.” —Jeff Eagan, Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ
“I remember panicking because we ran out of chairs. It was a mix of panic and excitement because ‘oh my gosh, we ran out of chairs’ and ‘awesome, we ran out of chairs!’” —Mark Fraley, Former AIM Organizer