You came to a protest. You stood with people. You gave time, attention, and energy when it mattered. And I’m asking you to do it again — this Valentine’s Day, February 14.

https://action.womensmarch.com/events/love-bank-at-kruger-pines-free-america-walkout

Here’s why.

After attending three protests in one day, I stopped at the Starbucks in Strawberry. I took the bus. I walked. I sat down to eat dinner and drink a coffee — with my sign next to my chair. I wasn’t blocking anyone. I wasn’t soliciting. I wasn’t bothering customers.

I was tired. I was peaceful. I was present.

And I was told to leave.

Not because I caused a problem — but because a volunteer organizer with a sign apparently made someone uncomfortable.

That tells me everything I need to know.

If a corporation can’t tolerate a tired volunteer quietly eating dinner after showing up for their community, then that corporation does not belong in our neighborhood.

And frankly?

If Starbucks doesn’t have room for basic human dignity, then Starbucks doesn’t have any love.

What we’re doing on February 14

On Valentine’s Day, we’re gathering at Kruger Pines and marching together to the Starbucks in Strawberry.

We are going to peacefully, clearly, and publicly tell the real estate owner of that property:

We want local ownership in that space. We want a locally owned coffee shop that trains its employees to treat people with compassion. And we do not want a corporate tenant that treats volunteers like a nuisance.

This is not about shaming workers behind a counter. This is about accountability — and about who gets to decide what kind of businesses operate in our community.

Why this matters

I live here. I take the bus. I walk to events. I organize as a volunteer — not a paid activist, not a brand, not a machine.

If I can’t sit and eat with a sign next to my chair in my own neighborhood, then something is broken.

And broken things don’t fix themselves unless people show up and say so.

Why Valentine’s Day

Because love isn’t chocolate and slogans.

Love is standing up for each other. Love is choosing community over corporate indifference. Love is saying, “We deserve better — and we’re not asking quietly anymore.”

Starbucks doesn’t get to lecture us about “community” while kicking organizers out the door.

I’m asking you to stand with me

Come march with me on February 14.

https://action.womensmarch.com/events/love-bank-at-kruger-pines-free-america-walkout

Bring your voice. Bring your calm. Bring your spine.

We’ll be peaceful. We’ll be clear. And we’ll remind the people who own that property that neighborhoods are not commodities.

If Starbucks can’t show love, then they can make room for someone who will.

Hope to see you out there.

In solidarity, Randy

Dear Members of the Board of Supervisors,

I am writing to invite you to participate in a very practical, community-centered role at our Love Bank Valentine’s Day action at Kruger Pines on February 14.

This event brings together community members who will voluntarily withdraw cash from nearby ATMs and deliver it directly to low-income seniors living at Kruger Pines, so seniors can address immediate, real-world needs with dignity and autonomy.

To ensure that this is done safely and responsibly, I am specifically inviting members of the Board of Supervisors to observe and help supervise the short walk from the ATM to Kruger Pines, ensuring that participants are not robbed and that the process remains calm, lawful, and well-organized.

In addition, sheriff’s deputies will be invited to provide visible, non-intrusive security. The volunteers will have wheelchair available for short transportational needs. The goal is reassurance — for donors, seniors, and the broader neighborhood.

If a senior encounters difficulty receiving or holding cash, we will simply walk with them to the bank before the event concludes and assist them in opening or using an account. This ensures both safety and longer-term stability, while also creating an opportunity for local banks to welcome new customers and new deposits.

This is a straightforward civic exercise:

- Neighbors helping neighbors

- Public officials providing oversight and reassurance

- Seniors receiving support in a way that preserves independence

Your presence would demonstrate that local government is willing to meet people where they are and support solutions that work at the neighborhood level.

Thank you for considering this invitation. I hope you will join us.

Respectfully,

Randy Chase

Volunteer Organizer, Love Bank / Seniors for Peace

Kruger Pines, Mill Valley