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 First, IRCC has provided FIRM with a physical meeting space anchored in the heart of one of the most vibrant and diverse parts of the Twin Cities metro area. Furthermore, IRCC is a creative locus for amazing artists and performers who have inspired our work and enriched our spirits in a way that helps keep us motivated to doing work that is usually unpaid and challenging. IRCC is also a cultural hub with trusted connections to many communities that has given FIRM a solid starting point from which to conduct our civic engagement campaigns. Most of all, IRCC is a gathering space for a remarkable network of activists and organizers which gives us access to veterans of the social justice movement with vital skills like facilitation, strategic planning, and mediation, all of which have been crucial for the growth of a fledgling organization like FIRM. In all seriousness, FIRM would be only a fraction of what it is today, and may have been disbanded altogether, if not for the support and inspiration that we've gotten from our partnership with IRCC.