Beth Posner-Waldron, Get Out the Vote Team
What’s the fuss about our becoming a Good Trouble Congregation?
In April 2022, JaZahn Hicks was hired to be the Campaign Director for UU the Vote, the UUA’s voting rights campaign. He challenged congregations to put our faith into action and galvanize ourselves to vote love and defeat hate, upholding the legacy of the late Congressman John Lewis by getting into GOOD TROUBLE and “work collectively to get in the way of injustice and get into Good Trouble to build a truly multiracial democracy.”* Together, Unitarian Universalists across the country reached over 2 million voters by phone, letter or postcards, hundreds served as poll workers and election defenders, and our partnerships with other organizations preserved our democracy, protected our values and won critical ballot measures locally and nationally.
Out of the 600+ congregations and fellowships across the U.S., UUCW is one of 16 that answered “the call to organize their communities and engage in the multiple and necessary tactics that will help us win big for our communities in 2022”.
This is something to cheer about and the UUA is holding a Good Trouble Congregation Celebration event on Tuesday, February 28, from 7 to 9 PM to “honor our collective work, share powerful stories and call in joy as we move into the work ahead” per Nicole Pressley, of the UUA. You can join in the celebration with a Watch Party in Fellowship Hall beginning at 6:30 or from your own home by zoom. Register for the zoom event here if you plan to join from home or in the event of inclement weather. If joining us in person, please RSVP to or directly to Beth Posner-Waldron so we know how many to plan refreshments for or to notify if there is an event update.
How did we get to be a Good Trouble Congregation? We needed to satisfy 4 of the following criteria based on a membership of 145 people:
- Average 20 postcards or letters per member –We surpassed our goal!
- Big thanks to Vicki Cox-Lanyon for organizing our Reclaim Our Vote postcard packets to make it easier for folks to write them at home and to Lynn Gostyla for personally writing over 950 letters for Vote Forward with her husband David Williams and also printed out groups of letters for others to write.
- Our goal was 2,900. Over 35 folks helped us reach 3,300 voters by letter or postcard for the Georgia Primary Election, MIdterm Election and Georgia’s Run Off Election. See photos below.
- Average 20 calls per member – One phone call at a time, we surpassed our goal!
- From April through the runoff election in Georgia in November, we reached out to 3,300 voters in states with a high population of people of color and a long history of being subjected to voter suppression. Phone conversations and leaving messages are the best way to reach people, second to in-person conversations.
- Thank you to those who joined phonebanks sponsored by UU the Vote and Center for Common Ground, even when it was difficult!
- Average 20 doorknocks per member – we didn’t do this for this past election season but there will be more opportunities. Maybe next time, we join UU the Vote in Philly or Atlanta or elsewhere with their canvassing efforts.
- Reach 20 percent volunteer engagement – This is where YOU made a difference!
- We needed 29 folks involved and had 40+ people from UUCW join us in phonebanking, letter and/or postcard writing. Some folks did all three! Each letter or postcard or call counted! Participating in our coffee hour events during Good Trouble Sundays in October helped reach our goal. Some letters were written during the Women’s Social gathering. Next time, we’ll try to link in the Men’s Group. Huge thanks to Lynn Gostyla and Ann Hollander and others on the Get Out the Vote Team for making this happen
- Average 2 newly registered voters per member – Thank you to Pauline Courchesne who volunteered with the League of Women Voters to help register new citizens after their naturalization ceremony and others who may have added a new voter to the rolls.
- Maybe we can tackle this as a group in 2024!
- At least 2 congregants are line warmers, poll workers, or poll watchers –
- We had 3 that I know of! (Thank you Kim Napoleone, Vicki Cox-Layton and Betsy Wood). Ask them how rewarding it was.
I have deep appreciation to all who helped by taking action or supported our efforts with contributions to our stamp fund or got to the polls themselves! Huge thanks goes to Ruth Silver for joining me in 2020 to form this group from our Side With Love Task Force, for Evan Wilson’s guidance and to Rev. Aaron for all his personal and spiritual support behind the scenes and at our UU the Vote phonebanks.
Help celebrate our collective achievement by joining the Good Trouble Congregation celebration in person with make-your-own sundaes and other treats, lively music and guest speakers OR zoom in from your own home. The zoom meeting with UU the Vote starts at 7 PM but come in person by 6:30 to settle in with your refreshments. Register for the zoom meeting here to join from home.
Please RSVP to Beth at in order to plan refreshments and so that we can message you event updates based on the weather, if necessary.
Not safe to drive? Join by zoom! Register here
On the fence? Come join us! There will be lots of treats!
What’s next?
Now that the election season has ended, we have much to do to preserve our democracy, get legislation passed that supports our values, and do the work of civic engagement. We can still get into some good trouble!
If you want to be added to our email distribution list for upcoming activities and events, contact Beth directly or via . Our planning meetings are held from 6:30-7:30 pm on the 2nd Thursday of each month by zoom. Contact Beth via for the zoom link if you would like to tune in.
*quotes are from the UUA website Become a Good Trouble Congregation