Have you taken a look at the price of first class stamps these days?  It’s gone from $.68 to $.73 during the summer.  That means that for every 100 letters UUCW sends out with the letter-writing effort through Vote Forward, we need $73 for postage.

Several people are writing letters in batches of 20 to low propensity voters across the country, giving them the information they need to exercise their right to vote.  Some people have written 100s of letters which means they have a huge expense to bear in addition to the time they are putting in.  We could really use your help with the cost of stamps.

The Get Out the Vote Team will receive 50% of the donations made during the offering on September 22nd which will help reimburse people for the cost of stamps and other supplies.  In addition, for the next several Sundays, we will have a jar at the foyer of the church to collect stamps that you buy–please no flags because, sadly, they are associated with voter suppression.

We will be doing postcards and/or letter-writing during coffee hour for the next few Sundays until mid-October.  Also, if you would like to take a batch of letters home to write “why you vote” to someone in FL, AZ, NC or another battleground state, contact GOtV@uucworcester.org or stop by our table during coffee hour or go to https://votefwd.org/campaigns and print out a template for 5 letters to get started. 

There may still be batches of postcards with Reclaim Our Vote to send to women in Florida. Contact Vickie Cox Lanyon directly or via GOtV@uucworcester.org or see Vickie during coffee hour on Sunday. Let’s get in some Good Trouble together making the world a better place for all, one voter at a time!

In solidarity and with great gratitude, 

UUCW Get Out the Vote Team

The post GOtV News – Please Donate Stamps! first appeared on Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester.

Let’s make some good trouble* in advance of the November 5th General Election. Democracy is not a spectator sport! You can make a difference by calling Black voters in Southern states to help them navigate the voter suppression rules. This is a non-partisan event in partnership with the Center for Common Ground. I will provide the training and then you can give it a try. All you need is a computer (laptop or desktop) or tablet to participate virtually. Calls are made through your computer browser. We will be making calls along with at least 2 other UU Congregations.

RSVP to GOtV@uucworcester.org. The Zoom link will be provided prior to the meeting on Monday, September 16 at 6 PM ET/5 PM CT/4 PM MT. To qualify as a UUA Good Trouble Congregation in 2024, we still need about 800 phone calls to be made. Please help chip away at this goal one call at a time!

You can view this training video before the phonebank to see how it works. http://centerforcommonground.org/pdi.

You do not have to be a Unitarian Universalist to participate in this phonebank. Invite your friends and family! We believe that all of us are needed in the fight to make the world a better place for all, one voter at a time.

In solidarity and faith,

Beth Posner-Waldron, Coordinator, UUCW Get Out the Vote Team

*The reference to “good trouble” is taken from the late Congressman John Lewis who said “…Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”

The post GOtV News – Make Good Trouble with Phone Banking on September 16th first appeared on Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester.

If you’re not going to Ferry Beach, here’s another way to get together.  Please join me and folks from UUCW’s Get Out the Vote Team at the Western MA Democracy Fair sponsored by the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence.  Saturday, September 14, 11-2.  The fair will be held on the USN front lawn or inside (if it rains).   220 Main St, Northampton, MA 01060, USA   This is a non-partisan event.  What happens in W. Mass. impacts us, too!  UUCW will have a table, displaying our new banner, talking to attendees about voting early, making sure they are registered to vote, and encouraging folks to Vote your Values and Make Your Voice Heard.  Want to carpool from UUCW or near Mass Pike in Sturbridge? Contact me directly if interested.

More details from the press release:  “Fairgoers will learn about democracy and have fun while doing it! You’ll learn what’s going on in Western MA to defend, strengthen, and fix democracy…and to take action! There will be voter registration, postcarding, phone banking, education, and much more as local organizations share what they are doing. Plus – International Democracy Day is Sept 15, and we’ll talk about ways democracies around the world have succumbed to autocracies and have overcome authoritarian regimes.” 

Shared by Beth Posner-Waldron, coordinator of UUCW Get Out the Vote Team

The post GoTV News – Western MA Democracy Fair – Sept 14 – 11 am – Unitarian Society of Northampton first appeared on Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester.

2021 UU Advocacy Day

When: Tue April 13, 11:00 – 4:00 PM*

Zoom Event  –  REGISTER HERE   Facebook Event Page

*Community gathering at 11:00-12:00, meetings with legislators in the afternoon.  Representatives @1:00, Senators @ 2:30 PM* some meetings times may vary

Join UU Mass Action for our annual UU Advocacy Day! Crucial changes are needed in Massachusetts.  Let’s put our faith into action as we fight for Immigrant Justice, Climate & Environmental Justice, Economic Justice, Indigenous Justice and Decarceration & Ending Solitary Confinement. We’ll have a community gathering to kick us off, and then participants will have virtual meetings with their Reps and Senators. 

There is a lot of training and preparation that goes into UU Advocacy Day!  We ask that you help the organizers by registering early! Deadline to Register: April 6

Find the list of priority bills and informational videos here.  This is a google doc.  As more videos are ready they will be added to the doc.  You can use the same link to see the updated doc.   

Join one of two optional training opportunities to help you prepare for UU Advocacy Day:  

Wednesday, April 7th 6:00pm – 7:30pm   or   Thursday, April 8th 1:00pm – 2:30pm

Note: We will have a live captioner for April 13. Please email Tali at tsmookler@uumassaction.org if you have other accessibility questions. 

The post UU Mass Action – 2021 UU Advocacy Day – April 13, 2021 first appeared on Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester.