March 18, 2020
By now, you have probably received a lot of emails about COVID-19, and you are inundated with information from every side. I’m not going to repeat everything you are hearing elsewhere. I do want to take a moment to let you know that we at the League of Women Voters of California, are thinking about you. Our members, partners, donors, volunteers, and our larger community. I hope you are taking all of the recommended precautions to protect yourselves and your loved ones.
We have made some adjustments here at the LWVC office, which I will cover in this note, but we are also still working hard. Because democracy never rests. And as we assess the California primary and look to the November general election, and as we assess the potential impact of COVID-19 on the general election, we have a clear call to work to empower voters and defend democracy in our state.
We are fortunate enough to live in a time where technology is the great enabler. Like many organizations, we have moved our staff to remote work to allow them to care for their health, and to manage their families as schools are closed. We will be leveraging video conferencing tools, video streaming, interactive digital media and other tools to keep advancing our mission. We are working on updating our phone system to add an automated process for callers to use to reach specific staff members by phone, as we will not have someone in the office to answer calls at all times. We ask for your patience as we are making this transition with our phones, and ask you to consider email as your first way to reach our team, using lwvc [at] lwvc.org if you do not know specifically to whom you should speak.
I would also ask you, when you are ready, to consider making a financial contribution to the LWVC or another nonprofit you care about. Nonprofits are on the front lines of care and change, and we depend on the generosity and passion of people like you to make the change happen. Here at the LWVC, we have so much to do with projects like Voter’s Edge, the Easy Voter Guide, and advancing our legislative priorities and elections - it’s critical that we push forward. While this is a difficult time to ask, it is also imperative that we do, because we cannot do it without your support. Please consider a gift of any amount to help sustain our work in these unprecedented times.
Mr. Rogers, the kind soul that so many of us grew up with or watched with our kids and grandkids, once said, “When I was a boy and would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” We know that League members and supporters are leaders in your communities and that you care deeply about the people in our state. You are helpers. We are helpers. We will continue to help empower voters and defend democracy, even in the face of adversity.
Take care of yourselves and each other,
Stephanie Doute, CAE
Executive Director
League of Women Voters of California