Let’s ‘Do Something’!�

First Parish in Concord

September 4, 2024

June 2024 Democracy Festival

Agenda

• Introduction and Chalice Lighting - Jennifer
• Music - Beth
• Campaign Overview and Activities - Fred
• Getting Younger People Involved - Amy
• Music - Beth
• Closing - Jennifer
• Post-event Mingling - all
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What can we do as a Congregation?

• Ground the work in spirituality / UU values
• Our faith holds democratic processes as a core value
• Non-Partisan
• No work for or coordinated with candidates or parties
• We CAN promote voting based on issues, including ballot measures
• Provide civic education
• Targeted
• We can focus on populations that are under-represented in the electorate
• These are the voices that need to be heard in the public square

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Graphic by Tanya Webster

chalicedays.org

Why do Voter Engagement Work as a Congregation?

• Build community (commit to and support each other)
• Build power together - make a difference
• Build relationships that support future organizing work
• Shift the actual conditions of our communities
• Inspire others to work with us
• Raise the profile of the congregation
• With partners
• In the community
• In the cluster / region

What can we do?

• Register voters
• Engage with family members, friends and others to encourage them to vote - Live your values aloud, not alone
• Join Phone, Text Banking, Canvassing
• Join UU the Vote phone banking virtual events every Tuesday evening
• Join available text banking and canvassing events
• Write letters / postcards
• Postcard parties at Coffee Hour, Individuals can take packets home
• UUSJ Action Alert: Congress Must Speak Out for Democracy
• Volunteer on Election day
• Poll workers (inside polls);
• Election monitoring and defense (outside polls)
• Provide rides to the polls
• Make Catnip Balls with the Women’s Parish Association

What are our goals?

• Do our part to support and build a multi-racial democracy
• Get out as many people to vote as we can, particularly in swing states
• Become a 2024 Good Trouble Congregation
• Build community
• Build relationships with our partners
• Spread hope and joy

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Good Trouble Congregation - Organizing

Based on our membership (556), our Organizing goals are (meet 2):

• Turn out 28 members at a partner public action / witness (5%) - LWV or Concord Indivisible
• Turn out 56 members at a UUTV political education event (10%)
• Have a Reclaim Our Democracy table at 3+ public events
• 2+ people are poll workers or poll monitors
• 112 members volunteer in First Parish Let’s ‘Do Something’! campaign (20% volunteer engagement)

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Good Trouble Congregation - Voter Contact

Based on our membership (556), our Voter Contact goals are (meet 2):

• Send 11,120 postcards or letters (20 / member)
• Send 111,200 text messages (200 / member)
• Make 11,120 phone calls (20 / member)
• Connect with 11,120 friends, relatives or family members and encourage them to vote (20 / member)

How do we achieve these goals?

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• We Mobilize!
• Motivate and involve as many congregation members as possible
• We Spread the Word!
• This is the most important election in our lifetimes; the future of our country and our democracy is at stake; we need everyone to vote
• We are guided by optimism and faith
• We stand for: freedom, opportunity, compassion, equity, fairness
• We all Do Something! We Participate in As Many Actions As We Can!
• We Encourage Others to Vote and Help Them Do That!

Please Register for the Campaign!

An Immediate Opportunity to Do Something

Congress Must Speak Out for Democracy

Our democracy is in crisis, and we need to see our Members of Congress take a stand to protect it. Most senators and representatives have not been visible in the critical efforts to build a pro-democracy movement.

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The UUSJ Democracy Action Team has created an Action Alert letter that you can edit as you see fit, and send electronically to your representative and senators, asking them to be a strong and visible advocate for democracy.

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Please click on this link: http://bit.ly/speak_out_for_democracy and do something to help democracy. It will only take a couple of minutes and could make a big difference.

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Thank you!