 |  | Dear ~~first_name~~,
Greetings from LWV-Wake.
Spring has sprung and LWV-Wake members are springing into action preparing for the May 17th Cary municipal election.
LWV-Wake hosts Cary Town Council Candidate Forum on April 21st
We invite everyone to attend our upcoming Candidate Forum for the Cary Town Council on Thursday, April 21st from 7pm-9pm. Scroll down for details.
GOTV Door Hanger Meetup: April 24th with LWV-Wake and Sigma Rho Zeta
Sign-ups are now available for members interested in distributing door hangers in Cary ahead of the May 17th municipal election. Our goal is to go door-to-door to distribute nearly 2,000 door hangers to registered voters in Cary from Sunday, April 24 - Sunday, May 8, 2022. Scroll down for event details.
Other News
Timely Topics: April 21, 2022, 12:00 PM - Registration is open!
Join us for our final Timely Topics presentation of the (League) year as speakers Regina Petteway, MSPH, Retired Director of WCDHHS and Michelle Laws, Ph.D., Chief Experience Officer, North Carolina Medical Society present: Intersection of Race, Stress and Health. This event will be virtual via Zoom. Scroll down for more details and to register. Timely Topics will resume in September 2022.
VOTE411 News
The LWV-Wake board would like to thank Vote 411 Coordinator, Laurie Bader, for the exceptional work she has done over the past few years ensuring the local VOTE411 platform was updated with current election and candidate information. Laurie has decided to step away from her leadership position next month.
We would also like to thank Sandy Hutchinson for stepping forward to take the lead as the VOTE411 Coordinator and Phyllis Gould, who will be assisting Sandy with volunteer organization and candidate calls. We are grateful to our members who continue to step up and lead the important work of the League. Speaking of stepping up.....
League Leaders Needed
The nominating committee has been busy the past couple of months reaching out to existing co-chairs to determine future leadership needs. They are looking for members who are interested in co-chairing the following committees:
Timely Topics Co-Chair- Heather Dennis will continue as a co-chair but would like to have a partner to assist in the planning and implementation of our Timely Topics program series. If you have an interest and/or experience in planning events, please reach out to our nominations committee co-chairs Naomi Lambert or Jackie Giordano. A job description is available upon request. Timely Topics is also looking for additional members that can assist with registration check-in for events.
Development Committee Co-Chair - Carol Lenhardt will continue as a co-chair but would like a lead partner to assist in carrying out the fundraising activities of the League. If you have an interest/experience in fundraising, please email nominations committee co-chairs Naomi Lambert or Jackie Giordano. A job description is available upon request.
LWV-Wake Earns Platinum Seal of Transparency for 2022
You may have noticed a new seal at the bottom of the League Updates. LWV-Wake was recently awarded the highest Platinum Seal of Transparency by Candid/GuideStar. This is a great achievement for the League as it is a symbol of our organizational strength.
Seals of Transparency are awarded to non-profit organizations who provide information about their organization including: Board composition, program descriptions, financial/budgeting, DEI policies, as well as general organization information (mission, goals, values). Candid/GuideStar is the lead provider in non-profit organization information and used by foundations and grantors when researching potential organizations for funding.
When donors see our Candid transparency seal, they can feel confident that money donated to LWV-Wake is going towards programs and activities that create positive change for the community . You can view our online profile here. (Note: You may be asked to open a free account in order to view organization profiles.)
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- April 12th - 5:00pm-6:30pm - DEI Roundtable: The Wealth Gap - Wealth inequality, also known as the wealth gap, is the unequal distribution of assets among residents. Join us as Pat Butler leads the discussion about the wealth gap that exists in our country as well as the racial wealth gap that continues to increase. Participants are asked to prepare for active participation by reading and watching the pre-discussion resources. For more info and to register, click here.
- April 19th - 3:00pm-4:30pm - League Lit Western Wake - Will discuss Our Time Is Now by Stacy Abrams. From New York Times bestselling author of Lead From The Outside and political leader Stacey Abrams, a blueprint to end voter suppression, empower our citizens, and take back our country. Register here.
- April 21st - 12noon - Timely Topics: Intersection of Race, Stress and Health - Join speakers Regina Petteway, MSPH, Retired Director of WCDHHS and Michelle Laws, Ph.D., Chief Experience Officer, North Carolina Medical Society as they present: Intersection of Race, Stress and Health. This presentation will focus on the impact stress has on the many health conditions that disproportionately impact African Americans and Hispanic/Latinx populations. Register here.
- May 19th - 2:00pm-3:00pm - League Lit Raleigh - Will discuss The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee by David Truer. From Amazon: "The received idea of Native American history has been that American Indian history essentially ended with the 1890 massacre at Wounded Knee. Not only did one hundred fifty Sioux die at the hands of the U.S. Cavalry, the sense was, that Native civilization did as well. In his book, Treuer melds history with reportage and memoir. Tracing the (Sioux) tribes' distinctive cultures from first contact, he explores how the depredations of each era spawned new modes of survival". Register here.
|  | | Cary Town Council Candidate Forum
On April 21st, the League of Women Voters of Wake County, along with co-sponsors NAACP, NCAAT and WakeUp Wake County, will hold an in-person Cary Town Council candidate forum ahead of the municipal election. The candidate forum will be held from 7:00-9:00pm at Christ the King Lutheran Church, located at 600 Walnut Street, Cary 27519. Cheryl Tung, League president, will be the forum moderator.
The following three seats on Cary Town Council are up for election on May 17th:
- District A: Incumbent, Jennifer Robinson, is running for re-election and is being challenged by Chase McGrath.
- District C: Incumbent, Jack Smith, is running for re-election and is being challenged by Mary Insprucker, George McDowell, Amanda Murphy, and Renee Miller.
- At-Large seat: Incumbent Ed Yerha, is running for re-election and is being challenged by Ken George and Carissa Johnson.
Note that masks are currently recommended to be worn inside the venue, but this policy could change by the forum date. Please check our website event description for up-to-date mask requirements. While registration is not required, it would assist us with attendance tracking and registering will allow reminder emails to be sent You can register here.
We hope to see all of our Cary members at this event! If you have any questions that you would like the candidates to be asked at the forum, please email Candace Blackley
|  | | GOTV Door Hanger Project
Members interested in participating in the League's GOTV Door hanger project, where 2000 door hangers will be distributed to Cary residents between April 24th and May 8th, are invited to attend our meetup at the Mayton Inn, 301 S Academy St. Cary, on Sunday, April 24th from 3pm-5pm. For this GOTV project, we are partnering with members of Sigma Rho Zeta, the Cary chapter of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority.
This meetup will provide an opportunity to pick up your door hangers/address lists, grab a light snack and beverage, and socialize with other project participants. For more information and to participate in the GOTV Door Hanger Project, click on the link below:
To register to attend the Meetup event, where you will pick up your door hangers, click on the link below:
If you cannot attend the Meetup to pick up your door hangers, please contact project leaders, Ali Mabel or Debbie Moose so additional arrangements can be made. The League wishes to thank Mayton Inn for providing us with meeting space.
|  | Annual Meeting - Thursday, May 19th 6pm
We hope to see all our members at this year's annual meeting! Important information will be shared, including a brief update on the forthcoming 5-year strategic plan, the 2022-2023 budget, election of new board members, and table discussions. There will be a mix & mingle followed by dinner and program. Registration will open soon.
| To see all upcoming LWVNC sponsored events, please view their Events Calendar
|  | | LWVNC Council
LWV-Wake members had a weekend of laughter and learning while attending LWVNC Council meeting this past weekend. Thanks to all of our members who attended. Missing in this picture is new member Gaye Williams who also attended. Welcome Gaye!
Friday night included a presentation of local League skits/presentation that highlighted the work of the League. LWV-Wake's 'Bedtime Story' video skit was shown. Although we didn't win the competition, all participating Leagues received a $200 unrestricted grant. Saturday, LWVNC/LWV-Wake board member Marian Lewin made a presentation about the importance of voter engagement and Vote411.org promotion for the upcoming midterm elections. League president Cheryl Tung made a presentation about the civics education program LWV-Wake would like to create should we receive funding through a grant or donations. It was a great weekend meeting other Leaguers across the state and sharing ideas. |  | NCGA House Select Committee on an Education for North Carolina's Future
PUBLIC COMMENT PORTAL OPEN
Update:
While the official start of the 2022 short session does not begin until May, the House Select Committee on an Education for North Carolina's Future has been holding a series of meetings around the state. This committee was formed on February 18th, 2022 and is charged with the following, according to the NCGA website:
The Committee shall study issues related to education in elementary and secondary schools, including, but not limited to the following:
- Requirements of the standard course of study.
- Outcomes of the standard course of study, including the appropriate metrics.
- Opportunities for students to demonstrate competency at their own pace.
- Funding and outcomes of current programs, including partnerships with nonprofits, that support the standards and outcomes of a sound basic education.
- Any other issue deemed relevant by the Chair to the charge of the Committee.
To access committee meeting materials, click here. This committee is accepting public comment both at the meetings as well as through the NCGA online portal. We encourage everyone to advocate for implementation and funding of the Leandro Plan. Every Child NC provides an excellent overview of the plan on their website. For help with these comments, please see Public Schools First NC's "Our Response" here.
|  | | Support the LWV-Wake with Amazon Smile donations
LWV-Wake is now listed as a 501(c)3 charitable organization on Amazon Smile! This means you can now select our League as your charity of choice and support LWV-Wake at no cost to you. A portion of all your Amazon purchases will be donated to LWV-Wake by Amazon. To learn more about Amazon Smile and how to sign up, click here. Once you have signed up and chosen League of Women Voters of Wake County as your charity, you can bookmark the Amazon Smile page. This is an easy way to support the League!
| Looking for information from a past newsletter? Previous League Updates can now be viewed on our website's home page. Look for the "League Updates" blue tab on the top menu.
Thank you for continuing to support the League of Women Voters of Wake County.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Tung
President | | The League of Women Voters of Wake County is a designated 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization by the IRS. Donations and membership dues are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. | |