Weekly Update
League of Women Voters of Denver
2023
April 6, 2023
| In this issue.....
- Upcoming Briefing - Basic Income Project
- Annual Meeting - May 13
- Voter Service Updates
- Interfaith Alliance Donations for Migrants
- Unit Meetings
- Help Wanted -Really!
- Office Hours
| | | April Briefing, Tuesday April 18, 2023, 5:30 PM
Denver Basic Income Project | The April briefing will feature Mark Donovan, the founder of the Denver Basic Income Project (DBIP). He will describe how DBIP hopes to address homelessness through direct cash payments. They believe basic income will shorten the path to stable housing, reduce income volatility, and provide opportunity for stable employment. The program hopes to help a total of 820 people through private donors, corporate leaders and caring foundations like Colorado Health Foundation and the Denver Foundation.
Barbara A Ford, Program
| | | LWV Denver Annual Meeting - Saturday, May 13, 2023 8:30 AM - LIVE
Montview Presbyterian Church - McCollum Room | Our Annual Meeting this year will be in person for the first time since 2019. Marge Fisch wants to celebrate our coming together LIVE and IN PERSON by furnishing a free Continental Breakfast to everyone in attendance. As in the past, the breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m. followed by our speaker at 9:30 a.m. and then finally the business meeting, all to be finished before noon.
The speaker will be Britta Fisher, formerly Denver's HOST program director and incoming CEO of Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. We are asking for registrations so that we can accurately order breakfast.
Annual Awards - We recognize each other through awards at the Annual Meeting and all members are encouraged to nominate fellow members. The Mother Lode Award is for special effort during the past year. This award can be won more than once.
The Suffragist Award recognizes lifetime achievement and is only given to an individual once. It is in recognition of outstanding work and contributions to the Denver League over a lengthy period of time.
Previous winners for both awards can be found on the nomination Nomination Form Please return to Bobbie Heisterkamp at bdheistkmp@aol.com by Wednesday, April 18.
We also recognize our 50-year members each year. If you believe that you, or a fellow membe,=r, qualifies this year, please let us know
| Nominations are Open for the Denver League of Women Voters Board of Directors
At the Annual Meeting on May 13, we will need to elect the following positions:
- Director of Organization
- Co-Director of Program
- Co-Director of Communication
- Voter Service Co-Chairs (2)
- Membership Chair
- Development Chair
I have no doubt that there are people in the Denver League who could fill these positions capably even if they need some time to learn the details of the job they fill. Please contact me if you are interested or want more information.
Frank Bennett
303-757-2930
FrankBennett65@gmail.com
| LWVCO and Other League Events | David Becker will be a speaker at an LWVCO virtual event on 4/11, 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM . He and Major Garrett, NBC Chief Washington Correspondent, recently co-authored a book called The Big Truth: Upholding Democracy in the Age of the Big Lie, and they'll discuss their book and the research that went into it.
Register at the LWV Colorado Website. You will receive link information after you register.
Beth Hendrix LWVCO | Reproductive Health and Abortion Access March 21, 2023 -Recording Available | The March 21 Briefing provided an update on the activities of Colorado's abortion rights organizations at the Colorado Legislature. The briefing included information on legislation being discussed in the Colorado Legislature including:SB23:
SB23 - 188 - would protect patients traveling to Colorado (and their providers and assistants) from prosecution by other states.
SB23 - 189 - would provide for insurance coverage for gender affirming care and women's care
SB23 - 190 - would outlaw disinformation and deceptive practices by anti-abortion centers
Link to details on SB23 190
SB23-190 Stopping Disinformation and Deceptive Practices
For more details, see Sue Stark's written summary of the briefing in the Voter Newsletter HERE
| | | For recordings of additional prior briefings, please see the LWV Denver YouTube site HERE You will see recordings of recent briefings including the Denver Preschool Program Superintendant Dr. Alex Marrero's presentaiton on Denver Public Schools, and The Suncor Oil Refinery (again in the news).
| See the April Voter Newsletter for information about Denver's Voter service team working in Denver's Jails and the cooperative effort with the Denver Clerk and Recorder's office to register voters in neighborhoods with historically low voter turnout. Anne Duncan and Lisa Haddox contributed these pieces. | LWV Denver Bulb Sale
We have begun planning for our annual flower bulb sale, which has been our major fundraiser for over 30 years. Last year, our sales were down, so we want our members to commit right now to making this a more successful sale. New members, please plan to join in the effort this year.
We want every member to do what you can to make the sale a success. We will sell primarily in May and June, but we will get more information to you in April. Please make a commitment now by thinking of at least 10 people who could have a more beautiful yard. For those without a yard in which to plant, we have lovely paperwhites and amaryllis that will bloom indoors.
If you have questions, please ask.
Marty Sloven (MSloven25@aol.com) and the Bulb Sale Team
| Interfaith Alliance of Denver Needs Donations to Support Migrants | Donations are still needed for migrants arriving in Denver.
- Menstrual hygiene products
- Diapers, Baby wipes
- New or gently used men’s winter clothes (small and medium only),
- New socks, underwear/boxers, jackets, hats, gloves, and sweatpants, Large and XL
- Men’s shoes and work boots size 7-10, and men’s belts
- Backpacks and/or medium size duffel bags
- Shower sandals, Toothpaste, Toothbrushes, Travel-size shampoo and conditioner, Soap
For additional information, visit the city website here.
Andrea Mitchell | Tech Support Help Needed
Your tech support department needs help. The following are tasks that should each have an additional backup person, should the tech support staff not be available. Please let me know if you feel like you would like to learn any of these functions. I will do 1:1 to teach/train you on the function.
- Host Zoom meetings using the LWV Denver account
- Enter meetings into the calendar
- Draft the weekly update
- Update the website with current public/member announcements
- Send an email to membership (or other group)
| Unit meetings are an opportunity for our members to discuss issues in a small group setting. Some units are meeting via zoom and some are meeting live at members' homes.
- Cherrington Unit - will meet 1:00-3:00 Thursday, April 20 following the Guaranteed Income Project briefing. Please contact Unit Leader is Peg Oldham 720-220-3988.
- Observatory Unit – Meets the 4th Tuesday of the month at 4:00 p.m. Unit Leader is Jeanette Scotland 303-479-4368.
- Cheesman Unit meets 2nd & 4th Tuesday 9:30 a.m. Unit Leader is Bobbie Heisterkamp 303-333-6818.
- Highland/Woodbury Unit meets the 3rd Wednesday. Unit Leader is Sally Augden 303-455-5800.
Please get in touch with one of our unit leaders if you want more details.
Terry Cookro, Unit Coordinator
| Office Hours
Office Hours are at Montview Presbyterian from 9:00 to 1:00 Monday - Thursday. Hours may vary. Please call to be sure that someone is in the office before you come. Phone 303-321-7571 or write info@lwvdenver.org.
Elsie Haley for Organization | | | |