Faith In Action – Side With Love & Get Out The Vote News – September 15, 2020

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get out the vote poster

The Side with Love Taskforce has been organizing multiple opportunities for UUCW to put our faith into action. 

Get Out the Vote: Interested in joining others to create change by mobilizing voters? Join the “Get out the Vote” working group to learn how others are dedicating time and resources to this effort. Email Ruth Silver or Beth Posner-Waldron at for more information and visit https://www.uuthevote.org/ for upcoming actions with other UUs.

UU the Vote for election 2020

We need all hands on deck to get out the vote!  The November election is crucial.

Check out  “Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Phonebanking* (But Were Afraid to Ask)”   

Please forward this link to family and friends–and please join us to get out the vote. Questions?  Contact us at  .  

UUCW #GetOutTheVote Team – Texting with When We All Vote

 “I began texting voters with When We All Vote, because I believe all Americans deserve a voice in our government.  Unfortunately, many of our citizens of color, young, and poor voters have been disenfranchised.  Texting is a way for me to reach out to voters and to encourage them as well as provide information on how and where to vote.  Texting is simple and can be done from my phone, and I can reach many voters who feel more comfortable with this mode of communication.  Texting is my way of inviting and encouraging those disenfranchised voters to lend their voice to our democracy.”  Erin Derr

Texting with When We All Vote

1.  Go to the When We All Vote website (whenweallvote.org).

2.  Click on “Take Action”

3.  Click on “Volunteer with Us”

4.  Sign up to volunteer by providing your information.  You will begin receiving emails. These emails will coach you through the next steps (adding apps, etc)

5.  You will need to add the “OutVote” app to your phone as well as the “Slack” app.  The OutVote app is the platform from which you will text.  The Slack app is a communication tool to alert you to texting opportunities.

6.  You will then be able to click on open campaigns and start texting from your phone.  

7.  After you have sent texts (which are very simple with the app) you will file reports for situations such as a wrong number or needing new information.

It’s all hands on deck for this election.  We need to ensure an overwhelming win in November. 

That means you and me and as many people we can reach out to.  To that end, after checking out our Table of Vetted Organizations, we are asking that you call 5 people (family, friends, neighbors–calling has better results than emailing) and ask them to help get out the vote. Asking others may not be easy to do. Check out this guide Hard Ask Guide.* 

When you reach 5 people, send them this link Table of Vetted Organizations so they can choose which organization they want to work with. Then ask those 5 people to call 5 people and so on and so on…….  Thank you.     

Questions? Contact Beth or Ruth at   Compiled by the UUCW Get Out the Vote Team   

Please watch this documentary Voter Suppression. You will see what voter suppression looks like in human terms. It’s troubling.

Texting with WhenWeAllVote

*Swingleft.org      

UUCW Anti-Racism Team – Racism in Policing & Schools

The Side with Love Anti Racism Working group invites you to take action to address racism and heed the calls from local, black individuals and organizations to address racism in policing and schools.

We are supporting and drawing attention to Defund Worcester PD and Racism Free WPS.

For some, hearing “defund the police” is uncomfortable or feels incongruent to the need to still have police. Wading through this discomfort and fear is part of the journey to exame how racism and anti-black violence is perpetuated by our police system. Change is necessary, as is the respect for the worth and dignity of all connected in policing – both police and those harmed by police. 

Want to talk more about the movement to “defund the police”? 

Ready to take quick action online? Visit the Defund Worcester PD website and consider supporting three petitions asking for:

  • the Worcester Police Department to comply with state law to release their records of ‘excessive force complaints’.
  • a change in chairperson of the Worcester City Council public safety committee, and
  • to support Worcester Public School students in their concerns about racism and other oppressions in the schools.

Questions? Email Evan Wilson and Mara Pentlarge at . 

If you would like to support our church Get Out The Vote volunteers, please click the button below.

Donate!

Take Action Now to Vote by Mail

Did you get your Vote by Mail application postcard? It is being sent automatically to all Mass. registered voters. We all must vote–UP and DOWN the ballot. We can’t take anything for granted. There’s a lot at stake. During this Covid-19 pandemic, you may not want to have to worry about voting in person.

If for some reason you did not get an application in the mail, you can download one at this website www.MailMyBallotMA.com.

You must return your application to your city or town clerk to request a vote by mail ballot. Having a vote by mail ballot does not commit you to voting by mail but makes sure you will have that option when the time comes to vote. Here is more information.

Voting is how we put our values to work and exercise our UU Principle #5.

References: www.sec.state.ma.us and Official 2020 Vote by Mail Application

UUCW Anti Racist Bibliography: An action that emerged from June’s anti racist community conversation was to create a bibliography. This bibliography is aimed to share some of the resources that UUCW members and friends have found meaningful in learning more about anti racism. Click here to see the resources and submit your own.

~Evan Wilson & Mara Pentlarge