THE CELEBRATION
January 31, 2023 | 
Speaker Amy Bennett Williams and Environmental Affairs Committee Co-chair Patti Forkan | Nearly 160 members, spouses, and guests gathered at Celebrate the League event on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, at the Naples Sailing and Yacht Club. The event was developed under the leadership of Teresa Stohs and Denise McLaughlin with the objective of adding funding to the LWVCC Education Fund to support future activities. The keynote speaker was Amy Bennett Williams, a noted writer, author, and environmental enthusiast, whose presentation was entitled “Environmental Uncharted Waters”; Amy shared a little about her writing career and her growing love for protecting the environment and discussed the impact of Hurricane on the environment. Thirty people also attended a private reception with Williams before the dinner.
Total profit from the event is anticipated to be just over $13,000 with the extra in the tickets, a very creative silent auction and donations all contributing to the bottom line. Those in attendance expressed that the evening was quite enjoyable and because many attending were not members, it served as a way for the League to reach out, make new friends and encourage membership.
A special thanks to all the auction donors, table captains, and the event committee. Additional members of the committee were: Libbie Bramson, Ray Kalich, Catherine Hackney, Paul Kardon, Lynn Martin, Pat Plummer, Wendy Riedel, Sue Savage, Susan Sonnenchein, Diana Walsh, Beth Van Damme, and Stacy Vermylen.
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GENERAL MEETINGS:
HOW TO BEST MEET MEMBERS' NEEDS
WE NEED YOUR OPINION!
A workgroup is reviewing options and collecting input for the LWVCC General Meetings—venue, time, etc.—for the 2023-2024 season. Please log in to the LWVCC website, then fill out the brief survey below. The results of this survey will be the basis for recommendations to the Board of Directors. The survey should take you no more than 10 minutes. When you have completed the survey, you will be eligible to win a $50 gift certificate to the Aielli Group restaurants (Sea Salt, Barbattella, Dorona, Grappino)! Thank you in advance for your participation!
| COLLIER COALITION FOR HEALTHY MINDS
NEEDS OUR HELP
Please show your support in favor of the Board of County Commissioners giving the David Lawrence Center Central Receiving Facility a “green light” at their meeting on February 14th by attending the meeting and wearing green. Let YOUR voice be heard that Collier County cares about mental health and understands the urgency and need for this facility.
LEARN MORE
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WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR ELECTION PROCESS?
The Voter Services Committee is taking two groups on tours of the Supervisor of Elections office: 3 pm on February 23 and 10 am on March 20. The tours take about 2 hours
The goal for these tours is to build confidence about our elections and we encourage those who participate to be ambassadors for our office while in the community. The tours are a great way to meet the staff and get an understanding of how elections take place in our county.
Limited to 15 people per tour, and if we have too many people, we can book another.
| "Know Your County Government" 2023
VOLUNTEER AND LEARN!
This is a wonderful opportunity to accompany 25 to 30 high school students as a "chaperone", and visit multiple County offices, learning how the County operates. Meet with County administrators and Commissioners, while interacting with civic-minded high school students. This program, in its 40th year, is sponsored by the Education Committee, in conjunction with Collier County Public Schools and 4H. Dates and approximate times for field trip days are: Wednesday, February 22, 8am to 4:30pm; Wednesday, March 8, 8am to 4:30pm; and Tuesday, March 28, 8am to 2pm. Log in to the LWVCC website, then volunteer; or email Jan Eustis.
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WEALTH GAP LEARNING SIMULATION WELL ATTENDED
Did you know the Social Security Act of 1935 excluded farmworkers and domestic workers from receiving old age and unemployment insurance? This meant that 65% of African Americans were ineligible to receive Social Security.
This is one of the many facts that 80 attendees discussed at the Racial Wealth Gap Learning Simulation co-sponsored by the LWVCC, NAACP of Collier, and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples on February 5, 2023. Florence French Fagan, from Bread for the World, led the group in a simulation learning activity concerning the economic impact of federal policies on Black Americans from 1865 into the 21st Century. The simulation highlighted the connections between poverty, wealth, hunger, and racial equity. It also examined Collier County history.
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JOIN THE VOTE411 STUDY GROUP
Interested in the 2024 Primary and General Election Cycles? Want to learn more about candidates and their positions? Join fellow League members in an informal 2023 study group to learn how our League contributes to the state and national non-partisan Vote411.org website. We'll identify offices up for election, questions on issues for candidates, and outreach to both help candidates post their profiles and drive voter usage of the website. Please contact Laura Hansen Reynolds to join this fun, voter centered effort. | 
The League has formed a partnership with Florida Weekly, a free local newspaper published once a week, to further the education of voters as part of the Get-Out-the-Vote campaign. The paper will print regular non-partisan articles, using the LWV logo, about upcoming elections, registration, voting options, and forums, culminating in a four-page Voter Guide in August for the Primary Election and again in late October for the General Election. Links to recent articles will be provided here in the LWVCC Update.
League of Women Voters mobilizes for Florida Right to Clean Water | LWVCC ACCEPTS 2023 TURNER CIVIC AWARD
FROM AMERICANS UNITED FOR SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
|  | | On Wednesday, January 25, 2023, twenty Leaguers attended a luncheon hosted by the Greater Naples Chapter of Americans United for Church and State (AU), during which AU presented the LWVCC with the Turner Civic Award. This annual award honors the memory and civic commitment of Rita and Bernie Turner, Collier County citizens who were visionaries, activists for social change, and strong supporters of civil rights. AU stated that the LWVCC was chosen for the award because “[o]ur board was most impressed by the diversity and extent of your commitments beyond the obvious voter services of empowering citizens to take an active role in free and fair elections and your informative voter projects. Your support of diversity, equity and inclusion in our society, the public school system, the local environment and myriad other issues is exemplary. We believe that LWVCC acts as a well-respected, major influencer in our area because of your thoughtful research and advocacy.” The Turner Civic Award included a $1000 stipend. “Receiving this award from Americans United is honor enough, but the stipend is so very generous,” said LWVCC President, Diane Preston Moore. “We promise to be good stewards of this financial gift.” In her remarks, Diane noted that the desire to better our society is one of the common threads that link the League and Americans United. “The League is humbled to stand shoulder to shoulder with Americans United in strengthening our democracy and creating a better society. We are very grateful to be recognized for our work, and we are honored to accept the Turner Civic Award.” |
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UPCOMING EVENTS |
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February 23 @ 3:00-5:00
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SOE Transparency Tour
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March 13 @ 11:45-1:30
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Luncheon & General Meeting
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March 20 @ 10:00-12:00
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SOE Transparency Tour
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March 21 @ 4:30-6:00
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Wine & Wisdom
Plastics 101
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| ONLINE REIMBURSEMENT FORM IS NOW AVAILABLE
Board members, committee chairs, and others who need to submit reimbursement requests can now do so via our Submit Online Forms page. | UPCOMING COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Because LWVCC committee meetings are for members and their invited guests unless stated otherwise,
members should log in to the website to register
to get the Zoom links for committee meetings. | Education Committee
February 15 @ 12:00-1:30 | DEI Committee
February 21 @ 11:30-1:00 | Juvenile Justice Committee
February 27 @ 1:00-3:00
Visit to Youth Haven Naples campus. Home, hope and healing for children 10 to 19. RSVP Libbie Bramson | Board Meeting
March 1 @ 9:00-12:00
Collier Community Foundation
| Social Policy Committee
March 2 @ 10:30-12:00 | Environmental Affairs Committee
March 7 @ 9:30-12:00
| MISSED AN ISSUE OF THE VOTER?
NEED TO CATCH UP ON THE NEWS?
Check out our updated News & Newsletters page, which has all our latest news and links to current and back issues of The Voter and The LWVCC Update.
| Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in Government. We influence public policy through education and advocacy. Our goal is to empower citizens to take an active role in shaping better communities worldwide. The League of Women Voters of Collier County does not support or endorse any candidate or political party.
| League of Women Voters of Collier County
P.O. Box 9883Naples, FL 34101
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