NAPLES PRIDEFEST
Saturday, June 8, 2024
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Cambier Park
We will be there sharing information on League priority issues.
For more information contact Cynthis Cromwell.
| LWVCC NEEDS REPRESENTATION AT THE LWVFL COUNCIL
June 1 @ 9:00-12:00
ZOOM
LWVFL Council is scheduled for Saturday, June 1st. This will be a virtual meeting, so no travel is necessary. During Council, the State League’s budget is approved and a slate of directors is elected. LWVCC is proud that one of our members, Cynthia Cave, has been nominated to the slate of directors, and another member, Diana Walsh, served on the LWVFL Nominating Committee.
LWVCC is allowed 12 delegates attend Council, and we would like to field a full complement of delegates. The cost is $25 to register, and the LWVCC will reimburse that cost. Information about the schedule of events will be forthcoming.
If you would like to serve as a delegate to Council, please contact Diane Moore. She will forward the registration link to you.
| UNDERSTANDING OUR FLORIDA GOVERNMENT
Understanding Our Florida Government is a series by League ambassador Sandy Parker that will appear in the LWVCC Update in the coming months. Sandy is the founder and publisher of Sparker's Soapbox, whose mission is to encourage and facilitate informed voting in Collier County. Learn more at sparkers-soapbox.com.
As the election season gets underway, understanding Florida’s primary election process is crucial if you want your vote to make a difference. The laws governing primary elections in Florida are different from those in other states, and some rules even vary by political party. This Sparker's Soapbox Primer will help you be a more informed voter in the upcoming primaries.
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LWVCC GIFT MEMBERSHIPS ARE NOW AVAILABLE
Looking for the perfect Mother’s Day or Father’s Day gift? Look no further. This year, give the gift of knowledge, and help build a stronger democracy. Give the Gift of Empowerment, Give an LWVCC gift membership.
A gift membership to the LWVCC is perfect for:
- Friends and family who value their right to vote.
- Young adults who are just starting their voting journey.
- Anyone who wants to stay informed about local and national issues.
By supporting the LWVCC, you are not just giving a gift, you are investing in a stronger democracy. Your contribution helps the LWVCC continue their vital work of educating voters and defending democracy.
BUY A GIFT MEMBERSHIP (LOGIN REQUIRED)
At any time you can go to the LWVCC website Member Resources menu to locate gift memberships.
Please contact the Membership Team for any questions about our gift memberships.
(All gift memberships are non-refundable and non-transferable. Gift memberships not activated by December 31, 2024, will be considered a donation to the LWVCC.) |
Florida is one of just ten states that has not expanded Medicaid. As a result, older Floridians, parents and low wage workers may go without critical health care, become seriously in debt and lose their quality of life.
Miriam, a parent living in Miami, lost her job during the COVID pandemic. With breast cancer, she was unable to afford a port to receive the chemo treatment. Using the cheaper method of IV administration was difficult and debilitating. Her treatment made her unable to work. Juggling rent, food and medical treatment, she got into credit card debt for which she is being sued. Her cancer treatment bills have gone to collections. With Medicaid expansion, her family’s life would be secure and less stressful. She could receive better healthcare.
From floridahealthstories.org
Florida Decides Healthcare’s (FDH) mission is to let voters decide whether Florida should expand Medicaid. Expanding Medicaid would increase jobs, grow our economy, and provide access to health care to over one million people. FDH has developed a ballot initiative with a proposed amendment to increase Medicaid coverage to low-income adults. This initiative would expand Medicaid coverage to those who currently fall in the coverage gap. To allow the amendment to be on the ballot, more than one million petition signatures from registered voters in Florida are needed. You can help by signing the petition yourself and encouraging your friends, family and neighbors to do the same.
The League of Women Voters of Florida is officially supporting this citizen ballot initiative drive aimed at securing a spot on the 2026 ballot, as is the League of Women Voters of Collier County. Petitions can be found at
Petitions will also be available at LWVCC general meetings and Social Policy meetings. Petitions can be mailed to the address given on the petition, handed over to the Social Policy co-chairs or taken to the regional hub, UUCGN, at 6340 Napa Woods Way.
| ED COMMITTEE REACHES BEYOND COLLIER
In April, the Education Committee met with Dr. Maddie Stewart to hear about the Purple Group, a coalition of public education supporters in Lee County. The meeting was part of the effort to learn from successful models about how we might build such a coalition in Collier County. We will continue to pursue this topic in the upcoming months.
The Higher Education subcommittee helped to organize the statewide Community Conversation on Higher Education, held in Tampa on April 17. In addition to those who attended the conversation in person, over 250 people accessed it on Facebook Live.
The Committee will meet in June and August by Zoom. Dates to come. | ENDOWMENT FUND UPDATE
Our LWVCC Strategic Plan calls for the League to raise $39,000 in Endowment Funds by the end of 2024. In September 2022, the Board voted to start the LWVCC Endowment Fund. Following that, President Diane Moore led 100% of the Board members to make an endowment gift – an impressive accomplishment showing real leadership by the Board! Other gifts followed. We are thrilled to announce that we currently have raised $25,000. After extensive research by the Finance Committee, the Board approved moving these funds to the Collier Community Foundation (CCF). At the 2024 LWVCC annual meeting the membership approved a bylaws change allowing endowment funds to be invested in brokerage accounts for growth and safety. These investments are insured by the SIPC, a U. S. government corporation. The funds will be invested in accordance with an Investment Policy Statement approved by the Board.
Stay tuned, more information to follow in future Updates! Meanwhile, contact Suzanne Low, Endowment Chair, with any questions.
|  PLASTICS POINTERS
Grocery stores are full of plastic. Shop mindfully! Buy meat or fish from the counter wrapped in paper. When possible, buy loose produce. For example, buy corn with husks--not husked on a Styrofoam tray covered with plastic wrap, or frozen in a plastic bag. The tray, wrap and bag are very difficult to recycle! Buy lettuce loose (best option) or in a plastic “clamshell” (may be recyclable), not a soft bag (unlikely to be recycled). Buy eggs in paperboard (not a clamshell or styrofoam), yogurt in a glass jar, and coffee filters in paperboard (plastic bags). Rice comes in paperboard boxes (best option), rigid plastic containers (probably recyclable), or plastic bags (worst choice). You get the idea! |
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UPCOMING EVENTS |
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May 13 @ 11:30-1:30
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May Luncheon & General Meeting
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June 1 @ 9:00-5:00
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LWVFL Council
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June 8 @ 11:-5:00
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Naples Pridefest
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June 15 @ 11:00
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Juneteenth Celebration
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Visit the LWVCC Calendar for event details
| 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 and other events. | DEI Committee Meeting
May 15 @ 3:00-4:00
Zoom | Plastics Task Force Meeting
May 23 @ 10:00-12:00
Zoom
| Board Meeting
June 5 @ 9:30-12:00
Zoom | Education Committee Meeting
June 5 @ 2:00-:3:30 NOTE UNUSUAL TIME
Zoom
Jill Lewis-Spector, who serves as the co-chair of the LWVFL Education Action Team and also as LWVFL first vice-president and chair of the Sarasota LWV education committee, will speak with us on how a coalition of community groups supporting public education united to work together in Sarasota. This meeting will be another in our series exploring how we might join with others in Collier County to promote Education as a Public Good. | 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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