How to Get Involved in the League
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Participate at whatever level you're comfortable. This page includes some ideas, including a idea of how much time is needed.
Volunteer for the specific and immediate tasks on the Volunteer Opportunities page.
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Support the League with a Donation - The League is supported by volunteers, membership fees and donations. Details are here.
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Attend a League-Sponsored Program
League programs include everything from public presentations by subject experts to quarterly book club meetings. For a summary of the recurring programs, see the Series page. Most League program are now being offered online, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Watch the Home page and Calendar for announcements and details for specific programs. And, if you miss a presentation, it may be recorded on the League's YouTube channel.
League members receive information on attending shortly before each event. The public is invited to contact the person listed in the League calendar to request an invitation.
Time required: Most of these events are 1-2 hours. Check the Calendar for details for specific programs.
League members receive information on attending shortly before each event. The public is invited to contact the person listed in the League calendar to request an invitation.
Time required: Most of these events are 1-2 hours. Check the Calendar for details for specific programs.
Help Get Out the Vote
You can raise awareness of voting and deadlines through a variety of League-sponsored "Get Out The Vote" (GOTV) activities, such as help post flyers with local businesses and organizations, chalk out messages on sidewalks for voting, offer to leave educational door hangers on apartment doors. This team is also looking for creative ideas for the upcoming election season, so if you have good ideas, help the Voter Education team come up with and plan new ways to get the message out. For details, see the Get Out The Vote page. Have an idea for a voter outreach project that you'd like to take on? Email us at: info@lwvchampaigncounty.org with "Voter Education/GOTV" in the subject line.
Time required: Some of these activities can be done on your own schedule and by yourself. Take a half hour a week to help, or do more if you can.
Time required: Some of these activities can be done on your own schedule and by yourself. Take a half hour a week to help, or do more if you can.
Sign Up To Help at a Voter Registration/Education Event
In election years, there are a lot of activities around helping citizens register and turn out to vote. Traditionally, these have been in-person events but, due to the need to maintain Covid-19 social distancing, League teams are finding new ways to educate citizens about registration and voting. See the Grow the Vote page for some of our electronic resources on registration and voting. For details, see the Help People Register page. Have an ideas? Email us at: info@lwvchampaigncounty.org with "Voter Registration" in the subject line.
Time required: Doing a shift at a registration event can vary from 1 - 3 hours. Required training (one-time only) is about 90 minutes.
Time required: Doing a shift at a registration event can vary from 1 - 3 hours. Required training (one-time only) is about 90 minutes.
Help a Committee or Team
A number of teams work in the background to move the League forward and to put on the programs and events that everyone sees. These teams need people to help brainstorm, plan and set up. Most League teams are now meeting electronically to maintain social distance, but they are actively working to continue planning, educating and doing the League's business Take a look at some of the groups or tell us your interest and we'll find the best fit. There's a lot to choose from!
Some of LWVCC Teams and Working Groups
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Some of these teams need short-term help with specific projects. Others are looking for volunteers with specific skills. Others are ready to train new volunteers. Some may need help in the future. If you're interested in any of these teams, send an email to volunteer@lwvchampaigncounty.org. Tell us what you're interested in, even if you want to help but are not sure where. We'll get back to you and talk more about how your interests might fit with the many different plans underway.
Time required: Several options for volunteering exist based on your availability. Examples include, but not limited to, voter registration events (virtual and in person) and working with student ambassadors.
Time required: Several options for volunteering exist based on your availability. Examples include, but not limited to, voter registration events (virtual and in person) and working with student ambassadors.
I Have No Idea But You Can Contact Me....
The League has a huge number of possibilities for getting involved but maybe you're just not sure. No worries! We have a special email list called "Contact Me" for people like you. If you're willing to be contacted on short notice and/or for a short-term task, sign up. We'll contact you when a team or project needs some people to help out. You'll get a note with details, asking if you can help. Training will be provided if needed. Send an email to volunteer@lwvchampaigncounty.org and indicate that you want to be added to the Contact-Me list.
Time required: Totally up to you. Accept only those tasks for which you have available time. More requests come up in the months before an election but they can occur at any time.
Time required: Totally up to you. Accept only those tasks for which you have available time. More requests come up in the months before an election but they can occur at any time.
Join the Observer Corps
Did you know that LWVCC is working hard to make government transparent? We try to send a member to every government board meeting in the county — from the county board to the historical preservation board. How will we know what government is up to unless we are there? If you have a few hours each month to be the eyes and ears of the League and would like to learn more about local government, then perhaps being a League Observer would be an exciting League adventure for you.
Most of these are night time meetings and due to Covid-19 most are online. If you'd like to volunteer to observe at one of these boards or if you have questions about observing, contact team lead Deb Rug at Debrugg@aol.com More information at the Observer Corps page.
Time required: Depending on the board selected, a few hours a month, often in the evening, is what's needed to attend. A bit more time may be needed on your own to write up your notes to share.
Most of these are night time meetings and due to Covid-19 most are online. If you'd like to volunteer to observe at one of these boards or if you have questions about observing, contact team lead Deb Rug at Debrugg@aol.com More information at the Observer Corps page.
Time required: Depending on the board selected, a few hours a month, often in the evening, is what's needed to attend. A bit more time may be needed on your own to write up your notes to share.
Volunteer for High School Outreach
LWVCC is excited to help local youth with an interest in voting rights, policy and politics find ways to pursue those interests. Recent activity with high schools has seriously been curtailed by the pandemic. As schools will cautiously be reopening in the fall of 2021, the Youth Outreach and Civic Engagement team will be ramping up efforts to connect with high school students. Students or adults wishing to learn more about current opportunities should email lyndajohnminor@gmail.com or rkirtsm@gmail.com for more information or see the Student Ambassadors Program page.
Time required: Several options for volunteering exist based on your availability. Examples include, but are not limited to, voter registration events (virtual and in person) and working with student ambassadors.
Time required: Several options for volunteering exist based on your availability. Examples include, but are not limited to, voter registration events (virtual and in person) and working with student ambassadors.
Become an Issue Specialist
Issues Specialists for the League of Women Voters of Illinois are people who volunteer to learn about an issue and what legislation or activity may be in the offing---and share their knowledge with others. Issue Specialists send out Action Alerts to local League members when an issue on which the League has a position may be affected by Illinois legislation. These Alerts provide time-sensitive information and encourage League members to contact their local legislators.
We can be more effective in this effort if we have local specialists in contact with the State League who can energize our local efforts. These are just a few of the Issue Specialist topics: Electoral College, Redistricting, Graduated Rate income Tax, Gun Violence Prevention, Immigration, Affordable Housing. Contact: Theresa Michelson thmichelson@gmail.com to discuss any of these.
Time required: This is an activity you can do on your own time and at home.
We can be more effective in this effort if we have local specialists in contact with the State League who can energize our local efforts. These are just a few of the Issue Specialist topics: Electoral College, Redistricting, Graduated Rate income Tax, Gun Violence Prevention, Immigration, Affordable Housing. Contact: Theresa Michelson thmichelson@gmail.com to discuss any of these.
Time required: This is an activity you can do on your own time and at home.
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Need more information? Have some questions?
Contact us at volunteer@lwvchampaigncounty.org. |
