By Melissa Johnston
Orange Democratic Town Committee
Melissa Johnston
We’re heading into a critical time with the upcoming November elections for state and national offices. I hope many of you are asking yourselves, “What can I do to help?”
We should all want to support and get behind the candidates we feel share our principles. We all have vastly different schedules and obligations, especially those of us with busy kids and families, but it’s important to make time to do something, anything, that will help elect empathetic, effective and resourceful leaders who will serve us well.
There is a plethora of ways to get involved. One of the things you can do is get involved with the Orange Democrats. You do not need to be a member or even a registered Democrat to attend our monthly meetings or sign up to volunteer. You simply need to be able to find a little time when you can.
We will soon be setting up our Democratic campaign headquarters, and during the heart of election season we will have volunteers there who can assign tasks and help you find ways to assist. During last year’s campaign, we had quite a few volunteers who took work home with them and did things like phone banking and writing letters from home whenever it was convenient for them.
Another thing you can do with the time you have available is find out more about the candidates. Learn about who they are, what they stand for and what they hope to accomplish. Then commit to sharing that information with at least a few of your friends. Political conversations with friends can sometimes seem scary, but sharing your reasons for supporting someone can make a difference. In this noisy world we live in, word of mouth matters more than ever.
Make sure your neighbors and friends have a plan to vote. You might be surprised to hear that someone you know isn’t registered or doesn’t know about early voting. Encourage everyone you can to make their voices heard.
I understand that many people feel disenfranchised with politics at this moment. I feel that way at times, too. We are living through a strange period in history. But I also feel confident that we can create a better path forward.
It doesn’t start with doing things the way we’ve always done them. It starts with believing that something can happen and being willing to work to make it happen. It starts with every one of us making even a small commitment to supporting and encouraging positive leadership and new ideas, then taking action.
The ODTC will be hosting our annual family-friendly picnic on Aug. 21 at 5:30 p.m. If you would like to hear from some of the candidates up for election and find out more about how you can help, join us at High Plains Community Center for the four d’s: dinner, dessert, drinks and discussion. Tickets are available now on our website at OrangeCTDems.org. Kids eat free.
Our next ODTC meeting is Aug. 18 at 7 p.m. at High Plains Community Center.
What can you do? You can make a phone call. Have a conversation. Write a letter. Volunteer for an hour. Attend an event. Encourage someone to vote. Those are just a few ideas to get you started.
Every voice matters. Every action matters. And when we all do something, even something small, those actions add up.
Melissa Johnston is the chair of the Orange Democratic Town Committee.