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Date: 1/9/2025
Subject: LWVOC Newsletter & Events
From: Lisa K Adkins


The 2025 Hot Topics season kicked off yesterday with a full house at the Winter Park Events Center.  Moderator Nancy Alvarez navigated the 4 person panel through an informative discussion of past, current, and future challenges for central Florida's immigrant population.  Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet urged attendees to contact local government and law enforcement leaders to find out more about their plans if asked to participate in the promised "mass deportation" from the incoming administration. 
 
LWVOC reached out to the Orange County Mayor and Sheriff's offices for a response to that question: click to READ HERE.
 
Gisselle Martinez thinks it will be more of a "mass detention" and updated us about the unfathomable immigration court backlog that exists now in Florida's system.  A full RECAP of the event will be available soon.  
 
Shown below L-R:  Moderator Nancy Alvarez, Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet, President Rev. Kathy Schmitz, Susan Sussman, Anna Eskamani, Wendy Wallenberger, Kathy Schmitz, McKenna Schueler, Nancy Alvarez, Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet, Gisselle Martinez, Dr. Alexis Tsoukalas   Photography by Carol Wonsavage

UPCOMING EVENTS
JAN 14, 6PM, Virtual New Member Welcome, learn how to be a Leaguer by zooming in from home
 
JAN 18, 2PM, Eatonville MLK Parade Marcher  Join us as we march in the annual parade. Wear red tops/blue or black bottoms; sashes provided.  Vehicle available for those who need to ride.
JAN 21, 7PM, DEIA Social Justice Book Club  Monthly book reading and discussion about books focused on social justice issues
 
LWVOC President Rev. Kathy Schmitz shares information about LWVFL and moderates the discussion

JANUARY 14, 6PM

Virtual-ZOOM New Member Welcome
 
Zoom in and learn all about your League of Women Voters of Orange County.
 
Start the new year with the information you need to become an informed and involved participant.
*Members, log into the system first and
What is the PURPOSE of our annual planning meeting?
  -Setting priorities for grassroots involvement for the upcoming 2025-26 year
How do we IDENTIFY possible areas of advocacy?
  -We engage our members through roundtable discussion and reflection on the past year's
          accomplishments
When are those priorities DEFINED and what happens NEXT?
-Members are polled during the meeting and the results move on to the Board for final
discussion and future presentation at our Annual Meeting
At yesterday's Hot Topics, there was much discussion about immigration and labor.  In February, we continue the discussion but as it relates to the African American community.
From ASAHL, the founder of Black History Month (Association for the Study of African American Life and History): "Black people’s work has been transformational throughout the U.S., Africa, and the Diaspora. The 2025 Black History Month theme, “African Americans and Labor,” sets out to highlight and celebrate the potent impact of this work."

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Nonprofit www.digitaldemocracyproject.org spoke at yesterday's Hot Topics. Visit their site, download their app, and easily communicate with legislators, telling them HOW you want them to vote.
 
Registered voters can utilize a number of options to see how other voters feel about bills, what districts want, and compare the responses of legislators to the voters' requests.
Longtime League partner, PJI-https://www.peacejusticeinstitute.org/, has begun its 2025 Common Read Discussion
 
Title: Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World by Dr. Vivek Murthy
 
Click HERE to register and learn more about this unique opportunity to explore books TOGETHER that inspire understanding of Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences (PACEs), resilience, wellness, and healing.
Jeffrey Thompson

Lynne White

Leslie Parchment – Ida B. Wells Member
 
Not a member yet?  Visit our Join Now page and learn about becoming a Leaguer!
 
Nancy A. Nix, Giving Society, in recognition of the hard-working members of the Voter Services Committee
 
Visit the Donate page to explore the many ways you can $upport LWVOC.
LWVOC Volunteer Icon LWVOC Donate Icon LWVOC Vote Icon 

Sponsors are vital to our work to empower voters by providing timely information for the benefit of non-partisan civic engagement in our community.

To further explore how becoming a Hot Topics Sponsor can align with your business goals, please contact LWVOC Vice President, Lee Rambeau Kemp HERE

A range of sponsorship levels are available.

Statewide call to action: The League of Women Voters supports the Florida Right to Clean Water campaign, a citizens' initiative to amend the Florida Constitution with the right to clean and healthy waters. If our current laws were working, then we wouldn’t have manatees dying in record numbers, 80% of our 1000 springs impaired, and harmful blue-green algae and red tide in greater frequency and duration. A constitutional right takes precedence over legislation that permits pollution, restricts fertilizer bans, and allows radioactive materials to be used in our roads. Create a legacy for the future of our waters!

The Right to Clean Water! In support of establishing our basic right to clean and healthy water, LWVOC has committed to helping get this citizen initiative on the 2026 ballot. Please sign your own petition. Those who signed prior to 2024 will need to sign the new petition.

Learn how YOU can become an active volunteer here:  https://www.floridarighttocleanwater.org/resources
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