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The 2024-2025 LWVOC Annual Report is now available. It highlights a year of progress during a busy and historic election season. We empowered, we defended, we led and we're doing it all again for 2025-2026. Thank you for being a member (if not, you can join NOW ) and a $upporter (easy to give HERE and perfect timing as we're in a summer matching campaign).
"Our impact and our numbers continue to grow. In these critical times, more and more individuals are seeking opportunities to contribute, leading them to the League. As our membership tops 800, we’re proud to be expanding our demographic across generations, races, and ethnicities. This ensures we are drawing more fully on all the diverse gifts and perspectives of our Central Florida community, strengthening our collective voice and impact."
~Co-President Rev. Kathy Schmitz
Click here or the link below to view our newly published LWVOC 2024-2025 ANNUAL REPORT
Annual Report Committee Chair Lee Rambeau Kemp • Editor Ann Patton • Shargaa Illustration & Design, Team Members Joy Dickinson, Joan Erwin, Gloria Pickar, Photo Editor Lisa Adkins
|  | The DEIA Committee (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility) invites you to celebrate Disability Pride Month in July as we honor the contributions of our family members, friends and neighbors who are living with disabilities. Disability Pride Month calls on everyone to ensure people with disabilities are accepted exactly as they are, without conditions. The month also commemorates the signing of the American with Disabilities Act.
This year's theme is, "We belong here and we're here to stay." People with disabilities are a vital part of our world. Not someday. Not conditionally. Now.
We couldn't agree more! Join us in celebrating a vibrant and courageous community. We ask you to pay particular attention to how to connect with, learn about and advocate for people with disabilities. To learn more, follow this link:
Shown below l-r: Marilyn Baldwin given instruction with assisted voting from an Orange County Elections instructor; at the 2025 Lobby Days in Tallahassee, Danielle McGill, Karolyn Campbell, Marilyn Baldwin, Marsha Bukala, Laura-Lee Minutello | | | VOLUNTEER recognition~ Last week, we showed our appreciation to our AAP volunteers who showed up for the Special Election in June. Besides the poll workers, we also had volunteers who provided FOOD to those Leaguers. Although I only have a couple of names, THANK YOU to all those who donate their time/food/energy to feeding our other volunteers.
Gwen Kowalski and Anne Coppenhaver - coordinator |
CLICK below to view a short "how-to video" on our YouTube channel and start your volunteering era with the League.
JULY 12, 9am, Gun Lock Giveaway
West Orange HS, a Back-to-School event
JULY 15, 6pm New Member Welcome
Virtual Meeting; learn how to be a Leaguer!
JULY 19, 9am, Gun Lock Giveaway
John Bridges Community Ctr., Apopka
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Check Volunteering Opportunities page often and sign up. *We table and sometimes provide power points to provide voter registration and civic information at the following opportunities. For Voter Registration, you must have taken and passed the League voter registration test HERE
JULY 19, 8:15am, Back to School
Cypress Creek High School
JULY 26, 8:15am, Back to School
Bithlo Community Center
| | | | |  | | Unity Corner Dedication, July 12, 9AM
Inspired by the legacy of Dr. Martin L. King, it features a larger-than-life, bronze statue of Dr. King, titled "Ripple," symbolizing the impact of his influence. The memorial also includes a memory wall displaying quotes from Dr. King and the names of the Black families who were originally displaced from the land in the 1950s.
League members Lee Rambeau Kemp, LWVOC 1st VP, Fairolyn Livingston and Jane Turner are members of a local committee that worked closely with the CWP to erect a statue and memory wall in tribute to the history of Lake Island Park. |  | Coined by civil rights leader Congressman John Lewis, "Good Trouble" is the action of coming together to take peaceful, non-violent action to challenge injustice and create meaningful change. Good Trouble is marches, protests, service work – any action where communities come together, take a stand against wrongdoings, and speak truth to power.
LWVUS is supporting this year’s efforts as a national partner. We will be sending out another "Good Practice Protest Tips" before the event. | | |
| |  |  | | Beth Kassab, editor of the Winter Park Voice will be moderator for the AUG 13 Hot Topics. Panelists announced so far include:
- Stephanie Vanos, member of the OCPS School Board
- Annie Martin, an investigative reporter for the Orlando Sentinel with extensive work on education stories
- Dr. Norín Dollard, Senior Policy Analyst with Florida Policy Institute
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Hot Topics will be on
summer break in JULY.
The next program will be AUG 13, a back-to-school edition considering "Diverted Dollar$ The Real Cost of School Choice," moderated by Beth Kassab.
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We're doing it! We're at 11k plus and on the way to "win this match." We are so grateful to the supporters who are stepping up to the baseline for this summer matching campaign.
THANK YOU to the donors shown below! Join them and GIVE HERE
**Also, please note that we are challenging each of our LWVOC Committees to raise $1000 in this effort. If you're a committee member, make note of it when you give!
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Therese D. Osborne, in memory of Lorry Delfosse
Paul and Sharon Conway, Giving Society
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Theresa K. Creighton
Kathy Sheerin, in memory of Terry Gillam
Barbara Shell, generous donation to LWVOC Fund |
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Leila W. Allen, Giving Society in memory of Geraldine Thompson for her tireless work to defend democracy
Joan Erwin, Giving Society in recognition of Hot Topics |
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Visionary Sponsors 2025 Jennifer and Phil Anderson challenge you to another WINNING match! Thanks to their generosity, we are pleased to announce that ANY GIFT you make this summer by July 31st will be doubled by a matching grant up to $25,000.
Your gift can provide twice the resources that will be greatly needed as we face a tumultuous summer of our democracy being tested in ways that most of us have never seen. Read more about our work here.
*Perhaps you've seen a similar "Freedom Match" from the national LWVUS for their Educ. Fund in your email box. Although a worthy effort, it IS NOT associated with our local fundraising efforts and proceeds do not directly benefit us locally.
| | As many of you know, dedicated Leaguer Terry Gillam passed away recently. A Celebration of Life will be held for her September 28th at Leu Gardens.
The LWVOC will acknowledge her many contributions at the event as well as a photo slideshow. If you have League photos of Terry that you would like included, feel free to send them to lisa.lwvoc@gmail.com
Her family has expressed that gifts to LWVOC in her honor or donations of children's book to libraries would be appreciated. | | | |
Miriam Framson
Visit JOIN HERE and learn about becoming a Leaguer!
SHARE this newsletter with your social and family circle so they can see the great benefits of becoming a Leaguer!
| | | Sponsors are vital to our work to empower voters by providing timely information for the benefit of non-partisan civic engagement in our community and we have a range of sponsorship levels available. To further explore how to become a sponsor, please contact LWVOC Vice President and Fund Development Chair Lee Rambeau Kemp HERE
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