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What can you do? Turns out – a lot!
Get involved ♦ We have ideas!
“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands: one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.”– Audrey Hepburn
Despite our current situation, life has handed over an opportunity – more time. We still have the same 24-hours in the day, but we have more space in that time to try something new. You may already be exploring hobbies, books, music, or a myriad of other pursuits. Therefore, we’d like to share some other possibilities with you. And the best part – you can do them from home.
Here are a few things you can try. Some may be a better fit than others for you. So, try something, and then try something else. If you have ideas to add, please send them to us at covid@ccdconline.org.
Quick links to the sections below:
- Advocate and Engage
- Be Counted and Vote
- For Kids!
- Influencing Policy – Take Action!
- Learn, Share, and Educate
Advocate and Engage
Outvote Communication – Relational Messaging with Dawn Howard
Wednesdays at 3:00 pm & Thursdays at 7:00 pm
At CCDC, we are focusing on how to spread our messages to make a significant change and build power within our community. Each week we have two virtual meetings in which we use a messaging app called Outvote to connect people through relational organizing. All messaging, which comes directly from CCDC, is sent through OutVote. These messages include things like calling your legislators, signing on to an action letter, or going down to the Capitol to testify – any time we need to rally people to make a change. And, as the name suggests, it is used for everything related to voting!
We will go step by step and show you how to use the Outvote app on your phone or computer and even provide the messages (if you want them) for you to share with your friends, family, providers, or anyone in your contact list.
Right now, our focus is for us to engage in substantial change without leaving the comfort of our homes (or violating the Stay at Home Orders). Join the next Outvote messaging meeting by clicking on this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3955386232. See you then!
Help influence the COVID-19 stimulus payments to be fair and equitable
Call your member of Congress: Social Security Beneficiaries Will Receive Stimulus Payments Automatically; SSI-Only & VA-Only Beneficiaries Must File Tax Returns. The Treasury Department announced that millions of low-income seniors and people with disabilities who receive only Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Veterans (VA) Disability Compensation or Veterans Pension benefits to file a tax return to collect their stimulus payment. Link to details
Help influence COVID-19 Advocacy:
Report your advocacy efforts: If your organization is engaged in advocacy on protecting people with disabilities from COVID-19 or if you have been successful at securing action from your state government, we urge you to share details. The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) will be maintaining a page keeping track of advocacy efforts and policy measures to protect the disability community for the duration of the crisis. Link to the reporting form.
Be Counted and Vote
Now is the time to confirm your voter registration!
Colorado just finalized the candidates for our June primary ballots, and the election is just over a month away! If you didn’t know an election was coming up, you can go to the Colorado Secretary of State’s website at govotecolorado.gov to update your voter registration.
On June 30, voters will vote in party primaries to choose the Democratic and Republican candidates for state office in November’s general election. This includes offices for the state legislature and Colorado’s U.S. Senate seat, and it’s our final statewide election before this November.
Colorado allows you to update your voter registration at any time before Election Day. You still have time to double-check your registration, but don’t procrastinate too long!
Updating your registration allows you to ensure that you get your mail ballot on time, you can change your voter registration to match your current address, and you can update your political party to ensure you get the primary ballot of your choice. If you want to be sure you’re ready for June, head to govotecolorado.gov!
Complete your Census
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- Go to www.my2020census.gov to enter your information.
- Contact five friends and help them complete their Census while you are on the phone with them.
- Attend an upcoming webinar to learn more about the Census. Webinars are listed on the Virtual Events page.
Join the #Vote4MedicaidProject
CCDC’s goal is to create a groundswell of support for Medicaid aimed at statewide candidates so that one cannot win a statewide race in Colorado without supporting Medicaid. We want people to educate candidates for office, especially statewide office, about the importance of Medicaid.
“Our goal is that every statewide candidate for any office, of any party, understands the important role Medicaid plays both in the lives of people with disabilities and in Colorado’s health care system.” Read more about the #Vote4MedicaidProject
Get Out the Vote
As we get closer to the presidential election, we will be ramping up our push to get everyone out to vote. Depending on what happens with the pandemic, this may look very different this year. But that might also mean that there will be more for you to do from home.
Relational Organizing with Dawn Howard
We need to ensure all of us are involved in the upcoming election. Our voices need to be heard, and you can help through the neighborhood, family, and social organizing. Learn from and work with Dawn Howard from CCDC about using the app OutVote to marshal your neighborhood forces to rally the disability vote. This is just one way to regain some of the power that was lost to the virus. Information is found on the Virtual Events page.
For Kids!
#operationASLStorytime
#operationASLStorytime is creating a virtual community for deaf kids. The link above will take you to a list of videos of sign language users reading children’s books. While books seem to be geared towards kids, CCDC has not reviewed all the books listed. Please ensure the appropriateness for your child.
What You Can Still Do on a Rainy Day
It’s easy to get bored on a rainy day. You can’t go outside, the kids are all stir-crazy, and you are unsure of what to do now. Just read this article because it has plenty of activities that you can do yourself or with the family. Make sure to share it with your family and friends so that they can entertain themselves and their families during inclement weather. Maybe, they’re in the same boat wondering what to do, and this list could be handy.
Influencing Policy – Take Action!
Calls Needed Now: Request for Action by Denver Homeless Out Loud!
Calls to the governor are needed to demand action for people without housing! Link to the details
The National Low Income Housing Coalition
Is also urging people to Tell Congress to Ensure Housing Stability During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
RTD Hosts telephone town halls to discuss COVID-19, changes to services, project updates and answer questions
In an effort to keep the community informed about COVID-19-related changes and other topics, RTD will be hosting a series of telephone town halls in April and May in each of the 15 districts in its service area. Other topics to be discussed are safety efforts, status of ongoing projects and updates for the region. The forum will also answer questions from the listening audience. A Spanish language telephone town hall in will be hosted in May. Link to details.
Apply for the Mayor’s Youth Commission Today!
The Mayor’s Youth Commission provides youth the opportunity to develop leadership skills and advise the director of the Office of Children’s Affairs on issues impacting youth living in the City and County of Denver. Learn more and apply.
Learn, Share, and Enjoy
Check out The Art of Doing Stuff
This blog is written by Karen Bertelsen, a former television host in Canada. Her topics are all over the board and sprinkled liberally with sarcasm, snark, and a small amount of cussing. But her topics are fun, and you might find something you find appealing that you can do while under lock-down – something like How to Raise a Monarch Butterfly. It is pretty easy!
100 things to do while stuck inside due to a pandemic
What’s there to do while stuck indoors? USA Today has compiled 100 suggestions to help make your time quarantined as enjoyable – and perhaps even as productive – as possible.
Online short course: COVID-19: How to be Safe and Resilient
From Northeastern University, you can take a quick course that provides the necessary knowledge and skills you need to be safe and resilient. Spend an hour moving through the course’s simple steps. It may be the most important thing you do. Link to course
Join the conversation: Engage in an open discussion with like-minded people.
Wednesday at 7 pm and Saturday at 10 am, CCDC hosts an open discussion time. Both are captioned using CART, and Saturday includes ASL interpretation. Link to details
