This month we have been educating the community about the upcoming elections. Thrive has hosted or co-hosted seven-candidate forums over the past four weeks. We have also been engaged in voter outreach initiatives to encourage participation in the election. Thrive is nonpartisan and non-endorsing and highly values civic participation.
This has been a significant effort, made possible by the many people who contributed, and I’d like to thank everyone!
- To all candidates for participating in the candidate forums. The forums allowed us to hear your thoughts about the issues of greatest concern to the nonprofit community and get to know you better.
- To the numerous nonprofit partners and co-hosts for the forums for the many hours of planning, developing questions, and constructive engagement in the candidate forums. You highlighted the issues facing your communities and the importance of your work thoughtfully and tangibly.
- To the many community-based organizations for reaching out to potential voters and educating them on how to register to vote, how to vote, and why it matters, on top of the vital work they do every day to support their communities. We have included some fun pictures of voter outreach below.
- To the whole Thrive team, an extra heartfelt thank you for going above and beyond to make this all happen!
If you could not attend the candidate forums, we recorded them all, and you can find them here.
Keep reminding people that every vote matters (only five votes have defined our recent local election) and the importance of these primary elections. In some cases primaries determine who will compete in the general election in November, however in county races if one candidate gets more than half the votes that person wins the election — there is no November vote.
When our community knows more about our legislators and is better connected to them, and engages in voting, our democracy is stronger, and we can accomplish more together!
With gratitude,
Petra Silton, Director of Advocacy & Education
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For more Thrive and Community events, visit Thrive's Event Page.
Voting Starts Now!
League of Women Voters of South San Mateo County at the OYE Latinx Youth Conference
You should have already received your ballot in the mail! Return it by mail, to a dropbox, or to any Vote Center, where you can also register to vote, get a replacement ballot, get language or other voting assistance, or vote in person. For election information, including voter registration, Vote Center locations, hours, and to track your ballot, visit SMCvote.org.
If we vote, then our legislators will listen to our needs! Your vote sends a message to policymakers about your priorities on education, healthcare, immigration, housing, and much more. So vote your values!
To find in-depth nonpartisan information about what's on your ballot, visit votersedge.org.
Candidate Forums & Resources/Announcements
Thrive's Primary Election Candidate Forums
In partnership with other community-based organizations, Thrive hosted a series of candidate forums designed to elevate the most pressing issues of nonprofits and their communities in San Mateo County. Watch our recordings of past forums and view the San Mateo County Sheriff pre-questionnaire and statements on our candidate forum webpage.
All districts have changed since the 2020 census report and the redistricting process. If you would like to learn more about your current districts, check out the information below!
June 7, 2022, Statewide Direct Primary is fast approaching and democracy needs you!
The Registration & Elections Division of the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder's Office is hiring individuals to serve as Election Materials Couriers. Couriers are responsible for returning election materials from Vote Centers and Drop Boxes throughout San Mateo County on the night of the election.
Couriers will be paid $85.00 for Election Night and an additional $15.00 for attending the mandatory training. You must work on Election Night to be paid for training. In addition, drivers will receive mileage reimbursement of $0.560 per mile (distance calculated from the assignment to the Receiving Station, not from home/work location). County Employees will receive their stipend as part of their following paycheck(s) and their mileage reimbursement as a separate check.
Parent/child teams are possible (as long as the attendant is 15 years old and the driver is 18 years old minimum).
If you or anyone you may know is interested, please contact Emily La the Courier Supervisor.
Please notethat the Registration & Elections Division currently prioritizes applications where both drivers and attendants are provided and come from the same household.
Become an Election Materials Courier!
Help protect the right to vote!
Volunteer with Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus (ALC) to protect voters in California's June 7th Primary Election. Our democracy needs to have volunteers out in the field to identify and resolve issues that could prevent voters from accessing the ballot. We can prevent voter harassment and disenfranchisement, secure access for voters with disabilities, and provide language access for limited-English speaking voters.
Sign up here to be part of ALC's long-running poll monitoring program and protect vulnerable voters at the polls this June. Community and student volunteers are eligible for a $100 stipend for completing a four-hour shift.
Elections Outreach: Partners In Action
League of Women Voters of South San Mateo County
Sheriff Forum in Redwood City
League of Women Voters of North & Central San Mateo County
San Bruno Children's Book Day
Environment & Sustainability
Our June TAG meeting will be on the intersection between our Environment & Sustainable and Basic Needs & Safety Net aspects. We will be discussing SB 1383, which focuses on reducing short-lived climate pollutants through limiting organic wastes and increasing food rescue. As this bill affects both environmental and social service organizations, we will feature government entities involved in implementing this bill and organizations that benefit from receiving excess food, focusing on creating connections and highlighting the positive effects. Join us on Thurs, June 30, 3:30 - 5:00 pm. Registration is coming soon!
SMC COAD - Please Fill Out This Survey!
In case you missed it, Thrive is launching a San Mateo County COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disaster), supporting the local philanthropic, public sector, and nonprofit community. The COAD will enhance community resilience and facilitate communication, coordination, and collaboration across sectors during all phases of a disaster. If you haven't yet, please take our (very short!) survey to help us understand your needs and capabilities to prepare for and respond to an emergency!
During this month's VEOAC meeting, Thrive will share and coordinate election outreach plans for the June Primary Election. We will also hear from Sara O’Brien and Hillary O’Connor, Election Specialists at the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Chief Elections Office, on the voter outreach progress designed to engage Asian American voters.
Co-chaired by San Francisco Peninsula People Power and Thrive Alliance.
During the Candidate Forum on Children's Issues in May, many interesting ideas were proposed. Let's discuss how some of these ideas would impact community-based organizations (CBOs) and youth in San Mateo County and reflect on what effective collaboration looks like between CBOs and the San Mateo County Office of Education.
Here are some questions to get us thinking:
How can we bridge the gap between thought and action?
What are the wins and challenges of past partnerships?
What does the ideal relationship between the County and CBOs look like?
*Zoom information will be sent to registered attendees.
Governor Newsom has proposed an inflation relief package that includes direct payments to help address costs of rising inflation and past-due water and utility bills, free public transit, money for health care workers, middle-class health care subsidies, and waiving child care fees for families.
First Look: Understanding the Governor’s May Revision
The First LookAnalysis breaks down the updated proposal into short sections highlighting how Californians may benefit from the spending plan and puts a spotlight on proposals that still don’t do enough for Californians struggling to make ends meet.
Some key pieces from the updated spending proposal include:
The County of San Mateo Office of Community Affairs provides these COVID-19 prevention, testing, and vaccination communications for you to share with your community. For additional communications, click here.
Don’t miss the Community Crew this week – they will be distributing at-home COVID-19 test kits and masks. They will be in Pacifica on May 18 and Half Moon Bay on May 19.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Navigating life through the pandemic has been stressful and upsetting to many. Visit the County’s webpage for resources and information to help you find an ally and get help.
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