Join in the effort–and the group fun!
Last week I jumped on the postcard train. A friend pushed a bag containing 10 postcards into my hand at the edge of a meeting I attended and said, “These are easy.” They came with address stickers. They were pre-printed with detailed message encouraging the recipient to register to vote and to vote in the upcoming elections. I was asked to add a few prescribed words in my own (scribbly, physician-tested) handwriting and sign my first name. The task took me about ten minutes. I spent $5.30 on postcard postage stamps and, Voila!, off they went. Even if only one in twenty recipients actually registers using the provided specific directions, thought I, this could make a big difference—once multiplied by the efforts of hundreds of others willing to donate a little time and the treasure they can afford.
I’m convinced that a handwritten note is perceived by most recipients as personal. I’m sure that my handwriting is distinguishable from the advertising postcards we all sometimes receive with what pretends to be personal handwriting.
This is a project you can engage in on your own or as a group. See the very bottom of this email for a couple of upcoming postcard-writing gatherings organized by Petra Hoy out at the Spokane Valley Library. If the current political climate makes you feel alone and helpless, these postcard gathering are good for finding support among like-minded folks. Petra describes the gatherings as “50% productive and 50% group therapy ;-)”
The contact person for all this Petra Hoy. Reach her by email at sunbunny737@gmail.com to obtain postcards or to let her know you plan to come to one of the postcard gatherings.
In addition to the postage ($5.30/ten postcards) the printed postcards themselves cost this writing group about $1.40 per ten postcards (100 for $14), so if you can afford to then ten postcards would cost $6.70 and, importantly, the time it takes to write them. There may be help available for those with time and willingness to write but limited finances. Petra has multiple methods of getting postcards to writers (see below).
So here’s the current pitch. The “I” in what follows is Petra, not me:
1. Help Us REGISTER VOTERS for ARIZONA’s Crucial Elections
Help us Register Voters in Arizona!
Arizona is a crucial state in this election year, with the Presidential election, the US Senate majority and the US House majority all hanging in the balance. In addition, the state house and state senate majorities are both within reach, which could lead to the first Democratic trifecta in Arizona in over seven decades.
The Arizona Supreme Court wants the state to revert to a Civil War-era law that bans and criminalizes almost all abortions, and the Republican legislature supports this. We need to flip the state legislature to a pro-choice majority! Additionally, an abortion amendment will likely be on the ballot this year. We need Arizonans to come out and show their overwhelming support for women’s right to choose and enshrine that right in the state constitution.
Mail as you go, by June 1 please.
You will LOVE these! They require minimal writing and have stickers with the addresses on them (so you don’t have to write out the address).
Please reserve yours now and I will get them ready to deliver or mail. They will be mailed to me, then we need to bundle them and can deliver them to you (or leave on my porch) ASAP. I can easily complete 10 of these in 20 minutes or less. The Script for this card is: “Register to vote today. Can you ask three friends to do the same? ~your name”
Postcard specifics:
You’ll need postcard stamps ($0.53) which you can get online at USPS.
We can deliver postcards to you. Just let me know your:
1. Name
2. Address and phone number (in case we have trouble finding you)
3. How many cards you’d like to do (usually units of 10)
I can leave a packet for you on my porch (I’ll respond to you with my address)
1. Name
2. How many cards you’d like to do
I can also mail you a “Care package” (cards, directions, etc.) I’d need to know your:
1. Name
2. Mailing addresses
3. How many cards you’d like to do (usually units of 10)
We cover all our own costs. Estimate $14 per 100 postcards. This also helps cover the costs of labels, ink cartridges, paper, etc.
Shipping care packages is extra. USPS shipping costs are on the outside of the package.
2. Postcard Parties
You can bring drinks and snacks if you’d like. We just need to clean the room when we go.
Also, please bring postcard stamps or funds to help cover costs (if possible)
Please RSVP so we know approximately how many to expect.
Thursday, May 9 2:00 – 4:00 PM
Spokane Valley Library
22 N Herald Rd
Spokane, WA 99206
Thursday, May 30 2:00 – 4:00 PM
Spokane Valley Library
22 N Herald Rd
Spokane, WA 99206
Keep to the high ground,
Jerry