We are moving our 8th annual Democrats and Beer event on-line (Zoom). $10 suggested donation to participate (if you are not a member this donation will make you a member for the duration of 2020). To donate online please visit https://greater-royal-oak-democratic-club.square.site/ and scroll down to "Dems and Beer 2010".
Special guest speaker: U.S. Senator Gary Peters.
Democrats and Beer is sponsored by these incredible elected officials and local Democrats:
Our treasurer Ian Michael has created a means for us to accept membership dues payments on-line. If you are not a dues-paying member and would like to join please visit https://greater-royal-oak-democratic-club.square.site. Dues are just $10 per person per year.
Our co-chair Lauren Jasinski records and uploads all of our virtual events to our club YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjRzSueWlf_hBQC0mlG-e6g/featured.
Join Lakeesha Morrison and Megan Swirczek to take a stand against injustice and demand equality. Please wear a mask and practice social distancing:
The Black Lives Matter movement has sparked an explosion of community discussion and concern about race discrimination, lincluding in our schools. Join ROMPA for a discussion about making Royal Oak Schools a safe and welcoming place for all children, including children of color:
Join Congressman Andy Levin for a fundraiser and an informal discussion with Congresswoman Deb Haaland (New Mexico) on how America can confront racism:
Our vice-chair Lauren Jasinski has compiled complete information about how to volunteer and otherwise participate in the 2020 election at all levels: https://sites.google.com/view/grodcelection2020/voter-information?authuser=3
To check the status of your voter registration, absentee ballot application or ballot please visit http://www.michigan.gov/vote. If you already have your absentee ballot application, and you would like to avoid paying postage, you can take a digital photo of it and email it to cityclerk@romi.gov. You can also drop off the application in one of the secure drop boxes, in front of city hall or the police department.
The "One Campaign for Michigan" is the Democratic Party coordinated campaign, coordinating all voter identification and get-out-the-vote work. They are recruiting volunteers now to make phone calls, send text messages, write postcards, and other (at home) work. To volunteer in Royal Oak now contact:
The Oakland County Democratic Party has printed some postcards and asked our club to send them to voters with personal messages of support for Oakland County Commissioner Penny Leubs.
Thanks to everyone who has already helped; we have 250 postcards in the mail!
Penny is the former mayor of Clawson and represents Clawson and part of Royal Oak on the Oakland County Commission. Penny is a crucial part of the 1-seat Democratic majority on the commission. She's also a sincere, compassionate, and highly-competent public official, widely-liked and widely-respected. We need more people like Penny in office, and we have to keep Penny on the commission.
To get some postcards please reply to this email or call Tom Regan at 248-291-9054.
State Representative Padma Kuppa is continuing her "Postcards for Padma" effort as part of her re-election campaign. If you have time to write postcards from home Sandy Larson will provide you with postcards and lists of recipients and pick them up from you when you are done. Contact Sandy Larson at 313-820-8645, slarson613@hotmail.com.
Indivisible also has postcards, scripts and postage for sending postcards to voters to urge them to re-elect State Representative Padma Kuppa. To get your package or to work on the virtual phone bank please contact Paula Martinos-Mantay at martinosmantay@gmail.com
Wave is a tool that you can use to encourage your own personal network of friends, family and neighbors to vote absentee. The site is free and very easy to use.
Learn more by joining Wave Michigan at https://wave-michigan.com/
The Royal Oak City Clerk needs to hire people to help with the August and November elections. Because of the pandemic many people are no longer able to serve as election inspectors. This is a paid position. To apply to be an election inspector in Royal Oak please visit https://www.romi.gov/172/Election-Inspectors, or email the city clerk's office at cityclerk@romi.gov.
Please consider contributing to the Royal Oak Schools Foundation.
The Royal Oak Schools Foundation has postponed its regular projects and is instead raising funds to help school district families in need. In a relatively wealthy community like Royal Oak it is easy to forget that we have families in our city who have difficulty making ends meet in the best of times. During the current crisis these families are suffering, and the Royal Oak Schools Foundation is doing its best to help them.
The pandemic forced the Royal Oak Schools Foundation to cancel their summer fundraiser. If you can help them make up the gap please visit https://www.royaloakschoolsfoundation.org/ and scroll down to "Donate to the Foundation" to make a PayPal or credit card donation. Or mail your check payable to Royal Oak Schools foundation to:
U.S. Senator Gary Peters would appreciate your help on-line as he battles for re-election. For more information on how you can help from home visit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UdBeZeTDI4H67maZyLgclCdzqhWkVjw9ovd0eU-rmQY/edit. This document contains brief stories about Gary that you can share online on forums like Facebook and Twitter.
Oakland County residents can call 1-800-848-5533 to schedule a Covid 19 test. Tests are much more available now, so medical authorities have made it much easier to get tested.
Royal Oak residents who need any kind of assistance (health, food, financial, stress) should call 248-246-3800. City staff are on call to provide assistance or to refer you to help. Do not feel ashamed to ask for help; as Katie and Julia sang so beautifully before our May meeting, we all need somebody to lean on.
Our co-chair Lauren Jasinksi has compiled a list of links to reliable information: about the virus itself, how to seek assistance, and how to volunteer: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tjCKWtVJd_6t7ukRfrfZvCOdvTtkn-bHJ-Som_bxQ2M
Zoom works on a PC, laptop, or on an Android or Apple cell phone. Install Zoom on your Android or Apple cell phone using your app store, then open it and enter the meeting number.
If you are using a PC or laptop you do not need to install Zoom; you can join the meeting using your default web browser by clicking the meeting link.
If you are using a PC or laptop you will probably have a better experience if you install Zoom first (it is free) from this link: https://zoom.us/. Click "Sign up, it's free" on the top right, then enter your email address in the input that says "Your work email address" (I don't know why it specifies "work" email; you can enter any email). To test that your installation worked visit https://zoom.us/test."
If you have trouble getting Zoom to work our co-chair Lauren Jasinski has graciously offered to help, please contact her directly at LJ.Jasinski@gmail.com or (734) 649-4944