Preparing for the November election:
Arapahoe County Info
Arapahoe County needs to hire 600 election judges for Nov. election - paid 16.50-18.50 per hour - Link here for info
To get the word out about election security follow Arapahoe County Elections - @arapahoeclerk
Read more about Arapahoe County’s incredible security protocols and bipartisan oversight here.
Two Indivisible Opportunities. Indivisible offers these two opportunities to support our November elections. I completed the survey at Just Vote Colorado and agreed to be a distributor of voting PSA Yardsigns and stickers. Check out the options here:
Sign up for Indivisible’s new campaign, Hands Off Our Vote 2026
Join the Just Vote Colorado campaign.
More Voting and Election Info -
866-Our-Vote Hotline. More Info HERE
GoVoteColorado.gov - check voter registration
Sign up for Ballottrax Here
This site also provides opportunities if you wish to get involved as Election Judges and Poll Watchers - link here. Douglas County info linked here.
Colorado State info on becoming an election judge linked here
North Littleton Promise Summer Needs
Fresh fruits and veggies Ideas, quantities and drop off details on the sign up sheet.
"Field trip ready" Fresh Lunch/Snack items like Lunchables or pre-made Uncrustable sandwiches for students with no lunch.
Easy meal options such as mac & cheese cups and Cup of Noodles. Use this Snack Drive sign up.
Giving Heart - Ongoing Needs. Men’s jeans, shorts, new underwear - men and women sm, adult belts, adult shoes (size 13), shoe laces, boots, socks, blankets, sleeping bags, cough drops, hair brushes, baseball hats, readers, eyeglass cases, tweezers. Bring donations to the LUMC breezeway.
Defend Disability Rights. For nearly 27 years, the Supreme Court’s landmark 1999 decision in Olmstead v. L.C. has protected Americans with disabilities from being forced into institutional care and nursing homes against their will, affirming their right to live independently in their own communities. Recently, the Trump Department of Justice released a memo undermining that decision and arguing that Olmstead and related disability rights laws actually contribute to homelessness. Legal experts say the claim is not supported by the facts or by virtually any court, and the DOJ’s own memo acknowledged that their interpretation is “out of step” with legal consensus. See 5Calls to call our reps and our governor
St. Andrew Market. Help feed 450 families weekly with this outreach out of East Community Center near the corner of Broadway and Littleton Blvd. Link for more information and to volunteer
Grocery Delivery - Megan has organized a valuable service delivering groceries to those who are not able to pick them up in person. To volunteer, email Megan at meganbrookhart1011@gmail.com to help deliver needed groceries at 4 pm on Wednesdays. Even once a month is a huge help.
HAAT Force - Resource Days are Fridays, 10 am – 1 pm at Spirit of Hope (4300 S Lincoln St, Englewood). People may stop by for a hot breakfast and lunch, shelf-stable and frozen meals, RTD tickets, hygiene items, clothing, shoes and case management. The next three Resource Days are July 10, 17, 24. Here are volunteer signups for each: July 10, July 17, July24. As always, volunteers can come for whole or partial shifts. Contact Julie @ jhall@haatforce.org with questions.
The Graduated Income Tax on the 2026 ballot. The 97% of Colorado taxpayers making less than $500,000 would receive a tax cut; those at the top will pay more. Learn more on this page from the League of Women Voters. To take action check out this website to volunteer to collect signatures. (At LUMC, contact Mary at best.mary@gmail.com to sign.) Time is short to get this on the ballot.
Ending Temporary Protective Status for Haitians and Syrians. The Supreme Court decision (6-3) in Mullin v. Doe cleared the way for the administration to proceed with revoking protective status from 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians who have built lives, careers, and families here. There are 1.3 million overall on TPS who are now likely to lose protective status. I know several of you have sent letters. If you have not yet you may use 5calls or mail your elected rep using this template.
Restricting people from requesting asylum: In the 6-3 decision Mullin v. Al Otro Lado, the Supreme Court ruled that the government can turn back asylum seekers at the U.S.- Mexico border by physically preventing them from setting foot on U.S. soil. Under federal law, persons may request asylum once they have arrived in the country. The Court determined that migrants stopped on the Mexican side of the border have not "arrived" in the country, meaning legal protections for asylum seekers do not apply. Justice Sotomayor read her searing dissent from the bench. Story linked here
Learn “What The United Methodist Church believes about immigrants and migrants.” by Laura Buchanan
To Take Action:
Write a letter to your elected representatives
Write a letter to the editor expressing our responsibility to immigrants as people of faith.
Write a letter to the editor comparing our approach to immigrants after these two Supreme Court decisions to the US’s refusal to admit Jews from Europe during WW II.
Oppose the SAVE Act. Many consider the SAVE Act a voter suppression bill (Brennan Center article). It would require proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, to register to vote in federal elections, creating barriers for millions of citizens. The bill has passed the House. Call or write to your Senators. (Find addresses on our resources page.) Concerns to highlight include married women, who may need extra documentation to link a birth name to a current legal name, and student and rural voters, who may lack easy access to accepted IDs. Use this info / script to call our senators at 5calls.org
Take Action for Afghans Seeking Resettlement. The US has abandoned thousands of Afghan allies who risked their lives to support the U.S. military. Over 150,000 of our wartime allies are now stranded in dangerous situations worldwide. This includes more than 1,100 heavily vetted military personnel and their families confined at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar, alongside thousands more waiting in Pakistan and Albania. Leaving them in limbo violates our nation’s core promise to leave no one behind.
Use this template to write a letter to your elected representatives (Contact info here) on behalf of the Afghan refugees whose promise of resettlement in the US has been revoked.
Voting Rights Legislation Advocacy. Lobby for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act & Freedom to Vote Act. These bills are supported by the League of Women’s Voters and Indivisible. Because Callais dismantled judicial protections under the VRA, Congress must pass federal statutory fixes. Contact your representatives (Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, and your local Representative) by letter, email or phone and demand that they prioritize passing these bills, which would explicitly restore and strengthen the VRA to override the Court's ruling. You may use this League of Women Voters site or find your representatives' contact info here. Or use this 5calls link.
Court Watch. “We are concerned citizens focused on non-violent accountability. Our goals are to peacefully document and inform the public of ICE presence at the courthouse, help establish safety and community for immigrants, and provide resources. We think it is important for immigrants to know that people care.” Contact Cheryl or Carol to learn more and/or to arrange to shadow.
Cheryl Stearns @ clstearns2017@outlook.com
Carol Harr @ carolmharr@hotmail.com
Giving Heart. This faith-based nonprofit on 4358 S. Broadway serves our unhoused neighbors. It has been around for over a decade, and collaborates with a number of organizations to meet the needs endemic to people experiencing homelessness. If you feel a tug to learn more and to help, this is your chance! Giving Heart is open Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 am to 3 pm. They provide meals, clothing, showers, laundry facilities, computer access, and more. Volunteers make the place run, with an emphasis on relating to guests with dignity, love, and healthy boundaries. Most of the volunteers have been there for years, and would love to show you the ropes. If interested, contact Pastor Chris @ LUMC. Donation Items Needed: Men’s jeans, shorts, new underwear - men and women sm, adult belts, adult shoes (size 13), shoe laces, boots, socks, blankets, sleeping bags, cough drops, hair brushes, baseball hats, readers, eyeglass cases, tweezers. Bring donations to the LUMC breezeway.
Important info before signing petitions. Research first before signing any petition. We have received several warnings, as several groups soliciting signatures use intentionally misleading language. Before signing:
Action Alert: Block the Transfer of Lethal Weapons to Israel. The General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church supports the “Block the Bombs Act” (H.R. 3565) led by Representative Delia Ramirez (D-IL-3). This bill is the first legislative vehicle in Congressional history to aim to ban the U.S. from sending some of the worst-offending offensive weapons to Israel. The bill focuses on artillery ammunition and high-impact bomb variants that have been involved in the grossest civilian casualties. In addition, the bill demands Israel comply with U.S. and international law. Link here to take action
The campaign to put a Colorado Graduated Income Tax on the 2026 ballot. This measure would institute a graduated income tax for Colorado. The 97% of Colorado taxpayers making less than $500,000 would receive a tax cut; only those at the top will pay more. Nearly 125,000 signatures must be collected by Aug. 3 in order for this initiative to be placed on the ballot in November. Learn more on this page from the League of Women Voters.
To Take Action:
Letter to Highlands REIT regarding proposed Hudson Detention Center. Chicago-based Highlands Real Estate Investment Trust (Highlands REIT) owns the Hudson, CO building identified as a potential ICE detention center. Learn more here. Use this contact info linked here on their website and ask them to reconsider allowing their site to become a detention facility. Draft of letter to Highlands REIT. When you get a letter mailed let us know and we will celebrate our collaborative effort.
A Call to Faithful Resistance. This is a call to all Christians to speak out and to actively resist the rise of autocracy by signing this statement. The “Call to Faithful Resistance” statement is not owned by any particular organization or church. It seeks to bring clarity to this current moment in the U.S., and therefore awaken followers of Jesus to faithfully resist the rise of autocracy. It was written by Len Tang, a local pastor in Pasadena, CA. Several of us have signed this document.
Faithful Resistance: A Public Witness for Immigrant Justice, Watch the ecumenical and interfaith leaders and communities in Washington, DC virtually, for a public witness grounded in worship, moral courage, and solidarity with our neighbors. More details here.
Dental Material Recycling
Green Team and Children’s Ministry invites you to keep dental care materials out of landfills. We are accepting used Crest, Oral-B, & Fixodent oral care products for recycling. The collection box is located in the breezeway.
About Flock and Ring - Flock tracks license plate data; This Denver Post article details the ongoing debate about how Flock Cameras are being used in Colorado and around the nation. Colorado has two Senate Bills that have been proposed to put guard rails on their use. (SB26-070 and SB26-071). Also: Ring partners with Flock. Without a Ring subscription, Ring does not record or store event footage, meaning there is no recorded data to provide to third parties like Flock Safety
Aligning our Spending with our Values -
We previously mentioned Better World Shopper (linked here). This site makes social and environmental data available to consumers who wish to utilize their dollars as votes in order to help build a better world.
Another tool is GoodsUniteUs.com. “The average consumer indirectly contributes 3x more to political campaigns through everyday purchases than through direct donations. And some of those profits get donated to politicians and causes you might not agree with.” This website tracks the political contributions of many businesses and evaluates where these businesses stand on campaign finance reform.
The Good Shopping Guide: https://thegoodshoppingguide.com/
Vouchers. Karen highlighted the vouchers Issue that is part of the Big Beautiful Bill. Gov. Polis is planning to opt in, allowing funds generated by 1 to 1 tax credits to fund private schools. Public funds would be effectively reallocated to support private programs that lack accountability for what they teach and that are allowed to discriminate against children with disabilities or who identify as LGBTQ+. It is because public schools have public accountability that they deserve public funds. We must not fund programs that lack that accountability. Read this news story here.