One year and seven months ago marked the last election in California with a single day of voting. Many neighbor volunteers staffed the Sierra 2 Center from dawn until after dusk. They handed out ballots, gave instructions, checked off names, and drank a whole lot of coffee. Hundreds of voters came by to participate in our democracy. Young, old, walking, wheeling, dressed in suits and pajamas. Working that day was one of the most memorable and proud experiences of my life.
This year, all that is just a memory, as vote by mail and neighborhood voting drops are the new rule of the land. By the time you read this, there’s a very good chance you’ve already voted. If so, then I commend you for doing your part in the democratic process by supporting the U.S. Postal Service or dropping off your ballot at various Drop Box locations identified in your ballot materials.
If you haven’t voted, there’s still time. Even though Curtis Park has historically had one of the highest turnouts of any precinct in Sacramento, we’re certainly not at 100 percent. So before you do anything else, including reading the rest of this column, get over to the Sierra 2 Center for the Arts & Community between June 2 and June 5 and mark your ballot.
Once you’ve gotten your patriotic duty out of the way, I humbly request that you turn your focus to the neighborhood and consider devoting some of your community energy toward volunteering with SCNA.
SCNA wants to expand its volunteer base
Our corps of volunteers has shrunk over the past few years, to the point where we did not have a volunteer committee for last year’s wine tasting, beer garden and silent auction. Yes, that’s right: The staff at Sierra 2 was responsible for producing the entire event.
That model, of course, is unsustainable for an organization with the size and scope of Sierra 2. There are dozens of room rentals every day, minor and major repairs, fundraising, and a whole host of other activities. Staff can’t afford to set aside a month of work to put on an event. And that’s where you come in.
One of the big initiatives identified in the SCNA Strategic Plan is to revive and expand our volunteer base. The Development Committee is hard at work putting together a plan to make that happen.
My seven years on the board have been incredibly rewarding in terms of the people I’ve met and the connections I’ve made. I’m sure your time volunteering would give you the same feeling. Don’t be surprised if a friend or neighbor asks if you’d be willing to donate some of your time. I do hope you’ll say yes.