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Chair: Ginger Blair
Deputy Chair: Kimberly Valdez
Secretary: Carmen McZeal
Treasurer: Natalie Ward
Sergeant At Arms: Marc Meyer
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Click on the Contribute button to help turn Montgomery County Blue!
Please consider becoming a sustaining member at $10 per month (or more!).
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Montgomery County Democratic Headquarters
704 N. Thompson St. #195
Conroe, Texas 77301
936-703-5841
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Montgomery County Democratic Headquarters Hours
Hours of operation: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Monday through Friday
Due to the continuing spread of COVID, our policy now is for staff and visitors to comply with social distancing guidelines and masks are optional. To reach us, call MCDP headquarters at 936-703-5841 or email office@mcdptx.org. For urgent matters outside of office hours, please text 713-256-1420 or email chair@mcdptx.org.
NOTE: MCDP headquarters will be closed on Thursday June 19 in celebration of Juneteenth and on Monday and Tuesday July 3 and July 4 in celebration of July 4th.
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June 15, 2023 Newsletter
Celebrate Juneteenth!
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Please note: our newsletters contain a lot of links to make viewing the source easier - just click on images or linked text to explore
IN THIS ISSUE:
Black and Thriving
Willis Juneteenth Celebration - Join us!
Blood Drive – June 22, 2023
July 4th Parade - Join us!
Meet Gilberto Hinojosa, TDP Chair - July 6th
From TDC - Talking Points - Juneteenth, Pride Month, Legislation and more!
Volunteer to Help Your Precinct
Silent Auction Items Needed
Young Dems Keep Headquarters Hopping
We are building an IT Team
County Non-Profit Spotlight - Friends of Montgomery County Libraries
Democratic Party Events Around the County
Make and Take Program Makes Its Debut
Training, Education and Activism Resources for Democrats
Montgomery County Republicans in Disarray
Joe and Kamala's Corner (click on an image to open)
Tweets (click on an image to open)
Blue Store - Show Your Commitment to Democracy!
Democratic Party Calendar of Upcoming Events
Other Groups and Community Events
This newsletter is published on or about the 1st and the 15th of every month.
no later than 3 days before publication.
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BLACK & THRIVING
June 19, 1865, two years after President Abraham Lincoln presented the Emancipation Proclamation, slaves in Texas finally received word: They were free.
The fight for true freedom ever since has been continuous and full of barriers.
Freedom is a thread, and a fight, woven through this nation's history and current political climate. In spite of attempts to limit our access to the ballot box, the economy, and basic civil rights - we thrive.
This Juneteenth, take action to celebrate and ensure true freedom for all.
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From eliminating life-saving healthcare to banning books that mention LGBTQ+ communities in our schools -- Texas Republicans are hell-bent on making our LGBTQ+ neighbors second-class citizens instead of addressing everyday issues that impact working Texans. #txlege
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Texas Democrats are working overtime to give hard-working Texans some breathing room -- not take their freedoms away.
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Volunteer to Help Your Precinct!
Please contact us to talk about what is involved in being a Precinct Chair or in helping your Precinct Chair. There is a lot of support for Precinct Chairs and that support is getting stronger. You will not be going it alone; but you will make a huge difference in our County, State and Nation.
If your precinct already has a Precinct Chair, they would love your support and help. Reach out to them. They also need to know they are not alone in their work!
You may find out whether your Precinct has a Chair and who your Precinct Chair is by going to the Secretary of State website. Or contact us and we'll let you know!
To talk with someone about how you may help, email office@mcdptx.org or call Headquarters at 936-703-5841.
If you are ready to apply for a Precinct Chair vacancy, please download, print, and complete this application form, and submit it to us by U.S. mail, email as an attachment to office@mcdptx.org, or drop it off in person at 704 N. Thompson St. #195, Conroe, TX 77301. If you have never visited Headquarters, it would be great to meet you!
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An Urgent Call for Items
Our coffers are empty! Can you help us fill them up? Our Summer Fundraiser, with our Texas State Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa as keynote speaker, is scheduled for July 6, 2023, and we are planning a Summertime Silent Auction for the event.
Do you think you might have some new or little used items to share?
- A basket of pool toys and some pool cleaning supplies
- A houseplant you just repotted? Packets of seeds that got left in the drawer
- A jar of jam, some hot sauce, pickled cucumbers, or peppers from your garden
- A giant loaf of homemade sourdough bread?
- Your family's favorite pie or cake? Your Grandma's peanut brittle?
- A basket of products for some of our favorite fur babies?
- A stack of books you just finished reading. We will add a bottle of wine.
- Gift cards you meant to give to your children’s teachers
- Exercise equipment that did not "work out" for you
- Board games and jigsaw puzzles for when the family says they are bored
- Home decor that are ready to be passed along
- A backpack or school supplies
- A gift of yourself to help us plan and make the baskets
The list is endless but so is your creativity. If you can think of something, we can even arrange a pickup if it will fit in a car! And we will gladly recycle your baskets and cookie tins for our sale.
The event is on July 6th. If you have any white elephants (no red ones, please!) just give us a shout out right away by emailing us at office@mcdptx.org or calling 936-703-5841. Montgomery County Democratic Headquarters Volunteers and Working Wednesday Team will be happy to respond!
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(L – R) Fritz Houston, Erica Burns, Avery’on Lampkin, Ambryn Kroll, and Penelope Steffen)
Young Democrats Keep Headquarters Hopping!
Things don’t slowdown in the summertime, at least not with our Young Democrats around! And though the cast of characters may be different from day to day, the projects keep on getting done.
Here’s an idea of the projects that are currently underway with the help of our
Working Wednesday Volunteers and the Young Dems:
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Researching to identify more Veterans who may like to walk with us in the 4th of July Parade
- Entering data to keep our Voter Builder VAN database up to date
- Creating a list of non-profit service agencies to come to our upcoming Fiestas Patrias Event
- Designing and creating stickers for our table at the annual Pride Event
- Researching all the boards of governmental entities like school boards and city councils throughout the Montgomery County to determine when Board Meetings are being held so we can send Democratic Representatives to the meetings to learn about local issues
- Making an inventory of our existing signs and banners so they can readily be reused at parades and early voting tents
Drop in any time, Monday through Friday, to watch grassroots Democracy happen and join in the fun.
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County Non-Profit Spotlight
Each month in 2023, we will share information about non-profit resources in Montgomery County in hopes that those in need receive assistance and to make everyone aware of the great resources in our County.
This month we feature:
Several Friends groups support our MCMLS branches and help us continue to offer a variety of programs and services for our patrons. The Friends also host book sales throughout the year. Check the branch pages for book sale announcements.
The Friends groups provide support to our libraries to enhance the funding provided by the County.
Click here to learn if your branch has a Friends group, what they are up to, and how to get involved.
And did you know? There are several sites that offer a wide variety of free ebooks. Many of the books are those that the copyrights have expired (classics) and others are offered for free by choice by the author or platform. All of these sites are fully legal and are not shadow libraries. Most sites allow you to download the ebook (PDF) or read directly online. So if your local library doesn't have something you are looking for, try one of these:
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Democratic Party Events Around the County
psst: you're missing a lot of fun if you aren't joining us!!
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Blue Magnolia
On Wednesday evening June 14th, Blue Magnolia held our monthly evening social at a new amazing wood-fired pizza restaurant - Sauced Up! We had a great turnout with three new attendees joining the regulars.
We are having success reaching people in Magnolia - each new attendee learned about us on Facebook and were looking for like-minded neighbors with whom to connect! We continue our outreach in order to reach those in our community who feel they are alone in their values and beliefs.
We are here and growing!!
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Women of MCDP
The May in June Women’s Outreach meeting went splendidly. We had a smaller group than usual due to the bad weather. However, it worked out so that everyone was able to participate in a beautiful and powerful meeting. Our guest speaker, Joni Villemez-Comeaux, licensed therapist and chemical dependence counselor, shared her fascinating experiences working with people in the correctional system. We learned a lot about boundaries and finding our own personal power.
Thank you for everyone who shared. It was lovely and bonding. Thanks again to our amazing speaker Joni Villemez-Comeaux of Montgomery Wellness, PLLC.
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The “Make and Take” Program Makes Its Debut
The Blue Texas Store under the leadership of Judy Trosvig and Michele Lightfield is taking shape and expanding. You will find pictures of some of the items now available at the Store as you scroll down the newsletter in each issue.
A new program to help stock the Store and provide a creative outlet for our talented Democrats is the “Make and Take” program that will be offered from time to time. If you join us for one of the scheduled dates, you will be able to “make” one of the craft items presented on that date for yourself, “make” one for the Store to sell, and “take” the first one home.
So, if you are a long-time crafter or a first-time crafter, this is the program for you. Each session will be different, all the items needed to create the craft will be available free of charge, and each session, if you come, you will be taught by fine Democrats in the company of like-minded folks. It is a win-win proposition for everyone and fun besides!
So, mark your calendars! The first two sessions will be presented by Michele Lightfield and Carol Stromatt. The items to be made are pictured below. We hope you will come and bring a friend for a couple of hours of camaraderie and good works.
July 13 – Make and Take Bracelets
Montgomery County Democratic Headquarters
704 N. Thompson Street, #195
Conroe, TX 77301
10:00 a.m.
July 27 – Make and Take Wreaths
Montgomery County Democratic Headquarters
704 N. Thompson Street, #195
Conroe, TX 77301
10:00 a.m.
Please RSVP by email to office@mcdptx.org or by phone to 936-703-5841 so we will be sure to have plenty of supplies for everyone. And please do come! No experience is required. The crafts are easy, and you will be welcomed by all!
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Training, Education and Activism Resources
Sign up now!!
Wealth and Poverty - A unique opportunity to sit in on a class at UC Berkeley by Robert Reich, an American professor, author, lawyer, and political commentator. Class 9 (The shameful legacy of systemic racism and inequality) and Class 10 (The “deserving” poor: Who should get public assistance?)
The Campaign for Our Shared Future fights for equitable, anti-racist programs, practices, and policies that sustain schools and ensure opportunity for every child and a brighter future for us all. There are great talking points provided on this website.
Red Wine and Blue - Red Wine & Blue provides everything women need to successfully organize in their communities and beyond.
The States Project - We fuel majority-making campaigns for state lawmakers who will defend our democracy, safeguard our individual freedoms and improve lives.
Texas Freedom Network - The 2023 Texas Legislative Session is here! Join us in letting our state’s leadership know that we will continue fighting for our freedoms today, tomorrow, and forever. Click here to get in the fight!
National Democratic Training Committee (NDTC) has virtual training opportunities for all Democrats. Go to https://traindemocrats.org/events/ to sign up for any of their trainings.
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Montgomery County Republicans in Disarray: Fight for Control of Local GOP Lands in Texas Supreme Court
An attempt by the Tea Party to take control of the Montgomery County Republican Party has ended up in the Texas Supreme Court with a lawsuit filed over the resignation of one precinct chair and the selection of at least six other precinct chairs. The Tea Party is alleging that Republican County Chair, Bryan Christ, failed to acknowledge the results of several meetings that the Tea Party has alleged given their faction control of the local party. This is the latest salvo in a struggle for power dating back before the 2018 election.
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JOE and KAMALA'S CORNER !
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Lots of new and great items to show your commitment to Democracy and support MCDPTX!
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Event Calendar - For more details, click on the image and follow link to the MCDPTX.org website; click on the date to view event.
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Other Groups & Community Events |
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TUE, JUNE 20 - CONROE ISD BOARD, 6:00pm, 3205 W. Davis Street, Conroe 77304
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Come early and enjoy the food at MoCo Food Hall. We meet in the upstairs room to the right. This group is a followup to the study of the 1619 Project. We are utilizing The White Allies Handbook for discussion |
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Democratic Club of The Woodlands Meeting
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
6:30 pm on Zoom
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Democrats and Progressives of Montgomery County
Morning Breakfast MEETUP
Saturday, July 8, 9:00 am
11133 Interstate 45 S · Conroe, TX
Hosted by Karen Cavanagh
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Paid for by the Montgomery County Texas Democratic Party, www.mcdptx.org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. |
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