Here are the highlights of the year:
Safe Passage Breakfast
Sixteen KC Dems, including two candidates attended the Safe Passage Violence Awareness breakfast and also donated to the organization. Safe Passage helps victims, mostly women and children, who are affected by domestic violence. The program gives these folks a safe place to live and helps them with any other resources they might need.
Earth Day
KC Dems had a prominent booth at KEA’s Earth Day celebration and fair. The theme this year was plastic pollution and our booth provided important information about plastic use and pollution/solutions, as well as fun projects and a quiz for the kids. We gave away a cute stuffed Sea Turtle to one lucky child. We also took signatures for Prop 2 and provided information to people about the Medicare Expansion proposal.
Pride in the Park
In June, KC Dems hosted at booth at the North Idaho Pride Alliance Day in the city park. We were there mostly as support, but we also registered people to vote.
Summer Concert Series at Riverstone
Our biggest outreach this year was being the major sponsor for a concert night in August at Riverstone Park supporting the Arts and Cultural Alliance in CDA. Several hundred people attended the concert and were able to meet nearly all our Democratic candidates as well as buy good old-fashioned root beer floats to support the Dem Club.
SPAN Walk
September saw KC Dems not only be a major sponsor of the Suicide Awareness and Prevention walk put on by SPAN (Suicide Prevention Action Network), but we also had 15 of our dedicated volunteers helping with the 5k walk/run event. It was a great event to help support families in our community who have been affected by suicide. Sadly, Idaho is in the top 5 states for suicide rates. October of 2018 saw the highest suicide rate in Kootenai County—8 people took their lives in that month. There is still work to be done.
Souport the End of Homelessness
KC Dems, baked and donated 60 loaves of artisan bread and 10 pounds of butter for the “Souport the End of Homelessness” soup tasting event sponsored by St Vincent de Paul. The November event gave hundreds in the community a chance to see our KC Dems’ hardworking booth volunteers support an important community event. The yearly event raises money for warming and homeless shelters in our community. Lots of friendly Dem faces stopped by to say “hi” and enjoy the bread and soups. Put this event on your calendar next year!
CAP Food Drive
*In December, Community Outreach held a food drive to benefit Community Action Partnership (our local food bank). Generous KC Dem folks donated over 185 pounds of food (and a crock pot!) We know that this helped local families to have a better holiday season.
A big thanks goes to all who volunteered on the event days—you know who you are! It really does take a village of hard working and generous volunteers. On behalf of the Community Outreach Committee—I am so proud and happy to be a part of this great group of people who really know how to live Democratic values!
A Very Happy New Year to all!
Cathy Kraus
Community Outreach Chair
