We are all going through a lot right now, but I hope this finds you healthy and hopeful. It's a challenging time as we face difficult but important issues locally and nationally. At Mainstream we are committed to protecting our communities and continuing our advocacy efforts, all while figuring out the impact on the organization's long-term survival. We have spent the last week adapting to our new virtual reality, and working hard to continue providing the reliable information and effective action steps you’ve come to expect from Mainstream.

To that end, we have created a comprehensive COVID-19 resource page on our website at mainstreamcoalition.org/covid19. There you will find information and links to help keep you up-to-date, in good health, and engaged in the world around. New resources will be added as they become available. If you know of any that we haven’t listed, please email them to [email protected].

We are also focusing on strategic projects and building up engagement activities that will be critical to our shared long-term priorities for Kansas. But we can’t do it without you. Below are some ways you can make a difference with Mainstream while staying at home during this period of uncertainty:

ADVOCATE

We have two major fundraising events in the near future that will fuel our work in the upcoming state and federal elections. Both events are still scheduled to take place, but they will now take place online!

• MainPAC Presents: A Virtual Evening with Jonathan Metzl
  On May 26, MainPAC, the political action committee of the Mainstream Coalition, is excited to bring you Jonathan Metzl, KC native and acclaimed author of Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment Is Killing America's Heartland. Virtual private reception and general lecture tickets available soon.
  
  
• Walk the Vote
  This June, get your walk on and help get out the vote! This year you can create a team online, get friends and family to join, and host your own virtual walks in and around your homes. Get creative, have fun, and show your Mainstream strut on the web. Stay on the lookout for registration info.

The Kansas Legislature may be on hiatus, but it’s important to stay in touch with your elected officials. Be on the lookout for small group opportunities to connect virtually with other Mainstreamers to keep pressure on the legislature and advocate in your communities. Don’t want to wait? Visit ksleglookup.org today to find and contact your state legislators.

EDUCATE

Doing business as usual isn’t so usual right now. The current state of affairs will undoubtedly change the political landscape for advocates, voters, and candidates. So we are making the necessary changes to make it easier for you to stay informed on issues and campaigns.

• Ensure your community counts by filling out your Census 2020 form. And get your friends and family to do the same. The data collected will determine Federal assistance for public health, schools, roads, housing, and more, including the redistricting process here in Kansas. Visit KansasCounts.org for more.
  
  
• Be part of the conversation with live-streamed interviews and candidate virtual town halls. Be in the know before you vote! Watch our Facebook page and Twitter feed for more soon!
  
  
• Make sure everyone’s voice is heard. Voter to Voter, a project of the Mainstream Education Foundation, is already well situated to bear the brunt of getting out the vote in a physically distanced world. Visit votertovoter.org and join our peer-to-peer virtual community focused on engaging and educating voters around the state.

ENGAGE

And last, but certainly not least, stay engaged with the outside world. Over the coming weeks I will ask for your continued support through virtual volunteerism, membership renewals, and other donations. But today I’m not asking you to give to Mainstream. Today, I ask that you take care of yourselves, your loved ones, and those in our communities who are most impacted by this crisis.

Find and donate to a local charity that offers support to displaced workers. Give to your place of worship or community food pantry. Go out of your way to thank the emergency services, healthcare, education/childcare, utility, and foodservice workers that are still out there every day working to provide for the rest of us. Do your best to be your best.

One option in NE Johnson County is Lend Ten, a community organization founded by Mainstream member, Maurine Kierl, in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Lend Ten aims to help people in our communities who are quarantined or at-risk. If you know of anyone who wants to volunteer or, especially, who needs assistance visit lendten.org (or their FB page) for more information.

If any community can rise to the occasion and help move Kansas forward in this uncertain and unprecedented time, I know it will be you—our dedicated members, volunteers, and supporters. Let’s lift each other up and give each other the strength to come out of this fighting for the good of all Kansans. We will get through this, together.

Sincerely,

Mainstream Coalition
Executive Director