Our weekly check-in meeting is open to anyone interested in supporting compassionate community response to our most vulnerable neighbors in this time of crisis. Meetings are held online every Thursday from 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Please email LeDayne Polaski for Zoom access code. We look forward to seeing you!
In This Issue:
Safe Reopening for Faith Communities, Sept. 17th
MeckMIN House of Faith Membership Campaign
Covid-19 Food and Financial Help Resource List
Ways You Can Support Your Community
Voting Resources
1. Safe Reopening for Faith Communities, Sept. 17th, 2020
On Thursday, September 17, we will open our weekly meeting with a presentation entitled Safe Reopening for Faith Communities led by experts from Novant Health. If you have specific questions you would like addressed, please email LeDayne Polaski at ledayne@meckmin.org.
2. MeckMIN House of Faith Membership Campaign
Partner With Us! If you appreciate the work that MeckMIN is doing, please consider becoming a partner House of Faith or renewing your membership.
Congregational giving is our largest source of support, and WE NEED YOU if we are to continue our work with the community!
Complete the online membership form and submit today! If you are currently a partner congregation, we strongly encourage you to complete one of these forms to help us update our records and to better serve you!
DONATE! You can make a donation online by going to our secure, mobile-friendly form or by mailing a check payable to:
MeckMIN
PO Box 11243
Charlotte NC 28220
Our Fall individual membership campaign begins in October. Get a head start and make your donation TODAY!
3. Covid-19 Food & Financial Help Resources, Newly Updated!
MeckMIN is pleased to be able to share this newly updated list of food and financial resources available. Please let us know if you have corrections or additions and please share generously! Click here to access Covid-19 Food & Financial Help Resources
FREE COVID-19 Testing: The Old North State Medical Society is offering free Covid-
19 testing every Friday and Saturday. Insurance isn't required. Testing locations are on Freedom Drive and Beatties Ford Road. Visit the website and sign up ahead of time!
4.Ways You Can Support the Community
Become a Remote Learning Partner Site for CMS! Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education voted Aug. 25 to allow CMS to contract with community-based organizations committed to establishing remote learning facilities for students. The agreement follows emergency rules adopted by the North Carolina Child Care Commission on Aug. 13 permitting organizations unlicensed as childcare providers to operate as remote learning facilities. Remote learning sites provide opportunities for school aged students to receive support with “just in time” virtual instruction and/or enrichment opportunities; when needed and as appropriate in a productive adult-supervised learning environment.
Share Your Network! Do you have or know of a no-cost or low-cost public wireless network around Charlotte? There is a need for any sites that can offer free public wifi to help support families with limited access during this time. Digital Charlotte is building a map of no-cost and low-cost public wireless networks access locations across Charlotte, NC. There are two ways you can contribute:
Use the hashtag #OpenWifiCLT on social media to alert of new public wireless networks.
Go to Digital Charlotte websiteand fill out Wifi Access Form
Become a volunteer with NC MedAssist! NC MedAssist seeks to ensure that no eligible person in North Carolina has to choose between purchasing food or their needed medication; improving the patient’s health and lowering uncompensated health care costs for all stakeholders. Visit their website to learn more about how you can help!
6. Voting Resources
Become a Voting Rights Champion to get access to FREE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT to ensure that voters in your nonprofit’s community can successfully cast their ballots this fall. COVID-19 pandemic has forced many nonprofits to rethink their plans for in-person voter registration and voter education work this year. To help North Carolina nonprofits navigate the changing landscape of nonpartisan voter registration and voter education, You Can Vote launched its Voting Rights Champion program to provide accurate, easy-to-read, bilingual resources on voter registration and the election process in North Carolina.
Click here for VOTER FAQs! You Can Vote provides clear, accurate, and nonpartisan answers to a variety of common questions about the 2020 election process in North Carolina, including absentee voting by mail (it will be very popular this year), the process for requesting an absentee ballot (it’s best to start the process sooner rather than later!), photo ID (not required this year), and voter fraud (it’s extremely rare). The center encourages all nonprofits to read these FAQs and share them with their staff, boards, volunteers, and the people they serve.
National Voter Registration Day is SEPT 22nd! Voter Registration Day is a great opportunity for nonprofits to ensure that their staff, volunteers, and community members are registered to vote. SIGN UP to join the nationwide effort to register hundreds of thousands of voters on September 22. As an official partner, you will receive a free voter registration kit and access to other opportunities to support your nonpartisan voter registration work.
Absentee Ballot Requests Now Available Online! This week, the NC State Board of Elections opened its online portal for requesting absentee ballots online. The online application process only takes about three minutes to complete. Voters who request an absentee ballot will receive one by mail and can still choose to vote in person during the Early Voting period or on Election Day instead of submitting their absentee ballot. The online portal for absentee voting also allows voters to check on the status of their absentee ballots.The Center encourages nonprofits to urge their staff, board members, volunteers, and those they serve to request an absentee ballot now. This will ensure that they receive their absentee ballots with plenty of time to vote by mail before Election Day.