Hey John - 

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there from the Arlington Young Dems! We here at Arlington Young Dems are continuing to explore new ways to engage with our membership and our community by leading the way on how we communicate. This past week, we put on a County Board Special Election Forum with Arlington Dems, had another successful virtual happy hour, and hosted a town hall with Northern Virginia Labor Federation AFL-CIO President Virginia Diamond on Covid-19 and Labor.

Check out our upcoming events below:

AYD Virtual Town Hall: Matt de Ferranti on Missing Middle Housing

Join us for another AYD virtual town hall on Monday, May 11 at 7 pm with County Board Member Matt de Ferranti interviewed by AYD Infrastructure & Development Caucus Chair Ethan Hudgins on missing middle housing in Arlington. You can watch this interview live and submit questions day of on our Facebook Live feed:

www.facebook.com/arlingtonyoungdemocrats/live

AYD is continuing our series of interviews and Q & A sessions with community leaders and experts to make sure you stay up to date and informed during this uncertain time. We will be broadcasting on Facebook Live at the beginning of each week and our guests will give updates from their respective fields and answer questions from our audience members. We will also be collecting these questions ahead of time via Google Form on social media and our weekly newsletter.

Submit your questions here: tinyurl.com/matt-de-ferranti-town-hall

AYD Netflix Party: Becoming

Arlington Young Dems will continue to host Netflix parties during this period of social distancing! On Sunday, May 10th at 7 pm we will be watching Becoming. The party link will be posted at 6:50 pm beforehand. Then join us next week where we will be screening Hail, Caesar!

Movie Description: Join former first lady Michelle Obama in an intimate documentary looking at her life, hopes and connection with others as she tours with Becoming.

You do need a Netflix account in order to access the Netflix Party Google Chrome extension, but you can also start a free 30 day trial with Netflix today! In order to download the extension, follow these instructions:

1. Open Google Chrome.

2. Go to netflixparty.com and click the “Install Netflix Party” button. Once you’re redirected, click “Add to Chrome” to install the Netflix Party extension.

3. To join a party, click on the party URL. Then click on the “NP” button next to the address bar to join the party.

We will also have a Google Meet video chat where we can live troubleshoot issues people may have and to add a video component for those who want that option.

Google Meet Link: meet.google.com/xta-sxme-uvn

Join by Phone: +1 731-307-2666‬ PIN: ‪656 435 388‬#

Questions? Email our membership director, Izzie Taveras, at [email protected]

Upcoming Election Information

There are several elections and caucuses coming up in Virginia and Arlington and Arlington Young Dems wants to make sure you stay informed!

For the Arlington Democrats School Board Caucus, the deadline to request a mail-in ballot was May 7, 2020. Ballots must be mailed back and received (not postmarked) by May 30, 2020 in order to be considered. To learn more about the School Board Caucus, check out arlingtondemocrats.org/vote/school-board-caucus/

The Arlington County Board Special Election is scheduled for July 7, 2020. The deadline to register/update your registration is June 23, 2020. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is June 30, 2020 at 5 pm. The ballot must be received, not postmarked, by July 7, 2020.

Finally, the General Election is November 3, 2020. The deadline to register/update your registration is October 13, 2020. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is October 27, 2020. Again, the ballot must be received, not just postmarked, by November 3, 2020.

For more information on the last two elections on this list, check out elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/calendars-schedules/upcoming-elections.html

Information on Absentee Ballot Requisition

“The Virginia Department of Elections encourages voters to protect their health during COVID-19 outbreak. Voting absentee in the [upcoming] elections is strongly encouraged. Voters may choose the reason "2A My disability or illness" for absentee voting in the [upcoming] elections due to COVID-19. Voters who choose the absentee option should do so as soon as possible so they can get their ballots in time to return them by mail by Election Day. Apply online for a Virginia absentee ballot.”

2020 Virginia Young Democrats Convention

AYD Community Fund

The Arlington Young Dems have established a community fund which aims to assist local organizations on the front lines of COVID-19. While many of us may be able to work from home, there are a number of community members who do not have such a luxury. We have reached our goal of raising $1,000 and now we want to go above and beyond to support multiple organizations on the front lines withing our community. 

The AYD Community Fund will support:

• Arlington Food Assistance Center
• Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing
• Arlington Thrive Emergency Relief Fund
• Arlington Free Clinic

All donations will be divided equally among the four recipients.

AYD COVID-19 Resource Hub

We’ve rolled out a section on the AYD website dedicated to giving the most up to date information on COVID-19 resources for the community. We’re frequently updating guidelines from the Center for Disease Control, pulling in resources from the county government, and adding in new community service opportunities as we continue to build a coalition for good. Here are some of the resources on our site: 

• PROTECT YOURSELF
• CARING FOR OLDER ADULTS
• LATEST COVID-19 DATA IN VIRGINIA
• ARLINGTON SITUATION REPORT
• MANAGING ANXIETY & STRESS

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please reach out to our president, Dan Matthews, at [email protected]

Community Highlight

**Photo via ARLnow

Ballston Quarter Revitalization Effort

Ballston Quarter recently launched a program to help restaurants in its renovated food court. They are providing a $20 prepaid Visa card to anyone who buys $50 worth of takeout or delivery from a Ballston Quarter restaurant and submits an itemized receipt of their purchase. The revitalization program is called “Dine & Delight” and will run through Sunday, May 31.

In addition, there is a second initiative that supports Feeding America, a hunger-relief non-profit, which helps with overburdened food banks during COVID-19. If patrons post a picture of their meal from Ballston Quarter on Instagram with the hashtag #DineDelightDonate, then Ballston Quarter will donate $10 for any post between April 24-June 30 up to $100,000. This is a great way to dine out and support local businesses and those in need during this time!

If there is a story you think should be featured, please email AYD Secretary Maya Jones at [email protected].

1235 S. Clark St. Suite 207
Arlington, VA 22202
United States

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The Arlington Young Democrats are a group of progressive and liberal individuals who provide an inclusive, growing, and empowering forum for all community members. We believe in: living our Democratic values, electing leaders who embody these values, elevating the voices of young people within the party at the local, state, and federal level, responding to the needs of the people, and furthering outreach and education while developing our future generation of leaders.

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