PLEASE  NOTE DATE CHANGE – JANUARY MEETING ONLY
THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2021, 6:00 P.M.

                              => RSVP HERE

                              => VIEW AGENDA HERE

Call for nominations for the following NBWDC officers.  Terms are for two calendar years (2021 & 2022):

• President
• Vice President
• Recording Secretary
• Corresponding Secretary

To hold an officer’s position, you must be an NBWDC vote-entitled member, a registered Democrat and a self-identified female. Candidates for club president must also be vote-entitled member for six months before election.

To vote for NBWDC officers, read the Vote Entitlement qualifications in Article 8 of our Bylaws. 

If you would like to submit a nomination for yourself or another member who meets these qualifications, you may do so in advance by using our Contact form or at this meeting.  Please include a brief candidate statement about your nominee’s desire to serve and relevant background.

ADEM Mail-in Ballots Deadline January 27, 2021

If you registered to vote, ballots will be mailed between now and January 18, 2021 and must arrive at either the Los Angeles or Sacramento County CADEM PO Boxes by January 27, 2021. Any ballots arriving after that date will not be counted. For more information, visit ADEM.CADEM.org.

Role of Delegates
Together, CADEM Delegates vote and conduct Party business at the yearly State Convention and Executive Board meetings, including:

• Election of CDP Officers: Chairman, two Vice-Chairs, Secretary and Controller (in odd-numbered years after presidential elections)
• Election of 16-25 Regional Directors who function as liaisons between the California Democratic Party, County Central Committees, and Democratic Clubs in regions comprised of 3 to 5 Assembly Districts (in odd-numbered years)
• Vote for the Endorsements of the California Democratic Party for partisan legislative and statewide offices in California
• Vote for Positions on Ballot Propositions (as needed)
• Establishment of the official California Democratic State Party Platform (in even-numbered years), and CDP Resolutions

For more information, please visit ADEM.CADEM.org

Annual Gala February 6, 7:00 p.m.
A Virtual Celebration: 35 years of Compassionate Care

Our friends at Radiant Health Centers, Orange County’s largest provider of LGBTQ+ health and social services, are celebrating 35 years of continuous compassionate care at their Annual Gala on February 6.

Radiant Health provides specialized medical and comprehensive social services, and works to eliminate stigma and overcome health disparities impacting the LGBTQ+ community to create a healthy Orange County for all.

NBWDC has supported Radiant Health in the past, and NBWDC representatives have attended their galas over the years.  Radiant Health is offering a number of ways to participate in this year’s Virtual Gala, even if you aren’t able to attend. 

Take a look, and select one of the ways to support this important organization and its work.

Lend a Helping Hand

COVID has exacerbated the alarming growth of underserved individuals and families in our communities. We ask that you consider a donation to one of these important organizations. 

WISEPlace is a leader in ending homelessness for unaccompanied women through housing solutions and empowering wrap-around services that provide a path toward personal self-reliance.  

Due to COVID-19, they are not accepting drop-off items.  However, they have posted several different Wish List options, and accept financial donations as well. Please visit WISEPlace.org for details.

Thousands of people in Orange County are for the first time receiving food assistance due to the pandemic. This new demographic of people in need has created an unprecedented demand for food here and across the country. Stepping up to meet this need locally, Second Harvest has been creating in meeting these new demands.  There are many ways you can help support their efforts.  Visit their website FeedOC.org to select one or more options.

A Call to Action
Protect Women’s Healthcare Choices

UPDATE: DECEMBER 2020:  The State Attorney General’s office has declared to the court that the Founding Boards do have standing, and the case should be heard on its merits.  Hoag and NBWDC are very thankful for the support of the community as expressed through their emails to that office. Now that California’s Attorney General Xavier Becerra has been picked to join President-Elect Biden’s cabinet as head of the Department of Health & Human Services, now is NOT the time to sit back.  Be sure to read this November Los Angeles Times article for more information which is available here.

The Attorney General’s office CAN do more.  For example, it can ask that the lawsuit be expedited for a number of reasons:  

1. There are many things within Hoag’s health care delivery that are at stake; 
2. Providence has violated its 2016 agreement with the Attorney General’s office  around women’s services;  
3. Dominance within Orange County by an out of state regional system with religious restrictions is not in the best interests of Orange County patients. 

The Attorney General’s office can also argue for Hoag’s independence.  As of now, a hearing on Providence’s motion to dismiss the case is scheduled for February 1, 2021.  

We’ve created a simple letter that you can download and attach to any email you send to your family and friends.  We are also including a link to the letter that goes directly to California’s Attorney General  Xavier Becerra. 

Please email your friends and family and share both.

BACKGROUND: NBWDC’s Founding President Dr. Suzanne Savary and founding member Beryl Smith were both been active during the protests against Hoag Hospital after they banned abortion services several years ago.  They are active again in seeing protections to health care services which are limited due to Hoag’s affiliation with the Providence/St. Joseph Catholic hospital group.

Hoag doctors have complained about difficulty in getting authorizations when prescribing IUD’s and other contraceptive and obstetric services, and efforts to steer their decisions about care that are not always aligned with Hoag’s best practices, including those involving end-of-life care.

Dr. Sue and Beryl have asked that we each reach out to our family and friends and ask that they sign a letter to California Attorney General supporting Hoag’s request to severe their relationship with Providence/St. Joseph hospital group.

We’ve created a simple letter that you can download and attach to any email you send to your family and friends.  We are also including a link to the letter that goes directly to California’s Attorney General  Xavier Becerra. 

Please email your friends and family and share both.

The Newport Beach Women’s Democratic Club stands in solidarity with 

Selected resources for anti-racism and social justice information, donations and actions.

• Black Lives Matter:  https://blacklivesmatter.com/  
• The Bail Project: https://bailproject.org/  
• NAAPC Legal Defense Fund (NAACPLDF): https://www.naacpldf.org/  
• Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB): https://www.cuapb.org/ 

COVID-19 Updates & Information

NBWDC has cancelled all in-person meetings, activities and events until further notice due to COVID-19 mandates issued by Governor Newsom and our OC Health Department. 

We are investigating ways to engage our members and friends through a variety of online tools and resources.  Visit our website often as we will post these opportunities as soon as we are able to make them available for you.

It is vital that you follow the official COVID-19 recommendations to social distance and avoid all public places where crowds congregate, regardless of age, wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds and shelter in place if you are 60 years of age or older.

Stay safe … stay socially and responsibly distant to flatten the curve sooner than later!  How important is that?  According to Hoag Hospital’s CEO, here’s why:

“Each person who self-isolates reduces their risk of infecting others dramatically. In 30 days’ time, a single individual who does not practice social isolation runs the risk of infecting 406 people with coronavirus. By reducing physical contact by 75%, that individual’s infection risk plummets to 2.5 people.”

Hoag CEO Robert Braithwaite’s entire letter is available here for you to read.  And we encourage you to do so.

Cities close parks, beaches, parking lots, boardwalks and more
Each city updates their websites daily, particularly their COVID-19 dedicated web pages.  Consistent monitoring of your city’s website is the best way to keep abreast of its latest news and updates.  

Kudos to the City of Newport Beach for creating an entire ONLINE Recreation Center for its residents of all ages.  Classes, games, skills … all available virtually here.

If you need help with shopping and transportation, please ask.  The City of Newport Beach is maintaining its OASIS meal deliveries and transportation services for senior citizens, as well as special assistance for homebound seniors.  Call the City’s Senior Services Dept. at (949) 644-3244 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Many of our local restaurants, while closed to dine-in customers, are offering curb-side pickup and delivery.  Your local Chambers of Commerce lists these restaurants on their websites; for example, Newport Beach Chamber and Corona del Mar Chamber.

Trusted COVID-19 Resources

World Health Organization (WHO)
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Orange County Health Department
City of Newport Beach
City of Costa Mesa
City of Huntington Beach
City of Irvine

Additional information and resources are available here

News from Governor Newsom
State requirements for essential services and stay-at-home guidelines
Orange County Health Department Updates and Guidelines
Masks and face coverings … Make your own LAT article

If you have questions or concerns, or you need assistance in any way, don’t hesitate to contact us and we will help you find the resources you need to stay healthy. 

Please follow the current restrictions and guidelines, and stay safe.  

NBWDC Board

Congratulations are in order!

Newport Beach Mayor Will O’Neill declared 2020 as the “Year of the Volunteers”, and he plans to recognize Newport Beach organizations and individuals who go above and beyond.  We are proud that two of our members (so far) have received this important recognition, Join us in thanking them for their service to the Newport Beach community.

• NBWDC Member Barbara Sloate was recognized at the January 28th City Council meeting for her many years volunteerism with the Friends of OASIS. 
• NBWDC Board Member Karen Tringali was recognized at the February 25th City Council meeting for her many years of volunteerism with the Corona del Mar Residents Association, as well as a number of other civic organizations in the city (including NBWDC).

Congressman Lou Correa recognized Rima Nashashibi, former NBWDC President, as “Woman of the Year”.  Rima will be honored along with other distinguished women from our community on Saturday, March 28, 11:00 a.m., at Chapman University’s Memorial Hall. And we have all been invited to attend the award ceremony and reception.  RSVPs are required; please do so here.  Rima is also being recognized by OC Business Journal as one of their top OC businesswomen at a luncheon on April 30.  See here for more information.

Voters & Candidates & GOTV

Voter Registration

Since the last election, have you:

• Turned 18 and plan to vote in the upcoming elections
• Changed your address
• Decided to change your party affiliation

If you answer yes to any of these questions, don’t forget to register or update your voter registration. There are several helpful online tools and forms which can be found here at OCVote.com.

New OC Voting Procedures for 2020
2020 voting procedures will change, allowing more options and more voter-accessibility.  For information on new Vote Centers, Voting by Mail and more, read here.

Help us GOTV for November 2020
Your financial support, large or small, will help us fund our Newport Beach campaign support office, materials and events; all crucial in turning out the biggest number of Democratic voters ever!  

Our Elected Officials

A current listing of federal and state officials is available here. 

Candidates

Democratic candidates who wish to speak at an NBWDC event or who are seeking an NBWDC Endorsement are required to contact NBWDC’s Programming Committee for criteria and scheduling.  Please use the form below.

Local Press Contacts

• Daily Pilot
• Newport Beach Independent
• StuNewsNewport 
• OC Register

Elected Officials – Federal and State

• A current listing of our federal and state elected officials is available here.

#StandwithPP Campaign (Planned Parenthood)

• Here are all the ways you can help

A Powerful Video – Marginalized Voters on a Global Scale

“Why Labour lost the election” by George Monbiot

George Monbiot is a British writer known for his environmental and political activism. Though he was born to privilege he is known for his writing on the effects of corporate greed on the environment and the political process. In this video he shares his opinion regarding why all over the world peoples appear to be voting for marginal and autocratic individuals rather than competent leaders. His analysis really gives the viewer pause to think about what is the cause of democracies behaving in an inexplicable way. It is his opinion and not everyone will agree with what he has to say, but it is an interesting perspective.  Our thanks to long-time NBWDC Member Saboohi Currim for sharing this powerful video with us.