As we wrapped up 2021 with our final meeting of the year on Wednesday, I couldn’t help but take a moment to be grateful for all of the amazing work this organization did to support Democrats here in Portage County.
For the second year covid posed a unique set of challenges, and for the second year the Young Democrats met that challenge head on.
We executed an extensive Primary and General Election endorsement process, through which we endorsed and supported thirteen Democrats in municipal and school board elections, our Municipal Court Judges, and the Portage County Library Levy.
We designed, printed and distributed 7,500 custom pieces of literature across the county, with over 4,000 of those pieces being hand delivered directly to voters.
We called nearly 6,000 voters across the county, with focused messaging to boost turnout on Election Day for candidates at every level.
We launched a Voter Resources page on our website, providing information for voter registration, early and absentee voting, and democratic sample ballots to over 6,500 voters.
We supported our candidates directly, providing assistance with print and marketing materials, web development, fundraising and compliance.
We sponsored the Young Democrats of America Biennial Convention in Cincinnati, which saw close to 1,000 attendees from across the United States, and attended three digital conferences throughout the year.
We connected hundreds of Portage County voters to our County Commissioners, demanding online streaming to ensure that their meetings were open and transparent during the pandemic.
We donated over 250 personal hygiene items to support addiction recovery centers here in Portage County, and donated nearly 1,000 individual wrapped food items to combat food insecurity through Rural Relief.
We spent countless hours building meaningful and intentional relationships with our Democratic Partner organizations across the county, assisting those groups in messaging, marketing, fundraising and programming.
We’re wrapping up a years long push to write and send 2,500 postcards to first-time Democratic voters here in Ohio through the Progressive Turnout Project.
This organization is committed to living our mission and our values. That mission includes supporting our candidates, supporting our community, and connecting our voters to the resources they need to be a part of the democratic process.
I’m proud to say we’ve accomplished that this year, and look forward to new and exciting growth in 2022.
While this has been an amazing year for the Portage County Young Democrats, it hasn’t been easy. The pandemic has challenged us to find new and unique ways of meeting our voters, and our members, where they are. To do this we’ve had to make intentional decisions on how we spend our money, and where we have to cut back.
In order to be successful next year, we have to start building now. So I’m asking you to support PCYD today with $25, $50 $100 - or any amount you are able.
Everything is on the line in 2022 - our lone County Commissioner seat, new legislative and congressional districts, and the Democratic Majority in the U.S. Senate. We’re up for the challenge, but we can’t do it alone. Please consider chipping in today to help us kick off the new year strong, and to hit the ground running in January.
Democratically Yours,
Christopher Clevenger-Morris
President