Why we volunteer

The letter below was written on Wednesday June 25^th, by one of our precinct organizers, and I think it captures the essence of being a volunteer in today’s political climate.  I’ve seen similar comments and thoughts from others in the party following the successful “No on Home Rule” get out the vote effort, and I believe the feelings expressed here are shared by many.  I’m posting this letter in hopes that it inspires others to join us as we move on from Home Rule and towards school board, municipal and 2026 mid term elections.

As a young mother (2000), I found parenting hard.  Like so many, I was overwhelmed and razor focused on raising my family.  On a political front, I had no extra time to be worried about politics, and it bothered me.  I had just enough time to make barely informed decisions to take advantage of my privilege to vote - something I have always taken seriously.  I vowed that someday I would give back.  I knew there were people, strangers, out there fighting for democracy and representing me and my values at a time when I just simply couldn’t.  I vowed that in retirement, I would take a few years of concentrated effort to give back.

Fast forward to 2023. I started to dip my toe in and quickly got involved in attending Douglas County Library Board meetings to fight for the freedom to read and to oppose book banning efforts and I also got involved in the Douglas County Democrats and became a Precinct Officer.  I had no idea what I was doing, it was overwhelming and uncomfortable.  I observed, I attended meetings, I even made public comment which was far out of my comfort zone.  It was sort of thrilling to suddenly be on the front line in a very small way, to be involved, have skin in the game beyond my vote, and watch the democratic process unfold.  

At the end of March 2025, I somehow got involved with a small and dynamic group of people who were outraged and motivated due to the surprise and unilateral decision by Douglas County Commissioners to initiate efforts to turn Douglas County Colorado into a Home Rule County.  

I was way out of my league, but also captivated by the grit, determination, integrity, knowledge and sheer dedication of this grassroots team to bring light to the truth on a move by the commissioners that just seemed and felt wrong.  I hung around, embracing my imposter syndrome and trying to contribute wherever I could.  There were many occasions where I didn’t understand why I was involved in this group and effort but hung on.  It wasn’t glamorous work, it was 100% and entirely in the trenches, but necessary work and there was enough work to stay involved constantly for the mere 90 days we had to organize, educate and inform residents of Douglas County Colorado.

As a retired IT executive, with years of work on teams and initiatives, I can say that I have never participated in an effort so intense and so organically effective.  There was a single focus and not once did this team falter because of doubt or disagreements or infighting.  I think part of that was because it was truly focused on exposing truth.  Democrats, Republicans and Unaffiliated voters all worked together to expose that truth and I think more and more people came on board because it’s hard to ignore the truth.

Last night, the people of Douglas County spoke and spoke loudly with their votes.  They spoke not in a partisan way, but by galvanizing on the truth and urgency to expose selfish motives and inaccurate information from the Douglas County Commissioners.  

While I hope that this outcome will place some much-needed attention on the dysfunctional and questionable efforts of our local leadership, that’s not the focus of this writing.  This writing is a thank you to the efforts of a community that showed that despite our differences, we can still agree on the truth and work together when something isn’t right.  It’s a thank you to groups who welcomed an inexperienced retired lady and allowed her to grow and engage and contribute.  It’s a thank you for grace and trust and for new friendships.  It’s a thank you for proving we can create bridges when the world has so many divides.

Our thanks to Nancy Student for sharing her wonderful message with us. Being a volunteer in an organization such as ours is both challenging and fulfilling. We truly appreciate everyone who contributed to this effort, and we look forward to working with you all going forward into the school board elections and beyond.