Making your downtime count

To the editor:

I have sent this letter to friends who might be interested in a worthwhile activity in which to engage while cooped up at home. I hope people will forward this letter to everybody on their email lists.

The non-profit, non-partisan organization Vote Forward at VoteFwd.org has created a mechanism whereby volunteers everywhere in the United States can write letters to unregistered, potential voters, asking them to register to vote, and to people who are already registered, urging them to vote in special elections, or on our national Election Day on Nov. 3.

I have been writing such letters since last October explaining why I vote in every election, and although I have written the same message thousands of times, I never tire of doing this, because I feel a connection to each of the strangers to whom I am writing, and because it keeps despair at bay. This activity truly gives me hope.

It’s also endlessly intriguing to see given names that I’ve never seen before. I’ve come across literally hundreds of possible unique names like Falante, Julita, Johndavid, Addles, Dejahne, Raeleesha and Desareese. Interesting street names, as well, like Maltese Falcon Street, Winding Valley Trail. And I’ve learned of towns that I never knew existed, like two towns in Florida named Palatka and Land O’Lakes.

If you are interested, log on to the website. After you register, you can get lists of 20 voters in a particular state and form letters for each of those 20 people. Vote Forward gets names from public records, and each individual’s name and address appears not only on the list, but at the bottom of the letter.

On each letter, you write your own personal message explaining why you vote in every election. You sign your own name, and you write your own name on the outer envelope. The return address is that of a Vote Forward office in the person’s state.

You will need a printer (or have someone else print it for you, as I do), envelopes, stamps, and a pen that writes easily, so your hand won’t get tired. I buy inexpensive envelopes and gel pens, and I get my stamps from eBay sellers who apparently stocked up years ago, intending to make a profit, who now sell at prices lower than the 55 cents you pay at the post office.

Obviously, this can be costly if you do a great number of letters, so I feel fortunate that I can do this. I try to write as neatly as I can, and I add bells and whistles to keep people’s attention. For example, at the top of each letter, I write in very fancy, old-fashioned-looking script, “We the people of the United States,” and after the already-printed “sincerely,” I write, “with best wishes and hope for our future.” I also affix a sticker I ordered through eBay that says, “The best cure for the ills of democracy is more democracy,” from Edward Abbey.

Miriam Helbok

Have an opinion? Share your thoughts as a letter to the editor. Make your submission to letters@riverdalepress.com. Please include your full name, phone number (for verification purposes only), and home address (which will not be published).