Jefferson County | Kentuckians For The Commonwealth

Chapter: Jefferson County

Public education policy that supports students, caregivers, and educators is a top priority for members at the Jefferson County KFTC chapter. Our members are opposed to any break-up of the Jefferson County Public Schools district, and have heard overwhelmingly from Kentuckians that more funding is the foundation of public education that meets the needs of Kentuckians.

You can join our KFTC Public Education Policy Workteam meetings here.


Since the chapter formed in 1983, we have supported and worked with allies on issues that affect you and me, including affordable housing, police abuse, sweat shops, hazardous waste reduction and recycling. Our doors are open to anyone who wants to fight for justice while building a compassionate, connected, and fun community here in our great city. 

 

Recent Activities

Encouraging People to Vote in Louisville

Beth Bissmeyer on November 6, 2012 in , Jefferson County, Voter Empowerment

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Here are a couple of fun images from our Jefferson County voter mobilization work this morning. 

A picture of two Manual High School students Sam and Deep doing visibility work to encourage people to vote at 2nd and Broadway.

One Vote at a time

Beth Bissmeyer on November 6, 2012 in , Jefferson County, Voter Empowerment

I picked up a man, Thomas, who lives off Preston Highway so he could vote at 6am. When we pulled up to his polling place, there was a line of people out the door waiting to vote. Fifteen minutes later when Thomas came out of St. Rita's, he said, "It's exciting to see that many other people voting." I asked him what races he was excited to vote in. "All of them! This is actually my first time voting, so I'm excited just to vote."

Thomas then told me he is a Texas native and it was his path to recovery that brought him to Kentucky. He has been sober for seven years and now teaches and helps others in their recovery. And he just voted for the first time. Moments like that is what makes this work so worthwhile, when you see democracy in action and see people lifting themselves up by making their voices heard.

- Beth Bissmeyer

Reflections from a first-time phone banker

Beth Bissmeyer on October 31, 2012 in , Jefferson County, Voter Empowerment

IMG_9736In Louisville, we've been having a blast making Get Out The Vote calls to our members and to people we’ve registered to vote this year. Thanks to our amazing volunteer members, to date, we have made 1494 calls! The main purpose of these calls is to make sure people know where to vote and have a way to get to their polling place. Calling these folks has been immensely rewarding as many of the people we have reached had no idea where to vote, and we were eager to provide them that information.

Making these calls might seem a little scary to people at first, but take it from first-time KFTC phonebanker Chris Hale, calling folks is easy and exciting to do!

“Let's get ready to rumble!!!” - Voter Madness

Jennifer Jeffers on October 19, 2012 in , Jefferson County, Voter Empowerment

 (Below is an account from last week's incredible 48-hour-straight voter registration marathon in Louisville)

BeckiandEmilyMost people in Kentucky know what Madness is all about. You hear people talking about it in bars, on the streets, at the grocery store, even in church. Fans are out in hordes – crazy outfits, team tees, homemade signs, cheering, dancing, shouting – going crazy. Lots of high-power individuals coming together as a team. High stakes, high scores, every second counts. The air crackles with energy and excitement.

Members of KFTC and Kentucky Jobs with Justice definitely know what VOTER Madness is all about. Starting Friday, October 5th, our voter registration teams dominated the Louisville “courts” for 48 straight hours and the crowds went wild. From St. James Court to St. Stephen's Church, from Fourth Street Live to McD's at five, our team of 20 members, organizers and volunteers brought their A-game. The result? Democracy scored big. According to WLKY News, “The number of registered voters in Jefferson County has hit a record level of more than 500,000.”

Check out the replay reel:

Jefferson County chapter registers 319 students in two days at UofL

Linda Stettenbenz on October 8, 2012 in , Jefferson County, Voter Empowerment

The Jefferson County KFTC Chapter had two very successful days of voter registration at University of Louisville, thanks to the organizing efforts of KFTC members Emily Nordling, Elijah McKenzie, and Tim Darst. Emily is a recent U of L graduate and arranged sponsorship for us with the Honors Society, one of the student organizations she has been active with. Elijah is a current U of L student and Bonner Scholar who reached out to Tim, a member and officer of GRASS, an organization of students working to foster environmental sustainability and awareness on campus.  GRASS sponsored a second appearance by our members to register voters on campus.

kftc 2012electoral at u of lOn September 27, our table sponsored by the Honors Society registered 97 voters, with a good deal of help from Honors Society volunteer Taryn Cantrell.  She says of her experience with us, “It was an amazing experience to register over 100 students, knowing that I made an impact.  Though I did not know much about KFTC before volunteering, I am very glad I got the opportunity to be acquainted because many of its issues and concerns deal with my hometown of Pikeville.  I love my hometown and hope to return there someday to give back to the place that has given so generously to me. ”

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Chapter Feature:

Regular Meetings:

Jefferson County KFTC office
786 Shelby Street
Louisville, KY 40203
Monthly Chapter Meeting

Our chapter meetings are held in person on the 2nd Monday of the month, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. and are open to the public. Anyone is welcome to participate. RSVP here!

Chapter Organizer:

Bonifacio Aleman
786 Shelby Street
Louisville, KY 40203

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