In keeping with its goal of empowering families and communities through effective organizing, advocacy, resources, development, programs and services, Community Builders of Kansas City (CBKC) implemented a number of measures in the third and fourth quarter to facilitate the voting process for its community.
“I cannot stress how important it is for our community to get out and vote to help enact positive change and we will do whatever we can to enable that process,” said DaRon McGee, community and government relations manager for CBKC.
CBKC provided much needed meals for the Kansas City, Missouri election workers the day of the general election. Health and safety requirements driven by the pandemic diverted the majority of the state-allocated election budget to pay for personal protective equipment (PPE) and sanitizing products for election workers. The resulting budget squeeze left little to feed the volunteers so a community partner was needed to donate breakfast and lunch. CBKC was happy to fill that void, providing more than 500 meals courtesy of its grocery store, Blue Parkway Sun Fresh.
Election workers have an arduous job, which was made more so with the need to count the significant increase in the number of mail-in ballots. With a day that begins at 3:00 a.m. and continues until 7:00 p.m., the workers rely on the meals provided throughout the long day. CBKC delivered the 500-some breakfasts and lunches to 20 polling sites throughout the city including at Union Station and Arrowhead Stadium.
In addition to the election-day assistance, CBKC made available space at its 5008 Prospect building and the Blue Parkway Sun Fresh for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to notarize absentee ballots leading up to the August primary and November general election as well as to help community members complete their census forms and for voter registration and education throughout the second half of 2020.
CBKC’s commitment to voter participation will continue into 2021 and beyond.