JANUARY LUNCHEON & GENERAL MEETING
January 12 @ 11:30-1:30
Tiburon Golf Club
More Than Just Wine:
How NCF Is Transforming Early Childhood Education
in Collier County
Maria Jimenez-Lara
CEO
Naples Children’s Foundation
Join us on January 12th to hear from Maria Jimenez-Lara, CEO of the Naples Children’s Foundation, who will tell us more about what NCF does with the money raised by the Naples Winter Wine Festival.
MORE INFORMATION & REGISTRATION
MEMBERS MUST LOG IN FIRST TO RECEIVE MEMBER PRICE
If you are bringing one or more guests, please be sure to register them when you register yourself.
Registration and payment must be made online by
Tuesday, January 6 @ 12:00 PM
Walk-ins will be seated in order of arrival on a space available basis
Late registration/walk in price will be strictly enforced
Let's Grow Together! Bring a Friend to Our General Meetings
| JANUARY 14 @ 10:00-11:30 AM
(everything you ever wanted to know to help voters in Collier County)
Join the Voter Services subcommittee leads to learn about the activities our volunteers undertake to empower Collier voters, especially in the 2026 election cycle! Learn how you can help.
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VOTER SERVICES NEEDS YOU!
The Naples City Council election on February 3, 2026, will not have Early Voting days – voters can only vote on election day or using a Vote-by-mail ballot. We are reaching out through Naples’ neighborhood/civic organizations to have Voter Services tabling events where we can help voters check their registration online and request a Vote-by-Mail ballot. These is our January tabling event:
| 1/6 |
Old Naples Association Candidate Forum
Norris Center 755 8th St S, Naples |
Set-up 3:30
4-6pm
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| 1/8 |
Park Shore Association Forum
Northern Trust Bldg-3rd floor
4001 Tamiami Trail |
Set-up 2:30
3:00 |
| 1/13 |
GSAC Condidate Forum
Naples United Church of Christ |
Set-up 8:30
9-11am |
| 1/13 |
LWVCC+GNL Candidate Forum |
Set-up 4:30
5-6:30 |
What do we do at these events? Wear your name pin and we’ll have the Voter Services iPad with cell service, and ask that you bring a personal iPad, if you have one you are comfortable with, as a back-up. We chat with everyone who stops by, asking if they would like to check their voter registration and re-request a Vote-by-mail ballot (prior requests deleted at 12/31/2024 per FL Election law). We help them click on the SOE website for checking voter registration, then the VBM request. There will also be a small flyer to do-it-yourself at home, if they want to take that. It’s fun to chat with voters and tell them all about our local League!
We’re going to try a new way for volunteers to sign up using the SignUpGenius web-based app. All you’ll need is your calendar to see which events you are free to volunteer for, and your name, email address, and phone number.
When you click, you’ll see all the VS tabling events and available slots. Just click the blue “Sign up” rectangle next to the slots you’d like to volunteer for, then scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click the blue, centered “Save & Continue” button. Next, the Sign Me Up page lists your choices. Enter your email and phone number, then click the red “Sign Up Now” button. You’ll get an acknowledgement email, and I’ll get a list of volunteers with contact info. Easy-Peasy! Questions? Call Laura Hansen Reynolds at 202-714-0249 or email laura9hansen@gmail.com
| NAPLES CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE FORUM
January 13 @ 5:00-8:00
The League of Women Voters of Collier County (LWVCC) has partnered with Greater Naples Leadership (GNL) for a Candidate Forum for the upcoming Naples Municipal election. The public is invited to attend the Naples City Council Candidate Forum moderated by John Davis, WGCU, and Wendy Powell, Naples Daily News, in Council Chambers (738 8th Street S, next to City Hall) at 5:00pm on January 13, 2026. The Forum will also be telecast live on the City's website.The candidates participating have qualified for the February 3, 2026, election when three candidates will be chosen, at large, by City of Naples voters. Questions will be posed by the moderators and may also be submitted from the public attending the forum. The LWVCC is a nonpartisan political organization which encourages informed and active participation in government. GNL is also a nonpartisan organization whose goal is to educate and inspire a network of service-minded leaders to impact positive change in our community. Both the LWVCC and GNL are members of the Collier County Forum Coalition, a group of organizations which promote events during an election year to provide the community with information about upcoming elections. | NEW MEMBER COFFEE
January 16 @ 9:00-10:30
Join us for a New Member Coffee on Friday, January 16 from 9-10:30am. If you are a new member—or have been a member for a while and just want to get reconnected—please join us at the home of Sara Werder. If you have friends who are prospective members, they are also welcome! This is a great opportunity to meet fellow members, the Board and other LWVCC leaders, and to learn how you can become involved. Please RSVP by emailing sarawerder@gmail.com. The address and parking info will be provided when you RSVP.
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MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY PARADE
January 19 @ 9:30-1:00
Please come join us for a fun-filled day as we celebrate Martin Luther King Day on Monday January 19th! You can participate in the MLK Parade in Downtown Naples and also help at the tabling event in Cambier Park. You can register on the Events Calendar or call Tina Palmese for any questions. Let’s help make this a stand out day for the League as we support our community!
| DUES RENEWAL REMINDER:
NOW ONLINE @ LWVUS
Our season here in Collier is in full swing! And this time of the year is membership renewal time for over 50% of our members.
As a reminder, the League of Women Voters US is now collecting all dues payments at the National level and then remitting a portion down to the State leagues and the local leagues. You will receive an email notice of your renewal from the LWVUS which will include a link to instructions for online payments.
We encourage you, if at all possible, to use the LWVUS’s new membership renewal system instead of writing paper checks and mailing them to our P.O. Box. It is both safer as well as faster. Any member of the Membership or Finance teams is happy to help you renew online.
The LWVUS’ new system requires us to endorse any checks we receive and the put then back in the mail to their collection lockbox which causes delays in having your check clear as well as additional administrative expenses for the LWVCC.
Speaking of expenses… did you know that we here in Collier now retain only 20% of any dues paid to National? Thus, if you renew at the suggested rate of $75.00, we receive $15.00. If you renew at the base rate of $20, we receive $4.00.
The new dues structure significantly reduces our revenues from dues. This increases our need for donations to maintain our operations which fund both education and advocacy work to inform and empower the voting public here in Collier County. Our work is needed more now than ever!
The good news? What happens in Collier, stays in Collier, as 100% of your donations to the Collier County League (made separately on lwvcolliercounty.org) stay in the Collier County League!
As a reminder, the League of Women Voters of Collier County Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and, as such, donations to our organization are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law in your personal circumstances.
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The Communications Team recently began a video series titled “Civics Unplugged” posted on all of LWVCC’s social media sites. The goal of these short reels is to educate viewers on the basics of national and local civics, such as Branches of Government, Voting Rights, Constitutional Amendments, City Council, and more.
We will be posting these 1-minute videos approximately once a week on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube. As always, the more “clicks” on the postings we get, the more engagement we will see in our community! So please make sure you check-in to our social media to view, like, comment, and share our reels.
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UPCOMING EVENTS |
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| January 12 @ 11:30-1:30 |
Luncheon & General Meeting |
| January 13 @ 5:00-8:00 |
Naples City Council
Candidate Forum |
January 15 @ 5:30-6:00
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How Are Our Schools Funded? |
| January 16 @ 9:00-10:30 |
New Member Coffee Social |
| January 19 @ 9:30-1:00 |
MLK Day Parade |
| January 29 10:00-11:00 |
Hot Topic: Property Taxes |
Visit the LWVCC Calendar for event details
| REIMBURSEMENT REQUESTS ARE NOW ONLINE
Board members, committee chairs, and others who need to submit reimbursement requests must now do so via our Submit Online Forms page. | UPCOMING COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Check our Event Calendar for meeting locations and more information. LWVCC committee meetings are for members and their invited guests unless stated otherwise, members should log in to the website to register to get the Zoom links for committee meetings and other events. | Board Meeting
January 7 @ 9:30-12:00
Moorings Park Board Room | Environmental Affairs Committee Meeting
January 8 @ 10:00-11:30
Collier Community Foundation
Our speakers are: Bridget Washburn, Executive Director, and Brad Cornell, Policy Director, will present a 30-minute PowerPoint presentation highlighting Audubon Western Everglades’ work and impact
| Plastics Task Force Meeting
January 8 @ 3:30-5:00
Zoom
| Gun Violence Prevention Subcommittee Meeting
January 21 @10:00-11:00
ZOOM
Linda Coffin, co-chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Committee for the Orange County League of Women Voters and former Legislative State Co-Lead and Central Florida Legislative Lead for Moms Demand Action will provide an update on all the pending legislation of importance to LWVCC. | Juvenile Justice Committee Meeting
January 23 @10:00-12:00
Finemark Bank | Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in Government. We influence public policy through education and advocacy. Our goal is to empower citizens to take an active role in shaping better communities worldwide. The League of Women Voters of Collier County does not support or endorse any candidate or political party.
| League of Women Voters of Collier County
P.O. Box 9883Naples, FL 34101
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