Every Vote Counts, Every ID Matters
Voting is top of mind for many of us right now as November 3rd draws near. While on a national level it seems like we can’t agree on much, chances are if you are reading this you believe in the dignity of all people and can understand just how important it is to give all Americans the access, tools, and support they need to participate in their own success, and that of their family, their neighborhood, our communities, and our nation.
Acknowledging that dignity and respecting a person’s ability to create their own path are why providing document and ID assistance to our neighbors is so crucial to the work we do at Reconciliation Services. Did you know that without an ID you can’t access benefits, apply for food assistance, apply for a job or housing, secure healthcare, enroll your kids in school, visit a sick child in the hospital, or even get a library card ... let alone vote?
"I'm not going to let the devil ruin my day,” proclaimed one of our neighbors, we’ll call her Stacy, as she explained to Frank Zwirlein, one of our REVEAL case managers, why she needed a DMV voucher in order to obtain a driver's license. Stacy described a series of health setbacks and continuing chronic conditions that were worsening because she kept missing medical appointments due to a lack of reliable transportation.
When Frank handed Stacy her voucher, she beamed and said, “This feels like Christmas.”
"I've got a little girl to take care of," another client we’ll call Ben told Frank. "She's my world now." Ben had just been released from prison after serving 11 years. "I learned a lot about myself while I was in there," shared Ben. "A lot of the guys just stay frozen emotionally at whatever age they were when they got locked up. I had to really make an effort to grow and change.”
Ben’s hard work was paying off. He had a job lined up and all he needed was his birth certificate and ID so he could start the next chapter of life. As Frank helped him fill out the paperwork, Ben said he had missed most of his daughter’s young life while he was in prison, but she was slowly getting more comfortable with him. “She just started calling me daddy.”
Getting a new ID is like getting a fresh start, taking a critical first step on the road to greater stability and self-sufficiency. Stacy was able to start taking back control of her health and well-being. Ben began taking important next steps to becoming the hardworking father he had envisioned being all those years in a prison cell. And, millions of Americans will head to the polls soon to make sure their voices are heard as we all build together the country we want to live in.
This year, we are on track to help our neighbors with hundreds of IDs and birth certificates. And, thanks to NAACP KC volunteers posting up regularly outside our building at 31st and Troost the past couple of months to help our neighbors register to vote or update their voting information, 50 of our neighbors will also get to exercise their right to vote on November 3rd.
If you want to help more people like Stacy and Ben lead full, healthy lives, please consider becoming a monthly donor of Reconciliation Services. Just $25 a month fully covers the cost of an ID or a birth certificate and goes a long way to make Kansas City a more welcoming and opportunity-rich place to call home.
>>>>> Are you ready to make a difference? Start by becoming a monthly giver to Reconciliation Services, where your tax-deductible donation goes to support the life-giving social and mental health services we provide at 31st and Troost right here in Kansas City, MO. Thank you.