• Welcome Members
• League Holiday Party – December 7
• Great Decisions 2026
• Helping Virginians Put Food On the Table
• How Virginia Keeps Voting Secure And Accessible
• No Kings 2 – Unite & Rise 3.5
• Virginia Organizing And I.C.E. Protest – November 5
• Back To League Panel Presentation — How ICE Policies and Voter Suppression Affect Our Community
• Back To The League — Thank You To All Who Made It a Success
• DEI at Captains Vote Day – October 7
• Voter Services: a Busy and Rewarding Season

Thank you to all who joined or renewed their membership this past month!

Jane Banfield, James Barton, Jean Bodine, Linda Boyce (**), Wanda Byrd, Frederica Carson (**), Harry Chancey (**), Loretta Conen (**), Jodi Fisler, Ann Gerarden (**), Sarah Houghland (**), Cynthia McCraw, Jo McDowell, Kathleen McRickard, Mary Christine Miller, Fiona Morris, Christine Payne, Karen Rose (**), Laurie Rowe (**), Cynthia Sherwood, Beverly Spannuth, Laura Spatz, Katherine Suslik, Susan Strock, Kylie Totten

Note: Those marked (**) included an additional contribution with their dues (as of 11/3/2025).

Join the League of Women Voters of Williamsburg Area

Let’s toast the season with good company, delicious appetizers, and festive libations — all provided with care by League members.

Feel free to bring along a guest (or two) to share in the fun! We’ll send directions and parking details as the date approaches.

We look forward to celebrating the holidays — and another great year — with you!

The League of Women Voters of Williamsburg Area is once again hosting Great Decisions, the Foreign Policy Association’s nationally acclaimed discussion program on world affairs.

Each year, the Foreign Policy Association identifies the most pressing global issues of the day and recruits leading experts to write thought-provoking essays compiled into the official Great Decisions Briefing Book. Our local series features eight engaging lectures during February and March 2026, held Tuesday mornings at 10:30 a.m.

This year, sessions will take place at a new location — Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists (WUU) on Ironbound Road — with plenty of parking! Lectures will also be available via Zoom and later posted on YouTube for flexible viewing.

Our audience is always impressed by the expertise and professionalism of the speakers, who bring first-hand insight on international topics that are not always explored in mainstream news. Many participants return year after year, calling Great Decisions one of the most enlightening and enjoyable learning opportunities in our community.

Registration: $75 Individual • $100 Household (each registration includes one Briefing Book)

Come learn, share perspectives, and connect with others who care about how global events shape our world and our future. Register today to take part in Great Decisions 2026!

As we approach the Thanksgiving season, please remember that many families across Virginia are facing food insecurity. With the federal government shutdown halting normal SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) payments, Virginia has launched a short-term substitute called VENA – Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance.

Using part of the state’s budget surplus, VENA provides grocery funds directly to SNAP recipients’ EBT cards while federal payments are paused. About 850,000 Virginians rely on SNAP, and the state expects to distribute roughly $37.5 million per week through November.

One way to help with food donations in the Williamsburg area is by participating in food drives and making donations to organizations like PORCH Communities, Williamsburg House of Mercy,FISH Williamsburg, Grove Christian Outreach Center, and the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank.

In partnership with Keep Our Republic, Virginia Mercury interviewed four local election officials about how Virginia’s voting process balances strong security with broad access for every voter. Their comments reveal the many layers that protect ballots, voting equipment, and voter confidence statewide. Read about: Locking down machines; Watching for fraud; Chain of custody, end to end; Coordination with state and federal partners; Access for every voter; Training, audits, and accessibility checks; Transparency without exposing vulnerabilities; The 2024 voter-roll removals and aftermath; Threats, safety, and staffing; The throughline — redundancy and openness.

Read the full article (no paywall) at Virginia Mercury

Organized by Williamsburg JCC Indivisibles, community members turned out in large numbers for the local No Kings 2 protest on October 18 outside the WJCC Courthouse — with crowds stretching for several blocks in both directions and on both sides of the thoroughfare. Protesters stood three and four deep along the road, and a number of LWV of Williamsburg Area members attended.

Heather Allen, Williamsburg JCC Indivisible co-founder, told the crowd:

“According to compelling research by Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist at Harvard University, peaceful civil disobedience is not only the moral choice but also the most powerful means of shaping world politics — and is twice as likely to achieve its goals. It takes about 3.5% of the population actively participating in protests to ensure serious political change.”

It was Professor Chenoweth’s research that inspired the LWVUS to adopt the Unite & Rise 8.5 campaign earlier this year and to encourage local League members to take part in peaceful civic action.

For the No Kings 2 protest on October 18, members were asked to attend and identify as League members — but not to combine League-branded items (shirts, hats, etc.) with any partisan displays. A number of LWV-WA members participated.

In case you’re wondering, Williamsburg’s population is 14,954 and James City County’s is 85,996 — a combined total of 100,950 residents. 3.5% of that number is 3,533. On June 14, 2025, at the first No Kings protest, also hosted by WJCC Indivisible, 4,239 people attended — representing 4.2% of the WJCC population. On October 18, 2025, at No Kings 2, 5,956 people turned out, equal to 5.9% of the local population.

Our community is truly taking Unite & Rise 8.5 to heart.

League members Jeannette Potter and Trisha Farinholt along with dozens of protestors, stood with Virginia Organizing on November 5th on Richmond Road to protest I.C.E activities in the Williamsburg area. Protestors of all ages chanted and held signs while cars, trucks and buses honked their horns in support. People are engaged and aware of this administration's activities evidenced by the election turnout and massive numbers at recent protests.

Jeannette notes: It is vital that we keep showing up in support of our democracy.

Our Back to the League meeting last Thursday was a wonderful success, with more than 100 people attending. Many have commented on how much they enjoyed the evening and the lively panel discussion. Of course, none of this happened by chance — it was made possible by a terrific team of volunteers who stepped up to help.

We owe special thanks to Linda Rice, who organized the outstanding panel of immigration experts. Their presentations were both informative and engaging, and they responded thoughtfully to every question. And a big thank-you to our Communications Director, Karen Siracusa, who handled outreach and reminders to members and nonmembers alike, ensuring such a strong turnout.

No League gathering is complete without food and fellowship! Fifteen volunteers brought delicious and creative dishes for everyone to enjoy — and helped with setup as well:

Nancy Moyer, Susan Bivens, Sudie Watkins, Jeannette Potter, Bobbie Falquet, Rochelle Kithcart, Brenda Beebe Duncan, Anne Brennan, Janis Keough, Susanna Owens, Pam Pettengell, Rita Sams, Ann Hobson, Anna Ballen, and Laura Tripp.

As you can imagine, there was plenty left over. At Jeannette Potter’s suggestion, we offered the extra food to one of our panelists, JCC Police Chief Mark Jamison, who gratefully took some back to share with his office.

Thank you again to everyone who helped make Back to the League 2025 such a memorable and welcoming event!

The League's Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee hosted a Voter Education table on October 7 at Christopher Newport University's Captains Vote Day. We partnered with Rev Up to spread the word -  Vote!

Pat Evers, Rochelle Kithcart, and Jill Whitten joined many other community organizations to reach out to the hundreds of students and faculty of CNU on their commons before the November 4 general election.

This committee is actively looking for more outreach opportunities for next year so if anyone has a contact or lead, please share it with jillbwhitten@gmail.com  

Our Voter Services activities wrapped up as we approach the November 4 election. We began with the RPEO Backpack Giveaway and closed with the Community Fair at the Williamsburg Regional Jail—bookending a season of voter registration and information tables at schools, senior communities, farmers markets, and local businesses.

In 2025, we submitted 361 voter registration, address change, and absentee applications—and answered hundreds of voter questions about polling places, ballots, early voting, and registration updates. We also expanded our use of QR codes and short info cards to reach more voters where they are.

We’re deeply grateful to our three local registrars, the William & Mary Voter Engagement Committee, and our DEI partners for their continued collaboration. Special thanks to our tireless Voter Services team

Jane Banfield, Nancy Bolash, Leslie Bowie, Kathy Casey, Pat Dalton, Pat Evers, Bobbie Falquet, Eden Glenn, Conny Graft, Mary Beth Hennessy, Laurie Hertzler, Rochelle Kithcart, Dee May, Mary Chris Miller, Pam Pettengell, Priscilla Peterson, Karen Rose, Susan Strock, Laura Tripp, and Jill Whitten.

Your dedication makes democracy stronger in Greater Williamsburg!