Published: 03-13-08
Organization seeks to boost voter turnout among East Austin residents on May 10th
Austin Texas (March 5 2008)—Southwest Key Programs a large East Austin-based nonprofit which provides a variety of youth programs in Austin and throughout the country announced that it is launching the nonpartisan East Austin VOTA! campaign.
The campaign will focus specifically on the historically underrepresented residents of the Govalle/Johnston Terrace neighborhood around Johnston High School in Precincts 123 426 and 427.
The campaign seeks to reverse the area’s historically low voter turnout through registration education and mobilization efforts and hopes to yield a larger number of new voters in the May 10 election than in previous years.
Southwest Key has partnered with students at the University of Texas to turnout first time local election voters in the neighborhood as well as long-time residents who often register but struggle to make it to the polls on election day.
Other Austin organizations interested in partnering on the campaign are encouraged to contact the organization.
“This campaign is part of Southwest Key’s larger Community Empowerment Initiative which includes leadership and advocacy training for residents community organizing around policy issues and a Community Advisory Council to guide our work in East Austin” says Dr. Juan Sánchez Southwest Key’s founder and CEO.
“Our message to Govalle/Johnston Terrace is ‘su voto es su voz’—‘your vote is your voice’—and we hope Austin leaders are listening” Sánchez said.
The campaign will begin with door-to-door voter education and voter registration drives at community gathering places in the nonprofit’s 78721 and 78702 service area.
The campaign’s primary focus will go beyond registration to actually delivering Govalle/Johnston Terrace residents especially newly registered voters to the polls on May 10.
The organization hopes that increased voter turnout will help the community advocate for quality of life improvements and help policy makers better understand this community to address their issues and concerns. Govalle/Johnston Terrace is one of the poorest communities in Austin with a median income below $10000.
“We hope this election will put Govalle/Johnston Terrace back on the City Council’s radar” says Johnny Limon a long-time community advocate and member of Southwest Key’s Advisory Council which has been the driving force behind the East Austin Community Center for the past five years.
“I believe this campaign will be a turning point for our neighborhood where last year fewer than five percent of registered voters turned out to the polls. My neighbors know that Southwest Key is committed to this community for the long-haul because they have made such a huge investment of jobs educational programs and public facilities. They have already started drawing crowds to the new community center and I am confident that they can help a large percentage of new folks turn out to vote in May” Limon said.
The nonprofit plans to host a candidate forum at the Center on April 29 at 6:00 pm.
On election day staff and volunteers will transport voters from the facility to the closest polling site which will be Johnston High School Allen Elementary and Govalle Elementary.
Austin-based Southwest Key Programs the third largest nonprofit in the city is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year with the grand opening of the new East Austin Community Center at 6002 Jain Lane. The center’s Grand Opening Celebration will be held on April 19 2008. For more information visit www.swkey.org.
The public facility is home to the Boys & Girls Club Southwest Key Café del Sol the AMD Community Technology Center a 150-seat amphitheater a variety of free educational arts and workforce development programs courses for youth and adults and Southwest Key’s national headquarters which brought over 70 professional jobs to the community.
About Southwest Key: Southwest Key Programs is a nonprofit organization with a mission to advocate for children worldwide and to impact children youth and their families by empowering them to succeed. Today in its 20th year of operation Southwest Key positively impacts the lives of thousands of individuals each day with juvenile justice programs safe shelters for children alternative schools wraparound services youth empowerment and fatherhood programs job creation workforce development and child care brokerage.
As a community development corporation Southwest Key has recently opened the mixed use East Austin Community Center a model initiative to improve educational and job attainment and build the capacity of families and communities. Southwest Key is funded through a variety of government agencies corporate and private foundations. Founder and CEO Dr. Juan Sánchez was among the first Chicanos to receive his doctorate from the School of Education at Harvard University and is available for interview by appointment.
