Greetings, members and friends of the League!

I hope this message finds all of you finally basking in the sun under a beautiful California sky! It’s the perfect weather to celebrate the wonderful woman who gave me life, my mamá. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” She died on April 29, 2000. But the life lessons she passed on remain. She was a woman who cared about strangers, exercising goodwill toward all. Through her actions, she taught me the importance of being kind, honest, and hardworking. (I’m a work in progress.)

After I joined the League, I gradually came to realize that my mamá would have been a great League member. She had a second-grade education but believed in the power of education and sent us off to school every day. She struggled to keep us housed and fed, so she understood the need for affordable housing, though she never complained. She was a devout Catholic, but at no time did she try to impose her beliefs on others. Most of all, I remember how much she loved taking citizenship classes so she could become a citizen. I would love to have my mother as a League member today. She would have taken great joy in sharing her knowledge and deep experience with students and other residents.

I know we all have worries and families to care for—so I appreciate all the time and devotion you give to accomplishing the work of the League. Please register for our members-only Annual Meeting on June 10—you will soon see an opportunity to do so through your email or by visiting www.lwv-pa.org. This is a rare opportunity to get all LWV-PA members together in a safe and friendly environment where we can see faces, share ideas, discuss our plans, and recommit ourselves to our mission of strengthening our democracy through joyous action!

In solidarity,

—Martha Y. Zavala