Making Democracy Work Award
Making Democracy Work Award Nomination Form
Criteria
In honor of its 90th anniversary, the League of Women Voters of Ames and Story County established the Making Democracy Work Award in 2017. With this award, the League honors outstanding efforts of individuals and organizations who have inspired others by
• Envisioning ways to improve their community
• Working to have a strong, safe, vibrant, and inclusive community
• Joining with others to effect beneficial change in civic activities
• Promoting fairness, equality, and diversity
• Encouraging all citizens to be involved in the democratic process
• Being passionate about preserving democracy. The League welcomes nominations from across Story County. Eligibility
• The nominee, if an individual, must reside in Story County. If an organization, the nominee must be located in Story County or have a local chapter that operates in Story County.
• Elected public officials who are currently serving in office may not be nominated, however, appointed officials currently serving on a public board, commission, committee, or task force are eligible.
• Members of the League of Women Voters of Ames and Story County who are currently serving on its Board of Directors may not be nominated. Recognition: The League announces and introduces honorees at its annual meeting. Honorees are invited to give brief remarks if they wish to do so. Nominations: Use the accompanying form. Please note the requirements for supplemental materials and the submittal instructions.
With this award, the LWV honors the outstanding efforts of those individuals and organizations that have inspired others to continue to make democracy work. Honorees must be able to attend the April annual meeting of the LWV and must be willing to permit media coverage of their story and award. At its annual meeting, the LWV will award both an engraved plaque as well as a paver that will be placed in the Plaza of Heroines on the Iowa State University campus. In lieu of the paver, an honoree may choose a monetary gift of $100 to a charity of their choice. Honorees are invited to speak briefly at the LWV annual meeting.
To nominate an individual or group for the award, send a completed nomination form plus three letters of support to: LWV of Ames and Story County, PO Box 2266, Ames, IA 50010, or email to Prez.LWV [at] gmail.com. Nominations are due no later than March 19th, 2021.
2021 Making Democracy Work Award Recepients
Sehba is a senior majoring in Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University. She worked tirelessly to engage and inform students as voters. Working with others, she created a set of beautifully designed literature stands for voter registration and absentee ballot forms with voting information targeted to students. The stands were used in 14 residence halls and in other high traffic areas on campus. She was instrumental in instituting voter engagement internships.
Sehba worked within the College of Engineering to include a voter module within many courses. Sehba also organized student voter registration dates with the College Democrats, ensuring that voter registration occurred on campus at least one day a week for about seven weeks. Finally, as a member of Iowa State’s informal voting advocacy coalition, Sehba also pushed out information about deadlines, voter ID rules, and polling hours and locations through her social network.
As a voter engagement intern, Sehba also participated in a national “Couch Party” organized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. For one evening, students around the country logged into a Zoom meeting, listened to music, chatted with a celebrity, and texted all of their friends to encourage them to vote. Iowa State recently received Voter Friendly Campus designation for 2021-2022 for the first time ever, and it is the only college or university in the state to earn this accolade. This success is due, in part to Sehba Faheem.
The mission of the Bridge Home is “to walk with our neighbors who have fallen on hard times to help them find hope and a home,” and its values are Inclusiveness, Hospitality, Respect, Self-empowerment, Compassion, and Hope. The Bridge Home began operations in August 1985, and was granted United Way membership and federal non-profit status the following year.
The Bridge Home consists of the main building at 225 S. Kellogg, offering shelter and meals for up to 20 single males and six single women per night, an adjacent duplex with accommodation for one family and office space for staff, and a four-plex with accommodation for up to four families.
During the current fiscal year, The Bridge Home has offered shelter to approximately 395 homeless individuals, some in-house and others in area hotels, and transitional housing for eight families, assisted over 80 families and individuals with rapid rehousing, provided rental and utilities assistance to approximately 95 households, and assisted some 24 families and a number of single individuals in locating and subsidizing affordable housing. The Bridge Home operates mainly in Story County but also helps manage programs in Boone, Marshall, Greene, and Hardin counties.
