Civic Engagement in Action - 2026 October

As a GFWC member, you can bring civic engagement to life through volunteering, advocacy, fundraising, education, problem-solving, and everyday acts of care for your neighbors. Your club can address needs related to citizenship, public safety, disaster preparedness, hunger and homelessness, and support for military personnel and veterans.

This season, you have especially meaningful opportunities to put civic responsibility into action through voting and citizenship, military service recognition, and the Unity Project.

Voting and Citizenship

You have the power to make your voice count. Voting is one of your most visible rights and one of your most important responsibilities as a citizen. For only 106 years, women have held the constitutional right to vote nationwide—a hard-won achievement that invites you to participate fully in shaping your community and country.

Citizenship is more than a legal status. It is your active participation in community life: learning about public issues, respecting democratic institutions, helping others understand their rights and responsibilities, and casting your vote.

You can help “Get Out the Vote” by encouraging eligible citizens to register and vote. Share clear, nonpartisan information about early voting, polling locations, voting hours, and transportation options. If someone needs a ride to the polls, your help can ensure their voice is heard.

You can also make voter education welcoming and accessible. Host a candidate forum for local or state offices, invite candidates from all parties, and create a respectful setting where residents can learn about issues that affect their daily lives. Help your neighbors understand local government, public policy, and the value of seeking local office. When you inspire people to engage close to home, you help build stronger leadership for the future.

Celebrate civic traditions, too. Honor patriotic holidays, distribute copies of the U.S. Constitution, and share the meaning and proper protocol of the American flag. You can welcome new citizens by helping individuals prepare for the U.S. citizenship test or by supporting a naturalization ceremony in your community.

Military Service and Veterans

You can show heartfelt appreciation for military personnel, veterans, and their families. Service members and their loved ones make sacrifices on behalf of the nation, and your support can provide practical help, compassionate recognition, and lasting connection.

Join the GFWC Learning Gateway Series on November 10 to learn more about Military Women’s Memorial: Telling Our Stories, featuring Honorary Chairman Phyllis Wilson. You will hear the inspiring story of women in military service and the Military Women’s Memorial, building pride in your sisters in service and encouraging continued support for the Memorial’s registration efforts.

Honor veterans through Wreaths Across America, the Honor Flight Network, and Quilts of Valor. You can experience meaningful moments of pride by sponsoring and placing wreaths at veterans’ cemeteries, taking part in an Honor Flight welcome-home celebration, writing Mail Call cards, or donating materials and funds for quilts presented to service members and veterans.

You can also respond to immediate needs by providing clothing, food, backpacks, and personal-care items for veterans experiencing homelessness. Create card-and-stamp packets for veterans in care facilities, support women veterans with personal-care bags, or provide refreshments and fellowship at Veteran Women’s Health Clinics. Share information about PTSD, depression, and traumatic brain injury so military personnel, veterans, and families can connect with needed support.

Unity Project: CPR Training

The 2026–2028 Unity Project makes saving lives—the ultimate act of preparedness—a top priority. Your club is challenged to host a CPR training session and help certify at least 100 community members each year. This practical public-safety initiative unites trained professionals, first responders, schools, churches, libraries, and community organizations around a shared goal.

Partner with local EMTs, fire departments, the American Red Cross, or another qualified provider to offer hands-on CPR and AED instruction. Consider scholarships or reduced-fee spaces so more neighbors can participate. Spread the word through social media, flyers, local businesses, schools, churches, and community calendars.

When you offer CPR training, you equip parents, grandparents, teachers, childcare workers, bus drivers, students, and other residents to respond with confidence during a medical emergency. Your club’s work can turn caring neighbors into prepared lifesavers.  Be sure to check the 2026-2028 Club Manual for a helpful checklist and suggestions for a CPR training event.