Dear YEO Members and Partners:

Out of an abundance of caution and after assessing the impact of state and federal responses to the coronavirus outbreak, the staff at the Young Elected Officials Network has decided to postpone our 15th Annual National Convening scheduled for April 29 - May 3 in Atlanta, Georgia. We are deeply disappointed about having to curtail our 15th anniversary celebration, but are more concerned about the safety and welfare of our members and the communities they serve. We look forward to making announcements as the national situation evolves about new plans for 2020 programming. 

All members and guests who have registered for our Atlanta convening should expect full refunds of their registration and hotel payments within 14 business days. Members who have booked flights should contact their airline to inquire about refunded payments, as many airlines have offered special accommodations for those impacted by the outbreak. If your airline will not refund your payment and you were approved for a travel scholarship, please contact our Administrative Manager, Linda Inge, at linge@pfaw.org. 

We know that many communities are facing a unique set of challenges in ensuring that our most vulnerable neighbors are not adversely or inequitably impacted by the outbreak. Our friends at Local Progress have shared resources with their members and ours on how to support them, including advancing paid leave, moratoriums on evictions and utility shutoffs, and other responses that protect the most vulnerable. You can find those resources here. For any other policy assistance that may help your community best prepare for the response, you can contact our Policy Coordinator, Alana Byrd at abyrd@pfaw.org. 

If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to our staff. We are here to support you through this national crisis and look forward to seeing you later in the year.
 

Svante Myrick

Director of Youth Leadership Programs

People for the American Way Foundation