Help Us Make a Difference

Become a Member

SML Democrats is open to all people of voting age who live in the counties surrounding the lake. See below all the ways you can get started right away making a difference in our community.

Fill out the form using this link, pay your $20 individual dues, and we will look forward to seeing you soon.

Support & Payments

Make a donation, renew your membership dues or pay for events online. You’ll find the information you need on this page. If you prefer to mail a check, you may send it to our P.O. Box 897, Hardy, VA 24101, or bring a check or cash to the office during open hours (Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 11 am to 3 pm).

• Contributions to the Annual Fund occur in May.
• Membership Renewal occurs in June.
• Special events requiring payment occur throughout the year.

Committees and Community Activities

Following are some activities you might find interesting and rewarding when you become a member of the club. Contact smldems@gmail.com for more information about any of these activities.

Attend General Membership Meetings
We meet on the fourth Monday of the month. Meetings are usually during the day, but we also have a few night meetings every year.

Join a committee
We have standing committees, most of which are active all year.

• Fundraising and Event Planning coordinates fund raising activities for candidates and for the organization. This committee also organizes local social events for members.
• Issues Committee seeks to educate the organization and community about issues congruent with our Democratic Ideals.
• Political Outreach establishes and maintains a positive image for lake Democrats to increase the organization’s visibility, membership and influence in the lake community. 
• Public Relations interacts with local media, manages website content and maintains Facebook and Twitter accounts.
• Election Support provides information for all our election-related activities, including Candidate Forums.
• Legislative Watch monitors and reports on local, state and federal legislation.

Help with special opportunities
Occasionally we have special committees to address specific needs, such as every other year when we form a committee to create a slate of club officers for election.

Become a DOC
Our “DOCS” (Daily Office Coordinators) manage opening hours at the office in Halesford Center. 

Get Out the Vote (GOTV)
There are many ways we support Democratic candidates during election season. You can help pass out literature, make phone calls, register voters, work at the polls on election day or help in various other ways. For more information about current activities and how you can get involved, see our GOTV page.

Attend social events
We organize a variety of social activities throughout the year. Pints & Politics is one of our most popular social events where members gather in a relaxed social setting while also supporting local businesses and restaurants.

Keep our roads clean
We always need help to maintain our section of Highway 122. It’s a fun, quarterly event that is followed by lunch if you choose to join.

Stay Informed
Our Book Club meets every month for lively discussion on the current selection.

Attend Open Table/Open Minds
This group was established in 2021 to help us explore racial issues in our local counties and beyond. Currently we are developing ways to create dialogue with the younger generation of the black population in Bedford & Franklin Counties. At recent meetings, the history of slavery in Franklin County was shared; three members attended the 2021 Summer Summit on Racism in Christiansburg; and a discussion on Asian Americans and their plight in today’s world has been explored. More to come from this group as we move forward!

Activities Beyond the Club

If you want to do more to effect positive change in our community, visit the local Democratic Committees in Bedford, Franklin and Pittsylvania Counties. We often list local activities on our Upcoming Events page. And you might want to checck out our Armchair Activist page; it has many ideas about how to take action today.