A Beacon for Civic Engagement - Shelby Bates

We met volunteering for Colorado Common Cause

Around the time that I moved to Boulder, Jai was running for school board. For whatever reason, his campaign caught my attention and I followed it closely. Jai won my vote, but more importantly, his race was the first local political activity that I felt engaged with. Fast forward a few months, the pandemic has hit, and I get this email that Colorado Common Cause is looking for volunteers to support their Census post card campaign. And who is my local organizer? None other than Jai.

So, I rode my bike over to pick up some post cards from Jai's house (which he conveniently placed in a basket in the front yard). I think it was one of those sunny, breezy, spring days. I found Jai out doing some work in the yard. At that point I had not seen another person outside of my house in weeks. I had also never met Jai in person before. But in the few moments I was there, Jai was incredibly welcoming and made me laugh. I remember going home and telling my partner how cool it was that I just met the guy who had run for school board.
Jai probably never knew it, but he played a profound role in my coping throughout this pandemic. Many times you can volunteer for something and never feel very connected to anyone at the organization; Jai was unlike any organizer I've known before. As I continued to volunteer with Common Cause, Jai was like an anchor, providing a sense of connection to meaningful work, but also just to another human being. I told him once that I had some health problems and preferred volunteering from my house; he never forgot it and always found ways for me to continue to be engaged from home. He was always full of praise and encouragement; he really modeled the best version of a volunteer manager that I can imagine.
In addition, through Jai I learned a lot about the Census and so many other topics. Jai was incredibly smart, but in everything I learned from him, I never felt stupid; I just felt inspired to learn more. Because of Jai I have become more connected to things going on in my local community, from which I'd previously felt so isolated. I'm left thinking, how can one person inspire another person so much in such a short time? That takes a truly remarkable person.

Even in his passing, I believe Jai will continue to be someone I look up to. In the months I knew him, he really left a lasting mark on my life. Thus, I end with this quote: "Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to a new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom. They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same." - Flavia Weedn