Don't mourn: Organize; or, "What else can we possibly do????"

Last edited Wed Nov 13, 2024, 05:30 PM - Edit history (2)

It’s easy to feel despair right now so I want to throw a few things out there because I see a lot of “what else can we do???”

* Narrow your focus. What are one or two issues close to your heart? Choose them carefully, and then don’t let yourself get distracted from them unless it’s a really good reason.

* No matter what it is, people in your community are directly affected by those issues, and chances are, someone is trying to help. Find the orgs that are doing the work and determine where you might be able to help, whether by donating time or money or expanding a new program or lobbying.

* Remember that no one is coming to save you or the people you care about. If there’s work to be done, you have to do it.

* Be realistic about what you can and can’t do. Pace your outrage/efforts/giving/spiralling. Take a break when you need to and rejoin when you can.

* Be realistic about elections and politics. The orgs you’re joining have to work hard no matter who is president or governor or mayor; food shelves always have clients, for example. Just because a chamber or seat flips blue in any given election doesn’t mean there isn’t work to be done.