Hi, friends, I've missed writing to you here. There is, you know, so much happening—but writing and thinking with you is a huge breath of fresh air for me, so I want to prioritize it, just probably in quicker chunks with less context.

Diving in! I think—I think—the answer to the question in the title is:

Identify a group of people you want to support right now, and start volunteering for and donating to a local organization that serves them.

If that's self-explanatory, close this window and go. If you want further ideas, read on.

Y'all know I think pretty obsessively about how to integrate citizenship and faith and care for people and the big joy of a dinner table crammed with people who don't all look or sound or think alike. I've done a lot of research about best practices, and you can read allll about it!

But I don't think you should read. Instead, I think you should move.

Our bodies are telling us that our country is in crisis. Our brains are (correctly) reading recent federal action as existentially dangerous for millions of vulnerable people.

The good news is that most of us (especially women; if you're not a woman, look to the women in your life) are good in a crisis. We know how to take care of each other, how to get down into the trenches, look each other in the eye, say "what do you need?" and then do it. We do it all the time for the people in our circles.

Step 1: Identify a group to support

So what I'm suggesting is: name—as specifically as possible—a group of people whose lives or livelihoods are currently in danger. Note: don't name an issue or a legislative problem; those will come later, organically.

Examples:

  • asylum seekers in [your city]
  • teenagers seeking reproductive care in [your city]
  • [language]-speaking immigrants in [your city or neighborhood]
  • trans kids (or trans adults) in [your city or the local jail]

I think the more granular, the better.

Step 2: Find a local org already serving that group

Then, take a deep breath to stop the panic train, and identify a local organization already doing that work.

Ways to do that, easiest first:

  • [If you're already Involved, great. Stay involved, or increase your involvement, whatever, and start keeping your ear to the ground for further needs.]
  • Ask friends. You'll do better if you're working with people you know, and if they already have an "in," so much the better. Don't tarry; send a group text today asking for recommendations.
  • Google
  • Call the student-support office at the nearest college/university, and ask them what area orgs are supporting [x] students. Likely, the orgs on their list are vetted and help people of all ages.
  • If you get stuck on Is This the Right Organization, Though, Shouldn't I Help the Right or Best Group?!?!?, stop yourself. Take a maximum of 5 minutes for due diligence, and then jump. I say this as a notorious overthinker: now is not the time. You're not marrying this organization; you're adding muscle to their ongoing work in supporting the vulnerable people you identified...who are in crisis. You're being good in a crisis. You can move your energy to a different org later if necessary.

Step 3: Sign up

  • Subscribe for the org's email list, and make sure their emails won't go to your spam. Follow them on social.
  • From their website, sign up to volunteer. Do this now, because there might be some sort of vetting process, and we're moving.
  • Most orgs will offer volunteer options for people with flexible time and not-flexible time. Start big, start small, it doesn't matter; just start. You can change the amount of time later.

Step 4: Set up a monthly donation

Huge swaths of federal funding have been frozen, and nonprofits are ramping up their work on shoestring budgets. One-time donations are great, but ongoing donations are key for budgeting and planning. Even if it's $10/month, set up an automatic donation from your bank account to the org that you're volunteering for.

Yes, we're going all in. Again, if the org turns out to be a mafia front, you can pivot later, when you have a better lay of the land.

Side benefits: increased accountability for you, and increased likelihood that you will, um, receive every single dang communication the org sends.

You will learn as you go

If you start hanging around the people who are vulnerable and the people who are inner-ring helping them, I think the next steps will show up. We'll keep talking about how—but I think you'll start naturally hearing about legislative moves, and you will 100% be asked to contribute in other ways.

We do not become Corrie Ten Boom overnight. For right now, find people and sign up.

Thoughts? Who are your groups??? LOVE YOU.