LET'S GET ORGANIZED!
An informational resource on how to start organizing in your community!
Suggested Reading Before Starting: Rebuilding The Village, 10 Ways to Be Prepared and Grounded Now That Trump Has Won
Here's a (non-exhaustive) list I've compiled of things you can do to start organizing in your community!!
- Join a leftist organization of some sort. Not only will this allow you to find community and solidarity, they often host events, help left-wing candidates get on ballots, and provide information. Below is a list of some of the most popular:
- Look for organizations or movements in your area for specific issues, such as mutual aid (distributing money to those in need), renter's/tenants unions, crowdfunding, and more.
- Mutual Aid Hub: Website - has various mutual aid projects by state
- How to start a mutual aid network in your area: Website
- Tenants Unions: Google Sheets - has tenants unions listed by state; if your city doesn't have one, there's instructions on how to start your own
- Fundraisers for Various Social Causes: Website - lets you start your own campaign as well. You can also filter by the types of causes you want to support
- National Harm Reduction Coalition: Website
- National Network of Abortion Funds: Website
- Mobilize.us, a site which allows you to search by city and find local political actions and events.
- Community Action Partnership: Website - a website that allows you to find local community assistance organizations
- Mutual Aid Hub: Website - has various mutual aid projects by state
- Take care of yourself and your comrades' mental health. Use non-carceral alternatives for your own and your community's issues with mental health, drug abuse, suicidality, domestic violence, and more.
- Here is an incredible list of non-carceral hotlines, warmlines, and support groups.
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Educate yourself. Check out my Free Online Leftist Resources Library for books and articles on a variety of left-wing topics such as decolonization, post-capitalism, climate justice, and class consciousness. Download them, share the link around, use it as inspiration for your book club, whatever. New resources will be added periodically.
- Also Check out the podcast Rebel Steps by Liz and Amy from the Channel Zero Network. Contains transcripts of every episode!
"But HOW Do I Organize?"
(a subsection largely inspired by a tweet made on May 08, 2022 by Talia Jane, twitter user @taliaotg)
- Build community connections. Talk to your neighbors. Offer help when it seems like they need it, and reach out to them when you're in need.
- Focus on specific issues that effect your community rather than larger systemic ones.
- Community organizing is based off meeting the needs of the people in the community, whether that be things like ridesharing, buying groceries, watching children or pets, etc.
- Take note of what you're able to do for others (for example, if you have a car, maybe you're able to drive people places. If you have a garden or farm, maybe you can share food with others) and what others can do for the community (ex: a neighbor who's a plumber may be able to help the community with this skill).
- Keep in mind that you can always learn new skills. Just because you can't do something now doesn't mean you can't do it later.
- Mutual aid is just that, mutual. It requires both giving and getting, as well as making sure needs are being met.
- For larger issues such as prison abolition, focus on smaller-scale actions like bail reform.
- If you're a marginalized person living in a bigoted community where you could face harm for your existence, build community with others like you. Don't risk your safety.
- Know that others are probably already doing the work you're doing; find those people and work with them. Even if you can't see it, it's probably happening.
"But what specific things can I do?"
(A non-exhaustive list!)
There are probably already already a lot of left-wing organizations dedicated to a variety of causes that exist in your city, especially if you live in or near a major metropolitan area. These can range from local news outlets to political parties or groups to a mutual aid network. Twitter, Instagram, and even Facebook are good places to find them. There may also be things like Discord servers or Signal groups. Try searching the name of your city/town and something like "mutual aid", "Palestine", "climate", "socialist/socialism" or "communist/communism." If these groups don't exist, consider asking around in your community or using apps meant for communicating within certain communities. You could also visit a local community center if one exists.
If all else fails, don't be afraid to try and create your own!
- Look for and contribute to bail funds in your city/area, especially for people arrested for things such as Pro-Palestine or Stop Cop City protests.
- Attend city council meetings. They often talk about important issues facing the community; this is your chance to have your voice heard!
- Contribute to (or start!) a community garden or another free community space.
- If you're not sure whether these exist or not, try asking around, looking online, or visiting a local community center.
- Donate to or volunteer at a local food bank/pantry. Even better if you donate products they rarely get such as fresh meats, vegetables/fruits, and other items that people usually don't give away.
- Carry Narcan with you to help someone in case of an overdose.
- Donate to or volunteer at homeless shelters or those that provide services to victims of domestic violence.
- Take a Stop The Bleed or CPR class. This could save someone's life in an emergency.
- Donate to or work with your local Indigenous nation(s)/tribe(s). If you aren't sure whose land you're living on, check here.
- Most nations/tribes have their own websites. Depending on where you live, there may even be Indigenous community centers, which can be a great place to visit and get information on issues facing the community and whether or not there's any way you can assist.
- Start or contribute to a Little Free Library.
- Alternatively, you could donate gently used books to your local library (if they accept them) or another organization that accepts books. You could also organize a free community book drive.
- Distribute meals in your community, or host some kind of banquet with free food, especially if this is part of your culture! These are often done through religious, cultural, or other community organizations, but they can also be organized if no such systems exist.
- This is especially relevant during holidays that involve feasts such as Christmas, Mid-Autumn Festival, Pesach, Kwanzaa, Eid, Sukkot, Thanksgiving, etc.
- Join a union. Alternatively, organize your workplace! If you don't know how, click here.
- Participate in a Food Not Bombs event.
- Consider alternatives to policing in your community and work to try and get them instated, if possible.
- Join or donate to a homeless union.
- Organize or take part in a community clean-up, especially in under-resourced areas, areas with lots of trash or litter, or areas where litter could pose a significant environmental hazard (such as beaches or other bodies of water).
- Make it a point to pick up trash in your community if/when you see it; try and encourage others to do the same.
- If you have a car and can drive, organize or take part in community ride sharing, especially if you live in a place with little to no public transport. Encourage others to participate as well.
- Encourage community use of expensive or high-value items such as lawn care products (mowers, leaf blowers, weed whackers, etc.), cars, vacuums, cookware, etc.
- Start a local book club, especially for Marxist/left-wing books or books that deal with issues that are relevant in your community.
- Offer child care to people in your community with children, if you're able to.
- Start or contribute to a community fridge or other free food space.
- Vote in local elections, not just state/federal ones.
- Offer to buy groceries for someone, especially if you know they're struggling financially.
- Participate in eviction defense.
- Help people obtain DIY HRT.
- Distribute free contraceptives.
- Wear a mask and get vaccinated. Stay home when you feel sick, if you can. If not, fight for protections in your workplace that allow sick workers to get paid time off.
- Offer up your skills (translation/interpretation, cooking, home repair, gardening, cleaning, pet/childcare, etc.) or time for free to those who may need it
It goes without saying that you don't have to do all of these; that would be impossible. As stated before, there are probably already people doing this stuff in your community and you just don't know about it. This is also a good opportunity to meet other community organizers and to find potential gaps that you may be able to fill.
Either way, nothing gets done without action. No need to dive in headfirst or bite off more than you can chew, just do what you can; even something small is better than nothing. If a community need isn't being met, double check first to make sure, and then work with others to create it.
Happy organizing!