Hi. It’s me again. Pissed off at this country and the administration. I am back to throwing middle fingers at the tvs at the gym.
I try to reel it in. I do what I can to protect my sanity, to love my loves and be radical with my intentions. There are some days when I walk into evening exhausted, empty handed—afraid I have not done enough and yet…I’m raising a kid who is safe and loved and happy, and if that is all I have to show for the end of a day then truly I have done more than enough.
With the passing days and continued free fall into dread’s bottomless pit, I continue to look for information an action items. This weekend I am taking self defense class. I do not say it lightly when I admit to feeling unsafe in this current world. In this country. This state. This city.
I want to share some more resources and actions that may be helpful to others in this time:
The American Conscious Checklist - This is a site and a free newsletter you can receive via email weekly with actionable items. For example, last week there were actions such as Protect Women’s Right to Vote, Challenge Presidential Overreach, Demand Essential Care for Transgender Youth, among others. Each action comes with contact info(such as your local reps and/or Senate leaders contacts) as well as a script you can use when calling or writing. The action of Demanding Essential Care for Transgender Youth provides contact info for 3 CEOs to contact and ask that they hold up their ethical and legal duties by providing vital treatment to trans youth.
Under the FAQ section of the American Conscious website, the first item provides guidance and encouragement for those that feel overwhelmed and may not know where to start. This is a fantastic resource full of actionable items.
Food banks - Feeding America - Find Your Local Food Bank - Find your local food bank by zip code and look at ways to get involved—either by donating money, hosting a drive, volunteering on-site to do things like sorting and/or meal prep. Schedule a tour, become an advocate and/or host an event—learn about the resources available. The site’s Hunger Blog shares even more ways to get involved, as well as testimonials from volunteers and ways to give back.
Indivisible Resource Guide subtitled as “A Practical Guide to Democracy on the Brink - Strategies, Tactics, & Tips For How Everyday Americans Can Fight Back Together Wherever We Live.” Here you will find a downloadable pdf of the document, as well as a google doc or you can listen to the audio. This guide includes things such as “A quick primer on constituent power,” as well as a chapter titled “protect and prepare,” which covers out to organize and stand with communities under threat, participating in mutual aid, and tangible ways to help among others.
What is an Executive Order and How Does it Work? Via the ACLU, this covers executive order—what it is, how it is different from law, how can they be stopped and how they have been used historically. I think too many of us miss out on opportunities to get educated.
Overview of 2025 Executive Orders So Far This page actively monitors and reviews any/all executive orders put forth by Trump. This is a bipartisan group composed of lawyers and lobbyists. I’ll be honest—I have a hard time reading through this entire page because the executive orders and actions of Trump are fucking ridiculous and infuriate me. This is also the exact reason why I have to stay informed, though. A lot of these orders have generalized titles, so it’s nice to get a short summary of each one.
Guide to being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Young People A great resource via The Trevor Project, even if you might already consider yourself a strong ally. Aim to be even stronger.
Monthly webinar: Protect, Resist, Build “Hear directly from AFSC staff and partners to stay up to date on issues affecting immigrant rights, economic justice, and peace. You’ll connect with activists across the country and get concrete ways to take action..”
Third Tuesday of every month at 8pm ET/ 7pm CT/ 5pm PT.
Abortion Every Day Substack “Abortion, Every Day is a comprehensive daily newsletter dedicated to abortion rights, and the feminist community that supports it.
Subscribers get emails every weekday tracking anything and everything happening with abortion: from anti-choice legislation and court battles to analysis of conservative strategy and stories of women denied care. AED also publishes columns, explainers, investigations, interviews, TikTok roundups and more.” Not only does this substack provide information on abortion issues and laws across the country, but there is also a Resources page for getting help with an abortion, getting involved/taking action, as well as more info on the attacks on abortion in general.
More soon. It is okay to be angry. It is okay to feel hopeless. Arm yourself with actionable items and education. Find ways to protect communities that are being threatened. Get involved. And keep this one in mind:
Thanks, Nikki. It's hard to know where to focus attention and action, but if we all pick a thing that is important to us - then all the things will get covered!