This month we want to highlight the work of groups raising awareness, supporting survivors, and providing resources to end human trafficking.

RAINN is a national organization that has been helping victims since 1994. They have 24/7 free and confidential support in English and Spanish, where you can call, chat, or text to get help and they can connect you to local resources. If you do not need that support you can take trainings, educate yourself on statistics, and they have a Grassroots Advocacy Guide for Impacting Sexual Violence Laws and information on connecting with your state’s Coallition to End Sexual Violence, which every state has. If you are a survivor or want to help please visit them and get involved. 

You can learn more at RAINN.Org 

Visit the Guide rainn.org grassroots-advocacy-your-guide-to-impacting-anti-sexual-violence-laws/

Contact for immediate support

Call 800.656.HOPE (4673)

Chat at RAINN.org/hotline

Text HOPE to 64673

“Remember! Celebrate! Act! – A Day On, Not A Day Off!”

Every year since 1983, on the third Monday of January, we as a nation have observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day, known as MLK DAY.

MLK Day this year is Monday January 19th. On August 28th, 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have A Dream” Speech to 250,000 civil rights supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. On the third Monday in January we honor the life and legacy of not only this man, but of the message that still speaks today, and the countless lives that have been harmed by racist ideology and actions. We need to remember the truth of our history and not let days like these pass by unnoticed. 

Four actions you can do today! 

1- Read MLK’s “I Have A Dream” full speech and transcript, the national archives full transcript is attached and on the website. 

2 - If you have social media, share how it made you feel, what you learned, or an excerpt that was meaningful to you. You can make a post about MLK day asking others to read his speech and study the Civil Rights movement. 

3 - Study American Civil Rights History. Pick up a book, watch a documentary, search online, and follow Black creators who share Black history like Ashley The Baroness. 

4 - Show up! There are many scheduled events, look through the calendars to find one near you!

Resources

"I Have A Dream" Transcript, National Archives: https://www.archives.gov/files/social-media/transcripts/transcript-march-pt3-of-3-2602934.pdf

MLK facts, quotes, history and more: https://www.mlkonline.net

Ashley The Baroness: https://youtube.com/@ashleytheebarroness?si=wWsmvbNVzJ7pRg0X

Some people are nervous on the phone, others are scared of confronting their elected officials. Some people communicate better in writing, while others prefer a pre-planned script. Wherever you are in that mix - these tips will help pop the bubble and build your confidence.

1. START WITH THANK YOU

   • Pick 3-5 elected officials who are doing things you appreciate and start with a thank you call. 

     • Ex. "Thank you for supporting the Epstein Files Transparency Act."

2. PICK ONE TOPIC TO SUPPORT

   • Choose one topic and one point you want to make. Call 3-5 officials and repeat the same point to each one. This is a show of support as you contact reps who are actively supporting what you support. 

     • Ex. "Thank you for for supporting the Epstein Files Transparency Act. I am NOT happy that all the files have not been released and I SUPPORT further investigation into this matter." 

3. PICK ONE TOPIC TO OPPOSE

   • Chose one topic that you oppose. Call 3-5 officials and repeat the same point to each one. This is making it clear that you OPPOSE what they are doing.

     • Ex. "I noticed that you voted to block the Epstein Files Transparancy Act. I OPPOSE that decision and any future decisions that in anyway undermine the effort of the Bill."

4. FIND YOUR VOICE

   • After a few rounds of this, take notice of how you feel. Are the calls faster than sending emails or letters? Do you feel better making all the calls in a batch over morning coffee or after work? Is it easier for you to pause when you hear news and make a call right away? Does it help you to plan out what you say or is it more natural to wing it? Pay attention to what works for you and nurture those actions.

5. IT IS TIME TO GET SPECIFIC

   • Now that you are comfortable with calls/emails/etc., it is time to look at specific committees. What committee has impact on your topic of focus? Appropriations, Energy and Commerce, Intelligence, Homeland Security? Who is on that committee? Now contact each member of that committee to voice your opinion.

     • Ex. "I am reaching out to each member on the Oversight Committee to express my concerns over compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. This matter is extremly important to me. I expect full compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act."

6. GET LOUDER!

   • 3-5 calls becomes 5-10 calls.

   • Focus on people who are already getting pressure and apply more.

   • Stay alert for mass action and quick responses.

7. SUPPORT OTHERS

   • Help others flex their civic engagement muscles by sharing tips and creating support.

   • When you hear someone talking about a topic, ask them if they have made their opinion known to Congress.

   • Create a group chat, or join our discord, where everyone can check in on calls they are making and let each other know about things they may have missed. 

8. BUST THE MYTHS!

   • Elected Officials work for US! They are OUR employees.

   • You do not have to give personal information to leave a comment, though some offices will not officially track those comments, and you will only get a response to your questions from the office if they have a way to contact you. TIP: set up a dedicated email for this purpose

   • The person answering the phone or reading your letters is essentially customer service: don't be intimidated by them! It is their job to listen to you and you are paying their wages.

   • Calls do work! 

   • Ask staff about the impact of your voice. Watch interviews of past employees who tell their experiences. Listen to how Representatives talk about 'what they are hearing from the public.'  All these are indicators of public pressure. 

   • "The Last Republican" documentary directed by Steve Pink shows (among many things) an inside look at a Congressional Office. Worth a watch. 

Politifact dubbed 2025 "The Year of Lies" (1). In this age of dis and mis information how do we stay informed? Check out these tips to increase your media literacy and protect yourself from propaganda. 

1. ASSUME EVERYTHING IS PROPAGANDA

   • Leading with this assumption can be a helpful way to remain calm and skeptical of new information. It is one way to encourage fact checking, guard against emotional manipulation, and ask critical questions about the information being consumed.  

2. FIND 2 OR MORE SOURCES TO SUPPORT THE INFORMATION

   • Fact checking and cross-examining information with 2 or more resources can be a helpful way to mitigate knee-jerk reactions, ensure the information is corroborated by other sources, and identify reliable information.

3. FACT CHECK FATIGUE

   • We don't all have time to fact check every single thing we see. Limiting your information to a few reliable sources can be helpful. Fact check every so often to ensure the source is still reporting accurately - especially with social media. Many creators have been known to have 'pipeline' information. They have a few videos that are factual and reasonable so one subscribes and starts to trust them. Then, they release inaccurate information hoping they have your confidence and you don't fact check them. Look for people who will make retractions, update information, show their sources, and admit when they were wrong or spoke too soon.

4. NON-REACTIVE CONSUMING

   • Emotional regulation when consuming media is essential. In the era of 'rage bait' and 'doomerism' creators and media outlets are making a lot of money exploiting your fear and anger. Emotion can easily cloud critical thinking. As emotional as much of the news is, regulating our emotions is one of the best defenses to fake news. Take a deep breath, research subjects so you have the larger context, and step back for self care when your emotions are clouding your rational mind.

5. ALLOW INFORMATION TO EVOLVE

   • Too often evocative headlines roll out before any real information is available. Stories take time to develop. Fact checking takes time. Allow things to evolve. Go back to a headline from a week ago and see what up to date reporting says. Let investigative journalists do their job. Read FULL articles AND their SOURCES. Headlines are designed to grab your attention, not give information, especially legal investigations which take an enormous amount of time to get the full story. Be careful not to jump to conclusions. Pay attention while waiting for the full story before deciding what you think you know.

6. CHECK FOR BLIND SPOTS

   • A term most of us have heard by now is 'echo chamber.' And it is a real concern. On one side we want to listen to people who align with our values and on the other we don't want to limit our perspectives. That doesn't mean we need to start listening to extremists of any kind, but it does mean we should know what others are talking about. Variety in our sources is important. Notice when you are listening to information that presents more than one perspective...and when it doesn't. Another fun way is googling 'what books and movies get wrong about (insert here).' For example what do movies get wrong about the U.S. Military? You will likely be surprised at the disparities in what movies show and how the U.S. Military actually works. Check out Ground News which has a tool to check for blind spots and ensure you come out of the echo chamber.

7. BRING BACK EXPERTISE

   • One thing movies got right was how easily available all the world's information would be in the 21st century. People can find out almost anything about any topic with a 5 minute internet search. 'Looking it up' is not the same thing as understanding it or being an expert. As a society we have lost respect for expertise. Knowledge and experience earned over decades of study and practice with the full context of the field matters. Your favorite content creator may or may not have expertise. Look them up. See who they are, what they do, what they've studied. That is not to say laypersons do not know anything and are not worth listening to, but when it comes to topics like science, ask a scientist too. That history buff might have great insights...but make sure to also follow an actual historian. 

8. READ REAL BOOKS

   • There is a literacy crisis in the United States today. Podcasts and social media may be stimulating, but how much sinks in? How much do you actually understand about their commentary? With book bans and low reading scores, it is important to actually read some real books in order to get the full context, get the whole story, and practice reading. According to the National Literacy Institute, 54% of adults have a literacy below a 6th-grade level (20% are below 5th-grade level) in 2024 (2). Yes, audio books are great and a wonderful option for people who have trouble reading. It is also important to put your eyes to same pages if you can and read some written words. What if this year you read just one full book that was recommended by that podcast you like? Or one book that is being banned? Might we suggest 1984 by George Orwell?

9. BRUSH OFF THE BUZZ WORDS

   • Vocabulary may make you think of grade school but ask yourself - do you actually now the definition of fascism? Treason? Domestic Terrorist? Words like these are thrown around these days like water at a pool party. Do you actually understand them? "Buzzword" means "an important-sounding usually technical word or phrase often of little meaning used chiefly to impress laymen"(3). Are you watching the news to be impressed or informed? Again, experts are those people who understand the technical definitions and their implications. As we are inundated with more complex terms and legalese than ever, it behooves us to listen to the experts who can define what these words mean. People like historian Heather Cox Richardson, attorneys at Legal AF of Meidas Touch Network and Under Color of Law, and especially Military experts. 

10. QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

    • "Is this real, fake news, or propaganda?"

    • "Who benefits from me feeling/thinking this way?" 

    • "Who does not want me to know this?"/ "Who does want me to know this?"

    • "Who is funding this information?"/ "Who is making money from this information?"

    • "What other sources back this up?"

    • "Am I too emotional to think critically about this information?"

    • "Is this too fresh to trust? How much more we will know in a week?"

    • "Do I know enough about this subject to draw an informed conclusion?"

    • "How many perspectives am I seeing?"

    • "Who is a trusted expert on this subject?"

(1) https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/why-politifact-has-labeled-2025-the-year-of-the-lies)

(2) https://www.thenationalliteracyinstitute.com/2024-2025-literacy-statistics

(3) https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buzzword

Wanting to feed your neighbors across the country is a noble goal that can be hard to achieve. There are only so many meals you can make and deliver to people yourself. Buying things, even in bulk, to drop off at food banks can cause logistical problems, and of course...you'll never get to everyone. 

With 48 million people facing hunger in the U.S. - including 14 million children (1), that is a lot of mouths to feed. This is where Feeding America comes in. They have the logistics in place to stretch a dollar, get food in bellies, and help more people than any one of us ever could. 

NEED SUPPORT? FEEDING AMERICA CAN HELP YOU;

1. Find a Local Food Bank

2. Get SNAP Assistance

3. Explore Meal Program Resources

WANNA HELP? You can visit Feeding America and help by;

1. Donating - $1 provides 10 meals

   • This math is because Feeding America has relationships with farms, grocery stores, and other organizations that allow them to buy in bulk, make use of excess product, and source local produce. This also helps them buy what they need and distribute it effectively, rather than sorting through hundreds of inconsistent drop off donations. (not that they or we are discouraging you from donating items).

2. Fundraising

   • You can partner with Feeding America on a fundrasing campaign. People are more likely to donate to trusted organizations. If you are starting a food fundraiser consider working with Feeding America who can help you find your food distribution regional area and the local food banks in your community.

3. Volunteering

   • It takes many hands to get things to the people who need them. Everything from packaging, unpacking, sorting, distributing, essential services like inventory, and more are done by everyday people like you. They have a simple sign up form and most food banks will list their volunteer shifts on their local website.

4. Advocating

   • 'Urge lawmakers to see how community organization and government programs work together to help neighbors' (2) Feeding America's Advocate page allows you to fill in your information and send a letter asking your member of Congress to visit a local food bank. 

   • When reaching out to representatives, advocate for programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and WIC (Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children). 

   • These are your tax dollars - you have a voice in how they are used. 

(1),(2) https://www.feedingamerica.org/?r=n&o=a