A bold beginning

You have to start somewhere…

We heard from so many friends, “I want to do something, but I just don’t know what to do.” So, we thought and brainstormed and then took action, calling everyone on in our contacts to share an event we planned as we went–a “concerned citizens” meeting, an opportunity to be in community, to share concerns, and to crowd-source action ideas.

We didn’t know quite what to expect. Typically 20% of invitees show up, right? We were pleasantly surprised to see friends arrive early, help us set up tables and chairs, pass out name tags and markers, and greet others as they came in.

We had slides and a plan, some introductory words, but mostly just a whole lot of conviction to do something productive and positive to counteract the fear and destruction happening at the federal level.

Around 50 people engaged in meeting one another, sharing concerns and ideas. We identified our purposes for showing up and then noted where we go for information and inspiration. We shared the actions we have engaged in and others we knew were coming up. We didn’t agree about everything–we didn’t need to. We embodied the democratic spirit.

There is so much to do, but we have to start somewhere. This site will serve as a hub for those who attended and more who want a place to go to connect, to gain new sources of information, and to learn about actions to take together. We also have blog space for members to share their own thoughts–a kind of citizen journalism, if you will.

Our welcome slide at our introductory event read, “Yes we can!” “Sí se puede!” We have power. Let’s use it.