With each passing day, I have a million more thoughts on what I need to do. Yes, I want to volunteer with organizations that assist marginalized people. Yes, I’d love to donate, but right now I really can’t give much. I’m creating a list of organizations that I will give $25 per month too. (Not $25 per organization per month. I have just $25 per month so each month will be a different organization.)
- Planned Parenthood – while I’m avidly pro-choice, I also relied on Planned Parenthood for health visits for the two years I didn’t have health insurance. These doors MUST stay open.
- Southern Poverty Law Center – with the uptick in hate crimes, including beatings and murder, SPLC will be instrumental in fighting back.
- ACLU – The first amendment is at a much higher risk than the second amendment ever will be. Freedom of Speech. Of peaceful assembly. Of religion. The ACLU will also be instrumental in fighting the roll-back of the Voting Rights Act, fighting to ensure that all citizens can vote no matter what.
- NAACP – founded in response to increased violence against African-Americans, this organization will be instrumental in responding to civil rights and human rights violations.
- Natural Resources Defense Council – The president-elect has indicated that the head EPA position will be filled by a climate-change denier. Four years is a long time when many scientists are giving the timeline of complete catastrophe starting in 50 to 80 years.
- Human Rights Campaign – with a Vice President-elect who believes that parents can send their gay children to be electrically shocked into heterosexuality, we need the HRC more than ever to protect the rights of the LGBTQ community.
Christmas is coming. And this Santa is making sure each dollar I spend doesn’t fall into the wrong bank account.
- Shop small businesses and shop local. There will be a lot of markets in the coming week to sell art and handmade goods. The money you spend goes directly to the maker.
- I am boycotting all stores and restaurants in the Piazza (Schmidt’s Commons). This area of Northern Liberties in Philadelphia, which once had so much promise, is now partially owned by Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. I’m sorry for the stores that remain, but I’m spending my dollars elsewhere.
- Do some research. We have so many choices – in store shopping, online, big box store, mom-and-pop shop. And the internet makes it easy to know which of these companies is spending the profits they make from your purchases.
- Grocery/Everything stores. I don’t shop at Walmart because of their union issues, political stances, and labor practices. I applaud Target for stepping up on trans issues, taking gender out of the toy aisles, but they donated $150,000 to Republicans this election cycle. Sorry, Tar-jay. I’m not finding much about my local supermarkets, but Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods often lead liberal-leaning lists. Costco has also donated much more to to Democratic candidates than Republicans.
- Clothes. I struggle with this. I get that cheap clothing is actually quite expensive. I can’t afford more sustainable clothes right now. So I’m going to start shopping exclusively at second-hand stores.
- Banking. Check out how your bank spends all those fees they collect from you. Often the highest profits in the countyr, mostly from the pockets of those who can’t afford it, banks then turn around and potential spend it on organizations that would do additional harm to the poorest in the country. Open Secrets is a great place to start.
- Big ticket items. I need a new computer, and our Xbox (which is also our streaming service box and DVD player is on it’s last legs.) Microsoft employees gave to Democrats 2 to 1, but Microsoft Corp, gave overwhelmingly to the GOP. Apple, while not in my budget for a laptop, is much more aligned with my politics. Employees’ political donations were almost 85 percent to Democrats. Sony (PlayStation) seems pretty evenly split, while Nintendo made no political donations.
To be part of a bigger movement, please consider joining Injustice Boycott. Starting December 5, we pledge to “boycott cities, states, businesses, and institutions which are either willfully indifferent to police brutality and racial injustice or are deliberately destructive partners with it.”
(December 5 is the anniversary of the start of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. That lasted 381 days. Over a year. But it was successful.)
It’s going to be hard and uncomfortable. That’s ok. Losing our democracy will be more uncomfortable than anything we do to fight for it.
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