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Shannock Falls

Effective and Responsive Leadership

Richmond Democratic Town Committee

Do One Thing

Feeling overwhelmed? Start small. Change begins with one action. Focus on One Thing Today. You have power. Your voice matters—it can impact your life, community, and nation. You can’t do it all, but you can do this One Thing. Let’s create change together. #DoOneThing #richmonddems #DOT #RDTC

Download a List of Things You Can Do

 

Many of our community members are overwhelmed by what is happening in our communities and in our country and we want to provide resources and support. #DoOneThing is to designed to provide a few options for activism and community engagement in “bite-sized,” weekly posts. Follow us on Bluesky

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Feeling overwhelmed? Start small. Change begins with one action. Focus on One Thing Today. You have power. Your voice matters—it can impact your life, community, and nation. You can’t do it all, but you can do this One Thing. Let’s create change together. #DoOneThing #richmonddems #DOT #RDTC

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Here's how you can get involved: 

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  • Check up on a neighbor

  • Write a Letter To The Editor

  • Contact a local public official to get updates or make suggestions

  • Contact a municipal employee

  • Thank a public employee doing great work

  • Thank a teacher

  • Visit a local library

  • Read a book on a topic of advocacy

  • Go to a protest or attend a rally 

  • Attend a Town Council meeting 

  • Attend a School Committee meeting

  • Attend a Human Services sponsored event

  • Track state legislation you care about

  • Speak at a TC or SC meeting

  • Volunteer on a local commission or board

  • Donate to a local food pantry

  • Email your congressperson

  • Call your congressperson

  • Call your state representative

  • Check in on a federal worker or 

  • Write a letter/make a social media post about a government-funded benefit you enjoy or receive

  • Testify at the state house on a legislation you support or oppose 

  • Support a local clean up (April 22nd)

  • Craft something to support a cause

  • Create art to advocate on an issue

  • Plant seeds

  • Share this DOT message with 5 friends

  • Start a weekly newsletter to stay in touch with friends and share your actions

  • Deliver a meal to a friend

  • Boycott a business/ unsubscribe from a service you don’t want to support

  • Promote a local business

  • Support a local business

  • Take a social media break

  • Fight against imposter syndrome and know that you are a valuable part of this fight

  • Share a resource or action with us!

  • Suggest a Community Conversation or State Leader topic with the RDTC

  • Have a conversation with someone who you disagree with about something

  • Volunteer at a local non-profit or in a school

  • Mentor a student

  • Subscribe to a journal or newspaper that is doing great work

  • Combat disinformation by sharing one piece of verified accurate information. 

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        Follow us on Bluesky

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        Join Bluesky

Bluesky
Bluesky

April 8, 2025 Good Morning, All! Today we are launching our #DoOneThing campaign on BlueSky! Many of our community members are overwhelmed by what is happening in our communities and in our country and we want to provide resources and support. #DoOneThing is designed to provide a few options for activism and community engagement in “bite-sized,” weekly posts. Please spread the word by sharing our posts. As always, we welcome ideas and contributions from the community. Our post on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/richmonddems.bsky.social/post/3lmci7qiyj22s Today’s ideas for activism: GO TO A RALLY or VOTE IN A LOCAL ELECTION OR REFERENDUM or WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR or EMAIL YOUR CONGRESSPERSON or JOIN A BOYCOTT

April 15, 2025 We know many people are overwhelmed by what is happening in our communities and in our country. Our #DoOneThing campaign is designed to give our community members tools and ideas for activism and engagement. Please spread the word by sharing our posts. This weeks' ideas for activism: Combat disinformation by sharing a trusted source on social media Visit your local library and thank your librarian! Attend a Rally (there is one upcoming on April 19. See information here: No Kings, “We’re not going back!” Protest - 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution Track local legislation and express support/opposition. (The Assault Weapons Ban is on the precipice of passing, ask Senate President Ruggerio and Speaker Shekarchi to move it to a floor vote!: sen-ruggerio@rilegislature.gov, rep-shekarchi@rilegislature.gov and cc your district reps: rep-cotter@rilegislature.gov, sen-morgan@rilegislature.gov) Write an email to Atty General Neronha thanking his team for his efforts! (ag@riag.ri.gov) Write a Letter To the Editor (consider one in support of the Town Budget) Write an email in support of Superintendent Picard (gina.picard@chariho.k12.ri.us)

April 22, 2025 Good Morning, All! It’s #DoOneThing Tuesday!! Many of our community members are overwhelmed by what is happening in our communities and in our country and we want to provide resources and support. #DoOneThing is designed to provide a few options for activism and community engagement in “bite-sized,” weekly posts. Thanks to all who are participating in events across our community, especially those who attended rallies on the 19th! Looking for ways to #DoOneThing this week? Here are some ideas! Support a local clean up (April 22nd) Write a letter/make a social media post about a government-funded benefit you enjoy or receive. Here is one article to consider amplifying: North Kingstown company bracing to lose its business Write a Letter to the Editor in support of the town budget Buy a banned book. See list of books recently removed from the U.S. Naval Academy’s Nimitz Library: https://media.defense.gov/2025/Apr/04/2003683009/-1/-1/0/250404-LIST%20OF%20REMOVED%20BOOKS%20FROM%20NIMITZ%20LIBRARY.PDF Donate $5 to a cause you support and follow them online. This will expand their influence. Attend the Tax the Rich Teac-In on April 23, 7pm at Hope High School: www.revenueforRI.org

April 29, 2025 Good Morning, Everyone! It's a great day for #DoOneThing Tuesday! Let's resist the anxiety and the overwhelm by focusing on what we can control and doing one thing! Here is this week's list of possible actions to do to move our country and our community forward. Thank you! -Attend a rally. There's one here in Richmond on May 4th at the Town Hall from 3-430pm! Bring signs, food, noisemakers or an instrument and enjoy seeing friends! (https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/777228/) -Write a Letter to the Editor, expressing disappointment that we have lost a principal due to the School Committee's treatment of current employees such as Mrs. Picard. -Write an email to Senate Majority leader Lawson (sen-lawson@rilegislature.gov) and express disapproval of Senator Ciccone as RI Senate Majority leader. Please see Indivisible post here: https://bsky.app/profile/indivisibleri.bsky.social. -Put a social media post up in support of our Democratic town council members and the upcoming budget. -Have a candid conversation with someone who you may disagree with or who is generally “apolitical.” As AG Neronha said, “it is no longer time to politely remove politics from conversation. People need to know how bad things are getting.” -Plant some seeds! Watch them grow!:)

May 6, 2025 Spring is finally in the air! Please spread the word about #DoOneThing among your friends and family, on Bluesky or other social media! It feels good to #DoOneThing each week to move our community and our country forward. If you are talking with friends who may feel overwhelmed, invite them to Do One Thing so they feel empowered. Thanks to those who participated in the Earth Day cleanup and attended the rally at the Town Hall on the 4th! Here is our DoOneThing list of ideas for the week.: -Attend the Budget hearing at the Town Hall at 6pm on May 6th. (Attend a town council or school budget meeting in your town) -Come to a Richmond Human Services Department event. For a calendar of upcoming events, including a Meals on Wheels program, Bingo and much more, visit the Human Services of Richmond facebook page or email humanservices@richmondri.com to join their distribution list. -Join BlueSky and follow RDTC and #DoOneThing campaign! -Buy apparel or “necessity” items from a cause that you support. Examples: t-shirts from the NPR shop or podcast merchandise shops you support. -Check up on a neighbor. Consider offering them seeds or plants for spring!

May 13, 2025 It’s #DoOneThing Tuesday! Please consider taking time out to Do One Thing this week to support your community and your country during this difficult time. Here is our list this week: -Attend a local school committee meeting. -Donate to a group that has done something you approve of. Tell them why. -Learn about General Strikes as they may be necessary going forward. Check out generalstrikeus.com -Attend the Assault Weapons Ban hearings at the RI capitol on May 14th. -Talk to a young person in your life about the importance of civic engagement. -Take the time to write down your top 5 values. See if your donations, time, contributions align with your values and if not, take a step towards alignment.

May 20, 2025 Let’s #DoOneThing this week! As tariff attention continues, the local budget referendum is coming up, and budget talks continue in Washington, let’s focus on the economy for our #DoOneThing this week! Take one of these ideas or add your own! -Consider a “Buy Nothing day” where you somehow don’t spend a dime! “Buy Nothing” days help bring awareness to your spending habits, and often inspire habits of reuse, recycling and borrowing, which is good for your wallet, the environment and community! Check this post out for more information: https://wildvirginia.org/embracing-buy-nothing-day-a-step-towards-sustainable-living/ -Attend an Economic Development Commission meeting of Richmond! See information here: https://www.richmondri.com/153/Economic-Development-Commission -Call or email your congressman to speak out about the federal budget, to defend social security, Medicaid or a federal agency you support. -Talk to your friends, family and neighbors about what is in the town budget. -Have you put together your personal or family budget? Does your budget align with your values? Check out various tools on “values based budgeting” such as the article here: https://www.ironwoodwm.com/values-based-budgeting-what-it-is-why-it-works/

May 27, 2025 Continuing our budget theme, please see some possible action items below! Please take a moment to #DoOneThing. Thank you! -Check out the recent LTEs and consider re-posting online: https://www.thewesterlysun.com/opinion/letters/letter-vote-for-sensible-richmond-budget-on-june-3/article_d85292b6-b202-463e-8bd1-030822918885.html https://www.thewesterlysun.com/opinion/letters/letter-she-s-had-enough-of-thomas-marron-s-opinions/article_7c04abec-cf78-471a-b731-59d90df56d51.html -Sign up to canvass for the budget! Please respond to this email if you are interested in assisting this Saturday. -Vote! Budget referendum is on June 3rd. (Beyond local: Bookmark your town events calendar! Make a reminder for upcoming votes or important upcoming meetings. Your presence is important!) --Call or email your congressman to speak out about the federal budget, to defend social security, Medicaid, a federal agency you support, or even just to control the federal deficit. You can call (202) 224-3121 of them at (202) 224-3121, or email your congressional representative at: Representative Magaziner - https://magaziner.house.gov/contact Senator Whitehouse https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/contact/email-sheldon/ Senator Reed https://www.reed.senate.gov/contact/

June 3, 2025 For this week's #DoOneThing, we are keeping it simple: VOTE! The Budget Referendum is up for a VOTE today, June 3rd. Voting is open from 8am-8pm at the Richmond Town Hall. Contact your friends and family and ask them to go VOTE! Please see some articles on the budget here: Sam for Richmond - Municipal Budget You Should Vote Yes for the Budget - Reynolds Yes on Budget Easier than Naming a Village - Palmisciano The Westerly Sun and the Beaver River Valley Community Association shared valuable information as well. VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

June 10, 2025 Protest vibes are in the air as Trump's military parade hits Washington, DC. Please see a list below of things you can do this week, whether it's join a protest, support our immigrant communities or support litigation that is challenging unlawful presidential orders: 1. Attend a No Kings Protest this weekend! (There is one in Westerly, one in Wakefield, and two in Providence): https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/. 2. Attend tonight's (6/11) event with RI Attorney General Neronha to learn about legal actions being taken against the administration. 6pm, Senior Center, Richmond, RI. 3. Know your Rights and the rights of anyone detained by immigration enforcement: https://immigrantjustice.org/for-immigrants/know-your-rights/what-do-if-you-or-loved-one-detained/. Consider a donation to an organization that advocates for a just immigration system like NIJC: https://immigrantjustice.org/about-nijc/history-mission/ or NILC: https://www.nilc.org/. Even clicks on their sites helps their cause. 4. Learn more about what is happening in the immigrant community. Join a webinar: https://www.mobilize.us/afsc/event/746944/?referring_vol=4406684&share_context=dashboard-event-details&sharer_role=2 5. Reach out to an immigrant friend. Ask how they are feeling. Ask what you can do to support their family. 6. Listen to Governor Newsom's recent address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXQQNUeb4Sw

June 17, 2025 Thank you to everyone who showed up to protests on Saturday! It was an extraordinarily successful day with most estimates of over 6 million participants nationwide, some as high as 13 million. Recall Sun Tzu's lesson that "he will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks." We saw tremendous unanimity in spirit this weekend! Wondering about the impact of protests? Many people are asking, "what's next?" Successful protest movements have some commonalities. Here are a few good recent articles: https://www.npr.org/2025/04/24/nx-s1-5371514/what-makes-a-protest-successful https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-power-of-protest-in-the-us/ Looking to #DoOneThing this week to help your community and aid the movement towards responsible governance? - Attend tonight's town council or school committee meeting. - Spread the word to get out the vote for the next referendum. - Write to RI Senate President Lawson and ask her to bring the Assault Weapons Ban to the Senate floor for a full vote: (401) 222-4901, sen-lawson@rilegislature.gov. - The federal budget bill is still being considered in the Senate. If you know anyone with a Republican Senator, consider asking them to contact their Senators and express their opinion on the bill. - Take an opportunity to replenish and restore your energy for all our upcoming efforts. Relax on Juneteenth!

July 1, 2025 The Fourth of July is coming up – a celebration of our democracy and a reminder of why we are fighting to keep it! While you enjoy your holiday with family, friends, and your community, here are a few ideas to keep up the fight. 1. Make a plan to vote next Tuesday. Vote YES for Richmond! The next town budget referendum is next Tuesday, from 8 am to 8 pm at Richmond Town Hall. Tax rates will stay the same, but if the budget passes, the town will be able to allocate funding into road repairs and staff retention. You can read our summary of the proposed budget and access links to the source documents at: https://www.richmonddtc.com/richmond-town-budget 2. Conduct a local protest on Independence Day. Rhode Island doesn’t have any mass protests planned for July 4th. However, you can gather with your family and friends to protest in a busy spot in your own town. This is a day of remembering that “We the People" have the power, even in the face of autocracy! (Remember, stick to public property like sidewalks and parks, don’t incite violence or lawlessness, and be proud – carry signs and flags!) 3. Write an LTE or social media post in support of the town budget. Over the next few days, posting support on social media or writing letters to the Westerly Sun are a great way to show advocacy for the budget vote and remind other folks about it. You can submit letters to the editor at this link: https://www.thewesterlysun.com/site/forms/online_services/letter_editor 4. Create art to advocate on an issue. Art can speak out in ways that express hope or frustration in new ways! Create something that speaks out to your concerns, or find some local artists that make you feel heard! 5. Craft something to support a cause. Making reusable napkins or dish towels is much better for the environment than paper waste. Cloth napkins can help keep your barbeque clean and litter-free! Let's all #DoOneThing this week! Happy Summer!

July 22, 2025 Overwhelmed by what is happening in our country? #DoOneThing is designed to give people in our community "bite-sized" ideas for activism. If everyone does one thing, however small, it can make a huge difference. Consider doing one of the things listed here to make a positive difference! 1. Thank a local leader. Our discourse is dominated by negativity. But politicians at all levels are influenced by positive reinforcement as well! If you see a leader doing something positive, thank them! Write, call or post something on our Richmond community FB page, highlighting an initiative or a decision you support. 2. Help our immigrant community. Looking for ways to help our immigrant community? Many are currently living in fear and many organizations have lost funding. In Rhode Island, check out https://www.diiri.org/ and sign up to volunteer! 3. Attend a local Democrats meeting. In Richmond, our next meeting is July 23rd. Feel free to stop in and join the public forum at 6:30pm at the Senior Center above the police station. 4. Join the Village Commons informational meeting. The Village Commons efforts in Rhode Island is a volunteer-led organization in towns designed for neighbors to help neighbors. It helps build community, and make it easier for older residents to help each other! The informational meeting will be August 8, 5-7 pm at Alaina's Ale House. RSVP with community@villagecommonri.org by July 31st (see the attached flyer).

August 5, 2025 Activism doesn't have to be a chore. It can and should be fun and energizing! While this is a very difficult time for our country, we have an opportunity to form friends and relationships that enrich our lives and create a better future for our country and community. Let's all #DoOneThing this week and make it fun! Here are some things you might consider doing this week that will move our community and country forward: Help support One Million Rising events! Roberta Engel will be hosting a planning meeting at Clark Memorial Library this Thursday, August 7th, from 5:30-6:30 pm to discuss ideas for local events, including a celebration of the Freedom to Read Act on August 16! 💐 ROOTED IN RICHMOND GARDEN PARTY & FUNDRAISER SATURDAY, August 9th @ 3-6PM. Join the RDTC for a family-friendly outdoor event. Come out to support our work and build community with friends and neighbors. Local and state elected officials will be in attendance. Food and drinks provided! Please RSVP for address and purchase tickets here: actblue.com/donate/rdtcsummer2025. Looking to get involved in a "fun" protest? Join the South County Resistance on Facebook. Every Saturday from 9:30am-11am they are at the Rte 1 overpass in Wakefield near Shaws. Bring your USA flag and sign! And check out this article on the 3.5% rule: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190513-it-only-takes-35-of-people-to-change-the-world Concerned about the gerrymandering effort in Texas? See this page for ways to get involved and re-friend that person you know in Texas and send the information along! Common Cause in Texas Join the Village Commons informational meeting. The Village Commons efforts in Rhode Island is a volunteer-led organization in towns designed for neighbors to help neighbors. It helps build community, and make it easier for older residents to help each other! The informational meeting will be August 7, 5-7 pm at Alaina's Ale House. Email community@villagecommonri.org to see if there is still space available.

August 19, 2025 As summer vacation winds down there are still plenty of ways to get involved both in Richmond and our nation! Here are a few ideas: * Attend a school committee meeting (7 pm tonight at the Chariho High School library) or Town Council meeting (5:30 pm tonight at the Richmond Town Hall) * Promote a local business that is supportive to your cause! * Bring school snacks to RICAN on Saturday, August 23 between 9:30 - 11 am for our School Snacks Drive! * Connect with a friend or a family member that you haven't talked to in a while. See how they are doing! * Join a webinar or activist training session (Like the One Million Rising web series on YouTube)

September 7, 2025 It's back to school, and there are so many exciting ways to make a difference this month! Please see below some options for September action! Let's all #doonething to move our community and country forward! 1. Put the HealthCare Forum on your calendar! Wednesday September 17, 2025 @ 7PM Richmond-Carolina Fire Station, 208 Richmond Townhouse Rd. 2. Always remember the fun Overpass Brigade as a Saturday morning option! The next one is September 6th. 3. Do you sometimes bemoan the Democrats "lacking a strategy" or being "out-flanked" by the Republicans? Turn the angst into action! Get started on targeted, effective campaign strategies with organizations like Walk the Walk, which focuses on outreach and engagement with communities of color, or the Movement Voter Project, which is turning specific strategies into targeted action. 4. Flood the Zone... with positive reinforcement! Now is the time to start planting the seeds to shape public discourse. Public Education is under attack from the Trump regime, and it is consistently under attack here locally. Find a public page like the Richmond Community Town Page on Facebook and find a post related to education. Post a comment that reinforces the extraordinary benefit of public education, for our communities and for our wallets! Remember that personal stories are usually the most effective.

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