Our Shot: July 2, 2025

Welcome to the 12th edition of Our Shot, a weekly newsletter of actions that anyone (especially kids) can take to resist the Trump administration.

This week is unexpectedly the grandparent edition of our newsletter! We have been lucky enough to hear from both sides of our family in the last week with actions they have taken, so we are combining our shout-outs with ideas for action this week from Leo's paternal grandmother (Abu) and maternal grandparents (Opa and BamBam). Thank you for the intergenerational inspiration!

Abu's action: 

I'm currently doing volunteer work for HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society). It's a global Jewish non-profit organization that protects refugees.One of the things I'm doing is write letters of compassion and solidarity to people in immigration detention.

There are a number of organizations around the country that connect volunteers as pen pals - look for one near you that will help you write and send letters of solidarity to the ever-increasing number of detained migrants in the United States. And if you have suggested organizations to partner with, please send them to us so we can share!

We also recommend this action guide from HIAS if you are looking for more immigration-related ideas.

Opa and BamBam's action:

Showing compassion and love to those in need is an act of resistance to an administration which compromises its humanity in order to hang on to power. Donating goods and sharing your possessions is an act of resistance to an administration which protects those who have excessive amounts of physical assets.

In that spirit, we found a good organization on the North Shore which accepts used baby equipment and clothing for families in need: Community Giving Tree. We dropped off a large playpen, but also added a check and boxes of baby diapers in all sizes.

Look for an organization local to you that will accept donations of new or gently used goods and donate items you no longer need to your broader community.

Do you have any ideas for actions people can take? Have you taken an action of resistance that you would like to share? Please email ctsvirsky@gmail.com to let us know - we would love to hear from you!

We are not throwing away our shot!

Leo & Charlotte