Julia S
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juliacsmith.bsky.social
Julia S
@juliacsmith.bsky.social
700 followers 560 following 190 posts
She/her. Recent transplant to NJ from Chicago. My newsletter = short, energizing examples of community organizing, mutual aid, arts, & more. Subscribe at https://here-for-you.ghost.io/ "what we pay attention to grows." - adrienne maree brown
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Reposted by Julia S
You can sign up to be a court observer in immigration proceedings through Witness 4 Justice, a program of @acaciajustice.bsky.social.

Anyone can bear witness.

Be present for those who are being snatched from their lives, families, and our communities.

Reach out to [email protected]
Reposted by Julia S
I've been harping on using FSA funds because workers lose $4 BILLION in unspent funds each year. I don't think many people even know about the FSA store as just one example of a simpler way to spend some of that money. Use it for others if you don't need it yourself.

money.com/unspent-fsa-...
Workers Are Losing Over $4 Billion in Unspent FSA Money a Year
An exclusive Money analysis finds that 47% of workers failed to drain their FSA balances in 2023, adding up to billions in lost money.
money.com
Reposted by Julia S
Just a note that menstrual products are the most requested / least donated items in food pantries so if you have the means to pick up supplies perhaps consider it
Reposted by Julia S
this is something that individual members of Congress could do tomorrow. The government is shut down so they could use their district offices. I suggested in January that they turn those offices into full on community centers where people could find each other re: mutual aid etc...
If I were running the DNC, there would be Democratic Party sponsored food relief banks across the country right now that specifically welcomed anyone regardless of party affiliation.

Along with the food, there could be voter registration and links to runforsomething.net
Reposted by Julia S
Making a recurring donation to your local food bank is one of the easiest & most effective ways to help people in your community. Now is a great time to either set one up or increase your existing support. Find a food bank near you: www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-lo...
Reposted by Julia S
Folks if you usually do end-of-year/holiday charity giving, consider moving it up to the beginning of November instead and hit up however many local food pantries you can afford to give to. (Check if you or a spouse/partner's employer does charity matching, too.)
In short, we do not know exactly what will happen with November SNAP benefits if the shutdown continues, but we do know there will not be enough money available to fully fund everyone's EBT card.

www.patreon.com/posts/snap-w...
SNAP & WIC - Status Update | Matthew Cortland
Get more from Matthew Cortland on Patreon
www.patreon.com
Really moved by the Resistencia en Acción rapid responders who’ve stayed 4+ hours at tonight’s Trenton NJ city council meeting to share what they have witnessed between TPD and ICE. Egregious that some members of council left before public comment was done.
Reposted by Julia S
The New England Journal of Medicine and the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy will be publishing regular public health alerts to replace the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which has been paused due to the federal government shutdown.
Reposted by Julia S
#GoodNewsOfTheWeek 🥳 Librarian fired for protecting inclusive books sued and won $700,000! In the end, she said, “It’s been a rough road, but I will never regret standing up for the First Amendment.” buff.ly/QDLlKoG
Reposted by Julia S
I've mentioned this before but it bears repeating. Don't leave FSA funds on the table at the end of the year. LOTS of places like homeless shelters etc... would love donations of FSA eligible items. For the past 2 years, I've used left over funds to shop here: fsastore.com - then donate the items.
The FSA Store - Browse and Buy over 2,500+ Flexible Spending Account Eligible Items Online
The FSA Store carries over 2,500+ guaranteed FSA-eligible products, health essentials, and more.
fsastore.com
Speaking of things I appreciate…I love our local School of Rock.
Happy birthday @prisonculture. I listened to your most recent Movement Memos convo last night. Continually grateful for all that you put out into the world!
Happy birthday @prisonculture.bsky.social Much respect and admiration for all you are and do and make possible.
Reposted by Julia S
Reposted by Julia S
like this is vicious.

they waited for the grandmas to go home so they could do this.
LAPD now shooting 40mm foam rounds at people, some narrowly missing photographers who were stuck in between the line and protesters. Just absolutely evil shit.
Reposted by Julia S
FATED STATES PHONEBANKERS: you can join the Sister District phonebanks to help send a blue wave through Virginia for the statewide elections there on November 4. State legislatures are the first and foremost line of defense against authoritarianism. Sign up to phonebank (with training!).
2025 Sister District & Partners National Phonebank! · Sister District
**Sister District and our National Phonebank partners are BACK in 2025!** Join us to help elect top-priority Dem candidates to the VA House of Delegates, drive votes up the ticket to help flip the Gov...
www.mobilize.us
Reposted by Julia S
I found this a really illuminating thread on what demonstrations do and why they matter.
In social movement studies, we talk about how marches and protests expand the threshold of acceptable risk so that people take more and bigger social risks IN PUBLIC, EN MASSE. This is extremely important for the bourgeois white folks holding signs and building social rapport.
Not a shitpost: #NoKings is feel-good performative activism for comfortable mostly upper and upper middle class white folks and that’s good, actually. Millions of people in the streets protesting a fascist regime is good. It is good for the normie baseline to be massive displays of public dissent.
Reposted by Julia S
The coalition that put this together is hosting a mass follow up call on Tuesday 10/21.

But local groups can use the momentum to actually offer concrete ways for people to do things together. Take the opportunity. Folks want to be involved.
Reposted by Julia S
New Yorkers, please help us to spread the word. Make copies of our zine and share it across the city!
Reposted by Julia S
Y’all here is a fun fact: Portland has a brand new volunteer organization called “operation inflation” that allows people to borrow inflatable costumes for protests. They just started a couple weeks ago and have like a 160 costume library (and counting because people keep donating).
OPERATION INFLATION
www.operationinflation.com
Reposted by Julia S
If you like to sing, want Zohran to defeat Cuomo & have a few hours in Manhattan to spare Sunday please join us
HEY NYC #skyfriends (pls share): Urgent call for singers for an anti-Cuomo, pro-Zohran PARODY SONG VIDEO filming SUN. 11/19, 3-5:30/6pm. DM for location.

Returning to Bsky after 6mos bec. I cowrote this for @jfrejnyc.bsky.social & some of our singers got sick. We need a few more!

Can YOU join us?
Reposted by Julia S
There won't be weekly mass mobilizations. But there will be people organizing weekly. We can all do so.
Reposted by Julia S
“Why should I go to a No Kings protest?”
A few more photos from #NoKings in Hightstown NJ today. 500+ people showed up! CC @njindivisible.bsky.social