Intro to Community Engagement

Hi friends,

Once again, the world’s eyes are on Minnesota.

Prince may have come and gone, but the spirit of Revolution has always lived here. We were, afterall, the first state to volunteer troops to the Union for the Civil War. Though we haven’t always gotten it right, we have a storied tradition of banding together and standing up for one another. Once again, we’re showing the nation and the world why we are “L'Étoile du Nord.”

I’ve pulled together this evolving document to serve as a starting point for folks, wherever you may be, who want to do something to help but just aren’t sure how or where to begin.

I say evolving document because one thing is clear, ICE tactics change. Sometimes due to environmental factors, sometimes due to tactical maneuvers on the part of community members; but the fact remains, as circumstances evolve, so do their tactics and so too must ours.

Be mindful of this when comparing ICE’s presence in your community to Minneapolis. Given that, I will update this document as information is verified.

This is a vast oversimplification but my hope is that this makes getting involved more approachable. Though there are endless ways to give back, I’ve created five categories of ways you can contribute to a community or a given movement. This document is yours to make what you will of it.

Maybe you’ll read through the whole thing from start to finish; maybe you decide to take action on one sub-heading per week; maybe you share within your network and everyone claims a portion of this to take ownership on. Maybe, like me, you try to focus where you can, however small. Right now, I am limited with my time/capacity; so instead of physically showing up, I’m focused on sharing information within my circle, calling friends to give mutual aid and boycott businesses/industries.

Lastly, these ways of contributing to community aren’t isolated to situations like the ICE occupation of Minneapolis; these can be used to prepare your communities for any number of things.

Given the recent ice storm across the south, imagine if more communities had robust networks established for sharing information regarding storm predictions, a community tool-bank (generators, blankets, flashlights, etc.), donating money to food shelves/community groups assisting others, gathering friends and family to volunteer and help clean neighbor’s yards of debris. How much better would you weather storms with a framework of community support?

“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members." – Coretta Scott King

There’s no right or wrong way to help. No action too big or too small when it comes to supporting and uplifting one’s community. Whether you’re my fellow-Minnesotan, my fellow-American, or my fellow-human; I love you.  Be kind. Do good.

With solidarity and inextinguishable hope,

Rozlyn

Time        4

Attending Meetings        4

Community Groups        4

School Board/City Council        4

Town Halls        4

Calls to Action        5

Contacting Your Representatives        5

Campaigning        6

Download and Share Videos of Interactions on Social Media        6

Protest        6

Volunteer        6

Information        8

Defense/Self-Protection        8

ICE Watch        8

If You are Arrested        9

Know Your Rights        9

News Outlets        9

Resources        9

Money        10

Boycotts/Strikes        10

Donate/Mutual Aid        10

People        11

Connect With Your People        11

Get Connected to More Formalized Groups        11

Selecting the Right People        11

Joy/Hope/Resilience        13

Time

Attending Meetings

I cannot overstate how important it is to break out of your comfort zone and introduce yourself to the like-minded folks when attending meetings.

To those reading who may be more introverted/reserved/shy, here are some tips that might help:

  • Listen for like-minded individuals; maybe someone speaking about an issue you’re concerned about at an Open Forum at a City Council meeting.
  • Approach the person at an appropriate time (when people are leaving, between sections in the meeting, etc.)
  • Introduce yourself, comment on what was said/done that resonated with you.
  • Share that you are looking to build a network regarding the issue in question and ask if you can get their number to share information and calls to action.

The worst that will likely happen is a polite rejection; at best, you’ve gained another ally to multiply the impact of your efforts.

Community Groups

Ask the group leader to close with a call to action for attendees to introduce themselves to at least two people in the group before leaving.

School Board/City Council

Many local government bodies have portions of their meetings devoted to open forums, often 2-5 minutes of time per speaker. Consider preparing a statement to read; end with an ask that like-minded attendees connect with you before leaving.

Town Halls

Town Halls are opportunities to voice your concerns and ask elected officials about issues. Unfortunately, many elected representatives don’t hold Town Halls as frequently as they should. You can find information regarding upcoming town halls on most elected officials webpages.

Calls to Action

Contacting Your Representatives

  • 5 Calls
  • u/theoryofgames
    “Was a federal lobbyist (for green energy) for four years during the Obama admin. I never worked directly for a MoC but this was literally my job. Here are my suggestions:
  • ⁠Only contact members who represent you. As mad as you are at Chuck Schumer, he does not care if you're not a constituent.
  • As others have pointed out, they do track phone calls, emails, sometimes even SMS responses (via the campaign). Even if you leave a VM, your message will (probably) get tracked.
  • When you message, identify yourself (I usually give my name, city, and ZIP - they will sometimes look you up on their donor rolls or the voter lists), and explain why you're calling. If you're using talking points from an organization (e.g. Indivisible), restate them in your own words.
  • ⁠Make a CONCRETE ASK if possible, e.g. vote against this bill, or vote for that nominee.
  • The bigger/more persistent the issue is in the news, the more frequently you can call. In normal times I'd say don't call more than 2x/week but these are not normal times.
  • ⁠It will often be easier to contact your local office than the DC office; depending on the member, their DC office may get swamped, but the local offices are sometimes less busy. The contact records are all kept in the same system.
  • Be kind to the staffer answering the phone. Even if you're pissed as hell at their boss, they may agree with you.”

Campaigning

  • 2026 Midterm - Primaries

Download and Share Videos of Interactions on Social Media

  • It is incredibly important to download these images/videos as many platforms are engaging in censorship.
  • It is equally important to share these images/videos to raise awareness.

Protest

Volunteer

It is certainly more effective to volunteer in groups, but sometimes you just have to go it alone. I always approach "freelance mutual aid” by doing the following:

  • Keep your eyes and ears open for calls for supplies by community groups.
  • Let your network know that you are planning on a supply run.
  • Ask if anyone would like to contribute financially to increase the amount of supplies donated.
  • (Optional but encouraged) Photograph and log the supplies; message contributors so they can see the fruits of their donation.
  • Drop off supplies.

As noted above, there are plenty of organized groups doing good work near you. It is more effective to connect with established networks.

Look locally for groups who are working on supporting the community through a particular issue; some organizations have preferences on how to volunteer oneself so it’s always best to check their website.

Information

Information, when communicated well and communicated widely, is power. Particularly when events develop quickly.

Whether you’re using a Signal chat, a sub-Reddit, the Nextdoor app, Discord, or heck- even a classic phone-tree, be sure to have a platform where you can broadly share information, calls to action, and resources as they come in.

NOTE: Different communication platforms are subject to differing levels of security and surveillance. Be mindful of data safety practices to protect yourself and others.

Defense/Self-Protection

  • Check the comments for additional tips

ICE Watch

  • Size: How many people (or vehicles/agents) are involved?
  • Activity: What are they doing? (e.g., protesting, marching, blocking traffic, rioting)
  • Location: Where is it happening? (e.g., street address, intersection, landmarks)
  • Unit/Uniform: What are they wearing? Do they have any identifying markings, patches, or uniforms?
  • Time: When did you observe this?
  • Equipment: What gear or weapons are they using?

If You are Arrested

Know Your Rights

News Outlets

Rated Highly+ Factual by Media Bias Fact Check

Resources

Money

Boycotts/Strikes

Donate/Mutual Aid

People

Connect With Your People

When you receive pertinent information, contact two of your friends, and ask that they share with two of their friends. Same with calls to action. Be sure to personalize your messages; you don’t need a formal script to put out an ask for help.

Connecting in person truly does make a difference. For your next social gathering, host a get-together with a purpose/for a cause:

  • Print and post informational flyers in your community.
  • Put together care-packages for community needs.
  • Shop/distribute supplies for community groups.
  • Have a research party on a proposed bill, brainstorm effective talking points for your network to share.

Of course, not all of us have the same capacity or ability to attend things in person. You can still take collaborative action remotely; consider hopping on a Zoom/facetime with friends and:

  • Host a sign-making party.
  • Work together on designing an informational poster/flyer to distribute.
  • Come up with a group readiness plan. How/what are you going to do if/when certain events unfold?

Get Connected to More Formalized Groups

Selecting the Right People

One of the best ways to institute change is to win elections, and it’s undoubtedly easier to win elections when you have a candidate folks want to support.

Having high quality, inspiring, persuasive candidates starts with the Primary process. Get engaged in your local community, find a candidate you want to support and get involved.

Joy/Hope/Resilience

Minnesota Links

ICE Watch

  • Size: How many people (or vehicles/agents) are involved?
  • Activity: What are they doing? (e.g., protesting, marching, blocking traffic, rioting)
  • Location: Where is it happening? (e.g., street address, intersection, landmarks)
  • Unit/Uniform: What are they wearing? Do they have any identifying markings, patches, or uniforms?
  • Time: When did you observe this?
  • Equipment: What gear or weapons are they using?

If You are Arrested

Know Your Rights

News Outlets

Rated Highly+ Factual by Media Bias Fact Check

Resources

Money

Boycotts/Strikes

Donate/Mutual Aid

Groups