It all started with a speech…
“Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.”
The last five years have been exhausting and exhilarating. Exhausting because every day we faced another lie, another act that was destroying our democratic institutions and the safeguards that protect American citizens. It was exhilarating because we came together as a community of dedicated volunteers who supported one another and did a whole lot of work that contributed to victories that hold the promise of a stronger, more just, democracy.
We’ve set out a strategy for doing more work in 2022 to prepare the way to hold our gains and make more progress. The way this work will get done is through you! You are the heart and soul of Lean Left Vermont.
The Opening of a New Cafe
If you attended our Resistance Cafes during the 2020 election, you know that it was energizing to be with other like-minded people working together, to share our experiences and frustrations with technology, or what it felt like to connect with a voter, or sign up a poll watcher, or be on a voter hotline.
With the cafe idea in mind, we are creating another meeting place – virtually for now, but hopefully in-person in the months to come. The Good Trouble Cafes will be smallish groups of people who know one another — friends, family, neighbors, colleagues — who schedule regular social gatherings where they can share their beverage of choice, a cup of coffee, or even a meal with the purpose of learning more about what is happening politically and possibly becoming inspired to take action.
Each Cafe will decide how they want to operate — when, with whom, and the balance of socializing and getting the work done. Lean Left Vermont will support you by
providing information, videos, and reading materials for your discussions,
suggesting actions you and your group can take,
training opportunities for phone banking and texting,
ongoing support via monthly check-ins with Cafe leaders