Pens to Power
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posted 8/28/26
Dear Pens Team,
I hope you are all having a great week, and that the cooler weather has been a welcome relief from the heat! As Fall rolls in, Washington County Indivisible has a LOT of events coming up, so there's something for everyone! Summary (flyers for all events attached):
Food Drive: We are partnering with Hagerstown Rapid Response and Hub City Brewery this Friday from 5-10pm to collect as many items as we can for Western Maryland Immigrant Rights Collective, supporting families in the region who have been impacted by ICE detention. Join us and drop off a donation to receive 50% off your first drink! Pens to Power Event: Our next event is THIS SUNDAY August 30 from 1-4PM. We will be writing postcards to swing states, preparing for our upcoming general election local mailer, and collecting donations for Eliza's House food pantry. Suggested donations include: rice, bread, peanut butter, jelly, microwaveable foods, canned foods, high protein snacks, and personal hygiene items. RSVP to [email protected] if you plan to attend, and to receive the address. (Next event after that is Sept 20, then again on October 4 for the BIG gathering - please attend this one if you can!) Signs From the Sky: Between now and September 6, donate protest signs you've carried over the past several months or create something new. We'll arrange the collected signs into a massive ground collage and capture the finished work from above using drone photography. The result will become a shareable protest art video released on September 21 in recognition of the International Day of Peace. Drop off signs at any upcoming WCI protest or event, or email [email protected] to coordinate a drop-off or pickup. Want to create something especially large, or bring your artwork on the day of the drone shoot? Let us know. The shoot will take place sometime between September 6–16, depending on weather. Want your sign back? Put your name and contact information on the back, and we'll return it after the project is photographed. City Park Event: WaCo Indivisible will host a booth at the Hagerstown City Park Fall Festival and Fireworks event on September 19 from 11am-4pm. Please stop by and visit our booth to learn more about how to get involved, our upcoming events, drop off donations of diapers and baby wipes for immigrant families affected by ICE, and create a thank you card for local first responders, teachers, and others who make a difference in our community. Candidate Speed Dating: This isn’t your typical, boring candidate forum. You will have the chance to sit down in small groups (bring your friends!) for short, face-to-face conversations with the local candidates seeking your vote. No stump speeches, just your questions and real conversation. Tuesday, October 7 from 6:00–8:00 PM. Doors open at 5:30 PM. Hub City Vinyl. Admission is free, and beverages will be available for purchase at the bar. RSVP to [email protected] Whew! That was a lot. Thanks for reading it all, and I hope to see you at our upcoming events!! Now, our weekly topics: ____________________________________________ FEDERAL: the Trump administration has significantly escalated population reduction policies, budget requests, and sales targets that critics warn could result in the mass elimination and slaughter of tens of thousands of animals, including wild horses and burros. The administration’s current approach, managed via the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), focuses on drastic population reduction to alleviate environmental strain and open land for commercial livestock and energy leasing. Let's write to our senators and representatives in Congress to urge them to oppose the removal of key protections for these animals. You can write your letter from here in just a few minutes: https://secure.humaneworld.org/page/190129/action/1 STATE: Our friends in Prince George's County have asked us to please help them with their campaign to urge their County Council to revoke the permit they issued to DHS to expand ICE operations at Metro 1, which is also the home to an office of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), medical assistance, cash assistance, and a permanent food pantry. This is not an appropriate location for ICE to carry out any of its operations or have agents present as residents go about taking care of their daily needs. Write from here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/prince-georges-county-revoke-the-permit-allowing-ice-to-expand-at-metro-1/ LOCAL: We have some things coming up locally that will need a lot of your attention, so I am going to give you a break on this week's local topic. Instead, please feel free to write a thank you note to someone in the community who makes a difference, or donate to our stamp fund so we can send out more election mailers in the coming weeks. Thank you in advance for any support! https://secure.actblue.com/donate/indivisiblewcm1349899027 Thank you for all you do, and for your consistency in showing up for the Resistance. We can't do it without you! Until next week, Laura
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Don't stand back and stand by. This is the time to stand up and speak out.
WASHINGTON COUNTY Indivisible / Washington County, Maryland