A Message From Our Founder & Director: We’ve Got You

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Transcript:

Hey y’all! Cate here. I know it’s been a minute since I’ve been on here, and I just wanted to pop in and say hey, and check in.

You may have noticed we’ve been kind of quiet here and in our newsletter lately, and honestly, that’s been reflective of what we have been up to and what we've been prioritizing.

With everything going on — the non-stop attacks on our rights, our people and our communities, on our collective joy — we’ve been choosing to show up where we’re needed most. In person. Offline.

With folks who are hurting, folks holding it together the best they can, the ones trying to find their footing in all this. And, with those doing the hard, beautiful work of building and imagining something better, even when it feels like everything is stacked against us. 

Honestly... I don’t have anything super profound to say about the times we're living through. They're just.....really hard.  And really really unfair. 

It can make you want to check out completely, I know I've felt that more than once over the past few months.

But here’s what I do know: we can’t give up. We need each other. Our communities need us. And we’ve got to keep showing up, even when it’s hard — especially when it’s hard.

This moment is asking a lot of us. More care, more creativity, more imagination, more courage.

For us, this work isn’t about flashy content or viral campaigns or making things look good online.  It’s about building real, people powered infrastructure - civic, electoral and community care infrastructure - the stuff that helps people stay connected and protected and that lasts and carries us all forward. 

So what’s been going on while we’ve been a little quieter here? Great question, I would love to tell you!

👉 We’ve been on the ground. Meeting needs, checking in with folks, showing up where we’re needed, and building care centered plans with partners and our young leaders. 

👉 We are wrapping up a summer project called Reimagination Lab with grassroots leaders across South Carolina. 

👉 We’ve been supporting and training and building community among our young leaders - many of whom are living through the impact of their very first vote and figuring out how to navigate this new reality.

👉 We’ve also been asking the hard but necessary questions:
How do we protect each other?
How do we move forward together?
How do we keep doing this work in ways that feel safe, honest, and full of joy?
And how do we prepare. Not just the next few days, or next few weeks or months, but for the next few years?

We’ve also been getting ready for what's ahead:
🎂 Our THIRD birthday is next month and we're planning a fun celebration for y'all. 
🗳 September is National Voter Registration Month with lots of ways to tap in. 
🌟 We’re deep in planning for our second annual Young Leaders Summit on October 25th (created by and for South Carolinians under 30)

So yeah, while you maybe haven’t seen us as much on your screens, but please know we’re still here.

And on behalf of myself and our entire team:

We know how hard and unfair this moment is. We see you. We feel it too. 

But we’re not going anywhere. You’ve got us. And we’ve got each other.

Ok, talk soon friends. 💛