Let's get those ideas flowing!

Complete the following:

1. When I was younger, I played for hours with ___________

2. When I was younger, I didn’t have ____________.

3. As a kid, I wish someone supported my dream of being __.

4. As a kid, I was scared of _____________.

5. In my house, we never had enough ______________.

6. As a kid, I never understood why _______________.

7. The first hard lesson I remember learning was ___________.

8. I still beat myself up about the time I said/did ____ to ___.

9. As a kid, I was always getting in trouble for_____________.

10. As a kid, I wish someone had told me _____________.

So many people start Activism projects as a way to provide the help or support they wish they had had as a kid. Did any of these answers bring something up for you?

Growing up spending way too many lunch times alone in the cafeteria, a group of trained volunteers at Libera, a nonprofit in West Virginia, decided that every Monday they would show up shortly before noon at a local high school to listen to any students who wanted to talk (All worked out with the school beforehand, of course). Lunchtime Listeners was born. So many kids admitted that they didn’t really have someone to listen to what was going on in their lives. One volunteer said, "Almost every week in the high school lunchroom, a new teen would ask to speak to one of us in private - to confess that she’d been contemplating suicide, or to say she was experiencing anxiety or being bullied. Sometimes students would approach the table asking for help for a friend who was self-harming or thinking about suicide".

This worked so well that they decided to create LovePacks to give to the teens as well. LovePacks are colorful drawstring backpacks filled with resources and activities to support students emotionally and mentally. These packs include: an age-appropriate book addressing anxiety and depression; journals with prompts; coloring books and crayons; items with crisis numbers to call or text; links to body safety and online safety videos; stress balls to squeeze; anxiety, depression, and bullying tools and resources; snacks, and more. Not only that, each LovePack features a note, handwritten with love and kindness, from one of the volunteers.

Tiffany Hwang is a high school senior in Dallas, Texas. In her junior year, she retriggered her autoimmune disease, Alopecia, causing hair loss. For months, she wore a wig to social events and performances in order to hide her insecurities. She was very fortunate to be able to afford a wig thanks to the love and support she received from her family, but she knew there were other children who didn't have the same experience. She decided to start the Strands of Hope Campaign which is a year round cut-athon - an ongoing hair donation campaign in hopes of collecting enough hair donations and financial donations to help children nationwide receive a wig due to hair loss from conditions including cancer, Alopecia, burns, and others. Their website provides detailed information and resources about how you can make a hair or financial donation.

“Hosting this campaign is my way of giving back and providing support to any child out there going through the same or even worse conditions.”

- Tiffany Hwang

In 2020, at the age of 14, Isabella Hanson was inspired to launch a national poetry competition about Black Lives Matter. Isabella’s “I Matter” poetry contest drew participation from students in 26 states. The top poems and art were made into a compilation book honoring the lives of Black people killed in 2020. She held a celebration of the book’s publication at the historic Fussell House in Pennsylvania - a site which helped lead over 2,000 slaves to freedom.

“I launched the “I Matter” project to provide an outlet for youth to process and express their thoughts, fears, and hopes. I took action because in the reflection of the eyes of the beautiful young woman named Breonna Taylor, I saw my own reflection. I was 14-years-old in May of 2020, but I was called to action to provide a forum and a voice for youth in America.”

- Isabella Hanson

I hope this was helpful! I am so excited to hear what ideas it may have sparked! If you are a full member of The Activist Collab, head over to Slack and let me know what you thought!

If you would like to join The Activist Collab, click below. This will allow you to join our Slack community to discuss the ideas you are working on and participate in the #riseupbootcamp challenge!

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#riseupbootcamp runs from August 1-14.

Until Friday…

Ashley

91 Christopher Street
New York, NY 10014, USA