Postcard Party to END THE SHUTDOWN

Postcard Party to END THE SHUTDOWN

Wondering what you can do to help end the partial government shutdown?  You can make yourself heard in a big way by sending postcards to your representatives telling them to refund the government and END THE SHUTDOWN.

 This Activation Kit contains everything you need to host a Pot Luck and Postcards Party,  making it easy for you, your friends and neighbors to write to your lawmakers, give them a piece of your mind, and be heard.  Right now, we’re focused on how we can help END THE SHUTDOWN, but you can host a postcard writing party to contact your representative about any cause that matters to you.

What’s a Potluck & Postcard Writing Party?

The name of this party says it all: gather people together to write postcards to their lawmakers about a cause or upcoming vote that’s important to them. In this case, you’re telling your representatives that you’re tired of  this shutdown and want them to end it now. 

Your representatives represents YOU, and sending them postcards is a great way to make sure they know what you think.  Postcards have been shown to be more effective than emails  or even phone calls to let representatives know their constituents are paying attention.

Why the Potluck?  Well, it’s supposed to be easy!  And what’s easier than having friends bring food and drink to share?

Inviting Guests

You can right click to copy and use the graphic here for your invitation.  Add your own customization – date, place, etc – to make it yours.  Or sometimes we like to use Paperless Post’s free invitation flier, simply add your own date/time/place for the party to the invitation.  Make sure your invite is set to private and share the invitation link with your guests.  

Where to get Postcards

Many online graphic designers and artists have created and shared postcards themed specifically to oppose the Trump administration that you can send to your representatives. Just download, print on cardstock, write your own message and send to your government representative.  They’re free!

Online #Resistance postcard resources:

• Design Crush’s 24 Printable #Resistance Postcards
• Design Crush and 17 More Printable #Resistance Postcards
• Cards to Congress
• Printable Dear Senator/ Dear Representative by Oh So Beautiful Paper
• Postcards from the People
• Postcards for the Resistance
• Love Letter America

Additionally you can buy “Write Your Representative” themed cards from online sources as well, but please look at the free options we listed above first (they are really great). Personally, we like these American Flag ones, they remind us that the flag belongs to ALL Americans, not just conservatives! And these are easy to customize with your own message on the front.

Supplies

• Pre-printed postcards (select from above) for your guests to choose from
• Pens (optional: different colors)
• Stamps
• Your Congressional representatives’ addresses pre-printed on paper for your guests.  (Find their office addresses here: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials)

If your guests ask how they can help prepare, ask them to bring their own stamps and supplies to help you defray costs.

The Party

A Potluck & Postcard Writing party is super casual.  Buy a few pizzas, and ask people to bring other, shareable dishes, drinks or desserts.  (Think about creating a sign-up sheet so you don’t end up with three lasagnas!)  You can even ask people to BYOS – Bring Your Own Stamps!

Have a few postcards already written, and print out a few suggested messages to inspire your attendees. Consider having a few talking points written out ahead of time, if you can, so people will get ideas.  Spread out your supplies so people can get to work right away.

Keep speechifying to a minimum.  Just introduce the event, say a bit about your cause or candidate and why you’ve decided to host this #FeedOurDemocracy event. You’re there to Meet, Eat and Activate!  

The Ask

Writing your representatives and keeping the pressure on elected officials to end the shutdown is important work.  But should you and your guests want to offer financial support as well, you might consider asking them to donate to organizations that support this kind of work.

We suggest Indivisible.  Indivisible helps local groups organize themselves to fight the Trump Agenda. They provide lots of resources on legislative advocacy and political expertise so that citizens can be effective change agents. Indivisble.org – Link to Donate.

The Details

• Register your event – We’re building a virtual and real-life community of citizen-activists. By registering your gathering, you help us all keep track of the impact we’re making together, one #FeedOurDemocracy event at a time.
• Follow-up with guests.  Let them know you appreciate their time, and remind them of the action they committed to take.
• Use the hashtags #meeteatactivate and #feedourdemocracy and tag @feedourdemocracy on social media.

HAVE FUN and BE PROUD OF YOURSELF

You’re participating in the democratic process and making a difference!

Want more in depth info on how to host?  Check out our Feed Our Democracy Toolkit for basic information on hosting a low-stress, high-impact event, and then use the tools in this kit for everything you need to host Potluck and Postcards Party to mobilize your friends and community to contact government  officials about a cause you care about.