How We Spent Our Summer Vacation

This summer, we trained 1,000 new organizers all across the country as part of the Resistance Summer program funded entirely by MoveOn members. These Summer Mobilizers took to their communities to fight for health care, civil rights, and social justice—and got an intensive summer training to prepare them for the big fights ahead.

MoveOn teamed up with Wellstone Action to provide the scaled virtual trainings, and with 40 of the top organizers in the country to coach and support the 1,000 program participants. Mi Familia Vota, People’s Action, and Center for Popular Democracy also partnered to connect Mobilizers with local and state organizing networks. Thank you to our amazing partners!

Below are some of their best stories, photos, and videos of how they spent their summer:

A group of ten people showed up to my local group’s (SI4Change) monthly meeting. One newcomer said: “I’m glad to find some progressives on Staten Island. It is hard to keep calm during times like this, but knowing I can do something locally is a start.” In the photos, you can see that attendees of the meeting are writing letters. We wrote letters to the NRA to let them know that we disagreed with their new ad claiming that protesting was un-American.
–Nidhi K., Staten Island, NY

MoveOn and Indivisible Memphis members got together to celebrate our achievements over the first five months of the Trump era. We had often come together for protest actions, town halls, and rallies where we didn’t have time to speak to one another and get to know one another. I met many people to whom I had only talked to online, including my fellow MoveOn Mobilizer, Marian B. We have so many new faces in the Resistance in Memphis. It was powerful to see how many people are opposed to the Trump administration’s hatred and division in deep red Tennessee!
– Melanie C., Memphis, TN

Another local leader organized our Resistance Summer Cookout. We hosted a community Iftar near the end of Ramadan to show support to our local Muslim community. We had 100+ folks attend! The fellowship was wonderful! #CookingUpResistance
– Katrina H., Philadelphia, PA

We had two teams and knocked on 43 doors in downtown Minot, North Dakota, by the university campus. I feel like we almost overperformed because we were competing against a farmers market and the state fair in town. … It was a really good listening event all in all, and my volunteers actually want to schedule another one in about a week to canvass more. We were all a bit nervous about it at first, but after the first few people we spoke with, it became much easier!
–Matthew C., Minot, ND

We canvassed Senator Marco Rubio‘s neighborhood in West Miami. We knocked on 146 doors and had 21 conversations, some with people who know him personally! We even knocked on his door, but he wasn’t home. Hiding as usual! We found a lot of people very misinformed about what the Affordable Care Act does, what the Republican plan that Marco voted for would have done, and even how Medicare works. Despite that, most people we talked to think Medicare for All is a great idea, and we told them to call Senator Rubio and tell him! It would be great to do this again!
– Erik O., Miami, FL

– Erik O., Miami, FL

We learned that as volunteers, we are true brothers and sisters in heart and mind. That together, we have strength and support. That with that support, we can overcome our apprehension about approaching neighbors. That our fears were understandable, yet unwarranted. That no matter what we do, no matter how small or tentative, it makes a difference. That there is more love and connection in our communities than we could have ever known. That our neighbors want to become involved. That we are the powerful pebble in a pond. And this is just the beginning.
– Kimberly A., Tustin, CA

The majority of the people we spoke with supported a Medicare for All-type plan. For the seven canvassers, it was a unifying experience; we felt that we were doing something concrete and useful, as well as letting our community know that there is a group working for them. Some of the canvassers will continue to canvass in the coming week.
– Shalom T., Hinton, WV

I contributed to the People’s Town Hall in Miami, FL. We made cutouts of Senator Rubio and Representatives Diaz–Balart and Curbelo a la Where’s Waldo?, since they refuse to hold town halls. We had various speakers concerning issues such as public housing, immigration, health care and climate change. I was happy to make some noise with my community. Thank you for the training and experiences I’ve received this summer. I plan to keep moving on with my activism more confidently now that I’ve been through your training.
– Desiree M., Miami, FL

Representative Steve King responded to an invitation to meet with his constituents by saying he couldn’t come to our meeting because he had a, quote, “thing.” Whatever this “thing” was, we hope it’s covered by his insurance plan (ha!). We had a great turnout (20 people,) and people stood and talked to Cardboard Steve about their concerns about overpriced medications, insurance companies delaying/denying services to keep their costs down and threatening the lives of patients, and higher health care costs for rural populations.
– Annette G., Webster, IA

For my Resistance Recess action, I again enjoyed the face-to-face contact and listening to other Idahoans. We made it a family event, because now, more than ever, we need our [members of Congress] to realize the choices they make today affect our kids and their future. It is up to us to continue fighting for our kids, and I will take what I learned this summer and keep going full force!
–Megan G., Boise, ID

I am proud to serve as a MoveOn Summer Resistance Mobilizer. I’ve learned so much from the trainings and have shared that knowledge through actions in my small, very red district in north-central Texas. Grayson County is usually very quiet and complacent, and people go along with right-wing leadership to get along. We’re changing that.
– Barbara R., Whitesboro, TX