Newsletter

Today's two things

Spice drive + birth certificates

Julia Smith

Julia Smith

— 2 min read

Hi! Welcome to a new chapter for this newsletter. The purpose and shape of it are still emerging and will probably shift as we go. For now, expect just one or two offerings (action items, beautiful art, grounding goodness) most weekdays. It’s all very earnest and if that isn’t for you, as always, you can unsubscribe! Maybe I’ll see you on Bluesky or in the crowded chat of the Working Families Party mass call tonight instead.

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Item 1

The week of Valentine’s Day, I’m going to drop off a big bag of spices to the Rise food pantry a few towns over.*

Graphic screenshot from RISE NJ website with an image of several small wooden spoons filled with brightly colored cooking spices. There is a chart detailing dozens of spices, dried herbs, and seasoning mixes that the food pantry will accept.
Screen shot of a graphic from Rise Pantry that gives an overview of their Spice It Up drive and details dozens of spices/dried herbs/blends they can accept.

Live nearby and want to help? ➡️ If you can contribute unopened and unexpired spices, please get ‘em to me by Wednesday, Feb 5.

Not nearby but want to help? ➡️ You can Venmo $5 (or any amount) to @julia-smith-77 and I’ll use it for this. After the spice drop, I’ll share a photo for accountability.

From the Rise website: Spices do more than add flavor — they bring culture, comfort, and tradition to family meals. Many families rely on our pantry for support, and with your help, we can provide them with the ingredients to prepare meals that feel like home.

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Item 2

Speaking of “home”: let’s talk birthright citizenship.

Live in a U.S. state with a Democratic governor? ➡️ Call or email them to demand they commit to issuing birth certificates to all children born in their state, regardless of Trump’s executive order. (If you live in IL, call or email J.B. to thank him for the strong example he set here. Or, if you live in Chicago and aren’t already connected to anti-ICE organizing in your neighborhood and want to be, let me know.)

Live in a U.S. state with any Senate or House representation? ➡️ Call or email them using this language from Indivisible.

‘Til tomorrow,

Julia

Sun streaming through my dining room window. There's a blue sky outside and snow on the ground. AN Anisa Makhoul poster is framed on the wall and reads GOOD ENOUGH in words that are legible but intentionally cut off. Some plants sit on a stool in the foreground, along with a disco ball that's casting prismatic light around the corner of the room.
Art by Anisa Makhoul, who has a million other rad prints you should take a look at. Plus snow, blue sky, some tired-but-trying plants, and a disco ball.

*Longtime readers who aren’t IRL friends: I moved from Chicago to central NJ** this past summer. Surprise, maybe! Do you know of people or things I should be aware of in the area?

**It has come to my attention that this is a controversial label. If you are from the region, can you help me understand if this is a thing I need to develop a stance on?

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