CW: COVID-19 references and mentions of deaths.

Indivisibles, 

Hi, my name is Elice and I work on our digital campaigns at Indivisible. I’m usually the person behind the words -- you’ve likely read my emails or texts before. But this is the first time here that I’m writing to you directly, and there’s a very specific reason I’m doing so. 

A few days ago, someone I’m close to was diagnosed with COVID-19. I went through all the emotions: distress, fear, concern, and landed somewhere around anger. And even more so, I felt extreme guilt. Guilt for not having done enough to protect my loved ones from COVID-19, guilt for not being close enough to help provide care, and guilt for not even being able to financially support them in the way that I wish I could. 

At this point in my life, nine months into this pandemic, I don’t know a single person who hasn’t been touched by this illness. I saw a horrifying statistic that here in D.C., the place that I call home, 1 in every 1000 residents have died as a result of COVID-19. We’ve lost colleagues, friends, family, neighbors, and countless more lives in just under a year. It’s horrifying. Enraging. 

And guess what people in Congress like Mitch McConnell are up to: nothing.
N-O-T-H-I-N-G. People are dying and falling irreparably ill all around us, and the Republicans with control of the Senate (I won’t even mention what’s left of the Trump administration) could care less. They complain about face masks. They attend large gatherings. For what? To prove the liberals wrong? Honestly, I could not tell you the logic. If anyone should feel guilty over the pandemic, it’s them. But that’s not why I’m writing to you today. 

Here's where we are

Congress has passed a 1-week continuing resolution to allow more time to reach a compromise on COVID-19 relief before the holidays. But let me tell you -- I don’t want a compromise. I want justice. So I’m writing today to ask you to call your member of Congress today. Here’s what you can do:

1. Don’t give your members of Congress (we call them “MoCs”) an easy pass on this. Let them hear your voices -- we need COVID-19 relief, and we need it now. That means stimulus checks, expanded Unemployment Insurance, student loan relief, support for state and local governments, and more. Our voices are louder and stronger when we band together and we want our MoCs to hear us loud and clear right before they make their decisions and close out the year. Check out our resource here and then make the call to demand fair and just relief.
2. Find ways to support your community. In the fear and despair that I’m feeling this holiday season because of this pandemic, I ask that you support your local community. Find a mutual aid network near you to contribute money, time, or resources, if you are willing and able to. We have a resource here that you can check out for more on local groups to support and how to find them. I know that I’m planning to help deliver groceries in the next few weeks with my local mutual aid network, and help out however I can. Join me from afar in your community.   
3. Support our work. And again, this is only if you are able to, pitch in a few bucks to support our work. The tools that we use to drive calls to Congress and send these emails, staff time, policy toolkits, and more -- cost money. Because of your support, we’re able to take these calls-to-action and make them our priorities so we can put a big megaphone on them and hopefully change the hearts and minds of those on the other end of the line. 

When people like Mitch McConnell don’t have our backs, we’ve got each other. That’s what Indivisible is all about and that’s what we’ve had to do up until now to get by. But enough is enough -- we need serious, impactful COVID-19 relief and we need it now. Join me today for our call-in day and this holiday season to give back. 

In solidarity, 
Elice Rojas-Cruz
Indivisible Team

P.S. I know that this ask is personal for many of you. If you’d like, record a video addressing your MoC about how COVID-19 has impacted you and your community, and what a relief bill would mean to you. Submit your video here.