Welcome to the November Dispatch! Thank you for being a part of our growing, powerful Moms Next Door program!

What’s the Moms Next Door Dispatch? Each month, you’ll receive the Moms Next Door Dispatch (Scroll down!)—a monthly toolkit that will arrive in your inbox to provide you and your community with ideas on how to self-organize and take action; as well as to process and make sense of all that’s going on; AND also ways to remain calm, find joy in community, and recharge as we build a brighter future! Sign up now to get these monthly dispatches in your inbox and learn new ways to connect!

Here’s the November Menu of 5 ways for you to engage this month, on your own—or with your small group near you:

JANUARY ORGANIZING ZOOM MEETUP

Join us on Tuesday, January 27, 2026 on Zoom for the first session in our 2026 Moms Next Door program! We’re taking a quick break from monthly workshops for the holidays. But we’ll be back at it in January, and you won’t want to miss it! Make sure you’re signed up to continue to power your organizing and community care tactics in the New Year.

ACTION OF THE MONTH: Help Share Vital Community Resources During this Government Shutdown! 

Us moms shouldn’t have to hold the nation together on empty. Yet here we are in the middle of a government shutdown that has thrown families into chaos. SNAP benefits are being cut; air traffic controllers, military school teachers, families in several states are losing child care as Head Start centers start to close; and other federal employees are facing another missed paycheck (while still showing up every day, keeping our country running!). WIC is barely hanging on by thread, and rising costs are pushing families past the brink. 

You are not alone. You are not invisible. And you should never have to carry this weight without care and community surrounding you. We’ve got your back—share this list of resources so more families can find the help they deserve. You can also share it on Facebook! Click to view and then SHARE our post with helpful resources RIGHT NOW on Facebook.

**Is SNAP (Food Stamps) and/or WIC important for your family or your community? We want to hear from you! Share your story with MomsRising (you can even do so anonymously)!

FUN, JOY & POWER

• The holidays bring joy, warmth, and the chance to reconnect with loved ones — but they can also bring the stress of navigating conversations with relatives who hold very different political views. Browse the Topic Guides and Resources from Living Room Conversations to get some tips and tricks for managing difficult conversations around the holiday season. Here are some conversation resources and guides to get started!

  • Conversation Selections

  • Relationships Over Politics

  • Holidays and Traditions

• Write a letter to the editor of your local paper to tell Republican leaders in Congress: Stop the health care heist! These days, it seems like the cost of everything is going up—from the grocery store to the gas pump. The last thing people can afford right now is more expensive health care. It’s up to us to inform our communities about the rising cost of health care and raise our voice to protect health care.We’ll make it easy! We’ll give you a draft letter and all the talking points you need! Take action now (and invite your friends to write letters to the editor together)!

• Show your support for Medicaid! #ProtectMedicaid: Raise your voice and take online action against the devastating Medicaid cuts with our new #ProtectMedicaid toolkit. This toolkit includes:

  • Customizable photo frames to show your support for Medicaid

  • A simple video tool to record and share your Medicaid stories

  • Downloadable graphics and captions ready for social media

• Help your community #GetCovered! Folks who purchase health care through the ACA Marketplace have until January 15th to sign up for health care coverage for 2026. We need all-hands-on-deck. Here is a printable flyer that you can post around your neighborhood or community spaces to spread the word about open enrollment and help our friends, family and neighbors gain the peace of mind of knowing they’re covered should the unexpected happen.

WHAT WE’RE READING THIS MONTH

For people wanting to start book groups for change or just looking for good books, here’s what’s in our November library: *When you meet up to talk about books, take a picture and post it on social media with @MomsRising to show others that they aren’t alone!

• Non-fiction Pick: Let This Radicalize You by Kelly Hayes & Mariame Kaba – A collection of stories and advice for activists and organizers about building and sustaining power and collective care in an era of destabilization and catastrophe.

• Fiction Pick: School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan: (trigger warnings: postpartum mood disorder, family separation) – A science fiction school where “bad” moms are sent that explores modern pressures on women and mothers.

We’ve got lots of great book ideas for the kiddos in your life this month! Here you go: 

• Saturday at the Food Pantry by Diane O'Neill (Ages 4-8) – A great way to discuss childhood hunger, food insecurity, empathy, and community care

• Maddi’s Fridge by Lois Brandt (Ages 3-8) – This book raises awareness about poverty and hunger with humor and warmth. 

• Stay Angry, Little Girl by Madeleine L'Engle (Ages 3-5) – Encourages little activists to proudly share their ideas and emotions, even if those traits are met with resistance!

• While We Wait by Bee Johnson (Ages 4-8) – As we get into holiday errand season, this helps teach kids how to wait and romanticize the little moments in between!

*Want to support your local bookstore? Use the Bookshop finder to locate bookstores near you and women, Black, AAPI, LGBTQIA+, Latine, and Indigenous-owned bookstores online.

MUTUAL SUPPORT OPTION

What is mutual aid? Different from charity— where resources usefully flow in one direction from donors to recipients—mutual aid is community-driven and reciprocal, built on community-based solidarity. And many parents and caregivers are already doing this (think: your local PTA, community gardens, or even kids’ birthday parties). In creating communities of love, we also want to turn them into communities of support, protection, and action to prepare for what’s ahead. Curious how to get started? Here’s how to create a mutual aid pod in your community!

MUTUAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY OF THE MONTH: 

President Trump & Republicans in Congress shut down the government because they refuse to safeguard health care. Now 42 million working Americans risk losing the benefits that keep our families fed. When they cut our care, we feed each other. Here are three ways you can take immediate action to support your community and fight back: 

THREE WAYS TO TAKE ACTION

1. Donate to your local food bank or your local community shelter. Support your local food bank or mutual aid network with a financial gift to help feed families directly impacted by the shutdown. Donate food, clothing, menstrual products, and any other essential supplies to existing local food banks or shelters. Check with your local organizations first to see what they need most.

2. Host a give-back drive in your community. Visit NoKings.org to learn more and start a food/supply drive.

3. Work with your community to establish a Community Pantry! Get started and learn some tips and best practices with this resource from Jax Mutual Aid Collective in Florida. 

Check out the No Kings Mutual Aid Guide for more info and ideas! 

BONUS RESOURCE!

In every part of our lives—whether we’re gathering in our communities, showing up at public events, or managing our healthcare—we encounter layered and evolving risks. We can address them by approaching the world with preparation and intention, not fear.

Check out this new resource from In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda: Staying Safe While Showing Up: A Personal Security Planner. This toolkit will help you build a Personal Security Plan that reflects your life, your values, and your community. It’s not about withdrawing or isolating yourself—it’s about building networks of collective care. Within these pages, you’ll find tools for setting up check-in protocols; identifying support roles; preparing for travel or protest; and knowing what to do in case of emergency, detainment, or disappearance.

Download the security planner here!

Thank you for being here. We are looking forward to strengthening connections and community in refreshing, educational, and joyful ways with you in the coming months!

P.S. Missed the October dispatch and looking for more resources? Check it out on our blog.