Welcome to the March 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, how to process and make sense of all that’s going on, AND how 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 March Menu of 5 ways for you to engage this month, on your own—or with your small group near you:

MARCH ORGANIZING ZOOM MEETUP

Join us on Tuesday, March 31st, 2026 at 7:30 pm ET on Zoom for Moms Next Door Session #3: Session #3 - Local Change Making: Local Levers for Change! Together, we’ll learn from community leaders and organizers across a range of issue areas about pathways to change at the state and local level.  Sign up here.

• Did you join us for our February workshop, “Radical Love: Breaking Cycles of Callout Culture and Embracing Call-in Culture?” Here’s an affirmation for you all. (Missed it? You can watch the recording here!)

ACTION OF THE MONTH: Apply for the 2026 Volunteer New Beacons of Hope Program

If you are fired up to take action, build skills, and be part of a caring and supportive community, then the MomsRising Beacons program is for you! The volunteer Beacons program is a close community and network of parent and caregiver activists across the country, who collaborate with and support MomsRising and each other as they strengthen their advocacy, take action, and make a real difference for their families, communities, and the nation. Will you join us in 2026? Apply to be a Beacon Volunteer. 

Whether you’re an experienced leader or new to organizing, this volunteer program will give you hands-on support and guidance, including how to:

• Organize meet-ups and events 

• Educate lawmakers

• Speak to the media

• Share your story around issues that matter to you 

• And much more!

Learn more and apply by the application deadline—March 9, 2026!

FUN, JOY & POWER

• SIGN ON: Tell the Senate: Cut funding for ICE, not our care! Trump and Republicans in Congress made extreme cuts to Medicaid to pay for separating families, human rights abuses, and terrifying hardworking immigrants—people essential to our care workforce, our economy and our future. Add your name. Do not use our health care dollars to fund human rights abuses against immigrants! 

• SHARE YOUR STORY: Last week’s State of the Union left us floored. Trump shared that our country is thriving and that families are doing better than ever. But for those of us balancing the household budget every month, we know the truth: The math is not math-ing.  Help us share the real story of what families are facing in the US today (you can even do so anonymously!):

  • Are you struggling to pay for childcare or elder care so you can go to work?

  • Have you had to put groceries back on the shelf because they cost too much?

  • Are health insurance costs or rent keeping you up at night?

  • What is the single biggest thing making it difficult for your family to make ends meet?

>> Share your story with MomsRising!

• CRAFT NIGHT IDEA: Make your very own Mother-Loving Advocacy Affirmations zine! Advocacy is heart-work, and sometimes we need a little extra love and color. Grab your friends and neighbors, markers and paper, and some good snacks and use this inspiring example from our Washington State team to spark your creativity. Happy crafting! 

• BUILD COMMUNITY: In a world that feels overwhelming, checking in on our friends and loved ones is very important! But can we move beyond the simple “How are you?” to create space for genuine connection without adding to the emotional load? Here are some low-pressure questions  to show up for someone in your community or inner circle. 
   

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 March 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!

• Collective Learning Pick: We Keep Us Safe: Building Secure, Just, and Inclusive Communities by Zach Norris – Moving beyond broken systems of policing and mass incarceration, this book explores how we can redefine safety through the power of community.  

• Escapist Pick: The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen by Sean Sherman with Beth Dooley – A rich education and a delicious introduction to modern indigenous cuisine that dispels outdated myths of Native American fare while issuing a call to reclaim the history and culture of indigenous peoples. 

We’ve got lots of great book ideas for the kiddos in your life this month! Give @maistorybooklibrary a follow on Instagram for many more recommendations. Here you go: 

• A Hundred Thousand Welcomes by Mary Lee Donovan (Ages 4-8) – A story of acceptance that introduces the word for “welcome” in fourteen languages!

• Parachute Kids by Betty Tang (Ages 9-14) —  A graphic novel that explores immigration, belonging, and family.

• I’m So Happy You’re Here by Mychal Threets (Ages 4-8) – Written by librarian, literacy advocate, and one of Time’s 100 most influential creators Mychal Threets, this book celebrates a library visit.

• We’re Different and It’s Totally Cool by Camey Yeh (Ages 4-8) – A quirky picture book that celebrates differences inside and out!

• Together a Forest by Roz MacLean  (Ages 4-8) –The story of a class field trip to the forest highlights accessible social-emotional and STEM themes and the importance of interdependence, inclusion and celebrating diversity in our communities.

• You Can’t Sit With Me by Rachel Tawil Kenyon (Ages 4-8) – A day can shift so much by one person simply reaching out a hand for someone to feel more welcome!

*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: Journal Prompts for Love and Care that Build the Liberated Future you Want

Caring for others starts within each one of us! There’s a lot going on in the world around us—this month, we’re looking inwards with some self-reflection. Taking time to look inward helps us show up more fully for our communities! Check out the journal prompts below to get started:

• What causes or issues most deeply resonate with my values and passions?

• What is one practice that grounds you when things are chaotic?

• Where do I notice people or places in my community relying on each other?

• How can we trade 'right or wrong' thinking for collective growth?

• How can I stop seeing my neighborhood as just a place I live, and start seeing it as a community I belong to?

• What does it mean to me to move from individualistic goals to a collective vision of a more compassionate world?

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 February dispatch and looking for more resources? Check it out on our blog.