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As a longtime resident of Oakland, California, I am worried about unhoused people in my beloved city. The Bay Area is becoming a more and more unaffordable place to live, and too many people, too many families and kids, are living on the street.

I wanted to do something. I did a little research and identified a great Black-led nonprofit, the East Oakland Collective, that’s providing food and crisis services to unhoused people and families. I made a donation and intend to support EOC every month.

Given all of the huge problems facing the communities we care about, it can be overwhelming to try and figure out how we can help. People are more interested than ever in social justice and social change, which is exciting. As a communications professional and storyteller who has worked with lots of social and racial justice organizations, I find the best way to start is by identifying one or two issues that really inspire you or keep you up at night, and then finding out who in your community or the country is doing something about it.

Right now, for example, we are seeing an all-out assault on voting rights for Black people; state lawmakers and their supporters are trying to undermine the political power of our communities. It’s a huge problem — but, thankfully, at the same time, there are really courageous people defending Black voting rights through advocacy, organizing and other work. So whether your issue is voting rights, ensuring everyone has a place to live or something else, here are three ways to help changemakers win justice.

Bilen Mesfin Packwood

Writing since November 2021 · 1 story contributed