By The Defend Our Future Team March 12, 2020

Alright folks, it’s time to talk about a little thing called the coronavirus. We’re not thrilled about it either, but the Defend team wanted to check in, tell you what this means for us, and give you a little guidance. Let’s go!

First, we want to acknowledge that you might be feeling a lot of ways — from anxious to annoyed — and it’s ALL fine. There’s no “right” way to feel about this. It’s a weird and scary time. But if there’s anything we know how to do, it’s to come together and support each other.

While it appears the disease isn’t as dangerous to young people, we have the potential to make this thing go viral in the worst way. In general, it’s simply not about us. It’s about the responsibility we all hold to keep our communities safe (aka what we fight for at Defend Our Future every day).

To keep the communities we work in safe, our entire team will be living that work-from-home life for the next few weeks and we’ve suspended all in person events and meetings.

We don’t know what things will look like in future, but for now we’ll be counting on you to raise your voice as loud as you can from the comfort of your home. So we’ll be sharing new opportunities for you to reach decision-makers by email, social media, and phone.

If you’re also confined to your apartment/tiny house/dorm for the next weeks, fear not. You may be physically isolated, but the internet is always there for you. FaceTime your friends, check in over texts. Or go analog and take a walk outside (but keep your distance from other people you encounter) or pick up your knitting to calm your soul.

But we know that not everybody gets to do this. So many people across the country don’t have the opportunity to work at home, still get paid, and still get health insurance. This is a crisis that will put a spotlight on the disparities that exist in our communities.

If you depend on an hourly paycheck to pay your rent, tuition, or bills, we see you. We hope you’re okay. And we recommend reaching out to your elected officials to make sure they’re fighting for you during this rough time.

If not, reach out in your neighborhood and try to find ways you can lend a helping hand (that you have washed for 30 seconds).We got this, y’all. And we’ll be in touch on how you can keep the climate fight alive through this. At the same time, take the time you need to be there for your community. We’ll be here when you get back.

WASH YOUR HANDS,

Matt, Ben, Kyli, Jonathan, Richard, Khyati, Monica, and the entire Defend Our Future Crew

A version of this post went out as an email to the Defend email list, too.