How to Help When Everything Feels Hopeless
If you’re like me, then nearly every day waking up in 2025 has felt like satire. Working in PR, we have no choice but to read the news diligently. While sometimes I envy those who can tune out the news, I also know how critical it is to stay informed.
On a national level, the decisions made in Washington do impact us short- and long-term, but right now, what’s happening feels beyond our control.
When Trump was elected in 2016, I felt defeated like many Americans. I did my duty as a citizen; I voted, I made my voice heard, and yet my candidate lost. This is not new, some candidates win, some lose. But the man about to step into the highest office in the country – possibly the world – certainly posed a new type of challenge. I felt hopeless.
I remember commiserating with a friend from high school who I’d long admired for her local and community activism. I asked her, “What can we do though?” Her response has stayed with me: “So much, if we focus on the local level.” Her simple words started my journey into local activism.
For background, I live in Lynn, Massachusetts, a diverse city about 10 miles north of Boston, with a population of about 100,000.
While I haven’t run for office in Lynn (yet 😉), I’ve volunteered for multiple campaigns, attended rallies, joined community organizations, submitted public comments for local council votes, and even joined the board of trustees for the Lynn Museum & Arts Center. By getting involved, I’ve learned more about the issues that impact me, as well as my immediate neighbors and community members, and how I can best fight for the issues impacting us all.
The truth is, we can impact politics on a national level – but it starts locally, in our communities and neighborhoods. While not everyone wants to get involved in politics or volunteer for a candidate, there are many other ways to get involved and make an impact. It also doesn’t matter which side of the aisle you sit on; there are opportunities for people across the political spectrum.
7 Ideas to Get Involved Locally
This isn’t about picking the next president – it’s not even about picking your city’s next mayor. It’s about getting involved so you have a voice in supporting causes that impact your community directly.
Based on my experience, here are seven actions to consider for local involvement.
1. Look for Local Volunteer Opportunities
There are likely dozens of opportunities in your area that you don’t even know exist. Seek out local organizations committed to a cause you care about and make a plan for scheduling volunteer time. Maybe it’s a local food bank or animal shelter. Maybe it’s helping host an event or run a local farmer’s market. Start by browsing local Facebook groups or checking your city’s event calendar.
2. Research the Issues Most Impacting Your Area
Every community faces different challenges. It’s important to understand what is impacting your community so you can voice an opinion as the legislature evolves. For example, in Lynn, there is a need to invest in our public school system. While I am not immediately impacted by this as I don’t currently have children, I know a strong public school system is a community’s best weapon against violence and poverty, and the best asset for a thriving economy and culture.
Recently, there was a public hearing in Lynn on whether to divert significant funding away from public schools to fund charter school enrollment. Instead of just hoping the vote went the way I wanted, I, alongside other friends and community members, submitted public comments to be heard and considered. While I don’t think my singular comment made the decision, the combined comments certainly made an impact. And, after the vote, the mayor’s chief of staff reached out to let me know the public comment was appreciated.
3. Support a Candidate (or Candidates) in an Upcoming Election
If there is a candidate you believe in, regardless of where they or you sit when it comes to partisan politics, do your part to sign up and support. Not everyone has the bandwidth or ability to be a campaign manager, but you could hold signs, write letters, make phone calls, fundraise, etc. There are a lot of ways to get involved and when doing so, you feel invested in and energized about the outcome. Plus, spreading the word and getting out the local vote is so important. Local election voter turnout is already very low, and affluent voters have a 30-50% higher turnout in local elections, meaning not all voices are being heard.
Only 15 to 27 percent of eligible voters cast their votes in local elections in 2020, and not much has changed since then. For those of us who do vote, this is bewildering to see. The outcomes of these elections directly impact everyday community decisions that can affect housing, transportation, education, public amenities, economic development, emergency services and so much more.
4. Join Associations or Committees
Every city and town has its own clubs, committees, and associations. Personally, I’m a member of the Northshore Juneteenth Association and Lynn United Pride. While there are dozens of other organizations I could get involved in – if only time would allow – I am most passionate about DEI, racial equity, and LGBTQ+ empowerment, so these groups make the most sense to me. No matter what you’re passionate about, there’s likely something local for you to join. Take time to see what they’re up to, and start slow, maybe just by attending an event or information session.
5. Look to Local Organizations Already Making an Impact
In addition to associations and committees, there are other local organizations in most communities such as museums, libraries, arts and theater organizations, and visitor centers. In coastal places or places with large outdoors spaces (Lynn is both on the coast and has a large conservation space in Lynn Woods), there are also committees to maintain these spaces. I joined the board of trustees for the Lynn Museum & Arts Center almost two years ago and have been exposed to so many adjacent community events. I’ve also been fortunate enough to support our diverse community through museum programming that drives engagement. Plus, this is an opportunity to put my PR skills to work for the good of the community, helping promote awareness of our organization and its mission.
If you can’t volunteer or join a board, that’s okay – look into becoming a member or attending events these organizations host. Many host cultural events throughout the year that support local artists, changemakers, community members and leaders. By showing up and supporting, you help sustain their programming and funding.
6. Pay Attention to Your City Council
Remember that your government works for YOU, not the other way around. Speak up and make your voice heard for things big and small. Let them know how you feel and what you want them to vote for; it’s their job to listen and respond accordingly. And if they aren’t doing that, it’s YOUR job to hold them accountable or vote them out. I’ll never forget the first time I emailed my city councilor in 2020, asking him to support local students in wanting to paint a “Black Lives Matter” mural downtown. He responded with blatant and racist ignorance about the issue, despite having already voted against it. I expressed my disappointment, sent him a copy of White Fragility in the mail (yes, I really did this), and then did my part to ensure he did not hold his city council position come the next election.
7. Make Your Money Work for Causes You Care About
We don’t all have exorbitant expendable incomes to solve world hunger, but many of us have a little extra left in our budgets each month. Think about smaller, sustainable impacts vs. grand gifts. A one-time gift of a few hundred dollars to a cause you care about every Giving Tuesday is admirable and impactful. However, think about the long-term impact of turning that into a smaller, monthly donation. You might not miss $10-$15/month, but the cause you support will absolutely benefit from the impact over time.
Taking the Next Step and Getting Involved
The biggest takeaway from all of this is to get involved. It doesn’t matter what cause or organization, or how often, but community engagement is such a big part of… well, doing our part. On a grand and national scale, it can feel daunting trying to make a difference. It’s critical to remember that small, local actions are what drive the national narrative. Plus, when you get involved in one cause or organization, it opens up your world to other opportunities and issues your community is facing, that you might not have otherwise had visibility into.
For me, getting even more involved in my community the past 5+ years helped me in so many ways. I’ve made strong connections, felt invested in local politics and decisions, advocated for fellow community members and attended (or helped host) countless events focused on the community. It’s made all the difference – in my sense of fulfillment beyond my day job, in my mental health, in my sense of purpose, and especially, in not feeling so helpless and hopeless when the national rhetoric is confusing and alarming.
The national discourse has people fired up, and rightfully so. This can unfortunately fuel division, hate, and conflict. But, I’ve said it before, and I will say it again: changing hearts and minds doesn’t happen through fear or intimidation. And most often, it doesn’t happen on a grandiose, global scale. Quite often in fact, it happens in your closest inner circles, around dinner tables, or at community events when you have the courage to open up about your beliefs and share your truth with those closest to you. This is how we can all make a difference.
