Someone has to blink, right?
The looming reality of nearly 42 million Americans — more than 11 million American children! — going without food is causing anxiety inside the Beltway, right?!
There will be some face-saving resolution that will stop this disaster before it starts, right??!
They’ll do everything they can to keep kids from going hungry. RIGHT?
Trump is banking on the idea that the Democrats care more about people starving than the GOP. Which, if you think about it, is a pretty damning admission.
If the worst truly does happen tomorrow — and even if it doesn’t — here are some ways we can help meet the overwhelming need that Trump’s policies are creating:
Support these organizations financially, if you can:
Central Texas Food Bank. They’re already stepping up to support government workers, who have now missed two paychecks.
Meals on Wheels Central Texas. Homebound seniors and people living with disabilities should never be political pawns. Period.
The Austin Ed Fund’s Crisis Fund. More than 11,000 Austin ISD families will be affected by cuts to SNAP benefits, and school-based food pantries will help ease the burden.
The ATX Free Fridge Project. Access to food that is barrier-free — no names, no lines, no human interaction — will become even more necessary as the Trump regime’s police state expands.
If you’d like to do something other than give money, here are a few ideas:
Help stock the free fridges. (Here’s a map of their locations.) This is truly a “choose your own adventure” option ….
Got leftovers you can’t use? You can drop them off (detailed packaging/labeling instructions are on their FAQs page under “Cook Meals”).
Could you drop off something small and easy on a regular basis, like a bag of apples or a box of granola bars?
Could you host a small cooking or sandwich-making event and make it a party?
Do you have unopened pet food or hygiene items? They’ll take those, too.
Runner City has launched “SNAPY,” an on-demand, community-driven aid project for folks who need food, deliveries, or volunteer help. There’s one link to REQUEST AID and another to RESPOND TO REQUESTS — maybe we could make it a habit to check this list every few days and do what we can to help our neighbors directly.
The No Kings Alliance has put together a guide to mutual aid that includes instructions for hosting your own food drive, and other useful links/info.
The Austin Council of PTAs is working on a list of AISD schools that have food pantries, plus details on how we can help support AISD families. We’ll share that info with you as soon as it’s available.
Anything we can do will make a difference to our neighbors who are worried about how they’ll feed themselves and their families in the days ahead.
Do you have more ideas for ways to support our neighbors during this crisis? Please share them in the comments below!
Still a Few Spots Left!
We’ve been given the opportunity to host a small sit-down conversation with Gina Hinojosa, exclusively for FORWRD-ATX members. This isn’t a campaign event; it’s a civic gathering — a chance to ask questions and learn more about her campaign.
The gathering will be Wednesday, November 12 from 5-7 pm at a home in Central Austin, and space is extremely limited … but there are still a few spots left!
Would you like to attend? Please send us an email with a quick note that tells us
Why you’d like to meet Gina. Are there any specific issues or ideas you’d like to raise? Anything you’d like to get out of the experience?
How you heard about FORWRD-ATX. If you have thoughts about your specific engagement points with us (calendar? meetings? these emails?), please share them. (Market research, friends! The more we know, the more effective we can be ….)
FULL TRANSPARENCY: We’re not going to “pick the best answer,” so please don’t stress about it — we’ll figure out some lottery to select attendees (like drawing names out of a hat). But we would like to know more about you — and we’ll share your thoughts with Gina’s campaign.
We’re hoping to host more of these candidate conversations in the coming months, so if you can’t make it to this one, stay tuned!
BORDERLAND Documentary Screening
Sunday, November 9, 4 pm
St. George’s Episcopal Church, 4301 N. IH-35 Service Road
REMINDER: Our awesome Hyde Park neighborhood group is hosting a free screening of the documentary “BORDERLAND-The Line Within,” on Sunday, November 9. A Q & A and follow up talk with Jennifer Long, the director of Casa Marianella, will follow the screening.
Northwest Hills Neighborhood Meet-Up
FORWRD member Kaye Knox is kicking things off in Northwest Hills! She’ll be hosting a neighborhood meet-up on Wednesday, November 12 at 6 pm.
Let’s get out of the house and meet face-to-face! Good things ALWAYS happen when we do. Please email us for location details.
🗓️ Calendar Highlights
For Friday, October 31st: Doomscrolling is spoooooky! 👻 Plug in with friends!
💜= FORWRD member recommended
Local Austin events (in person):
💜💜💜Sunday, November 2nd, 4-5:30 PM IG Influencer CivicSage with the Rosedale Huddle Indivisible Rosedale Huddle (IRH) presents a conversation with political commentator and social media influencer CivicSage: “I spent my life being quiet so that I didn't offend anyone; I'm done with that. I talk about politics and the issues America faces. I'm a mother and a former teacher; my goal is to make the world a better place through informing and inspiring hard conversations with people in your real life.” ✊
💜💜💜Tuesday, November 4th 7:00 AM-7:00 PM ELECTION DAY With less than 1% of Travis County voters showing up (on average) on each day of early voting, it’s looking like a very small percentage of voters will be making MAJOR decisions for our county - grab a friend and get on over to the polls and cast your ballot!
Tuesday, November 4th 8-9:30 AM West Side Banners over Austin with the Rosedale Huddle. The Banner Drops are STILL HAPPENING! These are super fun, peaceful, energetic! We will be holding banners and signs over the interstate at peak traffic /visibility times - we wave flags, support our banners and thumbs up to the many honks and waves from cars and trucks below. (Fan favorite? “Stop Truth Decay!”) At Far West and MoPac
Wednesday, November 5th 5:30-7:30 PM Westlake/Eanes Dems Happy Hour If you’re in the Westlake area, gather to find camaraderie and sanity over a few cold drinks every first Wednesday. Because Holy Moly! Things are crazy right now. Hope you can join us!
💜💜💜Sunday, November 9th 4-7 PM Borderland Screening Our Hyde Park group is hosting a free screening of the documentary “BORDERLAND-The Line Within,” on Sunday, November 9, at 4 pm, at St. George’s Episcopal Church. A Q & A and follow up talk with Jennifer Long, the director of Casa Marianella, will follow the screening. Snacks and beverages provided. Seating is limited, please RSVP
💜💜💜Wednesday, November 12th 6-8 PM It’s time for another neighborhood meetup in Northwest Hills! FORWRD member Kaye Knox is hosting this one - RSVP to [email protected] for more details!
Image Credit: Jack Ohman / Copyright 2025 Tribune Content Agency
