Advocacy & Activism From Your Couch

Believe it or not, activism doesn’t need to be a large-scale endeavor that takes up eons of time and resources. This is typically the barrier to entry for most - “but how am I supposed to attend protests, write to government officials, AND engage in grassroots community support? I just don’t have the TIME.” This is a completely fair response. However, here’s the answer to your advocacy prayers that you didn’t even realize you were looking for.

The following text and accompanying list was compiled by reddit user u/meleyys:

Note: Any action you take outside or around other people should be done with a mask on, not just because covid is an ongoing threat but because anonymity maximizes safety.

Option 1: Donate money

Cost: Low to very high, depending on how much/often you donate.
Effort: Very low. You just have to press a couple buttons.
Risk: Low. Worst-case scenario, your identity gets stolen because you donated to the wrong person, but that seems unlikely.

Let's get the obvious one out of the way first: Donating money to charity or directly to people in need. This is incredibly easy, but it's also not something a lot of people can afford, and its effectiveness varies wildly. Some charities do great work; others not so much. Some people who ask the internet for help really do need it; others are scammers. Carefully vet any charities you donate to and try to avoid obvious scams.
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Option 2: Click-to-give and other free charities

Cost: Very low. You just need an internet connection and a device to connect with, which you already have, if you're reading this.
Effort: Very low. Literally just clicks for most of them.
Risk: Very low. You need to turn off your adblockers for most of these to work, but you're only risking getting a virus, and I never have from one of these sites.

These are exactly what they sound like: Websites that let you click (or perform some other action) to donate to charity. I've compiled a list of them here (some links may be broken, sorry), but I especially want to highlight this one because it has a section that benefits Palestine. The problem with these is that it's hard to be sure whether your click counted or the money is going where they say it's going. But you probably aren't going to cause any harm regardless.

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Option 3: Graffiti/stickers

Cost: Low to high. On the high end, we have consistently buying stickers. On the low end, we have a one-time purchase of paint pens. Also, if you live in the US, you can get shipping labels from USPS for nothing more than the cost of shipping as often as you want (seriously, it's your God-given right to order as many of these damn things as you like).
Effort: Low. All you need to do is go for a walk and put up some stickers or scribble some slogans on flat surfaces.
Risk: Low to moderate. Unless you're literally doing this in front of a cop (or on private property), you're pretty unlikely to be punished. Maybe check around for cameras before you do it if you're really paranoid. But even if you do get caught, your punishment is likely to be a slap on the wrist.

Store-bought stickers are often the most visually appealing and able to communicate the longest message, but they are easy to rip off. Paint pens can be a pain in the ass to use, but they're more permanent. Shipping labels with slogans written on them are very cheap to obtain and easy to customize, but they tend to fade in rain.

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Option 4: Volunteer

Cost: Very low to low. Usually only involves transportation costs.
Effort: Moderate to very high. Depends on what you do and how often you do it.
Risk: Low. The only risk involved is whatever risks come with the gig--being bitten at an animal rescue or assaulted when working with the public, etc.

There are a million different organizations out there helping people and animals. They all need volunteers. Remember, volunteering once is better than never volunteering at all. Oh, and be sure to vet the organization before you start.

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Option 5: Protest

Cost: Very low to moderate. Usually only involves transportation costs, but you may need to buy good shoes if you're going to be marching around, or black clothes if you want to attend a black block protest.

Effort: Moderate to very high. Sometimes you're chilling on a street corner holding a sign. Sometimes you're fighting the police for hours.

Risk: Moderate to very high. See above. Even if you're just holding a sign, you risk being yelled at. If you're engaging with police or counter-protesters, you risk everything from arrest to death.

The classic, and probably the most important, form of activism. Not everyone is up for this, and that's okay, but it needed including. The obvious way to go about this is to look up local protests and attend them, but I want to point out that you are perfectly capable of organizing a one-man protest. Stand outside your local police station or Israeli embassy or ICE facility with a sign. Become that guy. Who knows, maybe people will even start to join you after a while. And like I said earlier: Going once is better than never going at all.

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Option 6: Donate crafts

Cost: Moderate to very high. Depends on your craft and how often you buy materials.
Effort: Low to very high. Depends on how often you perform your craft and how difficult it is.
Risk: Very low. Your only involvement with other people will probably be buying materials and dropping off your donations.

Like to knit, sew, or crochet? Make hats, scarves, masks, blankets, etc. and hand them out to people you see on the street or to homeless shelters. You can even make blankets and toys for animal rescues. If you were going to be doing these things for fun anyway and your family is sick of getting scarves for Christmas, this is a great way to get rid of your finished items. If you aren't doing these things, they make great hobbies, especially if you're like me and always want something to do with your hands.