How Americans Are DEFYING Trump's Agenda of Hate
Ordinary people, extraordinary actions!. Share these stories about keeping America fed and democracy alive.
The Digital Drumbeat by DemCast is fueled by defiance and determination. Subscribe - free or paid - and stand with the writers, organizers, and dreamers keeping democracy alive.
In this issue:
1. Get inspired! Read about how communities are feeding each other and proving democracy doesn’t wait for permission.
2. Share powerful videos of ordinary people turning compassion into collective action.
3. Take Action! Access donation links, pantry guides, and mutual aid networks to help you organize and rise where you live.
1. Get Inspired!
As the Trump regime fails to fund SNAP and WIC, programs that feed millions, ordinary people, local businesses, and grassroots networks are rising up with resistance, compassion, and the raw power of democracy in motion. This isn’t charity; it’s community survival. This is rebellion against neglect, driven by the belief that every neighbor deserves dignity, support, and a full table, no matter what Republicans do next.
Check out these stories:
Schools Turn Compassion into Action
In school gymnasiums and coffee shop corners, something radical is happening. The Takoma Elementary School PTO in Washington, D.C., launched a fundraiser to buy grocery gift cards for families suddenly left with nothing. Council Member Janeese Ward praised the effort, celebrating parents and teachers who refuse to accept hunger as policy. These school communities aren’t just reacting; they’re leading, proving that solutions grow not in distant capital buildings but around classroom tables and in the hands of parents who understand the stakes.
Coffee Shops Fuel Quiet Rebellion
In Portland, coffee shops are serving more than lattes; they’re serving hope. Tip jars read “Feed Our City,” “Suspended Drinks” programs raise daily funds, and baristas organize Friday-night benefit gigs to fill fridges for families cut off from SNAP and WIC. Resistance doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it hums softly while someone waits for a morning coffee, reminding us that democracy grows from small acts of care, not government decrees.
Restaurants Rewrite the Script
Across the Midwest, restaurants are feeding kids, families, and hope. Jen Crichfield, owner of Chicken Salad Chick in Westerville, Ohio, feeds children for free. No purchase, no paperwork, just a hot meal for anyone in need. At The Feed in Columbus, staff and patrons fill boxes with food and supplies out of solidarity, not obligation. In Ashland, Edamame Hibachi’s lines wrap out the door as neighbors rally because they refuse to let anyone go hungry. This is local democracy: radical empathy, live and unfiltered.
Mutual Aid Fills the Gaps
Grassroots mutual aid networks are proving the government isn’t the only system that can provide. In D.C., Ward 4 Mutual Aid distributes food, diapers, gift cards, and cash assistance without bureaucracy, just one question: “What do you need?” In Salt Lake City, volunteers stock community fridges that empty within hours. Organizer Afa Aikona puts it plainly: “As soon as my family and I come to drop off here, we’ll notice the same day the food is gone.” The message is clear. People are hungry, the old systems broke, but mutual aid burns fierce.
Neighbors Feeding Neighbors
In Red Oak, Iowa, a community fridge has become a revolution in a shed. Open 24/7 and stocked by neighbors, it runs on trust. A daughter living overseas sends food home to strangers, and the local Rotary Club offers gym passes for donations. The town believes it can outdo Washington simply by pooling what they have and sharing without shame.
Digital Democracy Inspires
Online, the same spirit thrives. On Facebook and Reddit, home bakers share bread, strangers assemble care packages, and “Buy Nothing” groups overflow with posts like “Need help feeding my kids” and “Can anyone share shelf-stable food?” This is digital democracy, neighbors refusing to let algorithms or shutdowns break human connection.
Faith in Action
Churches and faith groups step up not out of ritual but out of justice. Donations fill sanctuaries, pantries open wide, and Ward 4’s leaders say it best: “If the federal government chooses not to feed folks, we will make the opposite choice, neighbor to neighbor, church to church.”
The Democracy We Deserve
Here’s the truth: these community efforts can’t replace federal nutrition programs. Food bank leaders say it clearly; the math doesn’t work. Yet the movement can’t be denied. This is democracy as it should be: neighbors answering hunger with action, apathy with uprising, and bureaucracy with wide-open arms, as local leaders keep proving across the country.
2. Share These Videos Far and Wide!
Portland to the Rescue!
No Shame
How To Help
3. Take Action: Feed the Resistance
When power fails, people rise. In every school, shop, kitchen, and online space, America keeps democracy alive, one full stomach and one act of solidarity at a time. The safety net may be fraying, but the people are holding the rope.
If you want to help:
Feed a neighbor tonight: Donate to We Feed Cbus or your local community fridge.
Join a national movement: Find or start a Buy Nothing group to build mutual aid in your own neighborhood.
Start something local: Follow this guide on how to launch a food pantry and organize where you are.
Give nationwide: Support Feed the Children, which delivers food and essentials to families across America.
Resist and defy. Anything you can do to obstruct Trump’s hateful agenda is helpful.
Updated my list to include:
Yes. It’s a crazy time. We have changed, and we need to change more coming out the other end. Thus, my list of demands just keeps growing:
I’m gonna suggest the House Democrats find someone else to install their new member, then reconvene on their own and appoint a new speaker and get down to the business of governing without the Republicans, just as they would if all the Republicans were out sick. Do it! Act!
Release the Epstein files. Abolish ICE. Bring back the tax rates of the 1950s. Overturn citizens united. Remove the cap on social security contributions, and make said tax also apply to capital gains. Universal healthcare, with no direct cost to the individual. Big pay increases for social workers, teachers, museum workers and librarians. Free childcare. Free university education. Forgive all student loans. 2 term limit for every political office. Mandatory retirement for politicians at age 70. Get rid of electronic voting machines. Eliminate the electoral college. Devise a standardized method of apportionment that eliminates gerrymandering. Minimum wage of $25 per hour indexed to inflation and adjusts annually. No federal office for a convicted felon.