Welcome to the latest edition of the Greater Lafayette Indivisible newsletter.
Greater Lafayette Indivisible is a pro-democracy, local grassroots organization that is committed to fighting for progressive policies, registering American voters, and demystifying congressional advocacy. Our goals include holding our elected officials accountable to constituents rather than to their national political party or outside interests, increasing voter participation, and promoting justice, equality, and inclusion. We were established in 2017 and are part of the national Indivisible movement.
In our newsletters, we’re imagining that activism is like a waterway that builds in intensity. In addition to calls to action, we’ll also provide information about upcoming events and opportunities to foster community, good news, and places in which we’re finding inspiration.
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Ripples (small direct actions)
- Food Finders needs volunteers to help with the garden at the Katy Bunder Food Resource and Education Center (1204 Greenbush Street, Lafayette) every Friday from 9-11 am through September 5. During this shift, volunteers will help with the all-important day-to-day tasks of watering and weeding. Volunteers will receive training on their project when they arrive. You can see available volunteer shifts and sign up here.
- Greater Lafayette Immigrant Allies (“GLIA”) is raising funds for mutual aid, which assists immigrants in our community with expenses related to DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) applications, legal aid, and emergency utility expenses for those who are unable to obtain aid elsewhere. You can donate via their fundraising profile on Chuffed.
GLIA is a volunteer-run organization driven by community members who are passionate about making the Greater Lafayette area a welcoming space for everyone. GLIA promotes fellowship between all immigrants and allies, educates the community on immigrant issues, and advocates for immigrant rights to create a safe and welcoming community.
- Pride Lafayette is still in need of volunteers for OUTFest 2025 on Saturday, August 16, from 4 pm – midnight on Main Street in Lafayette. Set-up begins at 12 pm, and tear down ends at about 1:30 am, with dozens of opportunities to help in between.
Their expanded footprint (Main Street from 4th to 9th) requires over 170 volunteers to make sure it runs smoothly, and they still need another 40-60 people to donate at least 3 hours of their time. They’re especially in need of volunteers during the festival’s busiest period: 6:30pm – 9:30pm. They have job descriptions and time slots posted here, and you can sign up for multiple volunteer roles.
If you aren’t able to volunteer but would still like to support OUTFest, you can find sponsorship information here. You can also support Pride Lafayette’s work in our community here. Check out the “good news” section below for more information about OUTFest and a link to purchase tickets. - Beers Across the Wabash will take place on Saturday, August 23, from 2-5 pm across the John T. Myers Pedestrian Bridge in downtown Lafayette. Proceeds from this year’s event will once again benefit Food Finders Food Bank to help fend off food insecurity. Since 2017, this festival has donated over 129,000 meals to Food Finders! You can find more information about the event and buy tickets here, and you can also follow their Facebook event. If you’d like to volunteer, you can sign up here.
Rush (action at the county level)
- It’s Voter Registration season! We will be at a variety of locations at different times of the day throughout the summer and fall. We’ll continue to add voter registration opportunities as they become available, so keep an eye on our Mobilize profile. Here’s where we’ll be in August:
- The “Mosey Down Main Street” in downtown Lafayette is wrapping up for the season at the end of August, but you can still sign up to help register voters during the Moseys on Saturday, August 9, and Saturday, August 30. Don’t worry if you can’t stay the entire time – we’ve broken down each Mosey into 2 shifts: 6-8 pm and 7:30-9:30 pm. You can sign up for one of both shifts for each (or both!) Mosey on Mobilize. We will be outside, so please dress accordingly and bring plenty to drink (we will have our pop-up tent).
- We’re also excited to have a table at OUTFest again this year! We’ll be on Main Street in Lafayette from 4 pm to dusk on Saturday, August 16, and we’ve broken that down into 2 shifts: 4-6 pm and 6-8 (-ish) pm. You can sign up for one or both shifts on Mobilize. (For more information about OUTFest, scroll down to the “Good news” section!) We will be outside, so please dress accordingly and bring plenty to drink (we will have our pop-up tent).
- We’re looking forward to having a booth at Purdue’s B Involved Fair again! On Saturday, August 23, thousands of new Purdue students will be at the Fair, and many of them have never registered to vote. This is our biggest opportunity of the year to increase voter participation in Tippecanoe County. We’ll be there from 12 – 2 pm, and you can sign up to help on Mobilize. We’ve been told that the event will take place on Memorial Mall Drive on Purdue’s campus, but we don’t know the specifics yet. We will provide those details to the volunteers who sign up on Mobilize. We do know that we’ll be outside, so please dress accordingly and bring plenty to drink (we will have our pop-up tent).
- The “Mosey Down Main Street” in downtown Lafayette is wrapping up for the season at the end of August, but you can still sign up to help register voters during the Moseys on Saturday, August 9, and Saturday, August 30. Don’t worry if you can’t stay the entire time – we’ve broken down each Mosey into 2 shifts: 6-8 pm and 7:30-9:30 pm. You can sign up for one of both shifts for each (or both!) Mosey on Mobilize. We will be outside, so please dress accordingly and bring plenty to drink (we will have our pop-up tent).
If you’ve never registered voters before and are feeling intimidated, please know that we always have at least 2 people at each location, so you will always have someone experienced with you who will show you how to do it and be available to answer any questions that come up. And for longer events, you can volunteer for shorter shifts if you can’t stay the entire time.
- The Lafayette Tree Fund, Inc., doing business as Tree Lafayette, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit all-volunteer organization which plants and maintains trees primarily on public property or rights-of-way (mainly along streets) in Lafayette, and educates about and promotes trees. Since our beginning in 1993, Tree Lafayette has planted more than 4,600 trees in the Greater Lafayette community! They are always in need of volunteers, not only to plant trees, but also to maintain them once they are in the ground. They also need volunteers to serve on their committees and Board.
Rapids (action at the state level)
- GenderNexus is an Indianapolis-based non-profit whose mission is to empower gender-diverse people and their loved-ones to lead healthy, authentic, and joyful lives. They envision an Indiana where gender-diverse people of all backgrounds are loved, accepted, welcomed, and valued for their unique selves—with autonomy over their identities and bodies, and freedom from disrespect, discrimination, oppression, and violence. GenderNexus is making it even easier to become a volunteer with new options on their website and a brand new onboarding process that takes into account each volunteer’s individual interests and strengths. You can learn more and sign up to be a volunteer here. You can also watch for future events and calls to action on their website.
- IYG (formerly Indiana Youth Group) is the oldest continuously operating organization for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults in North America. IYG promotes a space of acceptance, equity, and restorative practices. The organization also advocates for queer youth in schools, the community, and through family support services. They have locations in Indianapolis, Columbus, Crawfordsville, Evansville, and in Northwest Indiana. You can learn more and sign up to be a volunteer here.
Roar (action at the national level)
- On the heels of the successful “No Kings” day of protest, Indivisible national has launched its next initiative called “One Million Rising.” This is “a national effort to train one million people in the strategic logic and practice of non-cooperation, as well as the basics of community organizing and campaign design. This is how we build people power that can’t be ignored. You’re invited to join us—and lead.” They offered 2 virtual sessions in July, with the last of the 3 virtual sessions being offered on Wednesday, August 13, from 8-9:30 pm. You can find more information and sign up to attend on Mobilize.
Opportunities to build community
- The Diversity Roundtable meets on the first Thursday of each month from 11:30 am – 1 pm at Wells Community Cultural Center (638 North St, Lafayette). These meetings are made up of a short structured program, sub-committee reports, general discussion, hot topics, and announcements. Meetings are hybrid, and everyone is welcome to attend without RSVPing in advance. For a zoom invite, contact them directly.
- The Tippecanoe County Democratic Party hosts monthly “Hoppy Hour” social gatherings on the first Thursday of each month from 5:30-7 pm at Thieme and Wagner Brewery (652 Main Street, Lafayette). This is an opportunity to share space to commiserate, connect, and collaborate on building the future they believe in. Whether you’re feeling frustrated, motivated, or a mix of both, this is your chance to find good company and engage in meaningful discussions. You can sign up via Mobilize here.
- Main Street Books’ Bite-Sized Book Club is meeting on Tuesday, August 12, at 6:30 pm at the bookstore (426 Main Street, Lafayette), and this month they’re discussing ”The Fire Next Time” by James Baldwin. You can find more information in their Facebook event. You do not need to register for the event in advance, you can simply show up to chat about the book (and be okay with spoilers if you haven’t finished!). In addition to street parking downtown, the Columbia Street Parking Garage (18 N. 5th Street) is free after 6 pm.
- We (Indivisible) will be hosting our next monthly gathering on Wednesday, August 13, from 6 – 7(-ish) pm in the Maple and Elm rooms at the West Lafayette Public Library (208 W Columbia Street, West Lafayette, second floor). In addition to street parking, parking is also available in the garage across the street at 117 N Chauncey Ave, West Lafayette. If the cost of parking is prohibitive, the Library staff can validate your ticket at the front desk. You can let us know you’ll attend by signing up via Mobilize here.
For the past few months, we’ve been organizing into teams. Each team will work together to strategize and implement the ideas for things like holding our elected officials accountable, preparing for the 2026 elections, forming a rapid response team, organizing social events, coordinating and preparing for protests, reaching out to other progressives in red areas, offering classes on how to have hard conversations, and planning community book discussions. We hope to break down our big picture goals into manageable tasks and strategically focus our energy so that together we can make our actions as impactful as possible as we work to grow our community and push for positive change in our county and beyond.
Even if you missed last month’s meeting, now is a great time to join a team, or try out a few teams to see which is the right fit for you. And if you’re not ready to join a team yet but still want to mingle, please join us! There’s usually someone there who isn’t on a team and is available to chat with you. We’ll provide snacks and nametags, so you’ll just need to bring yourself and a willingness to network and strategize.
- The Tippecanoe County Democratic Party also hosts monthly lunches on the third Thursday of each month from 12-1 pm at Lafayette Brewing Company (622 Main Street, Lafayette). This is an opportunity to enjoy great food, engaging conversations, and the chance to meet like-minded neighbors who care about making a difference. This is a casual, welcoming event, and everyone buys their own lunch—just bring your appetite and ideas! You can sign up via Mobilize here.
- Fuel Coffee Shop is hosting weekly gatherings for people who want to affect positive political change at the state level, but don’t know how to get started. Dubbed “Bluesdays at Fuel” because “the opposite of orange is blue,” the weekly meetings will take place at 4 pm on Tuesdays at their Lafayette location (106 S 16th St, Lafayette, 47905). You can find more information in this recurring Facebook event and in their Facebook group.
Good news
- OUTFest 2025 is happening on Saturday, August 16, from 4 pm – midnight on Main Street in Lafayette! The annual pride festival is hosted by Pride Lafayette, and aims to increase public awareness of the LGBTQ+ community in Lafayette and beyond, bring attention to LGBT!+ issues, provide resources, and celebrate diversity. There will be live entertainment, great food and beer gardens, a drag show, vendors, and family activities. Tickets can be purchased here in advance at a discounted rate, or at the gates.
- According to the Indianapolis Recorder, The Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute is offering a virtual workshop aimed at helping Hoosiers better understand and respond to medical debt. The free “Medical Debt Know Your Rights” training will be held from 10 am – 12 pm on Thursday, August 7. The workshops are part of a broader effort to empower Indiana residents with tools to navigate the complex healthcare billing system and prevent long-term financial harm. You can register to attend the webinar here.
- The ACLU of Indiana has recently published a guide for Indiana public school students to know their rights as they head back to school.
- As we mentioned in the supplemental July newsletter, we’ve launched a new website called “Take Action Greater Lafayette!” We hope that this website will become your go-to place for community events, partnering organizations, resources, local news, and important issues. We designed it as a way to connect and amplify local organizations defending democracy and fighting authoritarianism. Working together, we want to foster communication, mutual support, and collaboration among the organizations in the Greater Lafayette area that are working to preserve and promote democracy, civil liberties, multiculturalism, adequate social services, and responsible government. A huge thank you to Bob Gump for his tireless work on developing this website!
What is inspiring us
- This year marks the 70th anniversary of Emmett Till’s kidnapping and murder. The Emmett Till Interpretive Center in Sumner, Mississippi continues its work to preserve his memory and cherish our history authentically. The Center serves as a testament to the audacious determination of the decision of Emmett’s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, to “let the world see,” exposing the truth surrounding her son’s murder and igniting a spark that fueled the burgeoning civil rights movement.
Starting on August 28, they will host a series of activities to honor this legacy and inspire the ongoing fight for justice and equality. While the anniversary events will take place at Mississippi Valley State University, the “Let the World See” exhibit can be viewed online here. The exhibit will also be featured at the Minnetrista Museum & Gardens in Muncie, IN from January 17 – April 12, 2026. You can learn more about Emmett Till’s story here and here, and you can donate toward the Center’s ongoing work here. - Brad Montague, the co-creator of the viral sensation “Kid President,” wrote a book called “Becoming Better Grownups: Rediscovering What Matters and Remembering How to Fly.” It was published right as Covid ramped up in March of 2020, which is when Michelle read it, and she found it to be a comforting and inspirational guidebook during a challenging season. Brad weaves together lessons of success, fear, regret, gratitude, love, happiness, and dreams, and reminds us that the secret to joy is often to become more childlike.
If you have an organization, an event, or a bit of good news that you’d like us to include in a future newsletter, please email [email protected]. For general questions, please email the Steering Committee at [email protected].
Past editions of our newsletter can be found on our website: lafayetteindivisible.com
As always, you can donate toward our efforts here or by donating cash at our next in-person gathering. Donations are used for expenses such as voter registration booth fees, supplies, and administrative costs. Thank you for your continued support!