May 4 Updates

It's a new week and there’s a lot happening, with opportunities to stay connected, take action, and support one another. Here are the latest updates and ways to get involved.

Upcoming:

May 5: Community Care Virtual Training

May 8: Rush Hour Resistance

May 7: Board of Ed Candidate Forum

May 9-23: Knowledge is Power Civic Education

May 12: Pens to Power

Immigration Activism

On April 26, MoCo IRC hosted a 6-hour in-person ICE Watch and Community Care training in Hagerstown, co-hosted by WCI and WMD-IRC.

• 35 community members attended
• ICE Watch training + breakout sessions
• Community Care training focused on mutual aid
• Dinner break helped build connections among participants

The very next day, WMD-IRC was contacted about another ICE-impacted Hagerstown family — and we are now actively supporting them through mutual aid.

Upcoming Training

Virtual Community Care Training​
🗓 May 5​
This 90-minute session will cover the roles involved in supporting ICE-impacted families through mutual aid.
👉 Register here for the training.​

New Civic Education Program

Knowledge is Power: A Community Engagement Initiative launches a free 3-part civics series designed to make government more accessible and understandable.

Each session covers:

• How a level of government works
• How decisions are made
• How community members can engage

Sessions:

• Local Government: May 9
• State Government: May 16
• Federal Government: May 23

Registration is free and currently open for the May 9 local session only. Spots are limited. Location shared upon registration.

Upcoming Candidate Forums

Hosted by HARC in partnership with the League of Women Voters and Washington County Library.

Free, nonpartisan, and open to the public. All candidates invited.

Washington County Free Library (Rooms 308–309)​
100 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown

• May 7 | 6–8 PM — Board of Education (Primary)
• May 21 | 6–8 PM — County Commissioners (Primary)
• Oct. 1 | 6–8 PM — Board of Ed (General)
• Oct. 15 | 6–8 PM — Commissioners (General)

Visit to LWV or HARC's website for more information or to submit questions for consideration in advance.

Pens to Power Upcoming Events

Join P2P for two upcoming writing events:

• May 12 | 6:30–8:30 PM
• June 7 | 1–4 PM​
  👉 RSVP: alicejimroberts@gmail.com​

At both events, we’ll collect donations for either the Eliza’s House food pantry or families in Western Maryland impacted by ICE activity, depending on current needs.

Most-needed items:​
Non-perishable and microwaveable food, bread, peanut butter, jelly, rice, and hygiene products.

📬 We Always Need Stamps

Postcard and letter stamps are one of the easiest ways to support this work.

• Donate via the WCI ActBlue account, or
• Mail stamps to:
  ​Laura Spivak​
  12604 Knepper Road
  Clear Spring, MD 21722

Write From Home

Want to participate on your own schedule? Here are a few options:

Host a Satellite Event​
Gather friends and host your own writing session — we’ll provide guidance and materials.
👉 Sign up here​

Request Postcards at Home​
We’ll send postcards, addresses, and instructions (stamps may be limited).
👉 Request here:​

Write Vote Forward Letters​
Join our Washington County Indivisible dashboard to write letters for upcoming elections.
👉 https://votefwd.org/wacoindivisible​
(Log in through this link so your letters count toward our group total.)

Next WCI Rush Hour Resistance

Meet us on the Appalachian Trail bridge on Friday, May 8 at 4:15 PM to help set up, or stop by before 5:30 PM to wave. Our letters aren't waterproof, so we cancel if it's raining.

Email Dave Williams at dwilliams21783@gmail.com for more information.

For photos, videos, and more about Rush Hour Resistance, visit this link:

WCI is on Discord!

We're excited to announce that our organization is now on Discord, creating more avenues for communication and connection! For access, go to this link: