“Dinners for Democracy” and “Coffee for Change” Offer Opportunities for All People to Engage in Work to Advance Democracy and the Rights of People

Washington, D.C. – As the country moves beyond the first 100 days of the Trump-Vance administration, Democracy Forward is launching a nationwide grassroots effort to build community as people look for ways to engage in advancing the rights of people and protecting our democracy. The effort, Dinners for Democracy and Coffee for Change, provides opportunities to gather and engage in pro-democracy work. 

The effort was developed to meet an intense need that Democracy Forward has heard from people across the country to take action to protect the nation and its best values. In some communities, people are seeking opportunities for engagement because their members of Congress, who are aligned with the Trump-Vance administration, are unreachable or not holding townhalls. In other communities, people are seeking engagement to enhance the impact of efforts and to address both local and national threats to democracy and the ability of people to thrive.  

“At a time when the President and his allies are seeking to scare, intimidate, and make people feel alone, building community and supporting each other is important for the very existence of a pro-democracy movement and for the future of the nation,” said Skye Perryman, President & CEO of Democracy Forward. “Community also creates the conditions for courage—courage to advocate for ourselves and for each other. All of the chaos and confusion coming from the Trump administration on a daily basis – this ‘shock and awe’ approach –  follows from a well-known autocratic playbook that is aimed at making people feel hopeless and defeated. Through supporting people in gathering their community for dinner or for coffee, we are working to turn this crisis into a catalyst for change. Dinners for Democracy and Coffee for Change will help create the conditions to build community and courage. Nothing is more important right now.”

Part of Democracy Forward’s Together for Democracy initiative, Dinners for Democracy and Coffees for Change are designed to meet communities where they are: whether motivated to take action, focus on self-care and supporting the community, or building new bridges. Options for each of these tracks are available in a free Digital Toolkit that includes conversation starters, discussion questions, and other resources to help make gatherings a success, including practical tips to answer the question: “What can I do to impact positive change?” Democracy Forward is also making standard and deluxe event kits available for purchase, which can make event planning easier.

“What I know about this country is that we don’t like power grabs and we don’t like kings—and we certainly don’t like being silent. What I also know is that we, the people, stopped this power grab eight years ago, and we can again,” added Perryman. “This is not the moment we chose, but it is the moment we are made for. Gatherings like Dinners for Democracy and Coffees for Change across the country will offer hope for how we can unite to meet this moment of crisis and make it a catalyst for change.”

Since January 20, Democracy Forward has filed 60 legal actions and launched 82 investigations, securing major wins and bringing together a unique coalition of more than 500 organizations to address this administration’s harmful policies impacting the American people. The organization’s staff have also frequently appeared on tele-townhalls across the nation, speaking with hundreds of thousands of concerned Americans and touching the lives of millions as the organization’s robust work in states and local communities continues.

For more information about Dinners for Democracy and Coffee for Change, please visit https://democracyforward.org/dinners. A kick off video is available here.

Dinners for Democracy and Coffee for Change participants are encouraged to post a photo or video of the gathering on social media and tag @DemocracyForward and #DinnersforDemocracy or #CoffeeforChange. 

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Democracy Forward is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.