10-minute actions you can take right now

A Resource for Liberatory Business Podcast Listeners

5- to 10-minute actions you can take right now A Resource for Liberatory Business Podcast Listeners

If you have a phone/computer:

• Write a genuine positive review for a Black-owned, Indigenous, Latino, Asian, Arab, queer-owned, or trans-owned business you've actually been to

• Leave a 5-star review for a podcast created by someone from a marginalized community

• Text three people in your contacts just to check in — "Hey, how are you actually doing?"

• Research one local mutual aid organization or community nonprofit and save their contact info

• Venmo/CashApp someone you know who's struggling (no explanation needed, just "thinking of you")

• Boost a small business owned by someone from a marginalized community on your social media — screenshot their post, share it, tag them

• Follow local organizers and community leaders so you actually know what's happening in your area

• Share accurate information about people's rights on your social media (like what to do if ICE shows up)

• Comment something kind and supportive on a post from a creator or business owner who's being targeted or harassed

• If you see hate or harassment in your online spaces, report it and call it out

• Look up your local bail fund and bookmark it for when you're ready to donate

If you can leave your house:

• Knock on a neighbor's door and ask if they need anything from the store next time you go

• Drop off food on a neighbor's porch (especially if you know they're scared to go out)

• Leave a kind note in your building's lobby or on neighbors' doors

• Put gas in someone's car who needs it

• Smile and say hello to your neighbors, especially if they look different from you

• If you see someone being harassed in public, interrupt it — ask the person being harassed a random question, pretend you know them, create a distraction

• If you're at the store anyway, text your neighbors: "I'm at Target, anyone need anything?"

• Introduce yourself to new neighbors, especially if you think they might be targeted

• Offer to walk with someone who doesn't feel safe walking alone

• Strike up a conversation with someone who looks lonely or isolated

If you're staying in:

• Go through your pantry and set aside shelf-stable food to donate

• Call a local nonprofit and ask "What do you need right now?" then put it on your shopping list

• Make a batch of cookies or bread to give to a neighbor

• Text someone you know is going through it and offer something specific: "Can I order you dinner?" "Can I watch your kids Saturday?"

• Go through your closet and set aside warm clothes, coats, blankets to donate

• If you have extra hygiene products (tampons, pads, soap, toothpaste), drop them at a shelter or community org

• Make a double batch of dinner and bring half to someone who's overwhelmed

• Baby/kids stuff your children outgrew? Find a parent who needs it

No resources needed:

• If you're white and you witness something fucked up happening to a BIPOC person in public, use your body and your voice to intervene safely

• If ICE or FBI comes to your neighbor's door, YOU can be a witness — watch from your window, record if safe to do so

• Learn your rights: you don't have to open the door for ICE, you don't have to show ID, you don't have to speak

• Share those rights with people in your community who might not know

• Speak up if someone makes a racist, transphobic, xenophobic comment — even just "That's not cool" counts

• If you see a coworker being treated unfairly, document it and back them up

• Post in your building: "I'm in apartment 3B, here's my number if you ever need anything"

• If you have a yard, put up a sign that makes it clear you're safe (Pride flag, "No human is illegal," BLM, etc.)

If you have privilege:

• If you're a citizen, offer to accompany a non-citizen to appointments where they might feel safer with a witness

• If you're white, show up to things where your presence might provide a buffer

• If you're financially stable, tip extra generously, especially at immigrant-owned or Black-owned businesses

• If you have stable housing, offer your address for someone to use for mail if they need it

• If you're able-bodied, offer to help a disabled neighbor with physical tasks

• If you're in a position of power (manager, teacher, etc.), check in on the people who might be most scared right now

At work or school:

• Share resources about workers' rights with your coworkers

• Bring in extra snacks or lunch and leave them in the break room with a note: "Free, help yourself"

• If you notice someone's being excluded or left out, invite them to join you

• Offer to cover a shift for someone who needs time off but can't afford to ask

• If you have hiring power, look at your application process — is it actually accessible?

• Mentor someone who's trying to break into your field, especially if they don't look like most people in it

If you're a parent:

• Talk to your kids about what's happening in age-appropriate ways — don't pretend everything is fine

• Offer to carpool with a family that might feel safer not driving alone

• If you see a kid being bullied or excluded, intervene — kids are watching how adults respond right now

• Invite another family over for dinner, especially one that might be feeling isolated

• Ask your kid's teacher: "What supplies do families in the classroom need?" then get them

If you're dealing with your own shit right now:

• It's okay to just send the text that says "I'm thinking about you" even if you can't do more

• Leaving a review or boosting someone's post takes 2 minutes and costs nothing

• Smile at someone. Make eye contact. Let them know they're seen.

• Rest is resistance too — you can't pour from an empty cup, so take care of yourself and try again tomorrow

In your faith or spiritual community:

• Ask your religious leader to speak about what's happening — silence from the pulpit is a choice

• Organize a meal train for families in your congregation who are struggling

• Offer your place of worship as a sanctuary or meeting space for community organizing

• If your community has resources (food pantry, counseling, etc.), make sure people outside your congregation know about them

If you know specific skills:

• Offer to help someone fill out forms (FAFSA, immigration paperwork, job applications, whatever you know)

• Teach someone how to do something useful (fix a bike, cook a cheap meal, basic home repair)

• If you speak multiple languages, offer to translate for someone at an appointment

• Know your way around legal stuff? Help someone understand their rights or find legal aid

• Good with tech? Help someone set up privacy settings or secure their devices

Civic engagement and voter access:

• Register to vote at vote.org — takes less than 2 minutes

• Check if you're registered to vote and verify your polling location

• Sign up for TurboVote (turbovote.org) to get election reminders so you never miss a local or national election

• Help someone else register to vote — offer to walk them through the process or drive them to early voting

• If you can, offer rides to polling places on election day for people who need transportation

• Volunteer to be a poll worker or election observer

• Share accurate voting information on social media when you see misinformation spreading

Community building:

• Start a neighborhood group chat or Signal group for mutual aid

• Organize a monthly potluck so people actually know each other

• Create a little free library or little free pantry in your yard or building

• Host a "driveway hangout" or "stoop sittin'" time where neighbors can just come by and chat

• Make a neighborhood resource list — who has tools to borrow, who can help with what, where's the nearest food bank

The point: You don't need money, special skills, or a whole day. You need 5-10 minutes and the willingness to care about the person next to you. Pick one thing. Do it today. That's it.

Here are some further resources:

1. ACLU Know Your Rights (aclu.org/know-your-rights)
   Comprehensive guides on your rights when dealing with police, ICE, at protests, and more. Includes specific information for immigrants, protesters, and what to do if law enforcement comes to your door.

2. Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) (surj.org)
   A national network of white people working to undermine white supremacy and work towards collective liberation. Offers local chapters, organizing tools, and community for people committed to showing up in solidarity.

3. Mutual Aid Hub (mutualaidhub.org)
   Find mutual aid networks and community self-support projects near you. An interactive directory connecting you to local groups where you can offer resources or request support.

4. National Bail Fund Network (communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory)
   Directory of 90+ community bail and bond funds across the country that pay bail for people in pretrial detention and work to abolish the money bail system.

5. Vote.org (vote.org)
   Nonpartisan platform to register to vote, check your registration status, request absentee ballots, and find your polling place. Takes less than 2 minutes to register online in most states.