This action center will help you join the fight within—and beyond—our local area to oppose the extremist trends and destructive policies (see Project 2025) that took center stage starting January 20, 2025. The Action Center is a work in progress, so sign up for our emails to receive updates as we add action steps and resources.
If you’re already doing some of the actions or using some of the resources provided below, fantastic! If you’re newly energized to get involved, start small. Choose any one area or resource to explore and invite a like-minded friend or family member to join you. Whenever and wherever you can, spread accurate, positive news about what you’re learning or doing.
Four Avenues of Action
Act on Your Passion or Expertise
Choose and engage with an issue-focused organization whose mission matches your passion or area of expertise. From the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to the Center for Common Ground to Planned Parenthood to the Union of Concerned Scientists, there’s an organization—many with local or regional chapters–closely tracking wins and setbacks and putting pressure on government officials to do the right thing.
Why do this: Advocacy organizations keep an eye on what’s happening and issue timely alerts and step-by-step instructions so you can know the actions you take will be effective. Can’t act? Donations–of any size or frequency–help, too.
How: Sign up for your chosen organization’s newsletters and email alerts. You can also check out action–by geographical area, campaign, and issue–posted on Mobilize, the platform for progressive/Democratic volunteer event/action organizing.
Stay Informed
Subscribe and donate to nonprofit news organizations that cover state government. And because disinformation and misinformation are rampant across the country, urge your friends and family members in other states–perhaps even those who don’t always share your views–to do the same.
Why do this: Nonprofit news organizations dig into a state’s economy, culture and society and the corresponding policies proposed or enacted by its state legislatures. They hire professional journalists to investigate stories, present the facts and deliver unbiased news you need to take informed action.
How: Every state has at least one nonprofit news outlet focused on state government (see here); Connecticut’s is CT Mirror. Subscriptions are typically free, though donations are needed.
Find Community
Seek out and join a community with whom to share information and take action. Grassroots action organizations use understanding of their communities to educate neighbors and friends about issues and candidates and how local, state and national initiatives–good and bad–affect them.
Why do this: You can quickly undertake effective actions, spread hope, build coalitions, interact with people outside your usual sphere–and have fun!
How: The Ridgefield Democratic Town Committee has fostered a vibrant community of dedicated, innovative volunteers. Join us. You will also find community with grassroots organizations that include ReSistersCT, ICT4 (a local chapter of Indivisible), and many others.
Demand Officials’ Attention
Speak up and be visible! Constituents need to be more visible and vocal to overcome the out-of-control influence of lobbyists, special interest groups and big donors.
Why do this: Your votes put government officials in office, and your tax dollars pay their salaries. And the generally well-meaning neighbors on volunteer boards/commissions deeply appreciate your efforts to be informed about and provide input on their efforts.
How: Add important numbers, email addresses and hearing/meeting dates to your phone’s contact list and calendar. Sign up for Ridgefield’s e-alerts (see below) and your state legislators’ emailed updates. Communicate your views in person when you can, and with phone calls, emails, letters to the editor, and written or spoken testimony during town halls and public comment periods.
Resources and Tools: A Place to Start
Our Ridgefield Elected Officials
| Who They Are, at a Glance | https://ridgefielddems.net/ |
| Ned Lamont, Governor | www.ct.gov/Office-of-the-Governor/Contact/Email-Governor-Lamont |
| Susan Bysiewicz, Lt. Governor | ltgovernor.bysiewicz@ct.gov |
| Stephanie Thomas, Secretary of State | Stephanie.thomas@ct.gov |
| William Tong, Attorney General | attorney.general@ct.gov |
| Richard Blumenthal, US Senate | Blumenthal.Senate.Gov |
| Chris Murphy, US Senate | Murphy.Senate.Gov |
| Jim Himes, US House, CT.4 | Himes.House.Gov |
| Julie Kushner, State Senate District 24 | Julie.Kushner@cga.ct.gov |
| Aimee Berger-Girvalo, House District 111 | Aimee.Berger-Girvalo@cga.gov |
| Ceci Maher, Senate District 26 | Ceci.Maher@cga.ct.gov |
| Savet Constantine, House District 42 | Savet.Constantine@cga.ct.gov |
| Rudi Marconi, First Selectman | torfirstselectperson@ridgefieldct.gov |
| Arnie DiLaura, Chair, Ridgefield Democratic Town Committee | volguy1@gmail.com |
Action Guidance from the State Party, CT Dems
Town of Ridgefield
- Subscribe to Ridgefield Town E-Alerts (meetings, minutes, traffic and emergency notices)
- Ridgefield’s Town Charter (2023)
- Ridgefield’s Democratic Elected Officials
- Town Contact Info/All Boards and Commissions
State of Connecticut
- Find My CT State Legislators (for Ridgefield)
- The Legislative Process in CT – Civics 101
- How to Testify at a Public Hearing on CT Legislation
- Know Your Rights 2025/Immigrants’ Rights (CT ACLU)
- Major Issues: 2025 Legislative Session
National
- AllSides
- Indivisible: A Practical Guide to Democracy on the Brink
- Chop Wood, Carry Water (Jessica Craven, on Substack)
- Today’s Edition Newsletter (Robert Hubbell, on Substack)
- Assembly Required (Stacey Abrams, podcast)
- Five Calls
Resources and Tools
The Ridgefield Democratic Town Committee has compiled the names of organizations and groups that are active in or cover a wide range of issues, many of them overlapping. The descriptions here are brief; more complete information appears at each entity’s website, and up-to-the-minute information may be found on its other official channels.
We furnish this information as a public service, a starting point for researching and choosing the best outlet for your own civic engagement. Please note that being listed here does not imply endorsement by the Ridgefield Democratic Town Committee endorsement, nor does the absence of an entity mean it is not a valuable resource.
| ORGANIZATION/ENTITY | FIND AT | FOCUS |
|---|---|---|
| Political/Civic Engagement | ||
| Center for Common Ground | https://centerforcommonground.org | Voting rights |
| Civics Center | thecivicscenter.org | Youth voter registration |
| Common Cause CT | https://www.commoncause.org/connecticut/ | Democracy |
| Focus for Democracy | https://www.focus4democracy.org/ | Democracy/voting |
| League of Women Voters | https://lwv.org | Voting rights |
| NextGen America | organizing.nextgenamerica.org | Youth civic engagement |
| State Party Advancement Network | https://www.spanetwork.net/about | Democratic state parties building |
| Young Democrats of America | https://yda.org/ | Youth engagement |
| Young Democrats of CT | https://www.instagram.com/youngdemsct?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== | Youth engagement |
| Advocacy | ||
| AARP | https://www.aarp.org/ | 50+ demographic |
| American Association of University Professors | Aaup.org | Higher education |
| American Library Association | https://www.ala.org/ | Library |
| American Medical Association | https://ama-assn.org | Healthcare |
| Center for Empowerment & Education | https://thecenterct.org/ | Domestic violence |
| Connecticut Fair Housing Center | https://ctfairhousing.org/ | Housing |
| CT Against Gun Violence | https://cagv.org/ | Gun violence prevention |
| CT Black Caucus | https://www.instagram.com/ctblackcaucus/?hl=en | Civic rights |
| Connecticut Justice Alliance | https://www.instagram.com/ctjusticealliance/?hl=en | End the criminalization of youth |
| Connecticut Voices for Children | http://ctvoices.org/ | Disadvantaged children |
| Make the Road CT | https://www.maketheroadct.org/ | Immigrant communities |
| National Urban League | https://nul.org/ | Civil rights |
| Planned Parenthood Action Fund | https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/ | Reproductive care |
| Ridgefield Pride | www.ridgefieldctpride.com | LGBTQ advocacy and support |
| Sandy Hook Promise | https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/ | Gun violence prevention |
| Urban League of Greater Hartford Young Professionals | https://www.instagram.com/ulghyp/?hl=en | Civil rights |
| Labor | ||
| AFL-CIO | https://aflcio.org/ | Manufacturing |
| American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME Council 4 OPC) | https://www.council4.org | Government |
| American Federation of Teachers (AFTCT) | https://www.aftct.org | Education |
| CT State United Auto Workers | https://uaw.org/regions/uaw-region-9a/ | Auto manufacturing |
| CT State Employees Association | https://csea-ct.com | Government |
| International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 478 | https://local478.org | Engineering |
| United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), Local 371 | https://ufcw371.org | Food |
| National Education Association | National Education Association NEA | Education |
| New England Regional Council of Carpenters (CT) | https://www.nasrcc.org | Construction |
| Sheet Metal Workers Union (Local #38) | https://smart-union.org | Construction |
| Starbucks Worker’s United | https://www.sbworkersunited.org | Hospitality |
| CT Employees Union Independent Service Employees International Union (CT District 1199 & 32BJ CT) | https://www.ceui.org | Service |
| Environment | ||
| CT League of Conservation Voters | https://www.ctlcv.org/ | Legislation |
| Environmental Defense Fund | https://www.edf.org/ | Action |
| Environmental Voter Project | https://environmentalvoter.org | Voter engagement |
| League of Conservation Voters | https://www.lcv.org | Legislation & litigation |
| The Nature Conservancy | https://conservenature.org/en-us | Resource management |
| Sierra Club | https://www.sierraclub.org/ | Voter engagement |
| Civil Rights | ||
| ACLU – Connecticut | https://www.acluct.org/en | Civil rights and liberties |
| ACLU – National | https://www.aclu.org/ | Civil rights and liberties |
| Black Lives Matter | https://blacklivesmatter.com/ | Civil rights/Black Americans |
| Color of Change | https://colorofchange.org/ | Civil rights |
| CT Students for a Dream | https://www.ct4adream.org/ | Immigrants and undocumented people |
| Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services | https://irisct.org/ | Displaced people and refugees |
| NAACP – Local | https://www.ctnaacp.org/ | Civil rights |
| NAACP – National | https://naacp.org/ | Civil rights |
| Ridgefield Pride | https://ridgefieldctpride.com/ | LGBTQ+ community |
| Grassroots Activism | ||
| ActBlue | secure.actblue.com | Fundraising platform |
| Activate America | Activateamerica.vote | Congressional elections |
| Galvanize USA | galvanizeusa.org | Women’s civic power- education |
| Galvanize Action | galvanizeaction.org | Women’s civic power-research, outreach |
| Indivisible | https://indivisible.org/ | Guide and tools |
| Markers for Democracy | https://markersfordemocracy.org/ | Activism tools and content |
| Mobilize | Mobilize.us | Volunteer opportunities |
| Move On | https://front.moveon.org/ | Activism tools and content |
| Postcards to Voters | postcardstovoters.org | DIY postcard tools for campaigns nationwide |
| Run for Something | runforsomething.net | Candidate training |
| Sister District | sisterdistrict.com | Voter engagement, district to district |
| The States Project | Statesproject.org | State legislature campaigns |
| Vote Forward | votefwd.org | DIY letter tools for campaigns nationwide |
| Vote Save America | votesaveamerica.com | Voter registration, education, engagement |
| When We All Vote | whenweallvote.org | Voter registration, education, engagement |
| Grassroots Activism – Local | ||
| ICT4 | ict4.org | CT’s 4th Cong. District Indivisible group |
| ReSistersCT | https://resistersct.org/ | Civic education and action/Fairfield Cty based |
| Women on Watch | facebook.com/wow4womenonwatch/ | Civic education and action/Stamford area |