April 2025 Newsletter

Welcome to the latest edition of the Greater Lafayette Indivisible newsletter.  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)

• MESA (Multicultural Efforts to end Sexual Assault), a program through the Purdue College of Agriculture, is hosting a “long-sleeve drive” through April 14 to help support farm workers across Indiana from.  Donations of long-sleeve shirts that are light colored and made of natural fabric will protect farm workers from pesticide exposure and heat-related illness.  You can find more information, including the list of dropoff locations, here.

• Spread the word that the The Epsilon Kappa and Iota Zeta Chapters of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority are hosting a community baby shower on Sunday, April 6, from 1 – 3 pm for low-income expectant/new mothers in the area to receive supplies to care for themselves and their children.  This event will take place in the multi-purpose room at the Faith East Community Center (5572 Mercy Way, Building 1, Lafayette), and is designed to celebrate and support expecting and new mothers.  Attendees can register here.
  
• NICHES Land Trust is organizing its War of the Weeds between April 11 – May 11.  This 6th annual spring volunteer effort will help to improve native plant diversity in our local woodlands.  You can read more about it and volunteer to help here.
  
• Mark your calendars for the fourth annual Community Baby Shower hosted by the Tippecanoe County Health Department (TCHD) on Tuesday, May 6.  Registration for new or expecting parents will open on April 1.  Monetary donations will be accepted by the TCHD until April 17.  You can find more information on their Facebook page.
  
• The Wabash River Enhancement Corporation (WREC)’s Wabash Sampling Blitz is the perfect activity for all ages! Learn how to test water for nutrients, clarity, and more all while seeing local streams and creeks.  The blitz is happening from 9 am – 5pm on both Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26, and you get to choose 3 hours that work for you!  All supplies are provided and no experience is necessary.  Learn more and sign up to join the fun here.

Ripples (direct action through financial donations)

• Cars for Keeps, a non-profit organization based in Battle Ground, is hosting a silent auction on Thursday, April 10, from 6-9 pm at The Stables Event Center (7301 S County Road 100 E, Lafayette).  Their mission is to break the cycle of poverty through affordable vehicle ownership and financial education.  This year, they hope to raise $35,000 through the silent auction, which will go toward empowering individuals to overcome barriers to employment, healthcare, and education by securing reliable transportation.  You can find more information in their Facebook event.
  
• Lafayette Urban Ministry (LUM) is hosting its annual “We’ve Got Talent” fundraiser event on Friday, April 11 at St. Andrew United Methodist Church (4703 N 50 W, West Lafayette).  This is an amateur talent competition judged by a panel of local experts.  The event features a live show plus refreshments and other surprises.  The cost is $35 per person; $280 per table (max. 8) and 100% of the proceeds from this event go to the LUM Good Samaritan Fund, an emergency financial assistance fund that supports local families & individuals in need.  You can find more information here.

• Transformed Birth Services is hosting an “Art for Empowerment: Building Maternal Futures” fundraiser on Friday, April 18, at 6 pm at MatchBOX Coworking Studio (17 S 6th Street, Lafayette).  Transformed Birth Services is a local non-profit that was created to address maternal health disparities in Tippecanoe County by providing prenatal, birth, postpartum, and bereavement community doula support at little or no charge for underserved families.  This event will raise funds for their work, and each attendee will get to choose their own ticket price.  You can find more information about what to expect at the event and where to park in the description on their Facebook event.
  
• Lafayette Urban Ministry (LUM) also has a Match Campaign through April 30.  Every dollar donated to the LUM Immigration Clinic during that time will be matched up to a specified amount.  Local businesses, individuals, and groups will donate the “match money” prior to the campaign.  You can find more information here.
  
• Mark your calendar for the 12th annual Blue Jean Ball to benefit Food Finders Food Bank.  This ticketed event will take place on Saturday, May 3, at 6 pm at the Beck Agricultural Center (4550 US 52 West, West Lafayette).  It features an exciting evening of dinner, drinks, a silent auction, a cash bar, and a wine pull.  If you want to become a sponsor or donate to the auction, you can find more information here.
  

Rush (action at the county level)

• Sign the petition urging West Lafayette Mayor Erin Easter and the Members of the West Lafayette City Council to Pass a Resolution Protecting Gender Affirming Care.

• The 50501 movement is organizing a protest on Saturday, April 5, from 12 – 3 pm.  Attendees will meet at the Margerum Fountain near Tapawingo Park (425 E State St, West Lafayette) at 12 pm and march across the pedestrian bridge to the Tippecanoe County Courthouse.  Speakers will begin at 12:20 pm at the Courthouse.  They are accepting food donations for Food Finders, and the organizers have asked that attendees bring non-perishable food items with them.  You can find more information in the Facebook event.
  
  This event is part of Indivisible national’s National Day of Action called “Hands Off!”  National and local organizations are coming together across the country on April 5 to organize national mass activation in defiance of the Trump-Musk billionaire takeover and the Republican assault on our freedoms and our communities.  You can read more about the National Day of Action here.
  
• Several local organizations have partnered together to form the Tippecanoe Housing Solutions Coalition, and they are hosting community conversations at the Lafayette Public Safety Center between April 8 and April 11. To discuss “homelessness, promoting affordable housing, and fostering a sense of community well-being.”  You can find more information and register on the United Way of Greater Lafayette website.

• Learn how to landscape with native plants!  The Tippecanoe Soil & Water Conservation District is hosting a free class at the Jos N. Holman Branch of the Tippecanoe County Public Library (627 South St, Lafayette) on Friday, April 11, from 2 – 4 pm.  You can learn about why landscaping with native plants matters and which landscaping plants are invasive, how to prepare your site and select plants, design tips, and more. The event is free, but registration is required because space is limited.  You can find more information and register on their website and the Facebook event. 
  
• Purdue’s Student Chapter of Environmental Education (SCEE) and the Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources are hosting their next Community Nature Day on Saturday, April 19, from 10 am – 2 pm. The event is focused on environmental education and the promotion of Martell Forest to the Purdue community.  You can find more information in the Facebook event.
  
• Consider running for office in 2026.  It feels like the midterm elections are a long way away, but now is the time to prepare to run.  The County website has a list of the offices that are up for election in 2026, and many of them are local.  GLI will host its “Run For Something” seminar again soon, so be on the lookout for that.  In the meantime, you can watch a video of the presentation “How the Local and State Democratic Party Functions” from Greater Lafayette Indivisible’s 2021 virtual Resistance Fair and hosted by Lisa Dullum.  As a reminder, GLI is a 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organization and it is nonpartisan.  However, GLI supports progressive candidates and policies, and most of those are affiliated with the Democratic Party.
  
• It’s almost voter registration session!  We hope to be at a variety of locations at different times of the day throughout the spring, summer, and fall.  In the past, we’ve regularly had a table set up at the Mosey Down Main Street (Saturday evenings), the West Lafayette Farmers Market (Wednesday afternoons), and the Lafayette Farmers Market (Saturday mornings).  We’ve also had tables at special events like the Recovery Rally, the Tippecanoe Latino Festival, Purdue’s B-Involved Fair, and OUTFest. 
  
  We will need as many volunteers as possible to help us with voter registration as we tend to be stretched thin during peak season.  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, we’ll give people an opportunity to volunteer for one or two shorter shifts if they can’t stay the entire time.  You can find all of our voter registration opportunities on Mobilize.

Rapids (action at the state level)

• The Younger Women’s Task Force (YWTF) continues to host Legislative Action Hours from 5:30-6:30 pm on Thursdays through May 15.  Using a reproductive justice lens, they will identify, track, and lobby on important bills moving in the Indiana State House. During the weekly hour-long Zoom call, attendees will take action on those bills together.  You can find more information and sign up for specific Thursdays here.
  
• MADVoters (Mutually Assured Democracy) is hosting a phone banking event on Thursday, April 3, from 5:30 – 7:30 pm in the Maple Room at the West Lafayette Public Library (208 W Columbia Street, West Lafayette, second floor).  Participants will be calling Indiana legislators to urge them to keep in the language to remove the sales tax for menstrual products in Indiana.  You can find more information in the Facebook event and on their community calendar.
  
  In addition to street parking, parking is also available in the garage across the street at 117 N Chauncey Ave, West Lafayette.  The Library staff can validate your ticket at the front desk.
  
• Jewish Voices for Peace – Indiana has been organizing biweekly and monthly rallies around the state, including in Lafayette.  You can follow them on Instagram to keep up with their plans.

Roar (action at the national level)

• If you haven’t yet read the 2024 guide from Indivisible national, you can find it here.

• DIGDEEP is a human rights nonprofit serving the 2.2 million+ people in the U.S. without the sinks, bathtubs or toilets that the rest of us take for granted.  Their community-led projects bring clean, hot and cold running water into American homes.  They also invest in research, advocacy, and workforce development to close the Water Gap once and for all.  You can read more about their work, specifically their Colonias Water Project (people living on the Texas-Mexico border), Appalachia Water Project, and Navajo Water Project, on their website, and you can donate toward their efforts here.

Opportunities to build community

• The Tippecanoe 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.
  
• Indivisible will be hosting its next monthly gatherings on Wednesday, April 9, and Wednesday, May 14 from 6 to 7 pm.  Please note: We have officially outgrown the meeting space at Second Flight Books, so we will be meeting 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.  The Library staff can validate your ticket at the front desk.

This will be an informal opportunity to meet like-minded folks, discuss opportunities for action, strategize together, and socialize; depending on what you need for renewal.  We’ll provide snacks and nametags, so you’ll just need to bring yourself and a willingness to network.  You can sign up via Mobilize here.

THANK YOU to Second Flight Books for hosting our gatherings for the last few months!  They were so welcoming in providing a cozy atmosphere and even letting our attendees purchase books after the meetings wrapped up and the store had closed.  We’re so grateful for their support.  If you’d like to show your gratitude by patronizing their store, you can find them at 2122 Scott Street (Lafayette) and online.

• The Tippecanoe Democratic Party 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!  Their next lunch meeting will be on Thursday, April 17.  You can sign up via Mobilize here.
  
• The 2025 DRT (Diversity Roundtable) Summit will take place on Thursday, April 24, 2025 from 9 am – 3pm (with lunch included) in Ivy Hall at Ivy Tech Community College (3101 S Creasy Lane, Lafayette).  It will be a transformative experience where business leaders, nonprofit leaders, community volunteers, and advocates come together with a shared mission: to create spaces where every voice is heard, respected, and valued. The importance of this work cannot be overstated. By embracing compassionate curiosity, we can dismantle the fear of saying the wrong thing and replace it with a culture of respectful communication and understanding.  You can read more about the event and register 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. 

Good news

• We estimate that more than 300 of you showed up for our “Where’s Baird? A town hall for Representative Jim Baird” on Sunday!  We occupied all 3 meeting rooms on the second floor of the West Lafayette Public Library, and we had so many attendees that we ran out of seats!  As frustrating as it is to be ignored by Rep. Baird, it is encouraging to see how many people were willing to come out on a Sunday afternoon to voice their concerns and frustrations even in his absence.  If you’d like to see the media coverage of the event, you can find it here: Dave Bangert’s Based in Lafayette, WFYI, and WTHR.
  
• Pride Lafayette, Inc. is hosting its Trans Resource Fair on Saturday, April 19, from 1 – 4 pm at the Holiday Inn Lafayette-City Center (501 South St, Lafayette).  This event is designed to connect members of the trans and gender nonconforming community with affirming health providers, local and area support organizations, and other resources. The event is free and open to all.  You can find more information in their Facebook event.

• Saturday, April 26, is Independent Bookstore Day!  This is a great opportunity to support local, independent bookstores, such as Main Street Books and Second Flight Books.
  
• Indianapolis has unveiled a historic marker acknowledging the life of George Tompkins, a 19-year-old Black man lynched in Indianapolis in 1922.  The marker was initiated by the Indiana Remembrance Coalition (IRC) and provided by the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) and is situated near the Municipal Gardens Family Center.  You can read more about the historic marker and George’s story here.
  
• WTHR reported on the fact that Indiana saw its largest population increase in 2024 in over 15 years, and immigration to the state is the reason why, according to new numbers from the Indiana Business Research Center (IBRC) at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.  This is an important reminder that immigrants fuel population and economic growth and are essential to our communities.
  
• Indiana Lifeline Law’s expansion reaches Governor Braun’s desk, which is its last stop before it becomes law.  You can read the Purdue Exponent’s coverage here.
  
• Indiana has seen a significant drop in overdose deaths, which mirrors the regional trend.  You can read WFYI’s reporting here.
  

What is inspiring us

• Brian Rosenthal, Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter for the New York Times, will be in conversation with local writer, Angie Klink, on Thursday, April 10, from 11:30-1 pm at YWCA Greater Lafayette (605 N. 6th Street, Lafayette).  This special presentation on journalistic integrity will showcase the process of investigative reporting.  Please note that Registration closes on April 5 and they cannot accept day-of registrations.  You can purchase tickets here.  Lunch is included.
  
• The Freedom Road Socialist Organization is hosting a free screening of the film “The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson” on Thursday, April 10, at 5 pm in the Walnut Room of the West Lafayette Public Library (208 W Columbia Street, West Lafayette, second floor).  This is a great opportunity to learn more about the iconic queer and trans liberation activist.  In addition to street parking, parking is also available in the garage across the street at 117 N Chauncey Ave, West Lafayette.  The Library staff can validate your ticket at the front desk.
  
• The Art Museum of Greater Lafayette and the General de Lafayette Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution are hosting an event on Saturday, May 3, at 1:30 pm at Rat Pak Venue (116 N 3rd Street, Lafayette) that will bring to life the history of the Underground Railroad, inspired by the upcoming SAGA Quilt Show at the Art Museum. This special event will explore the intertwined roles of spirituals, quilting, and local figures in the fight for freedom.  The event is free, but a ticket is required.  You can find more information here.
  
• Michelle recently read the book “Living Resistance: An Indigenous Vision for Seeking Wholeness Every Day” by Kaitlin B. Curtice and found it to be affirming and inspiring.  Kaitlin is an enrolled citizen of the Potawatomi nation, and she writes on the intersections of spirituality and identity and how that shifts throughout our lives.  This book explores four “realms of resistance” – the personal, the communal, the ancestral, and the integral – and shows how these realms overlap and why all are needed for our collective liberation.

• Michelle Obama and her brother, Craig Robertson, have started a weekly podcast that premiered on March 12.  Titled “IMO Podcast” (which stands for “in my opinion”), they will share opinions, thoughts, and insights based on submitted questions. They will release new episodes on Wednesdays on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Do you have an organization, an event, or a bit of good news that you’d like us to include in a future newsletter?  Email [email protected]!

Past editions of our newsletter can be found on our website: lafayetteindivisible.com 

As always, you can donate toward our efforts here.  Donations are used for voter registration booth fees, supplies, and administrative costs.  Thank you for your continued support!