One Easy Way To Start Making A Difference In 2017

It's been more than a month since the election, and as cathartic as screaming into the pillow may have been over the past few weeks, it's time to begin preparing for president-elect Donald Trump's time in office. That's where Daily Action Alerts comes in: If you've been having trouble finding somewhere meaningful to start (pointed Facebook statuses are all well and good, but they don't actually accomplish much), this service texts users daily with instructions for a simple phone call they can make to take action during Trump's administration.

"I wanted to give people tools to speak up when they consider something beyond the pale — whether it's a Cabinet nomination, or a Supreme Court appointment, or massive cuts to Social Security," journalist Laura Moser, the creator of Daily Action Alerts, writes to Bustle over email. "We're not some fringe minority — we're the majority of this country (and by 'we,' I mean reasonable people)."

As she explained in Vogue, Daily Action Alerts is designed to be as easy as possible. Users text the world "DAILY" to the number 228466 (it spells out "ACTION" on the keypad). Once you enter your ZIP code, Daily Action sends you a text each work day about a locally-relevant political issue; if you're interested, you're also directed to a short recording explaining the situation. After that, you're connected with the relevant elected official. "In 90 seconds door to door, you can conscientiously object and be done with it," Moser wrote in Vogue.

Although Daily Action connects users with their local representatives, Moser says it will focus on national issues. "Our long-term goals are to hold the incoming administration accountable, one day (and phone call) at a time," she says. "Eventually, I'd love to have enough subscribers that we can provide the tools for people to call about more local issues, like the new fetal burial law in Texas, but right now we're focused on building the movement."

Moser adds that Daily Action fills a niche that opened after Trump's election for those who are scared or upset, but don't know how to take action. "So many people I know have been despairing since the election, but we haven't known what to do about it. I personally felt paralyzed and disenfranchised the first few weeks afterward, and starting this project helped bring me back to life," she writes. "People have been waiting for this kind of tool."

When asked whether she has any advice for young people in the next few years, Moser stressed the importance of doing anything, no matter how small. "Find a place where you can make a difference — whether it is tutoring disadvantaged kids whose services are about to be cut, or cutting back on your meat consumption or biking to work to offset the environmental ravages to come — and do it," she writes. "Even the smallest, most insignificant-seeming tweaks can lead to big changes, so find the ones that capitalize on your strengths and make sense for your circumstances."

Basically, there's always time to fight the patriarchy, and right now, it's more important than ever. To sign up for the alerts, text "DAILY" to the number 228466, or head over to the Daily Action website.

Images: Luke Porter/Unsplash; Giphy