HARD AS IT MAY SEEM TO FEEL JOYFUL and celebratory in the closing weeks of 2023, The Civic Circle derives inspiration from the youth who always manage to teach us more than we teach them.
Whether it’s the Israeli and Palestinian teens who train in the same pool because “it is so normal to be together,” or the New Jersey high school students calming conversations through youth town meetings, young people are proving that peace and civic revival are possible. In Civic Circle workshops, students are literally singing and dancing their way to a better world as they write and perform songs about reconciliation and truth.
As we kick off the giving season, we hope you’ll join us for one of several opportunities to support democracy, community and The Civic Circle in a campaign we’re calling “The Civic Spark: Lighting the Future.”
THE FIRST SPARK IS GIVING TUESDAY a week from today, November 28, a global day of giving that in 24 hours raised $3.1 billion for charities last year. The beauty of GivingTuesday is that even the smallest donations add up to big support when everybody joins together, and helps get the word out on social media and online. If everyone on this email list gave just $5, we would raise $3,000. And it doesn’t cost anything to like or follow us on Facebook or one of our other platforms, or share or forward our fundraisers and emails. You can start by forwarding this email to a friend who cares about democracy! And you can support our GivingTuesday campaign right now by clicking THIS LINK.
THE SECOND SPARK IS THE TAKOMA PARK ALTERNATIVE GIFT FAIR, taking place Saturday, December 2 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Takoma Park Presbyterian Church. This is a heartwarming, volunteer-run event that lets you honor a friend or loved one with a gift to a charity in their name. Please join us for live music, holiday treats and community connection on December 2. And you can shop the fair today, including for alternative gifts that support democracy and Civic Circle programs, by clicking THIS LINK.
SPARK THREE IS DINNER AT ALL SET RESTAURANT & BAR on Tuesday, Dec. 5. Lots of Civic Circle friends will be there, so please join us for some fellowship and fun. If you would like to join a Civic Circle table, please email [email protected]. You can also make your own reservation HERE. Thank you to All Set for hosting these “Dine Out Tuesdays” to benefit local charities!
BEST OF ALL WILL BE OUR CIVIC SPARK CELEBRATION on Sunday, Dec. 17 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. We’ll gather in the beautiful Arts on the Block headquarters in downtown Silver Spring for civic songs with popular entertainer Nick Newlin, delicious food and drink, and poetry and reflection to celebrate democracy and peace. Our keynote speaker will be Michele Waxman Johnson, who is bringing our state together around civic celebration as head of the Maryland 250 Commission. Big thanks to Jeffrey Slavin and Margo Reid for co-hosting this event! Reserve your ticket today by clicking HERE or with the QR code below. If you cannot attend but would like to sponsor a $25 ticket for a student, teacher or teaching artist, please click HERE and alert us at [email protected].
WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THE MANY INDIVIDUAL DONORS who make this work possible, with contributions large and small. Whether you join us for one or more of our Civic Spark events, and whether you give $5, $50, or $500 (click HERE to donate), you’ll be lighting the civic spark in our students by lifting up youth voices and empowering the next generation of compassionate, informed, engaged citizens.
