10/30/2025 Newsletter

Dear Friend,

As right-wing extremists drag out Trump’s  government shutdown, they’ve taken the extraordinarily cruel step of cutting off Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program  (SNAP) funding effective this Saturday. This move will throw 41 million Americans into hunger. This is clearly a tactic to blame Democrats and force them to yield on the issue of Affordable Care Act subsidies.

Politics aside, more than 2,000 Island County households rely on SNAP, and our neighbors will suffer. It’s up to us to step in and fill the gap as best we can. To combat hunger on our island, you can donate food, money or your time to any of these resources:

• North Whidbey Help House
• Meals2kids
• Gifts from the Heart
• Whidbey Island Nourishes
• Queen Bee Pantry
• Good Cheer

Indivisible Whidbey, in partnership with many other organizations, is planning a benefit concert for our island’s food banks. Can you help make this happen? Please email us to join the planning team, which meets next week. And please plan to attend the benefit — date and time to come.

If you are a SNAP recipient, here are additional resources and things to know:

• Any funds already on your EBT card will roll over into the next month. They will only be removed if the card is unused for 274 days. 
• Stretch food benefits by using SNAP Match programs whenever possible. 
• Find updates at the Washington State  Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) website.
• Find local resources at 211.org or by calling 211. 
• Washington Connection also has a Find Services tab
• The Division of Child Support’s Alternative Solutions database has extensive resources. Review the DSHS reduced-cost services guide for additional resources.
• If your child is not already signed up for the National School Lunch program, contact your school to see if you can enroll. 
• WIC (food for women, infants, and children) will be funded through at least November.

Vote Today!
Now more than ever, every election matters. Please take the time to cast your ballot if you have not done so already. Ballots must be placed in a ballot box or postmarked by Tuesday, November 4. 
Indivisible Whidbey deployed volunteer researchers to look at each contested race on the Island. We offered endorsements only where there was a clear differentiator with one candidate highly qualified and/or the other not. 
Read our endorsements here.

Read more analysis and endorsements:

• Progressive Voters Guide
• Island County Democrats
• Marianne’s Poltiblog

Thanks to everyone who has responded to our endorsements, offering differing opinions and new information. We are a grassroots, all-volunteer organization, and we are always learning.  After the election, we are committed to monitoring our elected officials and holding them accountable. 

As we look ahead to 2026, here are some ways you can be involved:

• Sign up to research candidates and help decide on endorsements
• Join the Legislative Action Team to help hold elected officials accountable
• Consider running for office! We need qualified, committed people who will work to protect our democracy and civil rights. 

Support Ann Johnson
The South Whidbey School Board race is critical. We know that MAGA is using school boards across the country as an entry point for extremist viewpoints. It’s vital that we elect an individual who will continue to exemplify our values, including protecting civil rights and rejecting censorship.  Read more about Ann Johnson here. Read more about her opponent here. (Neither website was created or vetted by Indivisible Whidbey.)
Ways to help:Text Banking Party: 
Sunday 11/2 - 5:30 - 7:30 at a Langley location (sign up and we will send you the address)

Sign Waving (signs provided): 
Friday 10/31 7:45 am at Maxwelton & 525 (come in your Halloween costume if you want! )
Saturday 11/1 10 am at Bayview Park & Ride
Tuesday 11/4 7:30 am at Ken's Korner
Membership MeetingIn keeping with our commitment to host events on different parts of the island, our next membership meeting will be at Clinton Hall on the south end on January 24, 1:30 - 3 pm.

Just as our neighbors from the south part of Whidbey Island have made the trip up to Oak Harbor for meetings and events, we hope our North Whidbey friends will make the trip and join us!

Sign up here


We'll be discussing our plans for the 2026 midterm elections locally and across the country. We'll also cover how you can impact the 2026 Washington Legislative session.

Find Your Community 
Our monthly community socials are a great chance to connect, make friends and talk about issues. And new in November, we’re adding a social in the south end!

South Whidbey Social, November 20, 6pm-8pm, United Methodist Church, Langley
Co-sponsored by SOS Whidbey and Indivisible Whidbey
Volunteers wanted for pie or crisp dessert making

Agenda:
A chance to connect with each other, ask or comment on our organizational practices and current news.
Practice finding common values through short story telling.In small groups, we’ll listen with care, reflecting back strengths and values we hear in each other’s stories.This gentle way of connecting and affirming will be useful for building a base for communicating across differences.

• Coupeville (4th Tuesday of every month)
• Oak Harbor (1st Monday of every month)

National action
While our priorities this week are voting and helping our neighbors facing food insecurity, there is one step you can take as part of a nationwide campaign to urge music streaming platform Spotify to stop running ICE recruiting ads. You can read more here. 

In Solidarity,
Indivisible Whidbey Steering Committee