Did you make a New Year’s resolution this year? If you did, chances are you’re working to make something better. For the ACLU of Maine, that means working to make Maine a better place in 2018. It means more freedom, more justice and more equality for all people. Here are some of our resolutions:

• Protect voting rights from attacks by elected officials.
• Expand access to abortion care for all women.
• Speak out against racism and sexism wherever we see it.
• Watch more movies made by women and people of color.
• Make sure kids get the help and support they need, instead of getting locked up.
• Protect personal data privacy on the Internet.
• Show up for more of the amazing events planned by our partner organizations.
• Help ACLU of Maine members get involved in democracy by calling their elected officials, testifying at the legislature, and staying informed.

2018 also brings the next legislative session, and already we’re spending a lot of time in Augusta. We’d love to see you there. Visit our Action Center or follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get updates on the bills that matter to your civil rights and liberties.

Together, let’s make 2018 the year of freedom, justice and equality!

Happy New Year,
The ACLU of Maine team

If we gave out an MVP award, it would have to go to our team of amazing volunteers. Following the 2016 election, hundreds of folks from all over Maine came to the ACLU to help support resistance to the Trump administration’s agenda. Over the past year, we have had the pleasure of engaging this amazing team of activists in our work.

Volunteers have contributed more than 650 hours of service in our office alone. They prepared thousands of pieces of mail, researched legislators and legislative issues, proofread reports, called members to act – some even built IKEA furniture when we moved offices!

Other folks helped us remotely, writing letters to the editors of their local papers, calling legislators on priority issues, tabling at events, and showing up for Action Forums and trainings.

All of these efforts have made the ACLU stronger than ever before. We’re at 11,000 members in Maine, with a record-setting retention rate last year of 80 percent. That means 4 out of 5 people who joined us following the election have re-upped their support!

We know that this retention is due at least in part to all of our volunteers’ work. With their help, we have increased our member communications in Maine and across the country by leaps and bounds.

This enormous, unprecedented, and sustained growth in membership makes the ACLU ready to fight for all of us in the year ahead.

Simply put, we love our volunteers. And did we mention there are snacks? Join the fun and help us keep growing: fill out a volunteer form here.