Hi John,
I wanted to introduce myself: my name is Saren, and I’m the Political Education and Trainings Coordinator for Power Shift Network—a grassroots network that mobilizes the collective power of young people to fight climate change, organize for a just and clean energy-powered future, and build resilient, thriving communities for all of us.
First, I’ll tell you why I’m here: we just set an ambitious goal of getting to 125 monthly donors before the start of our fiscal year in July. We can’t build a movement without sustained support from people like you—can you help us meet our goal here?
I also want to talk a little bit about my work, my story, and why I believe so strongly in what PSN is doing. I’m a Black, trans, autistic person from East Texas. Where I grew up is deep oil country—everyone had family who worked in the oilfields. It took me a long time to realize how many of the hardships I faced in my own life— struggling to find affordable housing, living in food deserts, and dealing with the health impacts of being surrounded by fossil fuel pollution—were shaped by the fact that the fossil fuel industry had extracted all the value it could get from my community, and left zero resources for the rest of us.
Growing up under the poverty line among drilling rigs is what ultimately got me into political organizing, and then drew me into the climate justice movement. When I first heard about PSN, I found something different than what I had seen elsewhere in the climate movement: a decentralized network of grassroots groups, led by Black womxn, genuinely investing in the leadership of marginalized folks, people of color, and Black people specifically. The climate justice movement PSN is building was a movement where I could see myself—and my community back in East Texas.
Can you spare even $10 a month to help Power Shift Network invest in training, connecting, and supporting young leaders at the frontlines of climate injustice?
Looking ahead, we’ve got big plans for how to keep shifting power in this critical moment: I have an idea about using our platforms to tell stories about politics and current events through the perspective of BIPOC youth. We’re launching a stipend program to make our trainings and programs accessible to marginalized youth, and we’re giving small grants to young leaders who might otherwise not have the resources they need to organize in their communities. And that’s just the beginning.
We can’t build the movement we need without your support, though. PSN is a scrappy network that can do a lot with a little—even a gift of $10/month is genuinely going to make a big difference for us. Can you step up and become a monthly donor today?
In solidarity,
Saren Glenn, Political Education & Trainings Coordinator
