Postcards 4 Democracy – West Seattle

I was grumbling to a friend that too much of my political giving seemed to vanish into consultants’ fees, with little to show for it in terms of encouraging democracy. My friend suggested we stop by a coffee shop, where a group called Postcards 4 Democracy – West Seattle met every Tuesday to write get‑out‑the‑vote postcards.

I walked in, ordered a black coffee and a blueberry scone, and introduced myself to Katherine and Naomi, the group’s leaders. “This week,” they explained, “we’re writing postcards to likely Democrats in Pennsylvania who aren’t registered yet. We include a QR code sticker to make registration easy.”

I scanned the QR code myself and confirmed my own registration. Then it hit me: this wasn’t just a postcard, it was a personalized invitation — a direct nudge to someone with something concrete to do. I was in!

Since then, our group has grown to three or four dozen people, meeting weekly to write postcards and share conversation. We deliberately avoid over‑organizing: there’s no need for big meetings or complicated structures. We always have addresses and postcards ready for newcomers, and we help anyone who wants to learn how to get their own from Field Team 6 or other sources. What matters most is the community — Jonathan designing cards for each campaign, Maryanne sharing news from the Senior Center, me asking for advice about my apple tree.

We always take a photo of our stack of postcards before taking them to the USPS. Celebrations are important!

Over coffee, we weave together friendship and civic action, one handwritten message at a time. For me, this is about more than postcards. It’s about strengthening democracy through creativity, community, and shared purpose. As Bob Putnam reminds us in Bowling Alone and The Upswing, civic engagement flourishes when people come together. Our circle is one small example of how community ripples outward — and it leaves me hopeful that together, we can build something big.