Saturday, February 24th, 2024

You're in! Welcome to Tea Time with MomsRising New Hampshire! We're so excited to share this inaugural edition of our newsletter with you and hope that the coming editions fill you with hope, allow you to engage in our shared work in ways that work for you and meet you where you're at, and help you feel connected to other members. Grab your MomsRising mug and sip some tea with us.

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Matcha & MOMentum with MacKenzie

The New Hampshire legislature has been in session for almost two months and all we can say is: WOW. Things are moving at the speed of light! Even a snowstorm can’t slow our lawmakers down. This year, hearings at the legislature are happening Monday-Friday. Not only is this a change from previous years, but it also means we need to be ready at a moment’s notice.

SAY IT AGAIN: moms don't want book bans!

Ask your Representative(s) to stand with us and support this Freedom to Read legislation - to reject book bans, censorship, and hate. Moms, parents, and caregivers are outraged and horrified by the work of extremists to ban books in our local schools and public libraries. HB1311 would help stop book bans by requiring schools to develop a policy for evaluating challenged books. We were so excited when Rep. Angela Brennan read a piece of our testimony during the bill's hearing!

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EmpowerMINT Tools for your Toolbox

With the legislative session in full swing, now is the season for storytelling! The stories we share are powerful, effective, and directly impact change. An experienced storyteller can often make storytelling appear easy, but this is not always the case. When we share our personal stories in front of strangers in power it is natural to feel vulnerable, exposed, and can bring up emotions that are difficult to work through.

We are here to help and encourage you to put yourself first. Your story is yours to share, when you want, where you want and how you want. Your story should never be expected, nor should you ever feel pressured into sharing it. You are not an on-demand streaming service, and are free to exercise boundaries.

 Brian Harlow delivers a powerful testimony in support of CACR-24.

If you are new to sharing your story or need a quick refresher, we have your back. Here are a few helpful tips of the trade:

• You are the expert of your own experience – you don’t need to be an expert on anything else. Leaders and media care a lot more about that than all the numbers in the world and you can always “find the experts” to do the work if you need them.

• It’s helpful to think about your how your story connects to different issues ahead of time. Like everyone, your story probably has a lot of details and may connect to more than one “issue area” -- it’s helpful when telling your story for a call to action, whether with a legislator or the news media, if you focus in on the key elements related to what you are asking for. We often reference talking points and having bullets prepared ahead of time so you stay on message.
• Think of your story in chunks: What’s the context? What’s the challenge? What was the outcome? What’s the call to action? Here’s an example:
  

  "Last year, I found out I was pregnant with my first child. It was the best news. One of the first things I did was call childcare providers nearby and put my name on the waitlist. My daughter was born 8 months ago, and I am still waiting to find a spot. While we wait, I've had to pull a mom McGuyver, cobbling together care from family, friends, and part-time care. This isn't working for anyone -- not me, my employer, or my family. Our system is broken and families like mine are suffering. Families need affordable and accessible childcare now."

   

• Practice! If you are delivering your testimony in person, read your story out loud. Ask a family member, friend, or a MomsRising peep if they are willing to lend a supportive ear. Practice an even pace, and time yourself. Many of us can feel an urge to rush through our stories. It is important to fully use the two and a half minutes we are given. We always want to give our audience enough time to really hear our message.

 Vanessa Desani shares her story with Congresswoman Annie Kuster about the proposed expansion to the Child Tax Credit.

• Remember to address the chair and committee at the beginning of your testimony. Identify yourself, where you are from, and clearly state if you support or do not support the bill in question:
  

  "Good Morning Chairwoman Blake and members of the Judiciary Committee. My name is Betty Smith, I live in Gilford, NH with my two school-aged children and I am testifying in support of House Bill 5555."

   

• Most importantly: be kind to yourself. Remember you are amazing, your experiences are valuable, and that the legislators are people too. You most likely know more about the issue than they do. They rely on us to inform them.

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Brewing Buzz

Our MomsRising New Hampshire family has a talented and diverse set of skills and interests! Many of our members are ready to take the next step in their advocacy journey and to begin leading on the issues they care about. We are all humans leading multi-issue lives - and there are many issues in need of tacking in the Granite State!

We are proud to offer something exciting and new: Issue Captains!

An Issue Captain will take on a specific issue with other MomsRising members sharing the same concerns. Examples include: Breastfeeding, Mental Health, The School-to-Prison Pipeline, Paid Family Medical Leave, Maternal Postpartum Care, Affordable Child Care - and so many more. If there is an issue you feel passionate about, we want you to take the lead. Reach out to other like-minded members, create a vision, and facilitate change! You will have the support of a large organization, with the autonomy our NH team provides!

To learn more or get the process started, please reach out to Nancy.

 Sterling Freeman, Kathleen Crabbs and Gita Gulati-Partee of CounterPart Consulting.

In December, Sterling Freeman and Kathleen Crabbs of CounterPart Consulting facilitated an amazing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training for our new Upper Valley fellowship members, and staff. This training was tailored specifically for New Hampshire, and the issues we advocate for as an organization.

We are incredibly grateful for the safe space Sterling and Kathleen created and maintained during the training as well as the growth they fostered within our group. We have hopes to offer this training and others like it in the future. Please do not hesitate to reach out if this is on your MomsRising wish list!

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Last few sips

Wow - you really stuck with us here. Thanks for that - this was a long one. 
Thank you for all that you do in the movement for moms. We truly appreciate each of you.