WRITE YOUR LEGISLATORS!    INFORM THE PRISONERS!    SPREAD THE WORD!

1) The most important thing you can do is send letters. You may use the sample letters  we provide for each mailing event or create your own.  Please send as many as you can during the specified campaign mailing dates.  The more letters that go out at the specified time the bigger the effect we will have.  Most of us are sending tea bags with each letter, and it is perfectly legal, but if you're not comfortable with that then please use one of our tea bag logos on your letters or send in the tag off of a tea bag. We want to make sure that we're showing a united front. 

2)  Help get the word into the prisons.  Make up flyers and brochures, we will have templates available for download, or create your own.  We encourage creativity.  These are excellent tools to get the word out.  Make sure if you create your own that the web address is included.  That way inmates can pass the information on to their family members so they can also be involved and also pass on the information.  That is how grassroots works.  The inmates also have their own specific sample letters. It is much easier for inmates if you mail them the amount of copies of the letters you want them to send.  It is very time consuming for them to handwrite letters.  Also include the legislator names and addresses for your state.  These names and addresses can be found on this website.  Just click on the State tab on the front page and then click on your state flag.  You may have to send several batches of letters depending on how many pages each prison will allow.  Make sure you include extra letters and legislator information that can be given to other inmates. Your inmate may ask you to keep sending so others can participate.  That is what we want. 

3) Tell your friends! Get the site address out to as many people as possible. Send emails, use the info cards, write to blogs, post it on My Space, put a flyer up on local bulletin boards, in churches or on college campuses...use your imagination. Wherever you think there would be an interest, go for it! And don't forget to tell other's when visiting your loved one at the prison. Car lines are a great place to hand out flyers. This can only be successful if all of us make as many contacts as possible.

If you are an organization with an office space, please post a flyer and even offer brochures or "info cards" to your clients/members.

4) If your state has a Chairperson, contact them and let them know what you can do to help. (We still have some states that need volunteer chairs and co-chairs, so if you would like to get more involved just let us know).  The 21st Century Tea Party began March of 2008.  We are continuing to grow.  Every bit of help is needed and appreciated.

5) Start getting your envelopes addressed, either by hand or label.  If you are sending out a lot of letters, don’t wait until the last minute. We have provided legislator names and addresses on your state specific link on the Tea Website and also on the Yahoo site under the “Files” tab.  You may send to each and every one of your state legislators or you can choose to mail to the top 20-30 legislators and committees we have chosen.  You may have specific legislators that you would like to mail to.  The more the merrier.  We plan on the vast majority of both inmate and citizen letters to go to our State and DC Capitol addresses, as we feel this will make the greatest impact and show of unity. However, you may of course send your letters to a local office if you wish to do so.

PRISONER PARTICIPATION

Our goal is to include our nation’s prisoners in all of our letter writing campaigns. Although they will not be able to send in an actual tea bag, they can draw pictures of tea bags on their letters.  You can also print out paper with a picture of a teabag for them to use as stationary.  For each letter writing campaign, we will compose letters "tea bag logo included" that can be mailed into them in quantity to use "as is"or create their own versions.  Since making photocopies is difficult for most prisoners, getting started early if they wish to compose their own is important.  They can also send their letter to a family member to make copies for them.  Where there is a will there is a way!

WHAT  YOU  CAN  DO

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