Meet the organizations shaping civic engagement and action in northeast Indiana

In an era where political discourse often feels divisive and overwhelming, some Indiana residents are seeking ways to make a tangible difference in their communities. While they want to get involved, they often don’t know where or how to start. Answering that call are local leaders and grassroots organizations creating new avenues for civic education and action, inviting anyone willing and able into the fold.

Enter Mutually Assured Democracy (MADVoters). Leslie Patterson, director of outreach, says her organization was born from the realization that navigating civic systems is often unnecessarily difficult.

“There’s just gotta be a better way for regular folks who want to be engaged in civic action,” Patterson says. 

MADVoters hosts Civics Literacy Labs, free, 90-minute educational sessions around the state. Designed to demystify government and the electoral process, Patterson says these events are intentionally created as “come as you are” events. In her words, “It’s not meant for you to come in with anything you know. It’s meant to start at the beginning.” 

So far this year, MADVoters has connected with 350 community members at 15 events. They’ve hosted as many as 50 people. But according to Patterson, success isn’t always measured by attendance numbers. For instance, she recalls a session where only one or two attendees had ever voted before. The group took a detour to walk through the fundamental mechanics of casting a ballot — something many take for granted. Patterson says these moments are a success, as they help people feel capable and included. 

“It definitely feels like a success when they feel like, ‘I can do this.’ This is for everybody.'”

The goal is to dismantle the idea that you need to be an expert to participate in advocacy. By creating accessible learning environments, MADVoters empowers individuals with the foundational knowledge they need to advocate for the issues they care about. According to Patterson, her team was recently notified that upcoming Labs will fulfill Purdue Fort Wayne’s required civics engagement activities for students.

While some organizations focus on broad public outreach, others are creating intimate spaces for deeper conversation. The Policy Circle, a national nonprofit with a strong presence in Fort Wayne, provides a framework for women to discuss fact-based policy briefs in small, home-based groups. Amanda Muldoon, a local volunteer and circle leader since 2017, describes it as a book club, but for public policy.

The organization was founded by women who felt their voices weren’t being heard in policy discussions. The group is semi-open in that participants can invite and bring contacts from their social circles to meetings.

“They just decided to get together in someone’s home and just have discussions around policy,” Muldoon says. 

The format is structured to ensure everyone has a chance to speak, with each participant given two minutes to answer discussion questions. This prevents any single person from monopolizing the conversation and encourages thoughtful participation.

“Every conversation starts with a question about, ‘What lens did you read this brief through?'” Muldoon says. “It just gives you a better understanding, fundamentally, of where they’re coming from, and it just leads to great conversations.”

Although the briefs are written from a free-market perspective, Muldoon emphasizes that their circle includes Democrats and independents, and discussions remain civil and productive. This approach has not only educated women but has also inspired them to take on leadership roles. 

“We’ve had multiple women in our group run for office, be elected to different offices…and appointed to boards and commissions,” she says.

Civic engagement is also finding a powerful voice online, where social media influencers are leveraging their platforms to mobilize their followers. May, the creator of the popular Fort Wayne Food Slut Instagram account, uses her reach of more than 32,000 followers to promote mutual aid and advocacy. Her journey into civic action began long before her ascent into social media fame, including a run for township board at age 23. 

Today, she sees her platform as a tool to help people in a more direct way. For example, she’s in the midst of finalizing details for the Consciousness-Raising Party, slated for the evening of November 14 at Purdue University Fort Wayne. The event is a collaborative effort between the Fort Wayne Food Slut, Bri The Change, Every Campus A Refuge, and the on-campus group Generation Action.

Inspired by the feminist movements of the 1960s and 70s, May says she aspires to bring online conversations into the real world.

“It’s so natural that we get together and talk, but not anymore,” she says. “We’re doing all of that type of socialization online.” 

In contrast, she believes face-to-face conversations are crucial for building solidarity and combating the fear and isolation that can paralyze action. Her events create a space for people to share experiences and find that they are not alone.

May’s work highlights the intersection of social advocacy and direct community support. She collaborates with other local organizers to fill community pantries and raise awareness about issues like food insecurity. These grassroots efforts have become urgent with the federal cuts to food assistance programs.

“We’ve [been] in overdrive this past couple of weeks,” she says. “SNAP benefits are gone [in some cases]. The need is going to be overwhelming. There are over half a million people in Indiana who receive benefits — the majority [are] women, children, and the disabled. [The government has] the money to help, but they chose not to.”