NAHANT — Late last month, the Nahant Democratic Committee made several donations as part of an effort to give back to the community and highlight the importance of unity ahead of Wednesday’s Presidential Inauguration.
The donations included $500 each to the Nahant Council on Aging and the Nahant Public Library, as well as $500 to My Brother’s Table in Lynn.
“Most people on our committee are also involved in a lot of charitable activities, so when we’re trying to think about ways to commemorate or honor the transition that’s about to take place, we thought it would be a good idea to take our political funds and say ‘we believe in thinking and reading and education, so let’s give some money there,’” said Democratic Committee Chair Jim Walsh.
Community contributions are a regular part of the group’s activities. For more than a decade, the Nahant Dems, along with the Swampscott Dems, have been actively involved in a monthly food drive focused on My Brother’s Table.
“I loved working on the Food Drive every month and really miss it,” said Becky Richardson, a member of the Nahant Dems who has been involved in the monthly food drive since its inception in 2009. “When the pandemic hit, we had to stop doing it.”
Also late last year, members of the Town Committee and other Nahanters worked across state lines when they participated in a Greater Boston postcard writing effort to encourage Democratic voters in Florida to vote in the Nov. 3 presidential elections, and for Georgia Democrats to vote by Jan. 5 in the state’s runoff election.
From Nahant alone, some 9,500 handwritten postcards were mailed in the months leading up to the elections.
Ahead of Wednesday’s ceremony, however, Walsh said he simply wanted to highlight the fact that while the political landscape in the United States may be changing, he believes it’s more important now than ever to engage people in the democratic process.
“One thing that hasn’t changed is the necessity for voters to take their own responsibilities seriously,” Walsh said. “Democrats and Republicans may disagree on many things, but I’m sure, as American voters, we all agree that elections should be free, fair, and accurately counted, and then we should get busy seeking solutions to the very serious problems facing us.”
At the end of the day, Walsh said it’s all about putting those issues aside and making sure the local community is cared for.
He added that the Nahant Dems’ efforts to give back to the community are emblematic of a local unity he hopes to see in the future.
“We’re all happy to be out there participating in the political sphere, but there’s also a lot of hate going around too. Facebook and Twitter and all this stuff, it’s awful. It takes the worst elements of humanity and puts them right out there in front of everybody,” Walsh said. “I think political activism is not just partisan activity. It’s not just getting your guy elected and defeating the other guy.
“It’s about reflecting your beliefs as a citizen, as a person, and then acting on them not only in the political sphere, but also in other spheres.”
Elyse Carmosino can be reached at [email protected].
