Signs of Solidarity 3,000 Celebration - Indivisible Denver Action

Summary

Canvass businesses to let people know of their rights.

Walking with Them: How We Reached Over 40,000 People –

And We Aren’t Done Yet!

What started as letters to an embassy has grown into one of Denver’s most powerful grassroots immigrant solidarity efforts. Here’s the story of the people making it happen.

There is a business in Denver where the employees come to work wearing bulletproof vests. Not because of anything they’ve done wrong — but because fear has become part of the uniform. When our volunteers knocked on their door and explained what Indivisible Denver Action’s Signs of Solidarity initiative was about, everything changed. They understood someone was standing with them.

That moment — that shift from terror to recognition — is exactly why this work matters. And it happened 3,030 times.

“When they realize what we are doing, they are so appreciative.”
Canvasser

From a letter to an embassy, to a movement

Signs of Solidarity began humbly — Joel and Jean had an idea to write letters to the Salvadoran embassy. That spark ignited what is now IDA’s most successful initiative. Over the past several months, volunteers have fanned out across Denver’s business community, canvassing neighborhood by neighborhood, building relationships and making sure immigrant-owned and immigrant-employing businesses know they are not alone.

The numbers tell a remarkable story. Three thousand businesses visited — but think beyond those storefronts. If each business employs an average of just four people, and each of those workers has four or five family members, the ripple of education, reassurance, and solidarity reaches well over 40,000 people. And we are not done yet.

The people behind the packets

None of this happens without the quiet army working behind the scenes. Volunteers like Liz, Dee, Barb, Pam, and Gayle — and many others — spend hours as laminators, button-makers, and folder-makers, preparing every canvassing packet with care. They are the infrastructure of solidarity, and their contribution makes every door-knock possible.

Dana and the Immigrant Partnership Team have been an essential support throughout this effort, with Anne leading the charge on dispelling immigrant myths — one of the most important and underappreciated forms of advocacy. And our volunteer teams have developed new digital tools to make canvassing smarter: an interactive map now allows anyone to see where outreach is needed and easily update progress in real time.

ICE watch, mutual aid, and what community looks like

The Virginia Village neighborhood began its work as an ICE watch effort — neighbors watching out for neighbors. It has since evolved into something broader and more sustaining: a mutual aid network that still canvasses businesses and builds the kind of long-term trust that no single event can create.

Solidarity Warriors, another partner group, recently shared that a man who experienced ICE detention will soon share his story — a reminder that behind every statistic is a human life, and that every door we knock on is a chance to make someone feel less alone.

“We canvassed 3,000 businesses — but the people we’ve helped educate and support number over 40,000. And we are not done yet.”

What you can do

You don’t need to be fearless to show up — you just need to care. Whether you’re a skilled canvasser, a behind-the-scenes folder-maker, or someone who wants to track progress on our new interactive map, there is a place for you in this work. Visit our website to see where canvassing is needed in your neighborhood, sign up to join a team, and help us reach the next 3,000 — and the 40,000 people connected to them.

Because when one person realizes they are not alone, that changes everything.

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