Haddon Indivisible comes up with new ways to engage residents

With the goal to create a safe space to talk about ideas in town, both Kip and Lorrie were prompted to start the group Haddon Indivisible, a sister group of Copper River Indivisible, in March 2017.

It was a typical morning when Lorrie and Kip Veasey, founders of Haddon Indivisible, walked outside to see their sign reading “Hate Has No Home Here” had been tampered with.

“We had a knife plunged through our sign,” Kip said.

This was one of the moments when the couple knew there was a need for a group in the community where political and social issues could be discussed in a safe and open-minded way. With the goal to create a safe space to talk about ideas in town, both Kip and Lorrie were prompted to start the group Haddon Indivisible, a sister group of Copper River Indivisible, in March 2017.

Haddon Indivisible, a Haddonfield-based advocacy organization, is part of a much larger national movement, “Indivisible,” that encourages individuals to be activists in their community, which is exactly who residents Lorrie and Kip are.

The couple has participated in marches throughout the tri-state area, including the travel-ban protest at JFK airport in New York.

Originally from Manhattan, they found themselves in Haddonfield wanting to evoke change in the community and create a safe space to talk about the U.S. political climate. The group operates using one social media platform — Facebook. On the group’s Facebook page, consisting of 300 members, those in and around Haddonfield are welcome to have political discussions in a safe and secure way.

“It’s a haven,” Lorrie said.

Those of all ages are encouraged to join the group and find out about local marches and even participate in a dialogue about political and social issues.

“We are not so much of a ‘do something’ organization, we are soldiers,” Kip said.

Haddon Indivisible works as a tool for residents to use when they want to find out when marches take place or how to get involved.

Thought up by Lorrie, one of the group’s most recent projects is an essay contest, encouraging those ages 14 to 18 to answer the question — “Why is feminism important to you?”

In hopes to spread awareness on feminism, the essay contest is open to residents of Haddonfield, Haddon Heights, Haddon Township, Collingswood and Audubon high school districts. The entries should be submitted by a teacher, legal guardian or parent and are restricted to just one entry.

Lorrie hopes that in 500 to 1,000 words, applicants will be able to learn a little bit more about what feminism is and do some research on the topic. The first-place winner will receive $500, followed by $250 for the second-place winner and $100 to the teachers who submitted the first- and second-place essays.

So far, 30 essays have been sent in, according to the couple.

Moving forward, the couple hopes to grow the group and create a more open dialogue in Haddonfield.

“We fight racism, bigotry and misogyny … we are for ‘common sense’ gun laws and equal rights for women and minorities,” Lorrie said.

“We just try to do the right thing, and we try to think of other people,” Kip added.

The last day to submit an entry is May 4, and all entries are only accepted in PDF format. They can be sent via the website, haddonfieldwrites.org. To join the group, go to www.facebook.com/groups/haddonindivisible. For any questions or concerns about the group, email [email protected].