Canvassing for Change

Cari Nash
Photo by Jack Looney

Eight hours a day, five days a week, 10 weeks. That is the amount of time I spent this past summer knocking on doors in Salem, Va. No, I wasn’t selling fancy knives or magazine subscriptions. Nor was I campaigning for this November’s election. Instead, I was talking to community members about the issues that matter to them—in particular, the critical issue of health care. As an intern for the Virginia Organizing Project, I had the difficult but rewarding task of going door-to-door in order to identify interested people to participate in a grassroots movement for health-care reform in Virginia. VOP is a nonpartisan organization that is “dedicated to challenging injustice by empowering people in local communities to address issues that affect the quality of their lives” (VOP website). My experience with VOP instilled in me a deep appreciation for the slow but powerful work of community organizing. I encourage other young people seeking ways to affect social change to become directly involved with their communities through similar organizations.

One of VOP’s primary goals is to promote community engagement in local issues. Rather than making phone calls or sending e-mails to community members, VOP set forth a goal of knocking on 300,000 doors by the end of the summer. Fifty interns across the state hit the streets daily, braving near 100-degree weather and severe thunderstorms in order to talk face-to-face with their neighbors. Once I overcame my initial anxiety about knocking on the doors of complete strangers, I recognized the incredible opportunity and responsibility I possessed: to simply listen. Even the most wary residents were willing to talk to me when they realized that I was not asking them to buy anything or donate money. The first question I asked people was which issue was most important to them. Some were stumped, never having been asked such a question before. For others, the words flowed freely and emphatically, finding both a voice and a sympathetic ear to meet their urgency. My task became more meaningful as I listened to personal stories of struggle, putting a human face to important issues such as health-care reform and rising gas prices.

Many young people have become involved in politics for the first time this year. Countless college students have volunteered for a campaign, perhaps canvassing door-to-door for the first time. I would urge my peers to maintain this level of civic participation even after Nov. 4. Yes, we will choose new leadership for the United States on this historic date. However, our responsibility to promote social justice and equality does not end with the election. My generation is often criticized for a perceived level of apathy, an unwillingness to put forth more effort than it takes to join a Facebook group in order to support certain issues. Now is the time to prove that we will not lie down and rely on our leaders to produce the kind of change that we want and need. We must realize our own power to build a movement and improve our lives and the lives of our neighbors. And we must recognize the importance of direct community involvement in achieving these goals.

By the end of my summer with the Virginia Organizing Project, faceless names had transformed into real people and real issues. I remain in awe of the power of something so simple as knocking on a door and offering to listen—the basic concept of human-to-human interaction that is key to all social change.