“Hello, I’m from the Virginia Organizing Project, which is a non-partisan group, and I was wondering if I could ask you about what issues are important to you,” says Caty Kirk Robins.
Robins is one of seven college-age VOP interns, part of a VOP canvassing summer internship, who recite these words about 50-60 times a day as they go door-to-door across the city and county talking to residents.
“The idea of this organization is to include people who would otherwise not be,” says VOP spokesperson Julie Blust. VOP is a grassroots community organization meant to gather information directly from residents. The organization targets individuals who are not living in densely populated, politically active areas and may not know how to get involved.
“The eventual goal of all of this is to find people who want to help VOP and get them connected to campaigns,” says intern Patrick Costello. Those people then meet with Charlottesville Organizer Harold Folley in a one-on-one setting. “We talk to them about what they can give to VOP and what VOP can give to them,” he says.
Using this canvassing tactic, the VOP has had success with voter registration last year, helping to register 78,000 Commonwealth voters, says Blust. Tom Perriello’s spokesperson Jessica Barba says, on an average day, the office fields 25-50 calls from voters about legislation, noting that health care and climate change are the “current hot topics.”
Though not all these calls can be attributed to the VOP, last year VOP representatives knocked on 140,000 doors and helped to make healthcare the number one issue in the Commonwealth.
Another VOP goal is legislation. The organization was able to achieve that goal with its living wage project two years ago, raising the living wage from $10.95 per hour to $11.44, says Folley.
These seven interns began their work as a group May 18 and will continue their work for the rest of the summer every Monday through Friday, rain or shine, until close to 9pm.
Gathering this information, however, depends on whether residents are willing to answer their doors.
“You don’t see many people canvassing who aren’t selling something these days,” says Robins. “The most frustrating thing about it is when you see someone you can help, like someone with a health condition, and they refuse.”
After many “not-homes,” refusals, and even many large guard dogs that the interns come into contact with, however, one answered door and a chance to make an impact can make up for the setbacks, says intern Kristin Smith. “Moments like that can be really powerful,” she says, noting that those interactions remind you what the VOP door-to-door campaigns are all about.
“It reminds us we work for the people, not politicians,” says Costello.
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