“This has been a disastrous first couple of weeks.” That’s what Madeline just said after the other Chester County interns and I spent the day cutting six turfs, not realizing that our list of doors somehow included EVERYONE who lived in the area as opposed to just our target (women aged 25-60). So we recycled hundreds of sheets of paper and are now starting over.
I’m learning that grassroots organizing is just that – messy, complicated, but also so important. It’s been frustrating learning how to use the computer programs, forgetting to enter data, getting lost canvassing – and yet we’ve received so much positive feedback for our efforts. We tabled at the gay pride parade in Philadelphia and got 250 petition signatures while also meeting some really enthusiastic people. Certain individuals have stuck with me: the 60 year old grandmother I phone banked who had never heard of Planned Parenthood, but after I explained the services we offer, replied, “Well…you’re just trying to help people, right? …Then of course I support you.” The young mother in the health center who looked us in the eyes and thanked us for our work. The woman who assured us that she had her legislator’s phone number on speed dial and would call him immediately to urge him to vote for our sex ed bills.
For every frustration, there has also been gratification, and that’s what makes this work so worth it.
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