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| Image: Cindy phonebanking from home |
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| Image: Tweet from AJ B Bosamcmugu saying "Well, hot girl summer just became riot girl summer." |
I'm personally glad the calls to riot were not literal, but am disappointed the protests fizzled out. We still need to capture our outrage and direct it toward change. What if there were a way we could harness all this energy we feel about abortion bans, gun violence, poverty, and inaction on climate change, that did NOT require massive protests or arrestable offenses? People who know me might think I'm about to say "advocate" or "vote," but no...right now, I'm telling you to ORGANIZE for elections.
My friends, we are smack in the middle of that special, magical time of year called Election Season, when we can actually affect who we will advocate to over the next few years. As a longtime advocate, I can tell you it's a heck of a lot easier to lobby someone who agrees with your basic values.
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| Image: Cindy canvassing for gun sense candidates with Moms Demand volunteers |
I'd also like to say with all kinds of redistricting going on around the country plus the shenanigans we've seen in the last years to discourage fair voting practices, it's not enough just to show up on Election Day and cast your own vote. Each of us needs to double, triple, or quintuple our influence by convincing others to turn out to volunteer sessions and polls. Like Georgia organizers did in the races for Senators Ossof and Warnock, we have to make up for votes that will be lost due to people not being aware that they are now in a different district or don't know the rules for valid absentee voting. For instance, absentee votes in Missouri must be notarized to be valid or they get tossed out! We're not just trying to win with all the votes that are cast, we need to win with all the votes that are counted.
No matter where you are, these are the kinds of things that always need doing in campaign offices:
- Canvassing neighborhoods handing out literature with your kids or your friends
- Phonebanking from the comfort of your home with tasty snacks and your favorite music
- Addressing postcards in an office with others or at home watching Netflix
- Distributing yard signs
- Throwing a house party fundraising event for a candidate you believe in
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| Image: Cindy and friend addressing postcards |
You might also find that your local office appreciates other skills, like the time I volunteered for an office full of high-school and college-aged organizers. They all came to call me "Mom" as I brought them homemade, healthy food and fussed at them to take breaks. You can even use some of your advocacy skills like writing letters to the editor to tell your community why you support your favorite candidates!
Here's a fact that never gets talked about too much...volunteering for campaigns can be fun, too! You're bound to find other like-minded voters there, which can be a big deal if you live in a neighborhood where most people have different political views from you. Today, I went down to the Trudy Busch Valentine senate campaign office to address postcards to donors. I was happy to see a familiar volunteer who worked with me years ago for other candidates!
One last thing: When you start to think, "Gosh, I don't have the time this week," consider those volunteer hours to be a very low cost to secure your bodily autonomy. Think of them as a bargain price for protecting democracy. Isn't writing postcards or walking a local neighborhood with friends way more fun than gathering 1,000 people to drive to your nearest city center for yet another protest? Isn't it WAY more convenient than doing something that gets you arrested for your cause?
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| Image: Trudy Busch Valentine speaks to a West County St. Louis audience |
Don't know where to start? Begin by rounding up friends and bringing them to a campaign event. Be vocal, clap like crazy, and meet the candidates. Tell them what you hope they will do for you. Your enthusiasm will help build momentum among the crowd! Make sure you and your buds sign up on the ever-present volunteer forms and make a donation if you can. Any campaign worth its salt will contact you quickly with a list of more things you can do.
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| Image: Cindy and Cori Bush with a copy of "From Changing Diapers to Changing the World" |
St Louis folks, I invite you to join me Sunday, October 2nd at the opening of the Webster Groves field office for Trudy Busch Valentine and Saturday, October 8 for a rally and voter registration drive with Congresswoman Cori Bush. Trudy is our pro-choice, gun sense candidate for Missouri's U.S. Senate seat this year. Rep. Cori Bush is a champion for reproductive rights, gun sense policy, and climate justice policies. I'll be there with friends and clapping like crazy! See below for details on upcoming campaign events for these two Missouri candidates.
Trudy Busch Valentine Field Office Opening
Sunday, Oct 2, 2022
12-1:30PM
7817 Big Bend Blvd
Webster Groves, MO 63119
Roe the Vote with Cori Bush- STL County
Saturday, Oct 8, 2022
10AM-12PM
Location private, register to find out
Roe the Vote with Cori Bush- St Charles
Saturday, Oct 8, 2022
1-3 PM
Location private, register to find out
Roe the Vote with Cori Bush- STL City
Monday, Oct 10, 2022
5-7 PM
Location private, register to find out
Image: Book cover
Buy an autographed copy of "From Changing Diapers to Changing the World: Why Moms Make Great Advocates and How to Get Started" at my website www.changyit.com or order it from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or any independent bookstore!
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