Group canvasses Greene, one door at a time

On the very first day, their squeaking van broke down in Dyke. Since then, they’ve braved rainstorms, faced down snarling dogs and—in one unforgettable moment - shook off a snake lurking around an ankle. 
Yet the fearless band of young, determined interns continue their trek through Greene, tracking what issues are on the minds of registered voters here.
The team members assigned to Greene are as follows: Matthew King, a UVA student; Niti Patel, a UVA student; Caty Kirk Robins, who attends school in Albany, NY; Jona Noelle Baily, a recent UVA graduate; Andrew Pericak, who lives in Charlottesville and is attending the University of Richmond in the fall; Patrick Costello, a UVA graduate; and Kristin Smith, a College of William & Mary graduate.
The group has been canvassing neighborhoods in Greene since May 21. They are part of a larger group who, in all, aim to reach 24,000 households within Virginia’s 58th District, represented by Rob Bell. 
It is part of a statewide canvassing effort by the Virginia Organizing Project (VOP), a social-justice group that does promotes grassroots, community organizing. VOP is focusing on health care reform this year, along with other issues including climate change.
  VOP, according to its website, aims to “involve people who have never participated in working for change alongside those with many years of experience.“ In other words, VOP’s mission is to organize members of the community around issues affecting them and to hold elected officials accountable.
In an interview last week, the team estimated that they had knocked on at least 2,000 doors in Greene.
  “We’ve tried to get out here around 1pm, and then we’d knock on doors until around 8pm,“ explains Matthew King, summing up some of the places they’ve hit. “We’ve done Celt Road, Amicus in Stanardsville, the other side of US 33, Ruckersville.“
Knocking on doors and talking to complete strangers has an end reward, the canvassers say. For one, it’s a way for people to connect and talk about their problems, says Jona Baily.
  And it can be an effective way to get the attention of decision makers, says Andrew Pericak.
  “We can say, ‘We’ve knocked on thousands of doors and this is what they (as voters) have said,‘“ he explains.
  The group says they’ve heard a range of responses from people.
“ It’s different every day,“ says Niti Patel, who is the one who had a close encounter with a snake.
“It’s been great to talk to people who have great stories,“ adds Kristin Smith.  “It’s definitely been interesting, quite an adventure going to the rural areas here.“
Caty Robins agrees. She smiles.
“Lot s of dogs and no leash laws.“
It’s something Baily says she’d definitely do again.
“Meeting people and making connections is what it’s all about.“
Costello says he’s talked to many people who “don’t feel they are part of the system.“
  “We’ve talked to quite a few people who feel they are not being listened to,“ he says. “So we can tell them ‘Call this guy.‘“
Costello also says “A lot of people are struggling.“
He adds: “There are a lot of people who are working who can’t afford to get health insurance.“
Pericak said he’s found that “urban sprawl” is on the minds of many, particularly those closest to the US 29 corridor.
King says that he heard from a lot of people about gun control and the second amendment, the economy, jobs and unemployment.
The team also distributes a voter guide to each door that explains voter registration and voter rights, as well as issues impacting the state. As they make their rounds, they also collect old cell phones and printer cartridges for re-use.  They also check to see if each household is registered to vote.
The interns emphasize that VOP is nonpartisan. Information collected from each household is put into a database.