A note about Canvassing…
Wednesday, June 24th, 2009Our organizers and volunteers have done a spectacular job of getting the word out in their communities, dropping flyers at coffee shops in Denver, or going door-to-door in San Diego and Berkeley, or attending neighborhood council meetings and info sessions in Oakland.
It is always tricky entering communities that previously have never been spoken to about any cause – whether it’s saving the pandas, cleaning up trash, or voting for the president – because they don’t want to be bothered. Similarly, it is always tricky entering communities that are often spoken to about causes, because they don’t want to be bothered anymore. The majority of the people who we’ve spoken to in neighborhoods throughout the regions where we have our live campaigns have been enthusiastic and supportive of our desire to get the word out and offer communities commitment free opportunities to learn more about solar and benefit from the buying power of groups, should they choose to. That said, there are people who are frustrated with our approach, and our model.
To all of you, I understand. I’ve been called, and had people young and old approach me on the street, come to my door, and contact me by mail. I’ve been invited to town hall sessions and community meetings about this cause or that, and in the past I always used to say no. Not only that, but I ignored the majority of those requests. Then I followed up with one of them – I let the organizer rope me in, and recruit me to join in the effort. It was a transformative experience for me. As forward-thinking and motivated by the notion of change that I thought i was, I only realized when I actually did participate, that I was a statistic in the conventional wisdom that change can’t happen! I was one of the very people I thought didn’t exist. I’ve spent most of my time since trying to make up for it. Let me just say, having rolled my eyes at these poor kids with clipboards, or the strange folks at my door with t-shirts and pins and buttons on, I understand where you’re coming from; give them a chance.
A community program is only successful if a community is supports it! Thanks for your continued support, and please let us know if you’ve got any questions, comments, or complaints as you encounter our organizers and volunteers in your communities!
