by Jonathan Middleton—Ohio
I realized tonight that when you’re out on turf, it is not about one certain person that you meet. Entire neighborhoods can be a very exciting experience for a canvasser. We will meet opposition sometimes, but there will always be supporters who can lift you up to the highest place imaginable. When people care about their communities to the point that they are willing to do anything to help, that’s when you truly know that there are still people who care about our country and what it was founded upon. For every “no” there will be at least three people who will say yes, and they say it with a smile, with hope, and with appreciation in their voices. No matter how dark the day i know that there is light in this world, and that light belongs to the members of Working America.
by Johnny Masters—Ohio
It’s interesting that when you speak to children as you would to an adult, they respond in kind. Besides, if you are able to explain your business to a child, you are brief and clear enough to explain it to anyone.
This reminds me of a time I knocked on a door and a six-year-old answered. I told the young gentleman that I was fighting for health care and education, but I needed an adult to speak with. He seemed excited with me that I was speaking to him, and he excitedly ran into the other room. The young man came running back to say that his father wanted to know what I wanted. I told him that I was looking for them to join an organization to help our fight for health care and education. The young man seemed to understand, and gave me the names of his mom and dad, and himself.
It was exciting to see that this young man was eager to help out with our cause.
Tags: children, membership, taking action
by Jessica Yates—Pennsylvania
I canvassed a hospital administrator who told me about her family’s struggles with health care. Her son was sick and unable to register in time for college so he lost his insurance coverage. He became sick again and accrued $100,000.00 in medical bills; he was 23 years old at the time and his credit is ruined for life.
Even worse: her brother didn’t have health insurance, so when he went to the emergency room for back pain, they gave him pain killers and sent him home. He died of a heart attack the next day.
Tags: Health Care
by Jake Sinderbrand—Minnesota
While canvassing in St. Paul, I knocked on the door of a high school student who had just turned 18. He was concerned about the job market but had no idea about the candidates or the upcoming election, or how to make a difference. After talking about the issues for a while, he found that he agreed with the labor-supported candidate, Melvin Carter, on almost everything. Now, he is proud to be able to cast his first vote for Melvin Carter.
Tags: good jobs, voting
by Matthew Hall—Minnesota
I was canvassing in Champlin, MN one day a couple of weeks back when I came across a lady living in an apartment complex with three kids. I told her what we were doing and how we were fighting for children’s health care. She then proceeded to take the clip board and after a long pause tell me with tears in her eyes, “thank you.” She then proceeded to tell me how she didn’t have a job, her welfare had been cut because she made $300 a month in child support, and how her kids had been cut from the state health care program. She then proceeded to ask me, “What the HELL do they mean no child left behind? No child left behind? No child left behind? They are leaving my children behind.” She then told me how special education programs her children were in were being cut. This was a really emotional and powerful person that I talked to. She made great connections about how the policies and politicians that seem so far detached from everyday life do have a great impact on our lives. This interaction drove home the point that we need to be paying attention and we need to be active.
Tags: children, Education, Health Care
by Jessica Yates—Pennsylvania
I spoke with an elderly couple and they told me that he couldn’t retire from his mechanic job because they can’t afford health insurance otherwise, and she has so many prescriptions that she has to pay 100% for them.
Tags: Health Care, seniors
by Wes Gadsden—Pennsylvania
If anyone’s in search of some motivation to continue fighting for health care, consider the case of a woman I spoke to a few weeks ago. This woman told me what she and her husband were facing and I couldn’t believe it. The couple recently found out that due to the husband’s failing health, he would need to undergo dialysis once a week. When their insurance company found out—they cut them BOTH off, refusing to pay for the treatment and leaving them with no options—at the tender age of 90. We need to get out there and change the world one door at a time and put our foot down on the kind of corruption that leaves our seniors in situations like this. Let’s make something happen!
Tags: Health Care, seniors, taking action
by Dan Rak—Minnesota
After informing a lady that I was fighting for affordable health care, she invited me into her home. She told me that she worked at a psych ward and that many patients who did not have health care were unable to continue treatments after their release. She said they often end up homeless or worse. After becoming a member, she asked if we needed money. One of her young daughters who had been listening ran downstairs and brought me the $5.00 she had been saving. Then her mother, who was a single parent, told me times were hard but she could give a small amount. She ended up contributing $30.00 and thanked me repeatedly for the work I was doing.
Tags: Health Care, membership
By Joe Cackowski—Pennsylvania
This member emerged from behind his screen door with a puzzling smile on his face. I told him we were fighting to save SCHIP and make health care more affordable and accessible in general. His immediate reaction was to boldly exclaim that he is in the process of moving to France, due to the sad state of affairs of health care in the US.
He was born, raised and currently resides in Northeast Philadelphia. He identifies himself as an economist and has been disgruntled about the state of health care in the US for decades, leading him to travel extensively in Europe in search of better options. During his travels he met a French woman who he ended up marrying. Together they decided to live in France as the better option to raise a family, citing health care as the main factor in that decision!
Tags: Health Care, membership
by Erin Gill—Pennsylvania
A few weeks ago, I met a remarkable woman who gave me something incredibly valuable: perspective.
Talking with folks about the problems with health care and how it highlights the tragically misguided priorities of the current administration generally leads to some great conversations. It’s enraging and deeply affecting to hear story after story of the choices working people are forced to make for the sake of their health—stories of young mothers working two jobs to save enough to pay for their children’s health care, of couples that are self-employed whose insurance deductibles are more than their mortgage, of people like my own mother who have to choose which specialist NOT to see because the co-pay is too expensive.
Thinking about all the things people are up against can be overwhelming, which is why this particular conversation filled me with so much hope. This woman was in her eighties, and as sweet as could be when she opened the door. I told her we were fighting to hold our politicians accountable to make sure no child had to live without health care. Her demeanor changed at that point, as she told me about her grandson, who is autistic. We talked about the lack of options they had and how her daughter had to stop working to care for her grandson, which further strained their ability to afford adequate care. “I never thought I’d see a time when this country invested more in killing people overseas than taking care of our kids here at home. The country I grew up in wouldn’t have let that happen, and we can’t give up on that country now.” I promised her I wouldn’t.
She gave me perspective that night—that things weren’t always this way, and they don’t have to be now.
Tags: children, Health Care, membership
