Helping each other
by Chelsey Evans—Minnesota
I went to this door and a young woman answered. Once I gave her the rap she signed up as a member. She told me that she does care about these issues, but she doesn't have a lot of knowledge on the subject.
She then told me that she had someone that she wanted me to meet...
My generation
by Anthony Hammes—Minnesota
Every day when I go out canvassing, I run into people that are excited to see a young face out fighting for the issues that we focus on. I feel good when the older generations praise my work, because it makes me finish my work every night and come back the next day.
I realize that my future is important and I would like to make sure that my generation is able to support themselves.
Another person denied care
by Justin Geiger—Minnesota
I was out canvassing and spoke to a woman who signed up as a member. She told me she could not get an operation. She has a condition that is a precursor to cancer, but the insurance company would not operate unless it was cancer. The sheer notion that they would do this is outrageous. I was very appalled.
Great night in Winona
by Lee Erickson—Minnesota
I was canvassing in Winona, MN. I was having a pretty good night, until I went to this one door later in the evening. The gentlemen was really into politics and was very passionate about the issues. Before I could even ask for a dues payment, he had the five dollars in his hand. My pretty good night ended up being a great night.
Cookies!
by Beruk Zeru—Minnesota
So I was out canvassing with my trainer, Chelsey and I had a spell where I had a few doors being slammed in my face. We approached this next door and a woman came to the door, I began giving her my rap...
A grateful visit
by Loury Ouk—Minnesota
I met a lady in Anoka who was really happy I knocked on her door. Her husband is really sick and is facing death. She doesn't know what she's going to do when her husband's work stops paying her, since all their money is going to hospital bills. She's really grateful that I'm out here making a difference.
Thank you for your activism
by Peter Breitholtz—Minnesota
I canvassed a door last Friday in Anoka and the entire family was pretty excited about an activist being present at their home. The couple's young daughter insisted on signing up as a member. While her father signed up the little girl extended her left hand to me to shake and said, "Thank you for your activism!"
This canvasser walks up to a door…
by Lynne Bolton—Minnesota
So I'm out canvassing over in Northeast Minneapolis. I'd had a pretty good night—lots of support and agreement. I knocked on the first door of my callbacks. I'm doing my rap, the guy is smiling and nodding. When I finish it up, he smiles even bigger and says "I'm so Republican I hate John McCain...
A turn-around at the door
by Sarah Podenski—Minnesota
I'm the Office Manager for the Twin Cities office, and I figured it was high time Office Managers were blogging! Yesterday I had a blogworthy story.
As we were preparing the crew to go out to turf, the phone rang. It was someone wanting to work for us, so I started the job call rap, asked her name and phone number and where she had heard about us...
Insurance won’t take them
by Jeanne M—Minnesota
I met a woman whose husband had been laid off. He started his own software support business, and they'd tried to get health insurance. They applied to six different companies who kept turning them down because their daughter gets allergy injections...
Goin’ to Canada?
by Peter Breitholtz—Minnesota
I spoke with a young man last week in Northeast Minneapolis. He and his wife were busy raising two young boys and both worked full time. However, the young man I spoke with shared with me that he had been laid off three times by his current employer and rehired. All three times he was laid off just before his health benefits were to kick in. He shared with me that he is seriously considering moving to Canada.
Hard night out
by Lynne Bolton—Minnesota
My name is Lynne and I'm a 41 year old canvasser out of Minneapolis in my second week of training. I took this job in part because I had been laid off, but also because after 20 years of being in the work force, I wanted my work to mean something...
Cookies, cold and conversation
by Loury Ouk—Minnesota
I knocked on a door in south Minneapolis and met a very nice guy. It was so cold I thought my toes were going to fall off! He invited me in and we talked about issues with health care...
It took a few times but she got it
by Charity James—Minnesota
Last night while I was canvassing in an apartment complex. I knocked on the door of a 98-year-old lady. After going over the rap with her, I asked her to sign up. All she kept saying was, "this is crazy, because I pay $660 a month for rent, and we do need more affordable housing..."
Running in the snow
by Chris Kesler—Minnesota
I was out canvassing on a particularly cold evening and was having little luck finding anyone who was home. I finally happened across a gentleman that had two small children running around and was somewhat skeptical of what I was doing...
Appreciation is nice
by Harry Reed—Minnesota
Lately a lot of people have been letting me how much they appreciate the hard work we are doing out here. They are glad there is someone willing to be out here fighting the cold just to fight for them.
Holy work
by Abdallah Barry—Minnesota
The previous week's average temperature was -30 degrees, or so it seemed. So when we pulled up to a large apartment complex on this mild snowy night I thought to myself, "How cruel this world is, just the sort of turf I would have loved to have last week..."
More thanks from Minnesota
by Loury Ouk—Minnesota
I met a lady living on the north east side of Minneapolis. She was thankful that Working America was fighting for affordable health care and was appreciative our work.
Video: Different neighborhoods, same concern—health care
Chelsea found that while going through neighborhoods with different income levels, everyone wanted to hear about the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). People all connected with the need for health care...
Video: Lost job, but not hope
Canvasser Jake Sinderbrand was inspired by a guy who had lost his job but not his hope for making a difference...
Video: All children left behind
Matt Hall relates an experience signing up a new member who shared with him how important our work is to her. She had also recently lost her health care coverage, her children have no health care and the school her children attend cut programs that her children needed...
Video: Ready to join in Red Wing
Canvasser Christina Jens relates a story of a new member in Minnesota who was excited by our work on the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). As a single mother of disabled boy, this new member was glad to know there's an organization working on improving health care, wages and good jobs for working families...
Another reason to fix our health care crisis
by Kyle Erickson—Minnesota
Usually at my doors I bring positive energy and people are usually excited for progressive change during out conversation. I was surprised at the lack of enthusiasm from one woman with whom I spoke. She began signing up when I told her about fighting for affordable health care for everyone...
Profits vs. people
by Christina Jens—Minnesota
While I was canvassing in Brooklyn Park, MN, I spoke to a woman who was thrilled that we were at her door talking about the problems with the health care system. As she grabbed my clipboard and began to sign she stated that she was one of the uninsured...
Brand new voter
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...
National policies hit home
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...
Even in hard times…
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...
Her story and mine weren’t too different…
by Rogelio Sanz—Minnesota
Two Fridays ago in Roseville, MN me and my side partner Brent were canvassing a trailer park. I had canvassed about half the park that night realizing as I went along the shameful state of life in this country. The one door I had reached that night that changed my night and re-inspired me to canvass with all my heart was in front of me...
Life without health care
by Neugene Watkins—Minnesota
I met this guy who has been working for thirty years, has five grandchildren and none of them have health care, but I was pleased that he was very upbeat for the cause...
Coffee and canvassing
by Chris Kesler—Minnesota
It was beginning to get cold with winter coming. I met a really nice lady who had grown up in the Philippines...
“Come back here right now!”
by Charity James—Minnesota
Today I went to a door where I spoke to the man of the house for about five minutes. I talked to him about affordable health care and he told me about how he was a war veteran and that he was too old to get involved...
Little activists
by Avery Lund—Minnesota
On turf you meet a whole variety of different amazing folks, but sometimes there are those truly memorable people you never forget. Earlier this weeks I ran into just that very situation...
Health care changes minds
by Matthew Hall — Minnesota
One day I was canvassing on turf and I came across a lady with three kids. I was canvassing about health care at the time and talked to her about the 48 million people in America who are not insured. She informed me that she was on chair for the local Republicans and didn't want to sign. I told her this wasn't about partisanship but about getting people health care....
