by Melissa Stiehler—Minnesota
I was organizing in Powderhorn and came across an unemployed woman, home in foreclosure and a lack of hope. She payed close attention while I gave her my rap. As always I told her that grassroots will win with strength from the community. She then began to tell me about her struggle.
As she spoke, she started to cry, explaining how life isn’t easy right now. Due to proposed health care cuts, she was laid off from her nursing job. She was the only working person in her house, supporting her family and her three unemployed sisters. Bills had been piling up for quite some time and she could no longer afford her house, which has been in her family for four generations. And while she wanted to get involved on every level, she didn’t have enough money to pay her taxes, let alone make a dues payment. She knew our issues, as she lives them everyday.
As she signed down for a membership, she thanked me, both for the Unemployment Lifeline, and for working hard for people like her everyday. Knowing that there is an organization that is fighting for the people and offering resources to those who have been left behind by capitalist values gave her more hope than she had felt in quite some time. While financially she couldn’t help, she is more than on board with letting her voice be heard and fighting for the right of happiness for working families.
by Lynne Bolton—Minnesota
It had been raining on and off in South Minneapolis, and by about 6 pm I hadn’t had much luck yet — forget about getting any dues-paying members, folks weren’t even interested in listening to who I was. I was down near Minnehaha Creek, when the rain really started to pick up. I knocked on the door and a woman in her 40′s answered it. Inside were 4 kids all waiting for dinner as their frazzled mom listened to me give my rap. I was trying to be quick, as the kids were all trying to get her attention as well.
She told me that her big concerns were health care and jobs, as her husband (who did consulting IT work) had lost his big client, and she was staying at home with the kids. After I was finished, she said she wanted to give, but couldn’t do that much. I told her to give what she was comfortable with, and she contributed $60 – saying that she wished it could be more, because the issues were so important – to her, but also to everyone.
I left and went back into the rain, feeling better about what I was doing, and knowing I was appreciated.
by Elizabeth Holmbeck—Minnesota
One day while canvassing, I ran into a elderly fellow who lived alone with his dog named Pat. As I talked with him about the issues that we work on, he was silent. When I stopped, he told me I did a good job and asked me in for tea. He was delightful — he told me of his days as a young man going door to door as a traveling salesman some fifty years ago, he talked about his service in World War II, and we discussed the current times. He told me that at 85 years of age he had been dropped by the VA medical because there were too many wounded vets coming home from the current conflict. My heart went out to him as someone who had no family or friends around him in his age and now had no healthcare. He was so thankful for what we did and told me to keep up the good work — and that is what I do!
by Curtis Neff—Minnesota
I was canvassing in Plymouth Minnesota last week. I was struck by how inviting and friendly Everyone was. I mentioned this to a person at the door and they mentioned Money Magazine has Plymouth as the best city in America to live. I enjoyed incredible conversations with people voting all kinds of ways. Places like Plymouth have taught me to appreciate the diversity in opinion in America. I spent more time than usual at each door because of the fascination of in in depth talks. I was able to see different viewpoints and to share some insight to a vision of an America where divisiveness fades away. I am very happy to be doing what I’m doing. The silver lining in the failures in our system lies in the ability to find ways to work together for common goals. The partisanship of the last 10, 20, or 30 years is starting to fade. Plymouth Minnesota, to me, show some proof.
by Nathan Rose—Minnesota
I was canvassing in Brooklyn Park where I met a woman whose child was hit by a car. She lost her home to pay for her children’s health care and lost her job while nursing her injured child. She said that she now just wants to help fix the health care system however she can, even if it’s through volunteer work. “I don’t even want money,” she said. “I just want to help people by doing something that matters.: Then she gave me an apple and a DPM, despite the fact that “every dollar is precious,” she said. “Thank you. This gives me hope.”
Tags: children
by Curtis Neff—Minnesota
I am a field manager in the Twin Cities. Yesterday I was taking out a potential new activist on their observation day. The woman we canvassed in the trailer park was very sad. Her lights were being shut off. She had just lost her job due to downsizing. We have AFl-CIO community Services cards we hand out to people falling between the cracks. Unfortunately in this economy we find more and more of these people. Our services lead people assistance with food, utilities, health care programs, workers rights, unemployment assistance, job training, English language programs, volunteer opportunities, and community activist training. I was taken aback by her appreciation for the opportunity to have some help where it seems like there is none to be found. I was choked up over this and had to take a minute to get to the next door. My observer was able to see the real compassion and empathy we have as Working America activists. Some folks are making it through life real swell while the majority of us are struggling or not making it at all.
Exxon Mobile just made 11 Billion dollars in the second quarter and we can’t afford to drive to an interview to keep the lights on. Where is the Safety NET!
Tags: Health Care
by Abdirisak Farah—Minnesota
I met a young lady who was really in a hurry. She asked, “What can I do for you? I introduced myself and told her that we are fighting for health care. Then she said: “I don’t care if I am going to be late for work. I will sign this because I’m one of the 47 million people without health care that you are fighting for. Keep up the fight! You are doing the right thing!”
I was so pleased.
Tags: Health Care
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. She took me out to her car, and I approached a woman sitting in the passenger seat. I introduced myself and explained what our organization does. She told me that she would love to sign up as a member and that she would also like to get more involved. She began to explain to me that she is in medical bankruptcy because of her health care costs. She said that she has health insurance, but because she is on a plan of 90/10 coverage, the 10 percent she is responsible for has added up to nearly 300,000 dollars. She also explained that she has precancerous cells in her breasts, but because they aren’t cancerous yet, the insurance company is calling her request for a double mastectomy “cosmetic” and will not be covered.
When I walked away from that car, I knew there was nothing I could do to make her situation go away, but I did realize that I gave her some hope that organizations like Working America are fighting for her and millions more of Americans in her same position.
Tags: Health Care, membership
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.
Tags: membership
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.
Tags: Health Care, membership
