banging on doors, shouting, "here again!"
a summer of community organizing
a little update on my work
Being an outreach organizer feels a lot like running around, knocking on people's doors. A few people invite you inside for a cup of tea. Some point you to their neighbour down the street. Many stand in the doorway and listen.
A lot of people don't answer the door.
I haven't been literally going around knocking on doors - I've been calling and emailing, visiting offices or setting up meetings in neutral spaces. I've met all kinds of people, from program directors to volunteer staff, and been treated more like a grown-up than I ever have before.
The point of all this running around was simple: to meet with a group of youth and conduct a listening campaign, basically a 45 minute discussion about the challenges people are facing and the action we could take to address them. (Here's a little handout I made with some more information.)
On Monday, I'll finally have the chance to do that and put all my learning into practice.
Wish me luck.
August 5, 2016