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Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan depends on volunteers and activists to fuel our grassroots movement to protect reproductive rights and expand access to health care. The hard work of our volunteers allows us to reach thousands of voters across the state, educate them about reproductive justice and health, and galvanize them to turn out and vote!
Interested in joining the grassroots movement and making an impact by talking to your neighbors? Take a page from Kyla Goolsby’s book. During the 2018 election, Kyla was one of our most outstanding champions and a canvassing extraordinaire. Not only was Kyla able to make meaningful connections with hundreds of community members while canvassing, but she was also a great mentor and leader to her fellow volunteers.
Shortly after joining the canvassing team, Kyla took on the additional responsibility of recruiting student activists to work with PPAM’s endorsed candidates and expanding PPAM’s college outreach program. She recruited more than a dozen students who went on to knock doors and earned the title of Volunteer Engagement Leader - the first Mid-Michigan volunteer to do so!
Even one volunteer can make a big difference. For every seven voters who are reached through canvassing, one will turn out to vote who wouldn’t have otherwise. In just one weekend of canvassing, you could turn out dozens of new voters.
How much of an impact can that make? State Rep. Angela Witwer won her election by 691 votes, and Kyla’s volunteer work was more than enough to cover that margin of victory. Now, we have a champion in the 71st district that we didn’t have before.
Long story short, canvassing works. Nothing is as powerful as face to face interaction, and working directly in your community.
Want to make a difference and engage your community around health and justice issues? Send us an email at ppam@ppmi.org and we will connect you with a community organizer near you!