|
Summer
2005

|
|


In many offices—ours is no exception—you find posters
on the wall with inspirational messages. But one poster
carries a message that epitomizes Georgia PIRG. The
poster shows a picture of the front door of someone’s
home. The words “Democracy Happens Here” are printed
on it. Underneath the door is the tagline: “Grassroots
action, one citizen at a time.”
That’s
how we are protecting Georgia’s environment, consumers
and democracy. And it’s how we are building Georgia
PIRG. We’ve gotten thousands of Georgia citizens like
you to take political action by simply having a conversation.
Every
summer, we send dozens of canvassers to walk mile after
mile of concrete sidewalks, knocking on doors. Rain
or shine, through heat and humidity, our canvassers
come to educate you about a critical public interest
issue, encourage you to take an action, and ask you
to support Georgia PIRG.
There’s
little doubt our canvassers and canvass directors could
find other jobs with fewer hours and higher pay. But
instead, they’ve chosen to talk to citizens about critical
issues regarding Georgia’s environment and public health.
Why?
“How
can I not?” responds Alice DeHeus. “We’re facing unprecedented
challenges to our environment. It’s critical that we
educate citizens about these threats and encourage them
to take action.”
Alice,
a native of Chattanooga, TN, is our lead field manager
and has been part of our citizen outreach office for
more than eight months. When she’s not out canvassing
herself, she’s helping oversee a staff of up to 25 canvassers,
mostly college students. All told, Alice expects our
office to knock on at least 70,000 doors this summer,
spreading the news about Georgia PIRG’s work to protect
our environment and consumers.
I
cannot express how much I appreciate the work Alice
and others perform for Georgia PIRG. I encourage you
to talk with them if they come to your door this summer.
They are critical to achieving success.
Jill
Johnson
Advocate
|