canvassing

My name is Emily Woodcock, and on Sunday, 4/11, I had my 10 year anniversary as the Field Canvass Director in Clean Water’s Ann Arbor, MI office.  I’ve been with Clean Water since Sept. of 2004, and I’ve been field organizing since July of 2002.

This past summer, I worked as a community organizer for Clean Water Action.

On October 19^th, at our 25^th annual Fall Benefit, Clean Water Action will present the 2019 John O’Connor Award for Canvassing to Sarah Gokey, a Field Manager in our Northampton Field Canvass.

Forest Gump once said, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” This quote is particularly true in the world of canvassing. Every single door is a new opportunity for someone to get involved in the work we do. You never know who’s going to open up the door you just knocked on.

Clean Water Action works hard to keep people involved in the democratic process, even outside of election day. Contrary to popular belief, politicians are not working against the interest of the people. They just have a lot on their plates.

Autumn is my favorite season of the year. We’re past the stifling heat and humidity of summer, the changing color of leaves makes my drive to work a rolling rainbow of foliage and my work as a canvasser takes on special significance because, every two years, it’s election season.

You never know what you might run into when activists descend on the statehouse for the Environment Council of Rhode Island’s (ECRI) annual Lobby Day.

Last Wednesday, I was greeted in the rotunda by a group of our allies in the Energize Rhode Island coalition wearing snorkels to demonstrate the kind of gear we’ll all need if we don’t fight the sea level rise that is resulting from Climate Change.

I've worked for Clean Water Action for 7 years. It's safe to say I like my job, the people that I work with, and this organization.  A few weeks ago I had a moment where all of those thoughts popped into my head.