Speaker of the Week: Terra Volpe

- Terra Volpe has pioneered the Action Together Connecticut movement where they actively participate in phone banking and door to door conversations to promote government involvement

- An avid advocate for participation in government and the process (even small) to get the government to do what you want or to get your voice heard.

-two segments of dedication: support candidates that support policies that align with our beliefs and legislative season

-tangible change can be achieved more powerfully on a local level

-Energy sent to someone who reaches out and candidates of flippable of disricts

-the lens of policy, sessions before loyalties

-a lot can be done with at least ten people-30people

-small groups can do a lot, but requires a lot of communication

-a lot of the work is pulling people along, not super entertaining and a lot of hard work. But pull enough and people will react

Phone banking

-opportunity to speak to voters

-gathers data

-how much votes needed for candidates to win

-one effective way to candidates opportunity to reach their numbers

-read a script and eventually one gets comfortable

-tell voter why you support candidate, and what voting for them will do to effect them

-sometimes a hard ask is needed

Door to door, one on ones

-face to face is more effective, establishes an emotional connection

-not everyone is informed

-people vote emotion, which is sad, but informed citizens are hide to come by

-Red Flag laws

-Volpe has been working towards a bill where they are trying to advocate for firearms to be removed by law if shown to be a threat

Passing Bills in CT

- pass it through legislative committee

-as a voter, people should talk to legislators and you can have influence

-stay informed, and may not convince them, but you are still collecting information

-information helps organizers craft talking points for the next step, gives weight to the push back

-10 is the magic number

-Connecticut is so small, and little people are engaged

-you can get people influenced with 10 calls

-small amount of people can do an awful amount of good

COVID question: What has changed with campaigning?

-some have changed for the better

-people are still knocking doors, just with guidelines

-touch-less is being utilized

-Social Media gives so much leverage, even before pandemic

-zoom allows for a lot more outreach, will continue to use it. Easily accessible

-collecting people will be more digital

-Volpe feels she showed up too late.

-grit, dedication, and tenacity important to this field

-never forget roots and work put in before

small actions:

-commit to one action a week

- then continue and persevere to keep doing things in effort

-it becomes easier

-figure out what you care about and where you get your information

-it streamlines after you take your time, carve out time to do one thing to push an issue forward