Hitting the Ground: Updates from our Grassroots Groups
Community Water Center Action Fund
Community Water Center Action Fund (Tulare County)
Imelda Ramirez, field director
The Community Water Center Action Fund, based in Tulare County, is dedicated to ensuring people have access to safe, clean and affordable drinking water. The group advocates for communities that face challenges from water that is contaminated or shut off. It works to improve this situation by helping to elect political candidates who commit to change — a difficult task.
Field Director Imelda Ramirez, sees too many people in the Central Valley who aren’t excited about voting because they have heard politicians promise to make life better – and nothing gets fixed. “We’ve given [David] Valadao way too much time,” said Ramirez, referring to the incumbent Republican representing CD 22 in Congress. “I think his time is up now.”
CWCAF is canvassing potential voters in Tulare and Kern Counties and has endorsed Democrat Rudy Salas to replace Valadao in Congress.
CWCAF has 20 bilingual canvassers on the ground now. They have contacted thousands of voters in CD 22 – and they plan to reach a lot more. When they find people who think there is no point to voting, the canvassers feel a “powerful” drive to explain why it matters. “Hopefully it will pay off this November,” Ramirez said. “Those door knocks, those phone calls, do make a really big impact.”
Dolores Huerta Action Fund
Dolores Huerta Action Fund (Kern County)
Liz Palencia, field director
Dolores Huerta Action Fund has set a goal of having 13,000 conversations with potential voters in CD 22 to boost the turnout for November. They’ll be knocking on many more doors than that. “We’re reaching everybody we can,” says Liz Palencia, field director for DHAF.
The DHAF team is so committed to getting out votes that its leader, Dolores Huerta, has promised that all 40 staff employees will be canvassing up to the election. “We are all hitting the streets,” Huerta says. “We are going to be out there.”
Rudy Salas’ election could give Democrats a crucial majority in Congress.
“We know that Kamala, when she wins the presidency, will need the House of Representatives,” Huerta says. “We know that we have to get the House of Representatives.”
Many of DHAF’s canvassers have years of experience, which is an advantage. Palenzia says she started canvassing 12 years ago, and she still loves it. “We had somebody come in today, excited that this is their first election to vote,” Palencia says. “It’s really inspiring, really great to see all this work coming together.”
Delano Guardians
Delano Guardians (Kern County)
Angelica Lopez, new coordinator for Delano Guardians
The Delano Guardians have ramped up their work since the spring primary and have recently hired more canvassers. They have reached out to more than 45,000 registered voters and contacted 1,148 who have committed to vote. The group is making a special effort to reach registered voters ages 18 to 40.
In the summer months the Delano Guardians have been attending community events and setting up canopies at shopping centers around CD 22 to register and pre-register citizens in person. That includes voter registrations at the Dollar General and Ranch Market in McFarland, the Walmart shopping center and flea market in Delano as well as at events in Shafter. They are currently preparing to be at the Harvest Holidays in Delano this weekend.
The Guardians currently have a public service announcement (PSA) in Spanish running on the Spanish speaking radio station La Que Buena. And are planning additional PSAs — a series of five daily. That will add up to 100 PSAs for a month starting Oct. 4.
They are also placing two billboards along Highway 99, a central artery through the Central Valley, urging people to vote. One of the billboards is up now, and the other one will be up soon.
Valley Voices
Valley Voices (Kings County)
Ruth Lopez, director
Valley Voices recently was awarded membership in the national Latino Community Foundation's Nonprofit Accelerator Program to boost their civic and voter engagement work. The program has enabled the group to update their social media presence with the help of a professional photographer.
Meanwhile Valley Voices is already putting its funding to work by increasing their canvassers on the ground throughout Kings County this fall. Their goal is to reach thousands of registered voters in heavily Latino communities to boost voter turnout. They are tracking their canvassing efforts by electronic databases to ensure effective outreach.
They are expanding community canvassing at popular events in Kings County, said Ivette Chaidez Villarrea, one of the group’s leaders. That includes Alma’s Flea Market in Hanford (Kings County), where they visit each vendor and offer voter registration and public health resources. That can lead to 100 conversations per event.
Canvassers are hearing that people are worried about health coverage and being able to afford to go to the doctor. They are concerned about their children’s ability to find good jobs when they graduate high school. They also worry about the cost of food and their ability to feed their families.