Why do you work for Grassroots Campaigns?

Mac Smith
NYC Street Assistant Director, canvasser since June 2010

"I had studied politics in school but there still always seemed to be a vagueness about it. However, one thing I learned in class my senior year of college was that there are four fundamental steps to political participation. 1. You hear about an event. 2. You talk to others about the event. 3. You finalize your opinion about the event and what it means. 4. You do something about it. I got started canvassing to repeal the Arizona immigration law. As I'm standing there in the streets of New York City I found it very hard to believe I could affect something 2500 miles away. But, lo and behold, the law was overturned and we won. And I couldn't help but feel partially responsible for that.

With all of the noise that comes out of the TV, internet, radio and newspapers telling us how to think, people are less and less likely to go out and make that step between steps three and four and do something about an issue they care about. Before there were all of these forms of media there was just what we do: people talking to people about things that matter. This is democracy at its finest and its most basic, and it's the only real way to go out and affect positive change. That's why I canvass."

Mac Smith, Assistant Director, NYC
Claude Reed, canvasser, NYC
Liam Sumnicht, Field Manager, Kansas City
Emily Dodgson, Field Manager, Kansas City

Meet our canvass leadership staff

Meet our on-the-ground staff

Meet Grassroots Campaigns' alumni