Volunteers are a National Treasure

Volunteers sign up to help without always knowing specifically what they can or want to do. We at Rideshare2Vote are here to help train, mobilize and activate them into the right department for their comfort level and availability. Some want to drive while others are interested in helping in Dispatch or making phone calls into states where they may have relatives or some connection. 

One such Texas volunteer, Melanie, started as a driver and has had such wonderful experiences that she’s now branched out to phone banking and social media. She told us a story about one of her rides: she picked up an older gentleman in Dallas, a retired police officer who takes care of an invalid wife and is going blind but has never missed a chance to vote. His gratitude for her services was life-changing and prompted her to sign up again and again to drive. 

I recently began calling our VA volunteer drivers to thank them again for saving democracy and to see if they’ll do it again for the general election. Kathy Springston, one of our Richmond volunteers, told me she’s excited to drive again in the fall. She then said, “Can I tell you a story?” She then told me of a lady she drove to the polls in June, but the polling station was wrong, and she was turned away. The voter was upset, so Kathy said she’d stay with her, figure out where the correct place was, and she ended up driving her a lot farther than anticipated, but she was happy to do so the lady was so grateful! Kathy waited at the second polling place, took her home, and as she got out of the car, the voter turned and said, “You saved the day today, thank you for helping me cast my ballot.” Kathy almost cried; she was so moved. This is why we do the work; this is the voter protection we need as states legislate to take away voters’ rights. One vote, one ride at a time.  

At Rideshare2Vote, we believe that the volunteers are a national treasure. With all the other downtime activities available, they’ve chosen to spend their time helping others. Voter protection is the antidote to voter suppression.

by Anne E Wile